Musings: Skinher - Heartstruck

Skinher is the heavy metal project and brainchild of Kyle Skinher (aka Haris from prog metal pioneers Hail Spirit Noir). Skinher, the band, made their debut with their Heartstruck LP last week via boutique label Aural Music and what a debut it was! If vintage ‘80s heavy metal/hair metal is your thing, then you’re in for a good time.

Skinher features Cons Marg on vocals, Kyle Skinher on bass, synths, and samples, Roger Rovento, J. Demian, and Antonis Sevdalis on lead guitars, Theoharis on rhythm guitars, and Hakon Freyr Gustafsson on drums. The gorgeous cover artwork is a good indication as to what awaits inside: a horror-themed collection of metal songs. The album opens with “You Are Next!” and makes a strong statement with its catchy chorus, infectious guitar licks and riffs. The horror theme is alive and well with “The Maniac is Back”, a track reminiscent of the classic Alice Cooper song “The Man Behind the Mask” which he did for Friday the 13^th Part VI. The beautiful synth-driven rock tune “Interstellar Love Hysteria” is an ‘80s-tinged number drenched in nostalgia. I love the word play of “Night Cull” instead of “night call”; this track would fit like a glove on Dario Argento’s Tenebrae soundtrack of 1982. A highlight of the record. “He Sees You” is a spooky quasi-instrumental, save for the creepy “Santa Claus Is coming to Town” spoken words. The compelling rhythms of “Self-Eating Creatures” make it a fun sing-along song keeping with the spirit of the LP’s horror motif—one of my absolute faves. “Dance with the Dead” with its opening homage to Psycho features heavy guitars and cool synths to deliver a memorable melody. The record comes to an end with a bona fide rock ballad, “Josephine”, and it’s right at home within the confines of the LP’s theme.

Get your air guitars out, Skinher has arrived! Heartstruck is vintage hair metal at its best. This album is flawless at what it aims to do: a metal album with pop sensibilities and prog tendencies. It’s a solid collection of eight tracks that go down easy like a cold beer on a hot summer night. Skinher is a direct descendant of bands like Europe, Firehouse, Cinderella, and even Bon Jovi. This is an album I’ll be playing often and it will undeniably make its way to my Top Albums of the Year come the end of 2023.

Skinher’s Bandcamp page: https://skinher.bandcamp.com/album/heartstruck 

Musings: Oryad - Sacred & Profane

Oryad is a mystic progressive doom metal band from Tennessee and Colorado. What is particular about this band’s distinct sound is the operatic vocals lead singer Moira Murphy brings to the proceedings. Her performance is powerful and melodic throughout the duration of Sacred & Profane, their follow-up to the 2021 EP Hymns of Exile & Decay.

This symphonic metal journey opens with “The Path: Part I”, a dazzling, haunting piece reminiscent of something you’d find on Wojciech Kilar’s 1992 Dracula soundtrack. Murphy also reminds me of the great Sarah Brightman with her vocal prowess. The lead single, “Scorched Earth”, is epic in scope and features plenty of heavy guitar riffs—operatic metal at its best. The keyboard-driven “Blood” is a hypnotic song with tremendous vocals, but the drumming pattern sounded too much like a drum machine to me. “Lilith” pays homage to the demonic female seducer. This one’s got a slower tempo and continues to showcase Moira Murphy’s phenomenal vocals—a highlight of the record. “Eve”, the second single, is a solid song, but I found myself really disliking the drum machine-sounding drums here. “Alchemy” is my personal favourite; very melodic, it’s a gentle hard rock tune with an edge. “Wayfaring Stranger” is the shortest track of the lot and feels a bit like a transition song towards the third act of the album. It’s a gem of a song. “Through the Veil” opens with whisperings in what sounds like French. It’s a beautiful, entrancing slow song with strings. “Slice of Time” is high energy, and while it’s a good tune, I have the same issue as stated above with the drumming. It also feels like it goes on for a tad too long, losing some of its momentum. But again, Murphy’s captivating vocals save the day. Which brings us to “The Path: Part II”, a gorgeous closer in the same vein as the opener. Those two tracks are absolutely perfect to bookend this sonic experience.

Sacred & Profane is a remarkable record showcasing a singer who’s got talent to spare. It’s a terrific effort from a band that’s wonderfully diverse and that easily weaves together metal, doom, prog, opera, classical, and even jazz into their sound. Oryad has concocted a splendid collection of songs that you should seriously consider purchasing once the album is unveiled on May 25^th.

