Blackmore's Night - Paris Moon

For rock and metal fans, the name Richie Blackmore should stir some good memories. (For those that may not know, Blackmore was a founding member of Deep Purple and Rainbow.) With such a storied history playing in two of the most legendary rock bands, some fans may have been taken by surprise when in the nineties Blackmore released Shadow of the Moon, a renaissance revival kind of album that featured his longtime partner Candice Night on vocals. While the instruments used to make that album weren't entirely traditional to the era it represented, it still wasn't an album one would call a rock album, either—though rock elements were present. Some would call it folk rock, but folk rock is simply "heavy" folk—which is not rock music at all.

Fans of Blackmore's past musical output seem divided over his jaunt back in time with Blackmore's Night.

To date, Blackmore's Night have put out seven studio albums (one being a Christmas album of originals and standards), two compilation albums, a live album, and a DVD. For their ten year anniversary, fans were treated to Paris Moon, which puts another nick in the live CD and DVD categories. Paris Moon is a DVD/CD release; each disc featuring a live performance filmed and recorded at the Olympia in Paris. The DVD has nineteen songs plus one introduction track, while the CD side has only eleven—nine from the Olympia performance and two studio tracks.

Paris Moon was my first encounter with the band (I've since picked up nearly all the studio albums). Previous to hearing it I was as skeptical as anyone, as much from listening to Blackmore fans whine that he's bending to the will of his hot girlfriend (plausible, I must admit) and because of the simple fact that—rock legend or not—going renaissance seemed to be a bit lunatic. But after watching Paris Moon, I'm convinced. Blackmore's Night is much more than I ever expected, and far more than those aforementioned whiners think.

Candice Night does a fantastic job fronting this band. Her voice is sweet and her presence commanding. She does great speaking to the crowd, explaining things like what certain songs are about, the writing process, or where the lyrical inspiration of a certain song came from. Blackmore himself takes the backseat for most of the show, but does show off his chops from time to time, like on "Ariel," one of the most rock-like songs the band has done. The rest of the band members get to show off from time to time as well ("Durch Den Wald Zum Bauchus"). Aside from Night classics like "Fires At Midnight," "The Village Lanterne," and "Under A Violet Moon," they pull out some classic rock covers (with a thematic twist, of course), such as "Rainbow Blues" (Jethro Tull), "Diamonds And Rust" (Joan Baez), "Soldier Of Fortune" (Deep Purple), and a very interesting take on "Saint Teresa" (Joan Osborne).

The multi-angle DVD is a pleasure to watch, but the music is so laid back that for me it plays better as a musical background than a visual piece. (Since I have little time to watch television or movies of any sort, this is probably just a very biased opinion based on my personal lifestyle and likely won't be any sort of common opinion.) It's unfortunate that the full DVD isn't represented on two CDs. With that said, the entire package here is outstanding. The two bonus studio tracks on the CD are a radio edit of "All Because Of You" (from Fires At Midnight) and "The Village Lanterne" (from the album of the same name). Both are good additions to the album, but largely pointless when considering that there are only nine live tracks on the CD when there are nineteen on the DVD.

Overall, Paris Moon might be the best way to start with the band. You get a nice smattering of some of the band's most liked songs, which span all their albums, some great covers, and a solid, intriguing performance by all. Plus there's a visual companion, if you want to watch it all as it happens. There's also some behind-the-scenes and interview footage. Either way, Paris Moon is a winner.

Video: Introduction/Past Times With Good Company/Rainbow Blues

Website: http://blackmoresnight.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/blackmoresnight1

Note: Many of these links are external. In time, they may become obsolete.

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond

When I was in the Air Force and stationed in Arkansas, every summer would see countless houses destroyed by the devastating power of tornados; but the foundations always remained, on which new houses could be built. Some people chose to give up and move on, while others chose to rebuild upon that unmoving foundation. We cannot build without a strong foundation. This simple concept can be applied to anything in life.

And, like the ever-growing, digging roots of a great old tree, the brothers Jasun Tipton (guitars) and Troy Tipton (bass), along with Mike Guy (drums), are the foundation on which Zero Hour is built. Erik Rosvold (vocals) was the tower that was built upon the foundation for two albums, Zero Hour (re-released in 2003 as Metamorphosis with two bonus tracks) and The Towers Of Avarice. The winds of change swept through and Rosvold left the band after The Towers Of Avarice, an album widely considered their best. It took four years and the release of A Fragile Mind (my personal favorite) for the band to re-emerge as a solid unit; this time the vocals were handled by Fred Marshall. Again, the seemingly impenetrable walls crumbled and Zero Hour was left as a skeleton without skin, as Marshall took his leave from the band.

