UFO - Phenomenon (1974)

 This album is how I came to meet the legendary band called UFO and, eventually, how I came to love it. Phenomenon is a truly inspirational album for a large amount of bands who came after it, something we can understand by the covers some bands of the 80's used to make, like Iron Maiden and others...
 Full of calming melodies, arpeggios and lyrics about love, romance and daily life, Phenomenon has more than that to give to the listener. Those fantastic solos of Michael Schenker is the first thing that drew my attention, when I firstly listened to the album, full of feeling and a rock n roll "essence", and it's, pretty much, what makes this album special and what, at least, made me love it.
 Doctor doctor and Rock Bottom are the most popular songs of the record and the most dynamic ones, however, by listening only to those, someone cannot have a complete impression of what the album is about and the compositions it consists of. In a few words, this album has both rock n roll and calm/bluesy parts, something that makes it even more interesting.
 In addition, giving my opinion, Phenomenon is the album that gave UFO their musical identity, as by listening to the previous two albums and I haven't found them really satisfying, given that I firstly listened to Phenomenon. That, of course, is a matter of taste, so there's no need to be mentioned further.
 Finally, as mentioned before, UFO is a band which inspired some great bands and Phenomenon, if not their best, it's surely one of their best records and a great release in the history of Rock, so give it a try if you haven't already and, as always, better in vinyl, keeping the old ways alive!
Thank UFO for their music.
Album info: Wikipedia
Discography: Rockbox

Black Soul Horde - Tales of the Ancient Ones (2013)

 Here in Greece, traditional heavy metal has been always loved, worshipped and revered amongst metalheads. Our local scene has shown some really talented acts in the genre like Spitfire and Rust in the 80s and there is also a small epic metal resurgence that started during the last decade with bands like Sacral Rage and Battleroar to name a few. The Athenian band Black Soul Horde, follows in a similar direction but with one huge difference. Instead of adding doom or power metal elements to their music like most Greek epic bands do, these guys play straight up 80s heavy metal. I consider them to be a genuine child of Omen or Manilla road with epic lyrics, themes from fantasy or sword and sorcery works but Greek and Norse mythology as well. The production is nice and clean, although not too modern and the guitars sound great with melodies and riffs that stand up to those that the forefathers of the epic genre used to make back when heavy metal was in its days of glory. There is also a variety in the tempo between the songs, some being mid paced, perfect for singing along and others being fast enough for some intense banging. The band also seems to have found their own sound and although they are honoring their influences the songs do not sound recycled or predictable.
 In conclusion, Tales of the Ancient ones is one of the best Greek efforts I've ever heard during the last few years. Be sure to check them out. Heavy metal ρε μουνιά!

Facebook Page : Black Soul Horde Official

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic (1983)

 It has been long since we posted, but here's a come-back with a band and an album, which are considered a benchmark and a source of inspiration for not only Traditional Heavy Metal, but also for the Epic and Power Metal bands which came after it. Manilla Road rocking us from Wichita, Kansas since 1977, released a killer album called Crystal Logic back in 1983 that until now, it remains a greatly inspirational album for all those who follow the ways of Heavy Metal and not only.
 Lyrics about tales of warriors in fantastic realms, monsters, dreams and visions, come to connect perfectly with the epic and compelling riffs and characteristic vocals of Mark "Shark" Shelton, making the album a tale of forgotten lores and unsung heroes, keeping the attention of the lovers of such things completely drawn the whole time the record plays. Necropolis is the most popular song of the album and it's, pretty much, a song that gives the listener the idea of what they are going to listen to, a quick demonstration of what Manilla Road sound like and what lyrical themes they are mainly focused on.
 The artwork, once again, is what you would expect from a band of its genre back in the day, meaning a "poor" made artwork with not many features and details, unlikely the content of the record, which is really stunning. That's something to let us know that we shouldn't criticise from the outside, though, especially if it's for a Heavy band from the 80's, when the poor quality artworks seemed to be something like tradition...
 Concluding, I consider this album a great inspiration for me and it surely is in the list of my favorites, so I suggest you listen to it from the "Prologue" till the "Epilogue" if you haven't already, because it is really worth a try and, of course, better in vinyl, keeping the old ways alive!
Long live Mark "Shark" Shelton!
Album info here: Metallum Page
Discography: Rockbox

Immortal - Pure Holocaust (1993)

 Immortal, coming from the North full of rage and frost with the album called Pure Holocaust, the second album of theirs, which I really consider a must-hear if you are into Black Metal, as it is justifiably a benchmark in the Black Metal history.

 From the start till the end, this album is full of rage, power and intensity, keeping a frozen atmosphere, just like the lyrical themes Demonaz chose for the album. Pure Holocaust is an album written on a really fast tempo, with its endless tremolo picking and the triggers burning afire. Pretty disharmonic compositions followed by the misanthropic growls of Abbath come to add to the frozen atmosphere of the album, something that makes it even more raw and intense than the previous album, in which some more melodic and "calm" compositions were used, making the songs bigger in duration.

 The artwork of the album is something I like, showing Demonaz, Abbath and...Erik(?), but the funny thing is that all the songs and lyrics were written and recorded by Abbath and Demonaz, with Abbath on bass, vocals and the drums( ! ) and Demonaz on guitars and lyrics. Erik was only on some shows, something that confuses me on why they chose to put him on the artwork.