Oryad’s Bandcamp page: https://oryad.bandcamp.com/ 

Musings: Overkill - Scorched

Last Friday, April 14^th, was arguably the biggest day of the year for metal releases. We got both Metallica and Overkill, two thrash metal giants, unleashing much-anticipated albums. To be honest, that’s pretty much all I’ve listened to all week since last Friday. Those two albums turned out to be phenomenal. Overkill returns with their 20^th LP, Scorched, and they’ve actually been around for longer than Metallica! Hard to believe that this band from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey was formed in 1980. Full disclosure: Before listening to Scorched, I was an Overkill virgin. True story! Well, sort of. I’d heard a handful of Overkill songs in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but I’d never owned or listened to a full album of theirs, as crazy as it sounds. In fact, before last Friday, I wouldn’t have been able to even name you one of their songs, much less any of their albums. I couldn’t tell you why, because now I absolutely love them. Maybe it’s because none of my circle of friends listened to Overkill and they didn’t get airplay, so I wasn’t exposed to them? Back in the day, we listened to Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Dio, Motley Crüe, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and a ton of similar bands, but an Overkill tape or CD never landed in my lap.

Scorched is a great starting point, I find. I haven’t had time to dig deeper into their discography so I can’t really compare how it stands next to their previous records or whether it’s on par with their modern-day output, but I’ll share my thoughts on how much this album hit a sweet spot for me. The quintet fires on all cylinders and doesn’t show their age in the slightest. The title song blows the record wide open. Their sound to me feels as if AC/DC’s Brian Johnson had fronted Metallica or Megadeth in their prime. Vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth’s got that gravel-sounding voice that injects the band with raw energy. “Goin’ Home” is a banger of a track, kind of like a battle song about going home during the pandemic. “The Surgeon” is one of my favourites and a definite highlight of the LP. I believe it was the first single as well and a good choice it was. It’s relentless and feels like it would be right at home on a horror movie soundtrack. “Twist of the Wick” has an ominous intro before a vicious guitar/bass/drum attack. I love its frantic energy. “Wicked Place”, the second single, might be the best tune on this record. A melodic song with heavy, groovy riffs and killer guitars. “Won’t Be Comin’ Back” with its galloping intro is catchy as all hell. It’s my favourite song on this album of favourites. Don’t let “Fever”’s slower tempo intro fool you—this is a scorcher! Ellsworth channels Queensryche’s Geoff Tate at times here; another standout track. “Harder They Fall” is a speedy rock ‘n’ roll gem to keep you banging your head. “Know Her Name” has a cool old school riff in the vein of our lords Sabbath. The tenth and final song, “Bag O’ Bones”, is a super fun, part groovy, part heavy tune that’s a perfect closer to this 52-minute masterclass in thrash metal.

It’s a toss-up between Scorched and 72 Seasons as to which of the two is my favourite LP. I love both albums for different reasons. All I know is that this will absolutely be a runner-up for Album of the Year for me when the time comes. Why isn’t Overkill part of the Big Four or make it the Big Five and include them! This is a sensational album, all killer, no filler that has endless replay value. Scorched is a must-have for metalheads in general and Overkill fans.

Overkill’s Bandcamp Page: https://overkillmetal.bandcamp.com/album/scorched 

Musings: Wizard Tattoo - Fables of the Damned

Happy 4/20 everybody! For the occasion, I’ll be focusing on an album that you’ll be able to pre-order as of tomorrow on Bandcamp. Wizard Tattoo is an Indianapolis-based doom rock band by multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard. Picking up where last summer’s self-titled EP ended, Fables of the Damned will be released on June 23^rd. In the meantime, to coincide with the pre-orders going live tomorrow, a first single and video titled "The Black Mountain Pass" will be unleashed upon us, so keep an eye out for that.

I’m always amazed at one-man bands who can pull off a sound that truly feels like you’re listening to a four-piece band. Wizard Tattoo delivers a rich musical experience that surpasses the expectations one might’ve had listening to his excellent four-track EP. This is a concept album, not just musically, but the cover art paying homage to EC Comics’ classic Tales from the Crypt is also part of the package, with marvelous artwork for each of the upcoming singles. Fables of the Damned opens with the fuzzy “Wizard Van” to get the trip going with a psychedelic vibe. The aforementioned first single, "The Black Mountain Pass", plays on duality, with gruff vocals singing the chorus and verse while a gentler voice recites spoken words. This one’s got great guitar work as well. “The Vengeful Thulsa Dan”, a nod to Conan’s Thulsa Doom, no doubt, has a retro ‘70s feel and features an ascending/descending tetrachord bassline at the midway point that’ll have you bobbing your head with delight. “Any Which Way But Tuned” is a terrific acoustic number with lovely cello to boot. “The Ghost of Doctor Beast” is the only track I didn’t care for; it just didn’t resonate with me. “God Damn This Wizard Tattoo” is the coolest song on this LP and my personal favourite. Its chorus is a total earworm. I suspect it will be a single in the future. The last track, “Abendrote”, is a gorgeous instrumental that goes through different movements. Part of it reminded me of Alice in Chains’ acoustic songs until the Wizard plugs in for the full effect. A definite standout track!

