JUSTIN'S ARCHIVE REVIEWS PART THREE P-Z

These guys have been described as the Australian Iron Maiden, if you throw in a bit of Classic Judas Priest and put Vince Neil of Motley Crue on vocals and you have something a little nearer the mark.

All the songs are written and performed with a passion that is impossible to fake and make this a joy to listen to especially if you like riff orientated Power Metal. When tracks like "Hollywood Angel", "The Headless Horseman" and "Ballad Of A Thin Man" (a tribute to the late Phil Lynott) come thundering out of your speakers, you cant but help sit up and take notice.

This is a fine piece of work and would grace anybody's stereo; there is also some very good artwork in the booklet to represent each song. If you haven't heard of them before this is a fine introduction to a great band.

From the land that brings you the perfect bacon; Danish band Pretty Maids have been around for quite a while consistently turning out good albums and this latest offering is no exception.

Taking their lead from Helloween and the Scorpions, Planet Panic is full of great Melodic Power Metal songs and if you have any of their previous you will know what to expect, “What do you mean you haven’t got any?” Kicking off with “Virtual Brutality” the CD gets off to a flying start and only lets up on a couple of Ballads “Natural High” and “Enter Forevermore”. “Playing God” and “Face Of My Enemy” are a great mix of Power and Melody and deserve to be heard by all. If you are in Europe now April 8th 2002 you will be able to catch them on tour, go and see them, you won’t be disappointed.

Another fine effort from the Maids and one that I will be playing for quite a while, look out for the cover of the Sammy Hagar track “One Way To Rock”.

Re-released to coincide with their British Tour (One date in London) this is Rammstein’s 3rd Cd and displays their Industrial brand of Metal at it's best.

If you ;have watched Kerrang TV y0ou will already know and have seen the videos for “Sonne”, “Links” and “Ich Will” so you will no doubt no what they are about and the track “Sonne” gives you an insight to the dark side of the German psyche that Rammstein explore. The fact that all the lyrics are sung in German, only adds to the mystique and the relentless machine like guitars interspersed with quite sombre keyboards, sets out the sonic landscape in which they dwell. Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of light and shade and it’s not all in your face Metal but Rammstein do not write happy songs.

Aside form the afore mentioned tracks “Spieluhr” with it’s story like intro and the anthemic title track leave you breathless and wanting to learn German so you can comprehend what they are on about. Overall this is a contender for one of the best CD’s of 2001 and if you like the 3 well known tracks you will love all the others.

If like me you have already bought the CD, don’t worry about this re-issue as the extra disc is just a live EP of the 3 tracks they have recorded a video for and “Spieluhr” which could have been fitted onto the end of this CD so no need to feel cheated, however if you don’t have this already then this is just an added bonus.

This is another one that the Gezmiester at Loud One recommended to me. Reptilian are from Sweden and is made up of ex members of Majestic, Midnight Sun and Flower King’s so from a pedigree like that you know what to expect, Bombastic, Classically inspired Power Metal.

The lead vocalist sound’s a bit like Lenny Wolfe of Kingdom Come and the guitar licks come fast and furious and the Keyboard flurry’s are numerous and copious, one listen to the title track and “Dagger Of Steel” and you will be blown away by the Malsteenesque pieces. Their classical background is displayed superbly by the instrumental “Skeleton Keys” where they let rip with so many classical phrases and scales it almost makes you dizzy listening to it.

The Ballad “Change Your Heart” is pure class and there are no fillers on this CD just very well played and well written song’s, thank’s Gez. If you liked the Adagio CD or Malmsteen you will love this.

11/03/2002

Soundtracks are a bit hit and miss and are usually a ploy to get publicity for a very average film, filled with the odd track that’s good and a lot of nothing else, but when someone like Marilyn Manson put his name and talents to a project like this you know it must be good.

It kicks off in fine style with “My Plague” by Slipknot and is swiftly followed by Slipknot’s remix of Manson’s “Fight Song”, the first unreleased track comes from Coal Chamber with “Something Told Me” and if this is representative of the new album it should see the Chamber back on top where they belong. Crystal Method and Adema put in fine performance’s and then comes the now sadly defunct Fear Factory with a remix of “Invisible Wounds” that is totally awesome, now comes two more rare tracks by Rammstein and Static X both of which are worth having.

