back in the game

stratovarius - 'stratovarius'
released: august 31, 1005
running time: 49'21"
mayan records

songs: 1. maniac dance 2. fight!!! 3. just carry on 4. back to madness 5. gypsy in me 6.götterdämmerung (zenith of power) 7. the land of ice and snow 8. leave the tribe 9. united

There would have been much better Stratovarius records to inaugurate the Finnish band's presence on this blog, their masterpiece 'Visions' for example, but I chose this one because it represents a sort of coming back from the dark, after all the personal turmoil that took place, mainly with guitarist Timo Tolkki.

It’s therefore not easy to take this record solely for what it is, after the rollercoaster of events that preceded it, with wild accusations between the two main men, Tolkki and Kotipelto, impossible-to-understand member changes, surreal happenings with Tolkki, the lot. At one point, it was highly unlikely that another Stratovarius record would ever even exist. However, with Timo Tolkki’s mental health problem fortunately behind him (all credit to the man for explaining what happened openly), it is now time to confront the expectations, which should be mixed. On one hand, all the die-hard fans are surely anxious for the band’s rebirth, on the other hand, there are also many who expect the band to fall flat on its face after all that has happened. The final result is also a mixed bag.

To evaluate it simply and quickly, it is not even in the same galaxy as 'Visions'. However, 'Stratovarius' does have some merits to stand on. The simplicity of the compositions is the most promising, gone is some of the unnecessary bombast and keyboard-dependence that plagued their later releases. The overall mood of the album is one of sobriety and even low-profile. It might be argued if low-profile is a good thing in a Stratovarius album, but relax, you’re not in for a doom record either. The trademark 'happy' arrangements are very much present throughout. the problem is that they never really ignite like before. Apart from the excellent 'Gypsy In Me', one would be hard pressed to come up with more highlights than that song. While nothing on the record is embarrassing, nothing makes you stand up and air-guitar either.

The fact that the last song is called 'United' leaves us with a good sign, though. Let us then hope for this to be a new beginning, from which better and brighter things might arise.

the good: they're back and they've cleared a very difficult hurdle with an album that won't embarrass
the bad: some songs are quite passable, overall it's not in the same league as the rest of their career

a cry from the past

omen - 'battle cry'
released: 1984
running time: 36'37"
metal blade

songs: 1. death rider 2. the axeman 3. last rites 4. dragon's breath 5. be my wench 6.battle cry 7. die by the blade 8. prince of darkness 9. bring out the beast 10. in the arena

Time for some classic heavy metal! Quite frankly, you don't get any more classic than omen, who are, strangely enough, one of the severely overlooked bands of the genre's richest period. Over time, they have become a sort of a cult thing, name-dropped by every connoisseur worth his salt, and for a reason. The main problem with Omen is that they never really took off after this great debut. The sophomore record, 'Warning Of Danger', was still quite interesting, but the following records of their career (which included an 8 year hiatus in the 90s) have been less than essential. So what makes 'Battle Cry' so special? And whatever it is, does it still hold 22 years after its original release?

These questions are actually quite simple, no need for elaborate reviewerspeak here. What's special about it is simply good songwriting. Ignoring the silly spoken word that introduces 'The Axeman', you could think of a subtle Manowar, if those two words in the same phrase don't make your head hurt too much. In an age of over-the-topness, Omen cleverly avoided all the unnecessary excesses of other contemporaries. Taking the basic Iron Maiden template, these 10 songs throttle along, mostly mid-paced, building up memorable choruses, agile guitar leads and compelling charges. 'Death Rider' is a good opener, setting the tone for the rest of the 36 minutes, which include other highlights such as the title track with its heavy bass intro and the rousing storytelling of 'In The Arena'. It doesn't take big fancy orchestras to be epic, that terribly overused word nowadays, it just takes a good use of dynamics and powerful melodies. And, truth be told, a good vocalist. J.D.Kimball (who sadly passed away in 2003) deserves a mention for his brilliantly understated singing - at times gravely and rougher, at times crystal-clear, always strong and melodic, with no screaming histrionics or useless rock clichés, he would have deserved greater notoriety for his undisputable talent.

And yes, it still sounds great after 22 years. Sure, there's the traditional dragons/swords/wizards lyrics, but the aforementioned maturity of the songwriting is well complemented by a surprisingly good production that many a current band could use.

'Battle Cry' is not a bastion of originality and omen did not change the world, but they do deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the more illustrious classic heavy metal bands of the 80s.

the good: withstood the test of time through great songwriting and a memorable vocalist
the bad: rather unimaginative fantasy lyrics, doesn't push many originality boundaries

a sad day

jesu - 'jesu'
released: february 21, 2005
running time: 74'31"
hydrahead

songs: 1. your path to divinity 2. friends are evil 3. tired of me 4. we all faulter 5. walk on water 6.sun day 7. man/woman 8. guardian angel

Always a man with his fingers in many a pie, Justin Broadrick's musical output has ranged from grindcore (with his brief passage by Napalm Death in the 80s) to ambient electronics (Techno Animal) to hiphop (Ice) to remixing other people, not to mention of course the enormity of his work in his most known band, Godflesh, which he led for nearly 15 years.