Fables of the Damned really feels structured is if it were seven distinct musical tales with their own unique identity forming a whole. Bram the Bard proves to be a gifted multi-instrumentalist who delivers an eclectic album and a perfect follow-up to his previous EP. There’s superb guitar playing throughout and we often get drastic shifts of tempo/instrumentation halfway through the songs, injecting them with a palpable energy. Influences ranging from Led Zep to Smashing Pumpkins can be heard here and there. If you’re looking for a well-made album replete with originality, give Wizard Tattoo’s Fables of the Damned a spin, you’re bound to be entranced by it.

Wizard Tattoo’s Bandcamp Page: https://wizardtattoo.bandcamp.com/ 

Audiobook Showcase: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - The High Country

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had a phenomenal first season on Paramount+ and was renewed for a second season which will start airing in June. It’s no surprise that Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster Audio set out to publish a series of novels set in this crew’s universe. As a huge fan of Star Trek and this series in particular, this was a highly anticipated release for me. Star Trek: SNW – The High Country is the first novel chronicling the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock, and First Officer Una Chin-Riley. Written by John Jackson Miller, the audiobook is narrated by Robert Petkoff and was published on February 21^st, 2023.

Here’s the book’s official synopsis: “An all-new Star Trek adventure―the first novel based on the thrilling Paramount+ TV series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds!

When an experimental shuttlecraft fails, Captain Christopher Pike suspects a mechanical malfunction―only to discover the very principles on which Starfleet bases its technology have simply stopped functioning. He and his crewmates are forced to abandon ship in a dangerous maneuver that scatters their party across the strangest new world they’ve ever encountered.

First Officer Una finds herself fighting to survive an untamed wilderness where dangers lurk at every turn. Young cadet Nyota Uhura struggles in a volcanic wasteland where things are not as they seem. Science Officer Spock is missing altogether. And Pike gets the chance to fulfill a childhood dream: to live the life of a cowboy in a world where the tools of the 23rd century are of no use.

Yet even in the saddle, Pike is still very much a starship captain, with all the responsibilities that entails. Setting out to find his crewmates, he encounters a surprising face from his past―and discovers that one people’s utopia might be someone else’s purgatory. He must lead an exodus―or risk a calamity of galactic proportions that even the Starship Enterprise is powerless to stop....” 

As most Star Trek fans know, Captain Christopher Pike isn’t a new character in the Star Trek universe. He was the very first Captain to be featured on The Original Series for its pilot episode, “The Cage”, all the way back in 1965 before Captain James T. Kirk ever took the helm of the Enterprise for his own pilot episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” “The Cage” and its counterpart, the two-part “The Menagerie”, remains one of my favourite Star Trek episodes of any series. In 2006, one of Star Trek’s best and most beloved authors, Margaret Wander Bonanno, wrote a fantastic novel focusing entirely on Captain Pike titled Burning Dreams. Unfortunately, it’s not available on audiobook but I highly encourage you to seek it out in print: it’s one of the best Trek books I’ve ever read. Fast forward to 2019 when Captain Pike and his crew appeared for a good number of episodes on TV’s Star Trek: Discovery setting things up for the eventual Strange New Worlds series. John Jackson Miller was tapped to pen a Discovery novel/audiobook titled The Enterprise War with a focus on Pike and company. While I’m not a fan of the Discovery series, I picked it up on audiobook as I was curious to see what he’d bring to the table. It was an average story with good ideas that was too often slow-moving and not particularly memorable. Still, I had my hopes up for this first SNW novel, also penned by Jackson Miller.

Which brings me to my thoughts on The High Country. I was so disappointed by this book! It was a veritable chore to get through it and finish it. With a running time of 16 hours and some change, it feels at least six hours too long. The pacing is slow as molasses and the plot is drawn out to the point of becoming completely uninteresting. It doesn’t help that it feels more like you’re reading/listening to a western rather than a sci-fi novel for the majority of its runtime. The thing that irked me the most is the fact that Miller had the not-so-great idea of splitting up the away team from the get-go. So, we have Pike, Una, and Uhura all on their own for more than half of the novel. And Spock, well, he’s missing in action for close to two thirds of the book, only to resurface and play a mild supporting role. What a missed opportunity, especially for a first book in the series, to have a grand scale plot worthy of a movie with the crew acting as a cohesive team. Instead we get what feels like the plot of an episode stretched out into what would have probably been a two-parter on TV.

