Archive for April, 2023

Album of the Week 17-2023: Anthem – Crimson & Jet Black


Solid. Dependable. This may sound like a car commercial, but really, those adjectives describe Japanese heavy metal titans Anthem just as well. Since the early eighties, Anthem has been churning out quality heavy metal album after quality heavy metal album. Where many of their peers have had extended periods of hopelessly trying to adapt to the trends of the rock landscape, Anthem’s bassist and main songwriter Naoto Shibata never even dreamed of it. There were some productions that leaned towards a sligthly power metal-esque sound – never their forte – but ‘Crimson & Jet Black’ is yet another excellent slab of heavy metal.

Anthem represents traditional heavy metal at its most stripped-down. The closest western counterpart would be Accept, though without the prominent neoclassicism in the lead guitar department. Akio Shimizo has a keen ear for melody, but he spends most of Athem’s albums laying down thick, meaty guitar riffs with a surprisingly ballsy bottom end in his sound. One thing Anthem has over Accept is their excellent lead vocals. ‘Crimson & Jet Black’ is the third album of original material into Yukio Morikawa’s second tenure with the band and while he’s not as young as he used to be, his power and grit continue to impress.

Good as they are at mid-tempo stompers, Anthem is at its best when they play pre-thrash high-speed heavy metal bangers. Fortunately, there are plenty of those to be found on ‘Crimson & Jet Black’. My favorite is probably the hyper-energetic ‘Blood Brothers’, on which Isamu Tamaru’s rolling bass drums never let up and the vocals sound particularly bombastic in the chorus. The riffs, like all the best Anthem riffs, are uncomplicated, but brutally effective. Opener ‘Snake Eyes’ is another strong track in that style of Anthem tracks. The open string pull-off heavy main riff gives it a slightly looser rock ‘n’ roll feel, although the cleverly contrasting chorus has a tight, modern punch.

One of the biggest advantages of ‘Crimson & Jet Black’ is that the songs that aren’t speed monsters are just as good. ‘Howling Days’ is still quite uptempo, but far more melodic and catchy, while the upper mid-tempo ‘Master of Disaster’ is built upon a very cool half-gallop rhythm. ‘Roaring Vortex’ and ‘Faster’ are the more power metal-inclined songs here, with the latter having a fantastic sense of drama in its chord work. ‘Burn Down the Wall’ closes the original material of the album strongly, after which two reworked songs with English lyrics follow. ‘Mystic Echoes’ (originally ‘Wayfaring Man’) isn’t one of their better tracks, but ‘Danger Flight’ (originally ‘On and On’) is a nice energetic rocker with great vocal melodies.

Whether or not ‘Crimson & Jet Black’ is worth owning is really down to one question: do you like old school heavy metal? This style is rarely done as well as Anthem does it, to this day. With that in mind, it would sell ‘Crimson & Jet Black’ short to call it just another Anthem album. While it’s just short of a latter-day masterpiece like ‘Immortal’ or ‘Absolute World’, it is definitely an above average release for the band. It is also much easier to obtain outside Japan, because Reaper Entertainment released it in Europe. Truly a must-have for fans of old heavy metal bands who crave something that lives up to the classic standards of their heroes.

Recommended tracks: ‘Blood Brothers’, ‘Howling Days’, ‘Faster’

2023
04/30
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Album of the Week 16-2023: NoGoD – Now Testament


After their highly creative lead guitarist Kyrie left the band, I was not sure what to expect from NoGoD. Sure, they still had one of their greatests assets in the powerfully emotional vocals of Dancho – without a doubt one of the best singers in the visual kei scene – but losing such an important member could cause the songwriting to take a hit. Fortunately, this is not what happened. In fact, ‘Now Testament’ might just be the best and most focused album NoGoD released to date. ‘V’ used to be my clear favorite NoGoD album, but ‘Now Testament’ is a strong contender at the very least.

My biggest concern about Kyrie leaving was that the intricate metal riffs that popped up fairly frequently in NoGoD’s music would disappear, as he was usually the one playing them. However, ‘Now Testament’ sounds exactly like one would expect a NoGoD album to sound stylistically. Energetic rock songs with hopeful, but never overly upbeat choruses dominate the album. And they appear in various styles, from spry, punky rockers like ‘If Possible’ and ‘Tama to Kudakero’ to interestingly structured power ballads and even songs that could be classified as progressive metal – more on that later.

‘Now Testament’ does not need long to take my worries about NoGoD’s metal riffing away, because intro track ‘Renatus’ and the goosebumps-inducing proper opener ‘What Do You Say’ are full of them. That does not mean NoGoD is a full-on metal band now; Dancho’s strong, heartfelt voice thrives in melodic rock arrangements that give him ample space and therefore, the choruses are more open almost without exception. ‘Never Fade Away’ is another great example of this: the song is full of borderline speed metal riffs, but the song slows down considerably for a huge, almost arena rock-worthy vocal melody in its chorus.