Last but no means least are the tracks by Ill Nino, (remix), MuDvAyNe, (remix), Five Pointe 0, new track and one from Saliva, and the two you could do with out from Method Man and Depeche Mode. Marilyn Manson ahs composed some original instrumentals for the soundtrack and these are thoughtfully included at the end and all are quirky, enigmatic and eerie, just like the man himself, all this adds up to a very good purchase.

This German four piece band are a new signing for Music For Nations and remind me a bit of Amen, mixed with Motorhead with a glazing of Entombed thrown in for good measure and that is no bad thing. They don’t copy them but just remind you of them with their energy, aggression and no compromise attitude, subtle they are not but boy can they Rock.

You only have to listen to the opening track “Broken Glass” to realise what I mean, with their raw, almost Hardcore feel to it but still very much in the Metal vein. “What’s My Name” and “J-Day” are as good an example of the Rock genre as you could wish for and when the opening chords of “Instant Idiots” starts you half expect Lemmy to start singing. All the tracks are about 3 minutes and will get you moshing no problem; the only exception is an 8 minute instrumental but what the heck, why not it still ROCKS.

This is a great debut and one to be proud of the only thing I will warn you about is the rather dodgy sleeve with the silhouette of a female taking her knickers off and the fact that it’s only 38 minutes long.

Italian Symphonic Power Metal band, return with a stop gap Mini album and their brand of totally over the top, classically inspired Metal is total escapism. If you like Science Fantasy this would be the prefect soundtrack to the Lord Of The Rings movie that is currently out.

Luca Turilli’s guitar playing is as inspiring as ever and Fabio Lione’s operatic styled vocals are as epic as the music that plays behind him. “Rain Of A Thousand Flames” is the lead track and so over the top and bombastic that you cannot fail to be impressed by its sheer magnificence. Queen O The Dark Horizons” picks up where Rain leaves off and although it’s over 10 minutes long it doesn’t seem more than 5.

The 22 minute, 4 part epic that is “Rhymes Of A Deadly Poem” is Rhapsody at their very best and if you like any of their earlier stuff you must have this as it will not appear on their next CD, due next year and forms part of the on going saga that makes this band so worth while. Like the Emperor CD you will need to be very broad minded with your musical taste as they take in everything but if you are prepared to put in a little time, this CD is well worth it and at under a tenner you cant go wrong. Initial copies come in a digi pack pop up sleeve, but don’t let that put you off.

It's very difficult to be objective about a band you really like so I make no apologies for this review being a bit biased, and being a bit biased is like saying the Atilla The Hun was actually a really nice guy.

This Italian band have gone from strength to strength and the Emerald Sword Saga is a superb piece of Science Fantasy in it's own right and I would not be surprised if it was published in print either in Graphic or novel form in the not too distant future. The fact that Rhapsody have such a strong theme to pin their brand of over the top Power Metal to means that they are never short of inspiration and ideas.

This latest opus is in my opinion their best so far and as usual there is everything but the kitchen sink in there and for me that's what makes this so interesting, one minute it's the best Power Metal on the planet and then they will go into some choral piece, or classical overtones, folk, thrash, see what I mean. If they have any drawbacks, it is their diversity that could put people off, if however you give them a chance and listen with an open mind you will find them very rewarding. Watch out for the 19-minute epic last track, "Gargoyles, Angels Of Darkness" fantastic.

The hairy beast that is Rob Zombie, returns with his 2nd solo album and it is business as usual, but then that's why we love him anyway.

So what do you get for your money, well you get the Funkier than hell beats, beefy guitars (with help from Kerry King of Slayer) all done in the Zombie style with the best possible distaste. This is Rob at his very best and rivals any of the White Zombie albums or Hellybelly Deluxe. There are few surprise's here but that means there is continuity and let's face it that counts for something, doesn't it.

Songs like "Demon Speeding" and "Never Gonna Stop" set the pace for this opus and the Ozzy contribution to "Iron Head" is truly superb and well worth buying for Ozzy fans alone. "Dead Girl Superstar" echoes past glories and would fit nicely on any previous effort by Zombie so overall this is a very good album but I have one criticism to lay at the feet of Mr Zombie, like Hellbelly IT'S TOO DAMN SHORT.

Of the 11 tracks only 9 are songs proper and one of them "Scum Of The Earth" you will know if you have the End Of days soundtrack so that leaves just 8 real new songs but that's better than none.