The story takes place on Etheska (?), a planet where technology doesn't work, and timeline-wise fits about halfway through Season 1 of the show. I also read somewhere that this book is a follow-up of sorts to the Star Trek: Enterprise series episode “North Star” focusing on the Skagarans, a humanoid race. I was never a fan of Enterprise and have only seen a handful of episodes of that show, so I had no prior knowledge of what transpired in that episode. Maybe I would’ve enjoyed the book more had I seen that episode and understood some of its references? Anyhow, all this to say that this book failed to deliver an exciting adventure for SNW’s first literary outing. Don’t get me wrong, Jackson Miller is a good writer, I’ll give him that, he’s just not my cup of tea, I guess. I’ve read his Star Wars: Kenobi novel from 2013 and experienced a similar disappointment, with issues of pacing and stretching out a thin plot worthy of a novella into a whole novel when the occasion to explore years of Kenobi’s life between Episode III and IV was another missed opportunity, in my humble opinion. And we had the John Ford-western style setting again for that book. Miller seems to love injecting western tropes into sci-fi. But I digress. I truly hope the folks at Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster give the task to a different writer for the next SNW book because I am done reading John Jackson Miller: three strikes, you’re out! What saved this audiobook was the always reliable Robert Petkoff handling narration duties. He’s proven over the years to be the voice of Star Trek in literature. His portrayal of the various characters is flawless. I can confidently say that if I’d been reading a print version of this book, I would’ve stopped halfway through (or maybe sooner), but Petkoff kept me going.

In the end, sadly I can’t recommend Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The High Country as it simply didn’t deliver the goods on too many levels. Although, judging by a quick glance on Amazon, I seem to be in the minority as the book appears to have a plethora of four- and five-star reviews. Mileage may vary. Coming on the heels of the excellent Star Trek: Harm’s Way from late last year by David Mack, I still have faith in the Star Trek novel franchise. I’ve lost all faith in the Star Wars books though, as my experience with them has been awful these past five years. Star Trek still seems to hit it out of the park more often than not, so I’m still hopeful we’ll get a home run for the next Star Trek: Strange New Worlds novel/audiobook.

Rating: Two stars out of five

Get your copy on Audible

Musings: Metallica - 72 Seasons

Yesterday heavy metal legends Metallica unleashed their much-anticipated 11^th album, 72 Seasons, or as I like to call it, The Yellow Album. There are three types of Metallica fans: 1) The ones who stopped listening after … And Justice for All, 2) The ones who stopped listening after The Black Album, and 3) The ones who are die-hards and have been along for the entire ride. I am of the second category. I love the band’s first five albums pretty much equally. I got into Metallica in the summer of 1989 after seeing the “One” video on MuchMusic (Canada’s equivalent of MTV). A friend of mine had Justice on tape and loaned it to me. I was blown away by it and proceeded to buy that tape as well as Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. When the self-titled album (or The Black Album, as it’s commonly referred to) came out in 1991, I was ecstatic and wasn’t disappointed by the direction Metallica had taken. My only gripe was that it didn’t feature an instrumental track as the previous four LPs had. Apart from that, I didn’t care that it was more commercial and less thrashy, it was great music!

Then came Load and Reload. Ugh. Those two albums didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t good music, in my humble opinion, and I quickly lost interest in Metallica after those two CDs had been released. My interest peaked again with 1998’s Garage Inc, their double CD of covers. But in terms of new material, I was done with ‘Tallica and didn’t care anymore. To this day, I’ve only heard a handful of tracks from St. Anger, Death Magnetic, and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct and don’t feel I need to listen to any of those songs aside from when they’re played live. That’s one thing about Metallica though, I will always be up to see a live show of theirs, whether it’s on YouTube, DVD/Blu-ray, at the theatre or live in the flesh. They always deliver and never disappoint. In fact, when they put out the soundtrack to Through the Never in 2013—which is really a concert assembled from performances taken from five different shows in 2012—I bought the double CD and to this day, it’s one of my favourite live albums from any band.

Fast forward to November 2022 when 72 Seasons’ first single, “Lux Aeterna”, came out without warning. It got my attention. A second single followed and by the third single, I was all in. It was time to give Metallica a chance after all those years. I was so excited in fact, that I bought a ticket for the screening on April 13^th and listened/watched the full album in a packed theatre and had a total blast. I am now writing this Musings column after having heard the LP from beginning to end four times. 72 Seasons is brought to you by James Hetfield on vocals/rhythm guitar, Lars Ulrich on drums, Kirk Hammett on lead guitar, and Robert Trujillo on bass. Here are my thoughts on it.

