Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Winger – Purple Haze (Song Review)

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“Lately things don’t seem the same”

Winger’s glam metal re-imagining of Hendrix’s Purple Haze was doomed to fail, considering the relative positions of Hendrix and Winger on the Cool-o-meter Of Rock. I’ll give Kip and pals kudos for being brave/cocky enough to put their own spin on such an untouchable classic but the end result leaves me neither happy or in misery. It’s not so awful that I’m thinking “scuse me while I skip this shite” but in bringing the song in line with their own brand of 80s virtuoso sleaze, Winger also manage to bash out all of the dark, lysergic funk that made the original so intoxicating in the first place. Which is probably why…*points at Cool-o-meter* Winger down here, Hendrix up here.

Album Reviews, Death Metal, Genre

Incantation – Onward To Golgotha (Album Review)

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Incantation – Onward To Golgotha (Relapse Records 1992)

Immolation, Suffocation and Incantation, the big three of death metal’s “-tion” bands, are all equally deserving of umm… adulation. But these days it’s Incantation I’m enjoying the most. I’ve had their 1992 debut Onward To Golgotha on CD for years but when I saw this vinyl reissue in Edinburgh last week I had to pick it up. This is a churning, subterranean take on Morbid Angel style death metal, more concerned with blasphemy than gore. Over 30 years since it was released, it still sounds impressively brutal and atmospheric. So if you like your death metal dank and cavernous you should give Onward To Golgotha your undivided attention.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (Album Review)

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Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (Vertigo 1970)

Each one of the first six Black Sabbath albums has enjoyed a spell as my favourite Sabs record. At the moment though, it’s the groundbreaking 1970 debut that takes the top spot. The evil riffing is timeless, Ozzy’s voice sounds uniquely mournful and I love every note of Tony Iommi jamming away on The Warning while everyone else has nipped to the pub. And, in case the cover’s upside-down cross, haunted watermill and iconic magical, mystical woman aren’t Hammer Horror enough for you, Black Sabbath captures the Brummies at their most atmospheric and spooky musically too. Making it my Sabs of choice this Winter.

Back cover of my copy – the Sanctuary 2009 deluxe vinyl edition

The gatefold with upside-down cross!
Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Song Reviews

Sammy Hagar And The Waboritas – Things’ve Changed (Song Review)

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“Wondering, if you still got it in ya”

Here’s a feelgood classic rock song from a year that had very little of that going about. On Not 4 Sale Sammy Hagar And The Waboritas managed the rare feat (in 2002) of sounding like they were actually having a ton of fun bashing out songs like Things’ve Changed. It’s basic, familiar stuff but it’s also warm, catchy and delivered with infectiously easygoing charm. I love the mix of Who-like strummed acoustics and thick power chords and Hagar’s voice sounds great. Until this week I hadn’t listened to Things’ve Changed for over a decade so I can’t really say it’s essential but one listen was enough to have the song bouncing around happily in my head for days. It made me feel good. So no changes there.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Song Reviews

Enuff Z’Nuff – In Crowd (Song Review)

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“My favorite songs everybody says are lame”

In 1991, the rock “in crowd” was looking increasingly like a bunch of grunge numpties. So miserable. Much better to throw your lot in with glam outsiders Enuff Z’Nuff who released their pop metal masterpiece Strength that same year. It never scored the commercial breakthrough it was tipped to achieve but, never mind, it still holds up today. In fact, I listen to it and enjoy it more than ever. Here’s one of the album’s best tracks, In Crowd. It’s a brilliant sleazy rocker with a killer riff, Cheap Trick-grade hooks and smart, self-deprecating lyrics. Despite using the phrase “so miserable” seven times, In Crowd is a ton of fun.

Album Reviews, Black Metal, Genre

Marduk – Panzer Division Marduk (Album Review)

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Marduk – Panzer Division Marduk (Osmose Productions 1999)

What did Hitler say to Marduk before they got in the tank? “Get in the tank, Marduk!”

On Panzer Division Marduk, the long-running Swedish black metallers wage satanic war on subtlety, variety, Jesus and the entire human race. Released in 1999, it’s the band’s most notorious and polarizing release. Essential listening, in other words. I think Marduk released better albums before and after this one but there’s something uniquely invigorating about Panzer Division Marduk‘s scorched earth assault. So get in the tank!

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Hard Rock

Magnum – Vigilante (Album Review)

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Magnum – Vigilante (1986 – Polydor)

The “My Little Unicorn” artwork isn’t the only thing about Magnum’s Vigilante that will have you exclaiming “ermagherd!” There’s a whole bunch of the band’s best tunes here: the hard-rocking title track; the passionate Midnight (You Won’t Be Sleeping); the sublime anti-war ballad Need A Lot Of Love; and When The World Comes Down, the winter warmer single that should have been a Xmas number one! Shame it was released in February. Queen’s Roger Taylor produced this 1986 album and his 80s pop sheen might not be for everyone, but the songs are pomp rock heaven.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Aerosmith – Make It (Song Review)

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“What have you got to lose?”

I remember buying Aerosmith’s Columbia years compilation Box Of Fire back in the mid 90s. I didn’t know a lot of the band’s 70s stuff and I was worried I’d risked too much cash on 13 CDs worth of albums I might not like that much. But the moment I heard the first riff of Make It, the opening song on their 1973 debut album, I knew it was going to be ok. Make It is a great, gutsy opener and a decent song but it’s the guitars that really umm… make it. It’s chock full of dirty drop-D riffing and colourfully wonky soloing. And that intro riff, with its goosebump-inducing suspended chord and mini-gallop, still knocks me out as much today as it did back in 1994. Money well spent.

Album Reviews, Black Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock

Enslaved – Vertebrae (Album Review)

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Enslaved – Vertebrae [2008 – Indie Recordings]
Enslaved have a ton of impressive albums to choose from, and I own them all, but 2008’s underrated Vertebrae has always been my favourite. It’s a genuinely brilliant mix of mellow prog and black metal frost. It also doesn’t hurt that it was the first album of theirs that I heard. The Norwegian band’s discography is varied and challenging so it’s always tempting to just return to the album I’ve listened to the most and know best. It’s also the Enslaved album that I have bought the most copies of. In order of purchase I’ve picked up the fold-out digipak version, a box set with a bonus live disc and also the 2019 reissue with bonus covers of Rush and King Crimson tunes (a meh Earthshine and a pretty good Red, in case you’re wondering). If you like both of those bands and fancy adding a bit of extremity to your listening then Vertebrae is a great place to start.

The 2009 Box Set with essential patch and lanyard!

The 2019 remaster/reissue

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal

The Wildhearts – The Wildhearts (Album Review)

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The Wildhearts – The Wildhearts (Round Records – 2018 Deluxe 2CD Reissue)

The thing I enjoy the most about The Wildhearts is the thing they do where they’ll be playing a song but then take off in all sorts of directions, riffing all over the place until you wonder if they’ll ever find the song again. Other bands do this but The Wildhearts are just so good at it that I associate it with them. To be honest, I occasionally enjoy these mid-song rifferamas more than the songs that spawned them. But that’s not a problem on 2007’s gleefully aggressive The Wildhearts. My favourite albums of theirs since its release, every song is a gem and practically every song veers off into a roller coaster ride of riffs. Heartily recommended.

… and classic rock too!