It was therefore hard to guess which direction his new project, Jesu, would take, but Justin gladly made it very clear for everyone when he said that he wanted to make 'the saddest music possible'. Well, this is certainly a bold claim, and not an easy goal to achieve - god knows CD racks are full of people desperately wanting to sound miserable and ending up sounding like whiny teenagers. The debut EP 'Heartache' was certainly a step in the right direction, but it was with this first full length that Broadrick's vision took proper shape.

The scope of 'Jesu' is what impresses the most. The immediate comparison points might be the more hypnotic moments of the Swans or the more ambient Neurosis passages, but the true musical father of the record is Kevin Shields. the droning of the guitars, coupled with the frail, strained vocals are the closest thing anyone might ever get to the My Bloody Valentine sound, except it's much denser here. That density of sound is the only justified point of comparison to Godflesh, whose urban angst is otherwise miles away from the contemplative ambiance of 'Jesu'.

That elusive sadness objective is fully achieved in the album's best songs, 'Sun Day' and 'Tired Of Me', because Broadrick understands that one can only despair so much. These two songs in particular exhale such tired weariness that they are more efficient in the transmission of feelings than any kind of elaborate tragedy could ever be. The simple lyrics tell no tales, they are simply half-sentences, drowned in the overall thickness of sound, and the vocals themselves feel more like another instrument rather than regular vocals. A particular word to the great Ted Parsons, who followed Justin from Godflesh - his drawn-out, understated drumming is perfect for this sound.

After a few spins of the record, listen closer and you'll start to find very deep textures, be them little flourishes of keyboard or a different buzzing riff, as if they're little escapades of hope from the overbearing malaise. The overall mood is one of broken, desolate beauty, balanced with the odd ray of sunshine thrown in sometimes, heavy-going but extremely appealing nevertheless.

And this goes on for 74 minutes. This has always been a sort of trademark with Justin, but the fact is that the album could have had much more impact if it was a bit more trimmed down. As it is, it is just too much to bear for the duration and it's clearly not one of those records meant for everyone. Of course, being Justin, this is more or less the point.

the good: desperately sad but beautiful at the same time, one of the most emotionally intense records you can find
the bad: monotonous and very long, will take a while (and a particular mood) to fully appreciate

a beautiful truth

ed harcourt - 'the beautiful lie'
released: june 5, 2006
running time: 54'33"
emi international

songs: 1. whirlwind in d minor 2. visit from the dead dog 3. you only call me when you're drunk 4. the last cigarette 5. shadowboxing 6. late night partner 7. revolution in the heart 8. until tomorrow then 9. scatterbraine 10. rain on the pretty ones 11. the pristine claw 12. i am the drug 13. braille 14. good friends are hard to find

Ed Harcourt has been a rather unusual presence within the singer/songwriter bunch for the duration of his recording career. His boyish irreverence is very present in his typically quirky songwriting, and the fans of his previous work probably would describe his music based on the catchy pop/rock full of feeling that has graced the songs of his consistently good four albums.

Well, 'The Beautiful Lie' is a little bit different. Even if the melancholy has always been there, it's more evident this time around due to the delicacy of most songs. 'The Beautiful Lie' has a much more intimate, personal feel to it than any of Ed's previous records. even if he hasn't abandoned his love for unusual instrumentation and the occasional creepy-carnivalesque moment ('Scatterbraine' and 'I Am The Drug' have Tom Waits written all over them), everything is much less cluttered, giving the melodies more room to shine. The immediate centerpiece of the album is the exuberant 'Revolution In The Heart', but given a few listens, it's the sadness of 'The Last Cigarette', the shameless drama of 'Until Tomorrow Then' and the candid beauty of 'Good Friends Are Hard To Find' that will make you come back to it again and again. Even the more orchestrated pieces like 'You Only Call Me When You're Drunk' are more elegant and sober than before. somehow this contrast between the darker moments and the more upbeat tunes like 'Visit From The Dead Dog' manages to keep a balance that prevents the record from falling into a melodramatic gloomfest. It might take a while for the longer standing fans especially to get used to this subtler side of ed, but it will be very worth it.

Tom Waits was not an innocent name-drop there. Much like Waits, Ed Harcourt's left-field approach to songwriting and his poignant, intelligent lyrics will probably never lead him to the chart-topping status he has been predicted for ever since the 'Maplewood' EP. But, lest we forget the man is a mere 28 years of age, the development of his gigantic musical potential will keep everyone who has been touched by his songs very happy.

the good: elegant, stylish and perfectly balanced - a quiet triumph
the bad: harder to get into than before, might put off less patient listeners