Rosvold and Marshall were both excellent vocalists, their abilities airtight, both offering something a little different but neither negatively affecting the quality of the music, only enhancing it in their own special way. So how does a band rebuild and forge ahead after losing two extremely strong vocalists before the foundation begins to crack? We’ve seen it countless times when bands go through multiple singers or musicians; eventually the odds go against the band and everything implodes, or the band simply begins to release sub-par or downright terrible music (Sepultura and Skid Row, respectively). Zero Hour have done neither. Less than a year after the release of A Fragile Mind, Zero Hour had an entire new album written: Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond. But they needed to add one key element: a singer. The band not only found a strong singer, but one that makes the extremely talented Rosvold and Marshall seem like distant, hazy memories.

Enter ex-Power Of Omens vocalist Chris Salinas, one whose breath also possesses the devastating power of a tornado, a cross between Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche) and Ray Alder (Fates Warning), with an occasional Rob Halford (Judas Priest) moment. Like Marshall after Rosvold, Salinas brings Zero Hour to a new plateau. Where Rosvold was a little more unique and poetic with his melodies and Marshall was more catchy with his, Salinas is far more emotional and powerful, his vocal lines stretch and expand across the musical landscape. Musically, the Tiptons are all over the place as usual, and once again corralled into a cohesive, monstrous beast by Mike Guy; and with the addition of Salinas’s undeniably powerful and captivating vocals, he almost becomes the substratum of Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond.

The album opener, “Face The Fear,” begins things in typical Zero Hour fashion: Jasun’s ultra-technical, bone-crushing riffs; Troy’s twisted and endlessly entwined bass runs; relentless drum work from the underrated Mike Guy; and sparse, melodic interludes. But this time things cut a little bit deeper when Salinas injects his moody, melancholic, darkly poetic, and chill-inducing vocals. You could listen to this track on repeat all day long, totally satisfied, with no need to go to track two. (You’d be crazy, of course.) “The Falcon’s Cry” is that next track; it’s a heavier track intermingled with some melodic passages, oddly timed, musically and vocally, but mesmerizing in its consummate angularity. “Embrace” follows. It’s a short instrumental, one of two on the album (the other being “Zero Hour,” an aptly titled heavier number), an acoustic/electric number, with some subtle, distant harmonies playing out in the background. After that brief respite, the pummeling “Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond” bursts out of the speakers, stomping through a piercing wall of wails from the lungs of Salinas. The final two minutes is pure shredding, a crushing cacophony of contradicting beauty (that also incorporates part of “Embrace”). The short instrumental “Zero Hour” is followed by “I Am Here,” a stunning ballad of acoustic guitar and vocals, one that bleeds pure emotion, showcasing just how far Zero Hour have come with the addition of Chris Salinas on vocals. Saving the best for last—as if the previous tracks weren’t good enough!—“Evidence Of The Unseen” is a rollercoaster ride of epic progressive metal; shifting from euphonious breaks to jackhammer rhythms layered with some of the most exceptional vocal melodies I’ve heard on a progressive metal album. Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond ends with a spectacular display of brilliance, which makes the entire album shine that much brighter.

Zero Hour have made quite a name for themselves within the progressive metal community over the past few years. A distinction that has landed them high upon the massive heap that is progressive metal. The masterpiece known as Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond only further solidifies Zero Hour as one of the finest, pound-for-pound progressive metal acts in the world. It rarely gets any better than this. So raise your glasses—and your horns—in honor of this genius band. —K. Allen Wood

Video: Evidence Of The Unseen, Face The Fear

Website: http://www.zerohourweb.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/zerohourband

Note: Many of these links are external. In time, they may become obsolete.

Harmony - Dreaming Awake

I stumbled upon this CD by complete chance. I was trading on lala.com and someone that was sending me another CD had this one up for trade, so I requested it. The cover looked cool and I took a chance. I’m glad I did. This is a pretty solid album, akin to prog-metal heavyweights Circus Maximus, though not as heavy on the progressive side.

Dreaming Awake kicks off with the first of three instrumentals, “Into The Afterlife.” It’s the only one that’s not orchestral, relying on fast guitars and a heavy rhythm section that leads directly into “Eternity,” which follows a stylistic pattern of fast and furious power metal. “Dreaming Awake” is up next, and it’s easily the album’s best track. A heavy mid-paced number with a ridiculously catchy chorus; this is the song that draws the most comparisons to Circus Maximus. If by this time you’re enjoying the album, the rest shouldn’t let you down. Dreaming Awake continues a similar path throughout the rest of the album: uptempo power metal numbers with a progressive edge—“Fall Of Man” and “Maze Of The Past”—and mid-paced anthems—“Then Shadows Fall” and “Remember.” The two orchestral instrumentals are largely forgettable, but they’re short and really don’t interrupt the flow of the album.