The Yellow Album lyrically is much about James Hetfield opening up about his torment and inner-demons. The record opens with the title track, which was the 4^th single, and on first hearing it, I was blown away. I still like it a lot, but it goes on for about two minutes too long and loses its momentum, in my humble opinion. “Shadows Follow” is growing on me, but it’s not the best track on here despite a solid riff and bassline. “Screaming Suicide”, the 2^nd single, is a pretty good tune, but it didn’t hold my attention as much as the 1^st single did. “Sleepwalk My Life Away”, the 5^th single released on April 14^th to accompany the LP’s launch, has a slower tempo and also seems to get better on repeat listens, but also runs a tad too long for its own good. From the 5^th track onward, it’s top-notch all the way through, starting with the superb “You Must Burn!” which should have been a single instead of “Sleepwalk” since they also shot a video for it. “Lux Aeterna” follows, the single that got things started. It’s got an undeniable NWOBHM feel and while fans have criticized Kirk Hammett’s soloing here, I think it suits the song well. It’s energetic and it fits right at home in the middle of the record. I really dig “Crown of Barbed Wire”, it’s a fine head-bobbing tune. “Chasing Light” is a standout track, it gives the impression of constant motion as if you’re being chased, perfectly fitting with its title. “If Darkness Had a Son” was the 3^rd single and it’s what sealed the deal for me. What a banger of a song! The chorus, especially the “Temptation” part of it will make you wanna pump your fist and yell. I think this will feel like an anthem when played live. It also features Hammett’s best solo of the album, in my opinion. “Too Far Gone” is a shorter track that wears its punk roots on its sleeve, a very cool song. “Room of Mirrors” is one of the highlights of the album, and apparently the 6^th single as an awesome video for it was released today—which isn’t the one we saw at the global premiere on Thursday, strangely enough—and I invite you to watch it on YouTube if you haven’t already. Track number 12 closes the album in a major way: the epic, 11-minute long “Inamorata” (sweetheart in English). It could have easily been called “My Friend of Misery II”, but all kidding aside, this is a beautiful song that takes the prize as my favourite track of the album. And this time, its length never outstays its welcome. What a way to cap things off after 77 minutes of music!

72 Seasons is Metallica’s best album since 1991’s The Black Album, in my humble opinion. It sustains a similar pace for the duration, has no ballads, no filler, and features the band clearly making the music they wanna make and love. They have nothing left to prove at this juncture in their career. Metallica’s fanbase seems to be bigger than ever and I have a feeling this album will only solidify their rabid fanbase. Chances are, if you stopped listening back in the ‘90s, this album might bring you back into the fold. While it lacks the killer hooks of their prime years, it’s still chock-full of memorable riffs and catchy lyrics with some cool guitar solos throughout. And I love what the band has planned tour-wise with their No Repeat Weekend Tour—two nights per city, two completely different setlists, and two different opening acts. What’s even more fun is that they announced at the global premiere that they’ll broadcast the Arlington, Texas shows of August 18 and 20 live in cinemas worldwide! Count me in, I’ll buy my ticket as soon as they go on sale. And that’s not all; you’ll also be able to buy the recording of the live shows of your city a few days after they’ve played on Metallica’s Live Recordings site. I’m already pre-ordering the two nights here in Montreal on August 11 and 13. I predict it will be one hell of a fun Metallica summer! So, check out the links below and see if there’s something you like. 72 Seasons might not reinvent the wheel, but overall, it’s a terrific album that will undoubtedly appear on many Year-End lists and will be near the top of mine.

Metallica’s Official 72 Seasons Store: https://www.metallica.com/store/72-seasons/

Metallica’s Official Film Site: https://www.metallica.film/

Metallica’s Official Live Recordings: https://www.livemetallica.com/default.aspx 

Musings: KISS - Off the Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, NY 1984

KISS returns with the 5^th entry in their fantastic Off the Soundboard series, this time Live in Poughkeepsie, NY 1984 for the Animalize Tour. What’s special about this show is that it’s the only known soundboard recording featuring guitarist Mark St. John who only played with the band on one album, Animalize, and only played a handful of shows with them. The rest of the lineup comprises Paul Stanley on vocals/guitar, Gene Simmons on bass/vocals, and the late, great Eric Carr on drums/vocals—who also happens to be my favourite KISS drummer. The show runs an hour and twenty minutes and features 18 songs.

Here is the setlist:

1. Detroit Rock City

2. Cold Gin

3. Creatures of the Night

4. Fits Like a Glove

5. Heaven's on Fire

6. Guitar Solo

7. Under the Gun

8. War Machine

9. Drum Solo

10. Young and Wasted (Incomplete)

11. Bass Solo

12. I Love It Loud

13. I Still Love You

14. Love Gun

15. Black Diamond

16. Oh! Susanna

17. Lick It Up

18. Rock and Roll All Nite (Incomplete)

As readers of this blog know by now, KISS is my favourite band of all-time. Nevertheless, to me this is the release we didn’t ask for. Of all the shows they’ve done over the past five decades, surely, Gene and Paul could’ve picked something fans wanted more. Maybe it’s because it’s from a tour for one of the albums I like the least in KISS’s catalogue, but I really didn’t care to have a show featuring Mark St. John on guitar. If you were gonna put out a performance from the Animalize tour, at least give us one with the great Bruce Kulick on guitar! The good thing is we finally get a live release with Eric Carr on drums. Anyway, it’s KISS and I needed to add this volume of the Off the Soundboard series to my collection, so I picked it up. I put on my headphones, hit the play button, and I was still very excited to listen to it, having just gotten back from the mall to purchase the CD in a record store, something I only do about a couple of times a year—whenever KISS releases a new OTS record actually. Colour me surprised, it exceeded my expectations and I had a real good time with it.