 Concluding, Pure Holocaust is a pretty raw and powerful album and in my opinion the best one of Immortal. The lyrics are great, the compositions embrace perfectly the lyrical themes of frost and hatred and the result lead to a masterpiece in the Black Metal scene. What could be considered as a drawback though, is the duration of the album, which is a bit small (33:47), due to the fast tempo of the songs, I guess.

 Make sure to check Pure Holocaust out if you already haven't and better in vinyl, keeping the old ways alive!

Support the band if you like them!

Find info here: Metallum Page

Download here (Whole discography): Rockbox

Fates Warning - The Spectre Within (1985)

 Back again for another review, this time from the U.S metal legends Fates Warning. Me and fellow blogger Ivixor G became addicted to this band not long ago, so we decided to review 2 of their best albums.As you read in the Awaken the Guardian review Fates are known for their melodic and delicate sound and are thus considered pioneers of progressive metal and some of their later albums defined the genre's sound. However with their second album -The Spectre Within- this is not the case. This time we're talking about straightforward, aggressive and raw heavy metal/USPM, although it differs a lot from the work of their contemporaries such as Manowar and Manilla Road.

 The first odd thing about the album is the vocals performed by living legend John Arch. The vocals were really groundbreaking for their time as Arch had an insane vocal range.Everyone needs to check out a live performance of The Apparition. Seriously, that guy doesn't even miss a single note!

 The second odd thing about this album is the sheer technicality that's in it.Guitarist and mastermind Jim Matheos was one of the first to implement time signature changes, unusual song structures and insane solos, that laid the groundwork not only for progressive metal, but modern metal in general. This album definitely showed the band's true potential, something that the absolutely respectable Night on Brocken Couldn't do.

 Just like their later albums the lyrics are a bit cheesy and the message that the band wants to give to the listener remains unclear, but in front of such a musically tremendous album this is just a minor mistake. 

  So if you're either an 80s heavy metal fan, a progressive metal enthusiast or someone who appreciates quality and technicality in metal, you should definitely check The Spectre Within.It sure is a cornerstone in the history of heavy metal and their greatest album in my book.

Info : Metallum Page

Download : Torrent Link

Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian (1986)

 Back from the summer holidays, alive and well, we arrive with some old school stuff, but still progressive and really far away from their time! It's Awaken The Guardian, by Fates Warning, a great album, that drew my attention from the first time I listened to Fata Morgana and Guardian, with its unique high pitched vocals of -who else- John Arch and the progressive compositions made by Jim Matheos and the rest of the band.
 Being prepared of what you are going to listen to from the previous album, called The Spectre Within, you would be probably ready to hear some "hard" stuff, followed by John's voice and those endless technical solos that could blow your mind. On the contrary, though, Awaken the Guardian is a more melodic album, an album much easier to listen to and understand its compositions. Here's where the opinions matter the most, as a lot of people would say that their previous masterpiece was way harder and maybe better than this one. Still those two albums remain the most successful and complete albums of  Fates Warning, at least with John Arch on vocals.
 In more detail, the artwork is pretty much related with the previous album's and you could understand that by reading the lyrics. Talking about the lyrics, I've got to say that most of them are a bit confusing, in a way you could find out about what they want to say and what they want to express, but not the exact idea. In my opinion, the lyrics are a drawback for the album, but that's not an important matter, I still love it!
 Concluding, I got to say that Fates Warning made a great job for this album and this can be easily proven to you just by listening to it. One time is enough, I'm sure that all the Heavy Metal lovers will be back for more of it, as one or more songs of this album will get stuck in your head for days!
Support the band, go see them live or buy their albums, better in vinyl keeping the old ways alive!
Find info here: Metallum Page
Download here (whole discography) : Rockbox

Time to Burn - Is.Land (2007)

Time to Burn is one of the many post-hardcore / atmospheric sludge bands emerging in the scene the past decade. Despite the vast number of new bands in this particular subgenre, they - hailing from France, a country that has always tended to experiment a little further in any type of art given - managed to seperate themselves from the rest. 
This album is their last, longest and best album. By no means, I ain't saying that their previous efforts weren't good; but, this album is their magnum opus. They reached their peak with Is.Land. Music wise, although after a first listen someone might say it's just like any typical post-hardcore / atmospheric sludge band, after a couple hearings you'll soon realize that there's something really special about this band. There are melodic parts (for instance the instrumental intro or the interludes) , there are faster sections that make you bang your head or smash something, there are slow, crushing moments of let's-say-doom and a lot ambience creating an atmospheric soundscape. 
As for the vocals, I'm left astonished every single time. Not only there's a range on the type of vocal approach, as there are some clean vocals - especially on the closer, "Land" -, but what amazes me the most is the passion and the straightforward way he opts to express his feeling. I love his screams, especially on Nayeli; these are not "screamo" screams; no bullshit; these are simply screams full of passion and feeling. 
The production's also pretty decent with the appropriate noise, feedback etc. that fits perfect with the sludgy -yet atmospheric - music. 
Overall, a nearly perfect album that I'd recommend to any fan of atmospheric sludge metal. Listen to the album and download it for free here.
Bandcamp

Recommended tracks: "Nayeli", "Emma Peel", "Tormenta", "Tsering Lhamo", "Land"

Rating:
4.75 / 5