Legendary British Metalers Saxon, return with a band new album, a follow up to ‘99’s Metalhead and now in their 22nd year I doubt if they even care what the press think, as long as they can keep their fans happy.

Saxon have turned out consistently good albums over the last 10 years with out too much fuss but it’s about time people gave them credit where credit is due, after all they are British and have been around long enough to command some respect. Songss like “ Coming Home” and “When Hell Freezes Over” are classic Saxon and could not be mistaken for anyone else, they are not new metal or even trendy but this is C L A S S I C R O C K.

They even cover the King Crimson song “In The Court Of The Crimson King” and although Biff is no Greg Lake he does an excellent job of singing a very demanding song. Their own song “Shadows On The Wall” is a testament to all the tragic loss of life that took place at Hiroshima 50 odd years ago and a better Anti Nuclear song you could not wish for and they difficult subject matter is dealt with tastefully and with great understanding and compassion, Saxon at their best.

Initial copies come with a bonus CD of re-recorded classics given the updated recording techniques and certainly give the songs a fresh sonically better sound but have not changed the actual song’s at all, so if you want to hear “Princess Of The Night”, “Dallas 1 pm” and “Motorcycle Man” sound better than they ever did you need to be quick.

Sevendust return with this their 3rd CD and it's a mixture of total opposits, aggressive Metal and Melodic harmonies, mixing Machine Head harshness with the Melodic sensibilities of Linkin Park / Everclear with a smattering of Fear Factory industrial tendencies for good measure.

Tracks such as "Praise", "Trust" and "Crucified" are as heavy as they get while the slower more radio friendly songs like "Xmas Day", "Follow" and "Angel's Son" will no doubt get played to death in America and elsewhere given the chance and if I had a daytime show you can bet they would be sneaked in to the playlist quicker than you can say Justin Case. I don't think this is the one to break them big but it will certainly keep the fans happy and if you like any of the bands I have mentioned you will like this one.

If you are looking for something with a bit of edge but tunes you can sing along to as well then Sevendust are the guys you are looking for.

The female fronted Power Metal band return with a strong 3rd album, you only have to listen to the crushing power chords of opening track “Spit On Your Grave” to realize where they are coming from.

All the song’s are memorable and performed with professional ease, “Violated” and “Written In Stone” demonstrate Kimberly Goss’s strong vocal talent’s to their fullest but that is not distracting form the rest of the band, especially the guitarist Alexi Laiho who also puts in a very strong vocal performance himself on the track “Shadow Island” an almost operatic over the top piece that to my mind is the best of the bunch.

This CD is not going to convert any one but never the less it is a superb album if a little too short, but that seems to be the trend at the moment, a definite thumbs up from the Justin Case camp.

Chicago quintet Soil are the latest band to emerge form the current resurgence of Grunge Rock, sounding like an amalgam between corrosion Of Conformity and Danzig, with a splash of The Cult thrown in for good measure.

Their ability to keep all the songs short and to the point and keep it heavy but with an accessible Cultish sound ably demonstrated by the songs ”My Own” and “The One” both of which are top notch and potential hit material along with the track “Halo”. Its dense guitar sound coupled with the Pepper Keenan/Glen Danzig vocals make it stand head and shoulders above the current Nu Metal and like Puddle Of Mudd and Adema should go down well with all rock fans everywhere.

Over all this is a very good album and there are no bad tracks, just listen to the hook laden “New Faith” and “Understanding Me” for further proof. The Soil sound could be described as Earthy (sorry about that) and are definitely a band to watch out for in 2002, just remember where you read it first. A CD to be added to your Xmas list.

How would you like to be in on some great new British bands even before Kerrang and all the other magazines start telling you that so and so are the best thing since the last one, well for just £5 now you can?

Label sampler’s can be a bit hit and miss, unless you get a label who’s quality control is second to none and that my friends is what we have here, the Label in question is Loudspeaker of Landmine Spring fame, you must know who they are by now, they made one of the best overlooked CD’s of last year and made it easily into my top 20 of 2001. The compilation has 2 tracks from their entire label roster and there is not a bad one among them.

Landmine Spring kicks of the affair with “Ophelia Sinking” and “Tarred And Feathered” and if you don’t like either of these tracks you don’t like Metal, (see my review in the archive section for further details).

