Rock/Metal Reviews
Black Sabbath - The Best Of Black Sabbath (CD)
Well, you can't really say anything about this band that hasn't been said before. One of the worlds greatest ever Heavy Metal bands (though Ozzy Osborne would disagree with the label of Heavy Metal.) This double CD set includes all the most famous songs, War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and the like. It is nice to see Planet Caravan nestling between Paranoid and Iron Man, a great tune and very mellow, a song even your mum would like. Toni Iommi really is the riffmeister general, I mean, the riff to Black Sabbath is essentially three notes. But those three notes sound so evil, especially with the thunder and rain effects. Oh, if only I had come up with that riff! A few Dio era tracks get a look in, but the majority of this recording is classic Black Sabbath. A must for all heavy rockers of all ages.
5/5
Manowar - The Triumph of Steel (CD)
Oh, whats happened here then? The 1992 release from self confessed metal kings. This album starts with a 28 minute track called The Agony and the Ecstacy in Eight Parts, hmm do they think we can't count? I don't know about ecstacy but it certainly is agony listening to this, it includes an overlong and utter rubbish drum solo! This is followed by Metal Warriors (I think every Manowar album has to have a song about themselves) and has some very funny lyrics. 'Heavy Metal or no Metal at all, Whimps and Posers leave the hall (do you really spell wimp with an H?) and 'If your not into Metal you are not my friend!' Though it is not all bad, The Power of Thy Sword is not too bad and Master of the Wind is quite a good ballad but the rest is pretty average Dungeons and Dragons metal by numbers. I do like this band but their early stuff is heaps better. For fanatics only.
2/5
Eric Johnson - Alien Love Child - LIve and Beyond (CD)
So, Joe Satriani had Surfing with the Alien, Steve Vai had Alien Love Secrets and now Eric Johnson releases Alien Love Child. What is it about these guitarists? Have they sold their souls to a weird alien culture in return for there talents? Who knows? I do know a good guitarist when I hear one though and Eric is a world class player. Erics tone is just amazing, mostly known as a Strat player, Eric also plays a Gibson 335 on this release and it sounds beautiful. How he gets the sounds from his guitar I have no clue, maybe he has nore fingers than the rest of us? One negative point about this album is the playing is so seriously good it may make you want to give up the guitar and take up drums. Seriously though this album is full of jaw dropping solos and riffs. Fantastic stuff. I wasn't sure where to put this review but as his playing is more rock than blues it ended up here in the Rock/Metal section.
5/5