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CD Haul: Danzig, Avatarium, Sólstafir and more!

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Friday was a big new release day with a few new albums I’ve been looking forward to… so I had a bit of a buying extravaganza!

First up was the new Danzig album Black Laden Crown. I’ve been reading quite a lot of people talking about how “surprisingly good” this one is. Well, given that Deth Red Sabaoth was excellent, I’m one of the few people that thought Skeletons was good fun and… it’s GLENN F. DANZIG(!) I can’t say I’m all that surprised that this is good. The only thing that was causing me any doubt was the rather shite artwork. And even then, I’ve grown mysteriously fond of the fiery John Travolta on the back. Anyway, this is dark, moody and doomy with some killer grooves and riffs. Surprisingly good!

Next up, the new Avatarium album Hurricanes And Halos. This band has become a modern favourite of mine and, although it’s not fully sunk in yet, this album sounds like an interesting progression of their style. They’ve now dropped pretty much all of the Dehumanizer heft of the debut and gone full Uriah Heep, with tons of driving Hammond, heavy psychedelia and eeeasy livin’. Loads of stellar playing topped off with Jennie-Ann Smith’s wonderful voice.

Trinkets!

I headed back from the record store happy and then remembered that the new Sólstafir album Berdreyminn was out too. So, I immediately rushed back out to Fopp to pick that up! It’s a lovely box set with umm… trinkets… and (more importantly) bonus tracks. It sounds like it’s going to be another winner from them, although it’ll take a few listens to fully reveal itself. Seems a bit more rocking than Ótta but still sweeping and lush. Not totally grabbing me yet though, more listens required.

While we’re on the subject of new arrivals I had a couple of cool releases delivered just a couple of days ago too. Hear No Evil have put out this new expanded remaster of the last (for now anyway) Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow album Stranger In Us All. This has always been a big gap in the collection so it’s great to finally have a copy.

And I also got this very exciting new Tygers Of Pan Tang box set The MCA Years which features the band’s NWOBHM-era albums (two of which star Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake axe legend John Sykes) and a bonus disc/booklet too. I’ve got a few albums on vinyl already but it’s nice to get the rest of the bands old albums. And there’s plenty of extra tracks and BBC stuff here to sweeten the deal. Caroline and Cherry Red both seem to have had the same idea to box up old NWOBHM albums lately. I heartily approve. Here are all the ones I’ve bought so far (I think this is all of them so far but let me know if I’ve missed any. They seem to be coming thick and fast!)

NWOBHM Galore! All the box sets I’ve picked up so far.

Well, that’s the lot. This was a great week of buying for me with three albums here that could all realistically appear on my AOTY list. I’m off to do some listening!

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44 thoughts on “CD Haul: Danzig, Avatarium, Sólstafir and more!”

  3. Heard the Spellbound album at the time of its release as a friends old brother had it. Gangland was the first ever Tygers Tune I ever heard.
    Great track!
    Also the first time I seen the name Sykes!

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      1. I never gave these guys there due either as I was buying so much at the time including all my CanCon favs like Rush/Triumph/Coney Hatch along with Priest/Maiden/Ac/dc/Halen….The cash could only go so far on the budget of a 14 -15 back than….
        hahaha…

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  5. What a haul! I’ve only heard of Danzig and Solstafir (very interested in that one), but you’ve sold me a few here. That Avatarium’s Hurricanes And Halos sounds pretty excellent… plus the artwork is great! The Tygers lot are sold on the artwork alone!

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    1. Well, thankfully, many years ago I adopted the life philosophy that “if you can’t do it with Danzig playing in the background, it’s not worth doing at all”.

      This has proven to be a problem in various scenarios but I am undeterred. I will conquer! *removes shirt*

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  9. This may be your biggest hit on my pocketbook to date. Danzig, Sólstafir, and the Tygers box all became necessary simply upon seeing them here. Then I read about the Avatarium / Candlemass connection somewhere, remembered this, hit YouTube, and whaddya know, another must have. Oh well, these shoes’ll last another year…

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