Magnum- The Serpent Rings (SPV)

 

   The Serpent Rings is Magnum's 21st studio album and they've hit a late career purple patch recently with their newer releases. When I say "they" I really mean vocalist Bob Catley and songwriter/guitarist Tony Clarkin who have been involved since their beginnings in 1972. My introduction came with their classic Wings Of Heaven album from 1988 and I've been championing the band ever since. Their sound is hard to put a finger on. Yes it's hard rock not metal with elements of prog, a hint of Queen and then I'm only halfway there. They have a very traditional British sound. It is a travesty that they are not bigger and are the Birmingham band that don't get enough attention. Polydor tried to break them in America hiring producer Keith Olsen and outside songwriters including Jim Vallance to "radio up" their sound that wasn't broken anyway. Inexplicably the label failed to release the resulting Goodnight L.A. album in the US, maybe the storm clouds of grunge could already be seen on the horizon.

   They soldiered on for the early nineties but seemed to throw in the towel until reuniting in 2001 and since then have made ten studio albums including this one. I don't know how Tony Clarkin keeps turning out one great album after another, you would figure at this stage a man in his seventies would have a bare cupboard of top drawer songs left or just be rehashing the same stuff, well there is an element of that with every band but this is not some normal "stuff". These are epic beautifully written songs that are a true joy to hear, highlights for me are the uptempo opener Where Are You Eden?, Not Forgiven and the near 7 minute title track that features a guitar solo to die for. Bob Catley still sounds great on vocals, no he doesn't have the range he once had but he has identity, you know it's him when he sings. It's comforting to know that as I near 50 this band are still out there and I can count on them every two years to come up with something that will still rock my world. They really are the old pair of slippers that still fit.

Richie.

 http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/

 

     

Andreas Kisser & John Wiederhorn Guest on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 448 - Raising Hell

Two guests this week. First we talk with author John Wiederhorn about his new metal volume “Raising Hell” Backstage Tales From Metal Legends. Definitely a great read and belongs on every metal heads bookshelf. 

After that talk with guitarist Andreas Kisser about Sepultura’s new release “Quadra”.

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always
Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Brian Tichy Returns on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 447 - A Farewell To Kings

And we’re back…

Ok maybe we’re a week later than planned but shit happens. The important thing is we’re back and we’ve got some great stuff for ya. Besides some discussion this week, Richie had a timely discussion with Brian Tichy about the influence of the legendary Neil Peart.

Here's the vid for Huck Finn from A Farewell to Kings

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always
Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Sons Of Apollo- MMXX (Inside Out Music)

 

   Mike Portnoy is one busy dude. He was definitely one of the first guys to feature on multiple albums from different projects especially after his high profile split from Dream Theater, for many he was the poster child of the movement. Now everyone is at it. You have to put food on the table. He can be a very polarizing guy because he's intensely driven when it comes to his music and highly opinionated, he tried to tackle the comments made on Blabbermouth years ago and wisely backed off, a battle you never win even if you are right and actually know stuff. I like the guy, I've interviewed him once and he came across as down to earth and a huge music fan. He really lives and breathes the stuff and needs multiple bands to let it all out. Many of his projects are very different: The Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Sons Of Apollo, Transatlantic, Adrenaline Mob. None of them to me are projects, he actually plays or has played live shows with all of them unlike say a George Lynch or Rudy Sarzo.

   Sons Of Apollo released their debut a few years ago and it was a great album. Nice to see Mike team up with Derek Sherinian again. The selection of rest of the band members did surprise me not because they didn't have the chops its just that they weren't known for this type of epic music. Billy Sheehan is known for Talas, David Lee Roth and his long association with Mr. Big. Jeff Scott Soto with Yngwie and probably his stint with Journey and Ron Bumblefoot Thal with Guns 'N' Roses. Five minute tracks, huge hits,big choruses. I caught the band live promoting the debut and they blew me away especially the enthusiasm of Jeff Scott Soto and who knew Bumblefoot was such a great singer? Not me for one.

   Hot on the heels of their live album from late last year comes this, the highly anticipated follow up. No real curveballs this time as we kind of know what to expect sound wise. Opener Goodbye Divinity with the athmospheric intro before the heavy riffs. The closing New World Today clocking in at almost 16 minutes. The fantastic musicianship on display. There's no instrumental this time and the album is more cohesive because of it and it's great to hear Jeff Scott Soto on every song. There's a bonus disc of all tracks without the vocals if you are that way inclined, I have it and will never listen to it. How can taking something away make it better? Most of the other tracks are in the five to six minute range, King Of Delusion being the highlight at close to 9 minutes featuring some beautiful piano passages from Derek giving the music a greater impact when the rest of the band kick in. All in all another winner.

Richie.

 https://sonsofapollo.com/

Dirty Shirley- Dirty Shirley (Frontiers Records)

   If ever the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" applied to anything then this is it. The album cover is godawful and whoever at the label thought it a good idea needs their eyes examined. Also a sticker on the front identifying who plays on it would help, for the store browser you get a crap cover and a band name revealing nothing. Eddie sold Maiden records. Try harder. I saw many negative comments on the Frontiers Facebook page about the artwork, the response from the label was many smiley faced emojis. Swell.