Two of the highlights are more surprising compositionally. ‘Shikabane wo Koeteike’ is technically a semi-ballad, but does not start out as such. The first riff is the fastest piece of metal on the album, yet it is remarkably dramatic, and even the verses make a more rhythmic impression, not in the last place due to the hypermelodic bass lines courtesy of metal bass master hibiki, who debuts with NoGoD on ‘Now Testament’. ‘Mind’s Eye’ is a progressive metal masterpiece that while remaining mid-tempo throughout manages to be incredibly dynamic by moving back and forth between a surprisingly large number of climaxes. Closer ‘Genyaku Seisho’ is melodic hardrock and metal mastery like only NoGoD can do it.

NoGoD themselves consistently refer to ‘Now Testament’ as the start of a new era – calling the opening track ‘Renatus’ is a bit of a hint as well. If that era consists of releases as amazing as this one, I would absolutely welcome it. Losing two key members has done nothing to diminish the power of NoGoD’s fresh, melodic sound. If anything, it appears to have strengthened the resolve of the remaining members. ‘Now Testament’ is the biggest, most pleasant musical surprise of 2023 for me so far. Anyone into catchy, melodic rockers with the occasional metal influence should get as much of a kick out of this as myself.

Recommended tracks: ‘What Do You Say’, ‘Mind’s Eye’, ‘Shikabane wo Koeteike’, ‘Genyaku Seisho’

2023
04/23
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Album of the Week 15-2023: Robert Plant – Fate of Nations


Moving on after the demise of a legendary band potentially poses a difficult dilemma for musicians. Many try to stick as closely to the formula of the band that made them popular, never allowing them to step out of the shadow of the band in question. Robert Plant somehow managed to avoid that entirely by not letting himself be limited in his musical curiosity. And so, he released surprisingly good new wave-inspired albums, expertly crafted folk albums and interesting excursions into world music. ‘Fate of Nations’ brings all of his influences together into one lush, but never overly bombastic package.

After giving bands that were trying to translate the Led Zeppelin sound to the early nineties a run for their money on ‘Manic Nirvana’, ‘Fate of Nations’ is a far more subtle affair that doesn’t fully reveal its secrets until a couple of spins in. It is most definitely a rock album, but the folk influences are prominent and world music elements occasionally sneak into the mix as well. The big drum sound betrays that ‘Fate of Nations’ is an album from the early nineties, but at the same time, the album has a timeless quality and doesn’t really belong to a particular era of rock music.

Compared to the bravado of ‘Manic Nirvana’, ‘Fate of Nations’ is fairly low-key. There are big riffs – in fact, Kevin Scott MacMichael’s guitars are all over the album – but they are never the focal points of the songs. Instead of having sprung to life through spontaneous jams, nearly all songs on ‘Fate of Nations’ sound like they were carefully crafted and arranged. There is no other way to explain how expertly the electric and acoustic guitars are layered. Even Plant’s vocal performances are reasonably controlled and tightly written by his standards, though some of the longer songs have semi-extended finales during which he can ad-lib his heart out.

While ‘Fate of Nations’ is a great listen for over an hour, its finale is just incredible. ‘The Greatest Gift’ is a dark, brooding track with goosebumps-inducing climaxes and a fantastically subtle string arrangement. It doesn’t really sound like anything Plant did before or since in the best way possible. The earthy low-key funk rock riffs and quasi-psychedelic electric pianos of the following ‘Great Spirit’ are highly atmospheric, after which ‘Network News’ is built upon downright awesome grooves. Those are hardly the only highlights on ‘Fate of Nations’, however. Opening track ‘Calling to You’ has a vague Zep meets Arabic melodies feel, the beautiful ‘Colours of a Shade’ is the best acoustic-based songs and ‘Promised Land’ is nice and bluesy.

Robert Plant’s solo career might just be the most interesting of any former member of a massive band. Not everything is entirely my taste, but it’s all done with an enthusiasm and a love for their respective styles that just shows Plant only does things when he wants to do them. ‘Fate of Nations’ may lack the immediacy of its predecessor, but its replay value is incredible. It is the type of album on which you discover something new every time you play it. Definitely worth hearing if you are into any type of folk and rock from between the sixties and the nineties.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Greatest Gift’, ‘Calling to You’, ‘Colours of a Shade’

2023
04/16
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Album of the Week 14-2023: OverKill – Scorched


Veteran thrash metal bands are in a curious position when it comes to new material. Their audiences don’t expect them to be as impressed by a new album as they were by their classic releases. It just needs to be good enough to keep the tour bus rolling for a few more years and if it produces one or two new setlist staples, that would be a nice bonus. OverKill apparently never got that memo. Their twenty-first century albums ‘Killbox 13’, ‘Ironbound’ and ‘White Devil Armory’ are all among their best work. ‘Scorched’ might just be as well, as it is their most dynamic album in a long time.

In a way, those who have followed OverKill for a while know exactly what to expect. Their blend of thrash metal riffs and punky aggression made them the quintessential East Coast thrash metal band and the clear nods to Black Sabbath that have been a part of the band’s sound since the nineties – completely changing the tone of the song halfway through, occasional doomy riffs – are as prominent as ever. ‘Scorched’ is just made an above-average album due to how this framework is colored in this time around, with a slightly incresed emphasis on traditional heavy metal elements and a more lively sonic approach.