Next up is Jor and excellent Hardcore tinged metal band whose tracks “Cypher” and “Dice” leap out of the speakers at you with a fierce metallic roar, tinged with melody, making them quite accessible.

Stoopi put in a good performance and if you have bought any of the fine compilations by Organ art you will have come across them before, Spine, who I can honestly say I have not come across before put in an excellent performance with “Wash” and “And I Don’t Sleep” and on the strength of these two tracks I will be purchasing their CD very soon, (check back later for a review) when I have tracked it down.

Bringing up the rear are Mindjuice and Helvis who have a promising career in front of them if the tracks on here are anything to go by, the state of British Metal if this sampler is anything to go by is very healthy, watch this space and Kerrang very soon, you will know these bands by the end of the year.

Take the best elements from Fear Factory (RIP), Alice In Chains and Slipknot, put them all together in a Nu Metal setting and leave to brew for about 6 months and what you have is one of the best CD’s in the last 12 months, yes it’s that good.

Ben Shigel the vocalist screams like Burton C Bell one minute and croons like Layne Stayley the next, (complete with the Jazz tinged harmonies), coupled with the industrial tinged rhythms and samples, makes this so irresistible and as catchy as a really catchy thing. The lead track “Inside” is as good as anything as you will hear anywhere and I predict big things for this band, song’s like “10 Dead Fingers” and “Exterminate” will have you trashing about like a mad man in no time.

I can't recommend this too highly if you take one chance on an unknown band this year make It witched and it hasn’t’ been mentioned in Metal Hammer or Kerrang yet, so remember where you read it first and tell everybody that you read about it first on my website.

When At The Drive In split last year I was very surprised and bemused and I did think It was a loss to the Metal scene but every cloud has a silver lining because if they had not split then their lead vocalist would not have joined The Crown and the world of Death Metal would have been deprived of a great album.

I have to say that I haven't taken much notice of The Crown before but that has changed completely as Crowned In Terror is a really good CD from start to Finnish their brand of Melodic Death Metal is a joy to my ears and how can you go wrong with titles like: "Satanist", "Under The Whip" and my personal favourite "Death Metal Holocaust".

With this album The Crown have entered the major league give them an inch and they will take a mile, The Drive In is dead, long live The Crown.

The last couple of Tiamat albums have been very different, Slumber was different to Skeleton and Judas is different from them both so don’t buy this CD expecting Skeleton II or you will be disappointed.

This a very much a Gothic Rock album with influences ranging form Paradise Lost, Sisters Of Mercy and Division Bell era Pink Floyd and this is perfectly demonstrated by the opening track “The Return Of The Son Of Nothing which could almost be a Floyd out take, but not all of CD is doom and Sombre, “Vote For Love” is Gothic but very much up lifting and so is “Truth’s For Sale” and “Angel Hologram’s”.

“Spine” and “I Am In Love With Myself” and very strong song’s and are the heaviest on this CD and if you buy the limited edition you get 2 extra tracks that are very strange indeed. Overall this is a very good CD but as I said approach this with an open mind and it will reveal its true splendour to you.

There have been quite a few tributes to Iron Maiden over the years, some good some not so good and this latest from the Nuclear Blast label has some top notch bands on it and all of them are good, some are excellent and a couple of them are indispensable.

The covers mainly fall into 2 categories, straight covers and re interpretations, of the latter the Cradle Of Filth cover of “Hallowed Be Thy Name” is a total classic, I know this has been available before but not every one has the limited CD with this track on it and now you get the chance to get it and trust me it’s fantastic. Children Of Boom’s Death Metal cover of “Aces High” and so do Burdon Of Grief who cover “Prowler”.

Six Feet Under cover “Wrathchild”, taken from the graveyard classics CD and Sinergy cover “The Number Of The Beast” and despite having a female singer she does a fine job of the vocals. Opeth cover “Remember Tomorrow” and do a fine job of it as well as fine performances by Grave Digger, Dark Tranquility, Darkane and Steel Prophet. This CD is not exactly indispensable but it is a very consistent affair and a lot better that some of the ones that have gone before it.

I was first introduced to this band by my good friends Jon and Gez at loud 1 mail order several years ago and have looked forward to each release with bated breath. Vanden Plas are a German Progressive Metal band and return with their best album yet, it’s been a good 2 years since Far Off Grace, but it has been worth the weight. If you haven’t heard of these guys before you are in for a treat blending powerful, sometimes Yes ish melodies with an unmistakable power and subtlety that is their trademark.