   A pity because there's nothing really negative I can say about the actual music. This is the latest in a long list of recent projects featuring George Lynch, at this stage the guy is on 3 or 4 albums a year and even with that level of output all are far from shit. The star of the album for me though is singer Dino Jelusick (the Frontiers website spells his name without a k at the end, the cd has the k) who would be singing in Lynch Mob if his name wasn't Oni Logan and he lived in the US. The guy has a fantastic set of pipes. Musically the album is very similar to what George has done in Lynch Mob and last years The End: Machine, that's where I have a small issue with it. KXM and Ultraphonix had George playing a little outside his comfort zone trying different styles of music, some of this feels a little safe and repetitive. It's hard rock with a bluesy twist, even the closing acoustic based ballad Grand Master sounds exactly like The Forgotten Maiden's Pearl from The Brotherhood a few years ago.

   All in all though a really strong album, I love the third song I Disappear. Those dark brooding rockers from George are always my favorite similar to When Darkness Calls from the second Lynch Mob album or For A Million Years from Wicked Sensation. Opener Here Comes The King is also really strong. Hopefully Frontiers will pony up the cash for them to do another one and do away with the crap cover art. Adrian Vandenberg should have picked Dino to sing in his revamped Vandenberg line up instead of Ronnie Romero in my opinion. Yes he's that good.

Richie.

http://www.frontiers.it/album/5576

https://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Shirley/dp/B07Y98NLKC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1390P2MC06712&keywords=dirty+shirley&qid=1580949930&s=music&sprefix=dirty+shirley%2Caps%2C601&sr=1-1



 

Revolution Saints- Rise (Frontiers Records)

  

   Revolution Saints are another Frontiers project put together from a brainstorming (don't you love that word, the label uses it a lot) session featuring Deen Castronovo on drums/vocals, Doug Aldrich on guitar and Jack Blades on bass/vocals. The original label concept was to start this as a Deen solo project and have Jack and Doug guest on it. The label changed its mind, came up with a band name and now here we are 3 albums in.

   These projects can be hit or miss for me. In general I find it hard to truly get invested in something that I know is one and done and this coming from someone who has had artists on the show to help promote it, case in point being the Andrew Freeman/Mike Slamer The Devil's Hand album. Love it yet in talking to Andrew I knew the whole thing was already done and dusted. Then there's the touring question or more like the lack of it. Is it lack of label tour support? Apathy from music fans and promoters only nostalgic for the past? Scheduling issues with musicians who often make these albums in separate locations, what makes you think they want or need to share the same live stage? The answer is all of them and more.

   Some stick with me more then others and Revolution Saints are one of them. Yes it sounds a lot like Journey, the label know they they aren't making new music so why not get their former drummer who sings a lot like Steve Perry and make the next best thing? They've tried it on their first two albums but I think this one betters both. Doug Aldrich and more importantly Jack Blades have become invested in the songwriting and performances. In the beginning it was Frontiers Alessandro Del Vecchio who wrote and handed the songs to all 3, it felt more like a band covering songs. On Rise Jack and Doug have co-writes on six of them, one written by Jack alone and another with Tommy Shaw. Deen told me in an interview last year he wanted Jack more heavily involved, well he got his wish.

   This one consistently rocks more then the previous two, opener When The Heartache Has Gone features a fantastic guitar solo by Doug, the title track Rise moves along at a brisk pace, Talk To Me would have been a huge hit in the 80s but there's a lot of Frontiers songs I could say that about. The ones that work best feature Deen and Jack on lead vocals, a full album of that would be something. Honestly, anything with Doug Aldrich on guitar I'm buying. Now let the 3 of them write the next one please. 

Richie.

 https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionSaints/

http://www.frontiers.it/index.php

   

Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends- Jon Wiederhorn (Diversion Books)

 

   An interesting concept this one, try to round up as many musicians as possible to reveal all that happens behind the curtain. The stuff you can't capture on your cell phone. The stuff they don't want you to know. What goes on tour stays on tour. The tragic, the funny, the drinking, the travelling, the boredom. Says a lot about Jon as a writer that not only has he pulled it off the sheer number of contributors surprised the hell out of me.

   What we have here are over 400 pages of stories from a wide array of hard rock and metal artists ranging from Erik Turner of Warrant to Rob Halford of Judas Priest. There's the old school and the new school and funnily enough a lot of their tales are similar and sometimes there's the rub of the book. The names change but the stories stay the same. There's a chapter on vomiting if that's your thing. It's amazing what musicians get up too out of sheer boredom, ethics aren't the only thing that gets thrown out windows. Some of the behaviour is downright appalling.

   There's a chapter on Spinal Tap moments and another on practical jokes that made me chuckle out loud. There are many Dimebag stories, how could there not be? The lengths a band will go to make a show are also told, some of them tragic and others idiotic. When they get there what about the crowd reception and dealing with them when hostile, well there's a chapter on that too and many many more.

   It's the kind of book you can pick up every now and again and not read strictly in the order it's laid out, there are certain chapters I started with mostly the ones I knew would make me laugh. You think life on the road is fun and the only thing a musician has to worry about are the brown M&Ms in the bowl, well think again. An enjoyable read that should give you new found appreciation for the guys standing in front of you belting out the tunes.

Richie.

 https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Hell-Backstage-Tales-Legends/dp/1635766494

https://www.diversionbooks.com/