What definitely helps ‘Scorched’ sound as good as it does is the fact that the sound is notably more organic than the norm for modern OverKill albums. Jason Bittner’s drums actually sound like a person hitting the skins of a drum kit and the guitars are notably less compressed. This allows the music to occasionally take on an almost rock ‘n’ roll-ish vibe, despite the unbridled thrash energy that is heard here. The solo section of the opening title track even feels uncharacteristically loose and jam-heavy for such a tight metal band. And what about the subtle percussion in the crushing doom track ‘Fever’?

OverKill’s best latter-day albums always contain songs that should become classics. ‘Scorched’ has ‘Won’t Be Comin’ Back’, which almost feels like a blend of classic OverKill and Accept. It has surprisingly beautiful melodies, a driving rhythm, Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth sings like a man half his age and the song just gave me goosebumps. If it’s ripping thrash you’re after, ‘Harder They Fall’ and especially the incredible ‘Twist of the Wick’ have got you covered. The way the latter toys with time feel is just awesome. ‘Know Her Name’ is paced less frantically, but is one of the more interestingly-structured songs on the album.

The simple fact that ‘Scorched’ is significantly better than it needs to be says all you need to know about OverKill’s sense of quality control. It is easily down their best album since ‘White Devil Armory’, possibly since ‘Ironbound’. You could say that it’s just OverKill doing what they do best, but that would seriously be underselling the lively energy and the improved songwriting on the album. Several songs on here deserve to be part of the band’s setlist from now on. ‘Scorched’ serves as evidence of why OverKill has such a loyal fanbase: they consistently deliver and sometimes even more than that. This is one of those times.

Recommended tracks: ‘Won’t Be Comin’ Back’, ‘Twist of the Wick’, ‘Know Her Name’

2023
04/09
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Album of the Week 13-2023: The Alfee – Arcadia


Possibly the longest-running active rock band in Japan, The Alfee managed to maintain a sizeable portion of its popularity by simultaneously staying true to their core sound and developing along with the changing trends of the rock landscape. Despite starting out as Japan’s answer to the American folk rock scene of the 1960’s, The Alfee’s unlikely, yet surprisingly listenable blend of American folk, new wave, bombastic hard rock and progressive touches has remained instantly recognizable, with only certain productional traits dating some of their albums. ‘Arcadia’ is the sound of The Alfee evolving into the nineties with their most satisfying album to date.

If you need a western reference, imagine a mix of equal parts ‘Innuendo’ era Queen and the earthy rock tones that Robert Plant was going for circa ‘Now and Zen’. There are still distinct touches of the eighties here – ‘Rainbow in the Rain’ in particular has a notable new wave flavor – but ‘Arcadia’ sounds notbaly drier and more grounded than its predecessors. This somehow has not gone at the exepense of the the band’s uniquely Japanese sense of bombast. The arrangements on ‘Arcadia’ are fairly dense and theatrical, with impeccable vocal harmonies and carefully layered instruments defining the sound of the album.

Maybe the song material boosted the band’s confidence in such a productional approach, as ‘Arcadia’ is quite likely the most consistent set of songs The Alfee has released to this day. The opening title track brilliantly sets the tone. An epic, bombastic heavy metal song showing listeners that the band is adapting to changing times in the music scene – parts of the percussion in the intro could even be considered semi-industrial – but they are still cranking out powerful melodic hardrockers. The likes of ‘Funky Dog!’ and ‘My Best Friend’ could even have been on their eighties albums with a more glossy production.

Occasionally, The Alfee veers into speed metal territory and the aggressive ‘Count Down 1999’ is a prime example of that. ‘Shadow of Kingdom’ has a notable metallic edge as well, but especially stands out due to its gorgeous melancholic atompshere. The multi-faceted, fairly unexpected songwriting of ‘Eurasian Rhapsody’ is one of the biggest surprises on the album, while the propulsive ‘Masquerade Love’ has a delightfully nervous vibe that makes it quite unique in The Alfee’s discography. The stripped-down ‘Ryūsa no Yō ni’ is my favorite of the ballads, as it strongly focuses on the power of the band’s acoustic guitars and trademark vocal harmonies.

While the sequencing on ‘Arcadia’ isn’t perfect – ‘Mind Revolution’ and ‘On the Border’ should not have been clustered at the end, as that makes the album fizzle out a bit – it still stands as the most consistent, listenable album The Alfee has ever released. Due to their multi-genre approach, their albums have a tendency to be hit and miss, but nearly everything makes sense on ‘Arcadia’. The songs are great, the performances are flawless and the production style really enhances the music. Interestingly, the album is a better representation of nineties Alfee than some of the albums that followed. It might not be the most representative album for the band, but they never sounded better.

Recommended tracks: ‘Arcadia’, ‘Shadow of Kingdom’, ‘Eurasian Rhapsody’, ‘Count Down 1999’

2023
04/02
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