You only have to listen to the track “Cold Wind” which start’s off with a simple piano refrain and build up into a classic piece of Hard Rock but they do know when to back off with the power chords and let powerful songs come shining through. Their musicianship is second to none and their ability to write a song 7 minutes long and keep your interested without wondering when it’s going to end is a lesson for all. “Beyond Daylight” is a 10 minute epic (that I promise I will play in it’s entirety on the next Mega Metal Marathon on HFM when I will do my mind-blowing 8 hour Rock Show or maybe longer?) and like Dream Theater goes through several mood changes but keeps you hooked all of the time.

This is a fantastic CD well representative of what is going on in Europe and that is the only problem, some media still have a problem with European bands, with no cause that I can see when if it was an American band their praises couldn’t be sung high enough. If you only make one impulsive by this year, make it this one, you know Justin won’t let you down, I only put top quality reviews on my site and if I am not totally convince I will not put it on. Initial pressing comes in a rather snazzy hard back CD book with an extra track.

American Power Metal band have been around for a while, 20 years to be exact and their first 2 albums have never been available on CD, so David DeFeis decided to re record some of the best tracks form these first albums and along with some new tracks, that’s what we have here.

Considering that this is a sort of best of it’s cohesion is as strong as any of there pervious releases and if you like Epic True METAL, well written, produced and you don’t mind David’s falsetto screams every now and then you will love this piece of re recorded history. Song’s such as the title track of their second album “Guardians of The Flame”, and “Don’t Say Goodbye” have stood the test of time and sit very nicely along side new tracks “Annihilator” and “Hellfire Woman”.

If you haven’t head the originals for years as I haven’t this is a wonderful way of getting to know the band.

This is sort of companion CD to the above one and celebrates the 20 years by re recording classic songs from their career with the current line up and includes 5 previously un released tracks and mixes and is just as good as The Book of Burning. All songs are well written, produced and reflect the high standards that the group has stuck to over the years. IF you like progressive power Metal you will love this.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 78 mins + 13 Tracks

30/07/01

Much respected metalcore merchants Will Haven return with their follow up to WHVN, which came out nearly 2 years ago. With bands like the Deftones, Slipknot, Fear Factory on your side you can’t really go wrong, unless you’re no good, which fortunately for all concerned is not the case.

Following closely un it’s predecessor steps, Will Haven pull no punches with any of these tracks and all are top notch rip roaring metal anthems that take no prisoners, laying waste to all the competition with such conviction, they make it look easy. One listen to the title track, (that was made available on Kerrang.com during their 14 days of downloads) and you will be totally convinced. “Finest Hour” is so good that it can almost say that it is and when “Dolph Lundgren” thunders through your loudspeakers/ headphones be prepared too lose your face as the sounds rip the air. If it’s good enough for Max Cavalera and Burton C Bell then it's good enough for Justin Case and for you. Buy as soon as possible.

This is a monumental 3 CD box set celebrating the American office’s 10th anniversary. First the facts, it features over 40 bands, contains 3 ½ hours of music with a 90 page booklet contains over a 100 photos and features some of the best, Hardcore, Underground Metal and Hard Rock that the decade has had to offer.

The set is split into Eastern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere and rare and unreleased tracks. As with all of this sort of thing there will be glaring omissions and some will say where is the Alastis track etc but how would you like to choose just one track to represent your favourite band?

The American disc features tracks from, Cro Mags, See The Signs, Iced Earth, The Hunter, Strapping Young Lad, Oh My God, Stuck Mojo, Rising, Skinlab, Second Skin, Crytopsy, White Worms and more besides. While the Eastern disc has, Unleashed, Immortals, Tiamat, Whatever That Hurts, Sentenced, Nepenthe, Moonspell, Opium, Rotting Christ, Arch Enemy, Old Mans Child, Soul Possessed, all of which are classic tracks.

The rare and unreleased tracks are culled from bonus tracks, B sides of singles and unreleased and not a filler among them, the pick of the bunch being, The Gathering “Adrenaline”, Sentenced “Digging The Grave”, Arch Enemy “Dive Satanica” and Tiamat “Children Of The Underworld”. All of this for ;under £20, if you don’t know much about Century Media then this is a great place to start as this is a great Best Of the label.