Rock/Metal Reviews
Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet (CD)
Brutal Planet is Alice Coopers first studio album in five years and is the heaviest thing he has ever done. It is also a concept album telling a tale of an apocalyptic future. This is one gloomy record. The groove is as tight as a pair of Bruce Dickinsons spandex pants and the triple axe attack of China, Phil X and Ryan Roxie keep things suitably metal. Songs seem to deal with global starvation and greed (Eat Some More) and paranoia (The Little Things). Alice Cooper was not a happy chappy when recording this album. But apart from all this doom and gloom this record is still an excellent listen, and what do you expect from Alice Cooper anyway? It may take a while to fully appreciate it but perseverance pays dividends.
4/5
Manowar - Hell On Stage Live (CD)
Recorded in between May 1998 to Nov 21 1998 this live album has some great songs on it. It is a double CD set and the first disc deals with earlier Manowar songs. Kicking of with Metal Daze recorded at the Brazil Monsters of Rock festival. This is followed by other such classics as Dark Avenger, Gates of Valhalla and Bridge of Death. You can probably tell from the song titles what this music is about, warriors, magic and battle honour, not to be taken too seriously (though I worry for the audience especially on disc 2, the whole Madrid crowd joins in word for word to The Warriors Prayer a spoken word passage that is so cheesy it defies description). The second disc deals with the later Manowar stuff like Heart of Steel, Blood of the Kings and The Crown and the Ring. Don't worry though it's still all Vikings and blood and death. If you are a fan of Sword and Sorcery heavy metal then you will love this record and for a band who allegedly signed their first record deal in blood you can probably tell what they are about. The more serious of you will probably find it hard to stomach.
3/5
Dream Theater - Images And Words. (CD)
A fantastic album by prog rockers Dream Theater. This album if chock full of virtuoso playing and scintilating melodies. It also has the track Metropolis Part I which Dream Theater fans will already know is the first part of the story which their latest album deals with. The guitar work of John Petrucci will just blow you away, melodic, speedy and heavy. Though in no way is he the only jem in this band, the keyboards of Kevin Moore (sadly no longer with the band) are fantastic and the complex drumming of Mike Portnoy hark back to early Rush days. I have only recently got into this band and cannot believe they had been kept secret from me for so long. Don't expect to get this album in one listen though, it will take a good few listens but I guarantee each listen will get better and better.
5/5