KISS in the mid-eighties played their songs live much faster, so it’s interesting to have these versions of classics from the makeup era. Highlights of the record for me include an energetic version of “Detroit Rock City”, a stellar rendition of “Cold Gin”, the headbanger “Fits Like a Glove”, a solid performance of “I Love It Loud”, the superb “I Still Love You”, a kick-ass “Love Gun”, and a phenomenal interpretation of “Black Diamond” with Carr on vocals. As noted above, two tracks are incomplete: “Young and Wasted”, unfortunately, with Carr on vocals, cutting off at the beginning and resuming just before the guitar solo, and “Rock and Roll All Nite” which fades out, missing only about its last minute or so, and truth be told, we’ve all heard that song a zillion times, so it’s really no biggie. All in all, it’s a good set and I was a little surprised that they decided to play more songs from their previous album, Lick it Up (“Fits Like a Glove”, “Young and Wasted, “Lick it Up”) than their current touring album, Animalize (“Heaven’s on Fire”, “Under the Gun”). Maybe they knew from the get-go that it wasn’t as strong an album as Lick it Up. In any case, we get four songs from Creatures of the Night and five tracks from the makeup era, which is easily their most beloved period. It makes for a diverse setlist spanning their first decade. It’s crazy to look back on it now and realize that KISS was still very much only at the beginning of the road back in 1984.

Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Mark St. John

Off the Soundboard: Live in Poughkeepsie, NY 1984 has a clear sound overall, feels raw as a soundboard release should, and delivers what a fan of that era of KISS would want. I’m happier about owning it than I initially thought I would be. In spite of that, for the casual KISS fan, I’d recommend any of the other four OTS releases over this one. If I were to rank them, I’d put Des Moines 1977 at the top of the list, followed by Tokyo 2001, Donington 1996, and Virginia Beach 2004. I’m afraid this one is for completists only. I look forward to the next one; I’d love an official release of the final night from their New Zealand 1980 Unmasked Tour with Ace on guitar and Carr on drums.

KISS Online: https://www.kissonline.com/welcome 

Musings: Trading Aces - Rock 'N' Roll Homicide

On April 21^st, the mighty Ripple Music will unleash the debut album from supergroup Trading Aces: Rock ‘N’ Roll Homicide. Featuring members of Warrior Soul, Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, and The City Kids, the group comprises Frank Meyer on lead vocals/guitar, Dennis Post on guitar/vocals, Bjarne Paamand Olsen on bass, and Iván Tambac on drums. Rock ‘N’ Roll Homicide is an album with an attitude that blends the best elements of hard rock, punk, and old school metal. It reminds me a bit of Slash’s Snakepit first outing, 1995’s underrated It’s Five O’clock Somewhere, which I have very fond memories of.

The LP opens with a bang with the title track; it’s got an early Motley Crüe vibe which I really dig. “Destination Insane” follows, a catchy tune with echoes of G ‘N’ R. “Ain’t It a Bitch”, the first single, is a fun party tune, and you should check out its video on YouTube. “Beautiful Sunday” has pop hooks for days, while “Hello Hangover” is a killer track reminiscent of early Alice Cooper with a fiery guitar solo. “F.A.B.” is garage rock at its finest, cowbell and all; a cool headbanging song. “California Schemin’” is an earworm with its catchy melody and is one of my absolute fave tracks. Next up, “Hey Geraldine, You Can’t Stop Me Now” is a solid tune from top to bottom, and “Napalm Bombs”, which channels AC/DC, is a highlight of the record, and possibly my favourite song. “Dirty Love” is a Frank Zappa cover that I wasn’t familiar with, but it’s a terrific song. The penultimate track, “Social Disease”, has got a Rolling Stones feel to it and I love it! The final track is a superb rendition of a Van Halen deep cut from their 1980 Women and Children First album, “In a Simple Rhyme.” It’s important to note that this song is responsible for getting the band together in the first place, after Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020, to record a VH cover song as a homage to raise money for the charity Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Homicide features 12 brilliant rock tunes chock-full of big riffs, huge guitar solos, thumping basslines, and pulse-pounding drum patterns. Trading Aces wear their influences on their sleeves and make no apologies for it. It’s a slightly different offering from what we’re used to getting from Ripple Music, and I think we should get more of this kind of old school rock ‘n’ roll/metal from them. It’s an eclectic record that will amply satisfy listeners who long for the sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s rock. I for one, have nothing but praise for it, and I can tell you that it’s gonna be a lock for my Top Albums of the Year come December.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Trading Aces: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-homicide 

April Showers Ring in Bandcamp Friday

It’s back! Bandcamp Friday is here just in time for Easter weekend! You know the drill: Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels for a full 24 hours. This is a special edition of my BC Friday picks as I’ve got eight picks instead of five this time around. There’s simply too much good music to recommend, so let’s dig in, shall we?