Dreaming Awake may be tough to locate, as it has been out of print for a while now. In 2008 Harmony released a new EP (End Of My Road) and full-length album (Chapter II: Aftermath). Both are highly recommended.

Also check out Darkwater and their debut album Calling The Earth To Witness. Four of the five members of Harmony make up the same number in Darkwater, all playing the same role in each band; the only one not making jump is the bass player. They're not too far off in terms of style; they’re simply more progressive and heavier.

Video: Eternity, Maze Of The Past

Website: http://www.harmonymetal.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/harmonyofficial

Note: Many of these links are external. In time, they may become obsolete.

Ben Harper And Relentless7 - White Lies For Dark Times

"Ben Harper's 'Relentless' return to rock."

I've been reading similar tag-lines about White Lies For Dark Times for a while now. I must be missing something, because Ben Harper's return to rock sounds suspiciously like...well, the same old Ben Harper. Sure, this time he's brought along his old backing band (among others), now dubbed Relentless7 (a play on "relentless heaven," I assume), but there's really no "return" of anything here besides some musicians of old. Not a damn thing wrong with that, either.

White Lies For Dark Times does boast a collection of tunes that lean more toward the blues/folk-rock side of things, but not in a style that Harper ever abandoned. This album simply has less of his trademark folk/ballad leanings (though it is present in the back-to-back form of "Skin Thin" and "Fly One Time," and the album closer, "Faithfully Remain"). If that's a "return" to rock, well, then, welcome home, Mr. Harper.

There isn't a bad song on this album. Ben and his new relentless crew bang out some fantastic tracks throughout its near 50 minutes. "Number With No Name" sets the tone with its fuzzed-out, straight-from-the-70s guitar and catchy hook riding a foot-stompin' groove. "Shimmer & Shine" nails it down in similar fashion, with a radio-friendly hook. "Lay There & Hate Me" spreads out a layer of old school R&B, while the brilliant blues-rocker "Why Must You Always Dress In Black" was tailor-made for that groovin' Memphis strip they call Beale Street.

Ben Harper And Relentless7 strike another gold notch in Ben's already brilliant catalog. Whether it's rock, folk, blues, or even the gospel-tinged album Let There Be Light—with the Blind Boys Of Alabama—Harper never fails to craft memorable songs. White Lies For Dark Times isn't as dynamic as previous albums, but it's an outstanding piece of work, one that stands tall and proud among those past giants.

Video: Shimmer & Shine, Lay There & Hate Me (Live)

Website: http://www.benharper.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/benharper

Note: Many of these links are external. In time, they may become obsolete.

Endeverafter - Kiss Or Kill

For the past few years, the US mainstream market has been giving more and more attention to bands that churn out old school rock music. Supagroup, Airbourne (Roadrunner is reissuing their debut in 2008), Miss Crazy (just signed a three-record deal), even Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row) has gotten an unexpected (but deserved) amount of exposure for his latest album Angel Down, considering five years ago it would have largely been ignored. Well, Endeverafter now join the ranks of modern rock bands injecting that old school flavor with their Razor & Tie Entertainment debut, Kiss Or Kill. But while other bands manage to channel their sound completely from that old (and great) era of music, Endeverafter ocassionally struggle with this, hopping from foot to foot, from 80s rock to something more akin to modern alternative rock.

Kiss Or Kill immediately lines up four hefty shots of no-frills, gritty—with maybe a bit too much sheen—rock ‘n’ roll; "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Poison" are both driving rock songs, sometimes bordering on metal with their double bass, galloping riffs, and speedy leads; but their big hooks betray that notion. While "Baby Baby Baby" and "Gotta Get Out" don more traditional garb, mid-paced AC/DC-like anthems. The modern stylings first surface during the chorus of "Gotta Get Out," touching upon something Blink 182 might have written, but it bares itself full on the ballad "Next Best Thing." While the power ballad was something of a staple in the eighties, here it comes off like a stolen (post-mainstream success) Hoobastank song. It simply lacks the magic of a true rock ballad, leaving much to be desired. But it has radio hit written all over it.

Endeverafter haven’t struck gold with Kiss or Kill, but they’re not far off the mark either. While some songs may sort of lose their identity in a shallow sea of radio pop, they also find redemption every time with quality songwriting, whether showcasing a rock style ("Tip Of My Tongue"), metal ("Road To Destruction"), or the unfortunate (but still decent) foray into pop oblivion ("All Night"). Kiss Or Kill won’t blow you away from beginning to end, but among the good there stands tall a few that are great.

Video: I Wanna Be Your Man, Baby Baby Baby

Website: http://www.endeverafter.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/endeverafter

Note: Many of these links are external. In time, they may become obsolete.