First off, Titanosaur returns with a powerful and deeply personal statement with the epic, sludgy single “I’m Still Here.” It’s good to have you back, my friend! Show him some love by picking it up right here.

Second, Italian-based traditional heavy metal quartet Tytus unleashed a stellar EP titled Roaming in Despair a couple of weeks ago. You can read my thoughts on it here and grab that bad boy over here.

Third, Detroit-based Deathgaze duo VAZUM released last week a greatest hits LP titled V- which consists of re-recorded versions of their best songs with the punk rock ethos of their live shows. It’s a fantastic record and you can read my musings about it here and support them over here.

Fourth, earlier this week, the mighty Ripple Music released Nebula Ripples: A Benefit Compilation for Tom Davies of Nebula. Tom Davies of Stoner Rock stalwarts Nebula was diagnosed with Leukemia. All proceeds from sales of this album will go directly to Tom and that means even more on Bandcamp Friday. For $5, you get a lot of bang for your buck in the process, so show Tom some love right this way.

Fifth, The Golden Grass’s Life Is Much Stranger just saw the light of day via Heavy Psych Sounds and it’s a banger of a record. The boys do classic rock with a modern edge and you can read my musings column about it here and pick it up here.

Sixth, another Ripple Music release, with supergroup Trading Aces’s first LP, Rock ‘n’ Roll Homicide, a garage rock/hard rock/’80s metal masterpiece comes out on April 21^st. I’ll have a musings column about it this weekend, but take my word for it, this one’s gonna wind up on my Top Albums of the Year list at the end of 2023. Pre-order it over here.

Seventh, Heavy Psych Sounds’ Margarita Witch Cult drops their first self-titled LP on April 21^st and it’s a heavy rock/heavy psych occult/horror ride that is worth your hard-earned money. You can read my musings on it here and get your ticket to ride over here.

And last but certainly not least, this one is my favourite LP of the first quarter of 2023 and will be a strong contender for AOTY. I’m talking about Swedish rockers Grand Design who have concocted the perfect hard rock/metal album with RAWK. It’s got infinite replay value and fans of Def Leppard will be all over it. It’ll be coming your way on April 21^st as well. Read my thoughts on it here and pre-order it here.

Bandcamp Friday is a celebration of our love for music and appreciation of the bands and labels who bring so much joy into our lives, who help us get through the bad times and provide us with a soundtrack for the good times. This is a great opportunity to thank them for all their hard work, so join in and spread the love by picking up a couple of albums or a bunch of songs today. Have a great Easter filled with good tunes. 

Musings: VAZUM – V-

Deathgaze/Shoegaze duo VAZUM returns with a greatest hits LP titled V-. The album consists of songs from 2020 to 2022 re-recorded with the punk rock ethos of VAZUM's live performances. What a great idea this is! It gives us listeners who haven’t seen them live yet a taste of what these songs would sound live. All that’s missing is the roar of the crowd. Frequent visitors of this blog know how much I love this band. Their album V+ landed at number 3 on my Albums of the Year list back in 2021. Let’s look at what’s included, shall we?

Here is the breakdown of which album/release the reworked tracks come from:

1. “Angel” single release

2. “Thief” single release

3. “Embers” taken from Vampyre Villa

4. “Loved 2 Death” taken from V+

5. “Werewolf” taken from Rated V

6. “Gallows” single release

7. “Eats Away” taken from V+

8. “Unspoken” taken from V+

9. “Razor Smile” taken from V+

10. “Haunted House” taken from V+

11. “The Familiar” taken from V+

The duo of Zach Pliska on vocals, guitars and drums, and Emily Sturm on vocals and bass share singing duties on all songs, but usually one of them will lead while the other joins in for the chorus and such. As is often the case with live shows, songs are sometimes played faster and we get a bit of that on this album as well as variations on certain passages in the songs. “Angel”, sung by Zach, feels more energetic here, more in your face. This version of “Thief”, sung by Emily, surpasses the original in my opinion. It’s got an entrancing Joy Division vibe. “Embers” is a song I wasn’t familiar with, but that I loved from the get-go. It’s sung by Zach and has a relentless attitude. “Loved 2 Death”, sung by Emily, is a classic by now in the duo’s repertoire. A very catchy tune that’ll stay stuck in your head. “Werewolf”, sung by Emily, is a terrific slower-paced track about, well, a werewolf. “Gallows”, sung by Emily, is a third variation of the song, having already had two different renditions on the single release. This one is equally great. Next up is a trio of solid tracks: “Eats Away”, sung by Zach, “Unspoken”, sung by Emily—two slower tunes—followed by “Razor Smile”, sung by Zach, which is an earworm. Next up is “Haunted House”, a personal fave of mine, sung by Emily, filled with atmospheric rhythms and guitars. It’s an addictive tune with a catchy chorus. The final song is “The Familiar”, a familiar song indeed if you’re a fan of the band, sung pretty much equally by Emily and Zach. It’s one of their best tunes and this version is just as memorable.

VAZUM’s V- continues the tradition in the prolific duo’s excellent output. If you’re already a fan of the band, this is a must have. If you’re new to VAZUM or have never heard of them, then this is the perfect starting point before you go down the rabbit hole and seek out their other releases. For fans of Joy Division, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, with a nod to Marilyn Manson.

VAZUM’s Bandcamp page: https://vazum.bandcamp.com/album/v-2 

Audiobook Showcase: Raknar - The Northman

Back in February, in my first ever Sword & Sorcery Roundup, I had said I’d be showcasing an upcoming S&S novel titled Raknar: The Northman penned by Ryan W. Aslesen. Well, the time has come to talk about Raknar’s first outing in audiobook format. Do the contents of the promising cover art deliver the goods? You bet they do, and then some! Raknar was released on Audible on March 21^st, 2023 but the paperback/kindle versions of the novel were published on July 23^rd, 2022. The audiobook is narrated by Michael Kramer.

Here is the book’s official synopsis: “The heart of a Northman beats only for more blood.

Heir to the Bear Clan of Valheim, young Raknar anticipates the day he will become chief and lead his clan across the sea to pillage foreign shores. When his village is sacked, his clan put to the sword, Raknar must forge a new destiny, alone.

Captured during a raid on the Kingdom of Acheron, Raknar is enslaved by the diabolical Queen Zakara. She forces him to fight as a gladiator in the pits, but her true interest in Raknar lies in the fulfillment of a dark prophecy that will provide her an heir and unlock unworldly power.

Escaping to the exotic land of Byzantia, Raknar steals to survive, captures the heart of Princess Yabala, and is banished by the emperor for his impudence. Unable to win Yabala’s hand, he becomes a raider on the steppes, certain he will never see her again. But the gods have other plans for him. When Raknar learns that Queen Zakara has kidnapped Princess Yabala, Raknar must return to the dungeons of Acheron to face the queen and her fell sorceries once and for all.

Raknar: The Northman is the first stand-alone novel set in the gritty Hystoria fantasy world.”

Ryan Aslesen is a bestselling author who’s written over a dozen military sci-fi novels in the Crucible and War's Edge series. To my knowledge, this is his first venture into fantasy/Sword & Sorcery. He’s no doubt a seasoned writer, and it shows because this is a hell of a fun book! Fans of Robert E. Howard’s Conan will especially get a kick out of Aslesen’s Raknar character. He’s a barbarian cut from the same cloth as Howard’s Cimmerian. It feels like this could easily have been a young Conan story. It’s different enough not to call it a Conan pastiche, but it retains the essence and the ingredients that make a great Conan tale. In fact, I enjoyed Raknar: The Northman more than I did last year’s new Conan novel, Conan: Blood of the Serpent.

There’s an awful lot going on in this story and it moves at a fast and furious pace. The book is filled with a ton of action (at times quite brutal), lots of sex, and a colourful cast of characters that populate Raknar’s world. Aslesen uses modern vocabulary in his dialogue to depict these characters from a bygone era and it makes the story more exciting. We get to see Raknar’s evolution from a teenager to a young man and witness him having to navigate obstacles that will contribute to make him a strong warrior and eventual leader of men. He plows through many battles, gets intimate with a plethora of women, and triumphs over adversity whether it be in gladiator matches or against fantasy creatures. There’s a bit of sorcery/fantasy, but overall, the sword portion is more predominant than the sorcery part of the book. Michael Kramer gives a fantastic performance narrating the nine plus hours worth of storytelling. From his delivery to voicing the different characters involved, he keeps the flow of the book going and maintains our attention for the duration.

If you’re looking for your next fantasy or Sword & Sorcery listen/read, then look no more—Raknar: The Northman is bound to satisfy your cravings. It’s a standalone story and I find that refreshing when it seems nowadays that almost every new fantasy book that comes out is part of a trilogy or ongoing series. Here’s hoping we get another volume of Raknar’s adventures soon with a simultaneous print/audiobook release next time.   

Rating: Five stars out of five

Get your copy on Audible