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Therion : Beloved Antichrist

Therion

Beloved Antichrist

Nuclear Blast

There is a statue of engineer George Louis Stephenson outside Chesterfield railway station with an inscription that reads “Conquest over space and time”.  It could be equally applied to founder member of Therion, Christofer Johnsson, for this three and a half hours, three disc, three act opera, driven not by steam but by rock.

It’s a loose adaptation of Russian philosopher and theologian Vladimir Solovyov’s Tale of the Antichrist, a venerated book about the coming of the Deceiver.  It is better understood by also listening to the composer himself for his own explanation on YouTube.

He has finally fulfilled his lifelong ambition of writing an opera despite hitting the creative buffers for years by sustaining interest and pace with rock music.  Modern rock combines and alternates with the best hand-picked operatic voices, from bass-baritone to soprano, from solos to choirs and from simplicity to fanfare.

By also overcoming debilitating spinal disc herniations, by coincidentally flying to Moscow, Solovyov’s birthplace and resting place, Christopher Johnsson has completed his own special journey and this aural epic that entertains as well as any music or film, of a similar length.

NE

Red Pine Timber Co. : Sorry For The Good Times

Red Pine Timber Co.

Sorry For The Good Times

Goldrush Records

Don’t try to categorise this band as it’s a slippery slope and I ended at the foot of it.  I was quite sure they were Stateside, and with a terrific horn section, maybe Memphis or Philadelphia.  I was wrong on all accounts.  This 8-piece throng is from Perth, Central Scotland.

Sorry For The Good Times showcases a dazzling array of musical styles with lyrics of grit “The Duke” might have slid off his horse to hear about.  Katie Whittaker in the country ballad Put Down The Bottle, throws down a gauntlet to established Country music stars.  Soulful sax and mournful trumpet hit hard but one expletive and the line, “cause you’re drinking from the Devil’s cup”, hits even harder.

First single, Hollow Tree opens with fiddle, pedal steel and acoustic guitar and sounds not unlike Bad Company, with the vocals of song writer for the whole album, Gavin Munro.  The horn section stakes its claim before handing over in turn to mandolin and with the bass and drums, Southern Rock doesn’t get much better.

Opener, If You Want To is pure rock, Talking In The Snow is pure Americana.  Cutting You Loose could have come from the film Walk The Line and Katie’s last line “Sorry for the good times, I ain’t making no excuse” is out of the ball park.  It’s Gavin’s turn on Bar Stool, a lament in which he “travels light with a heavy heart…done things that weren’t smart”.  Doleful trombone emphasises that “days go by..”.  Get Right With You begins slowly but ends like an impassioned spiritual hymn, “I need shelter from my sins, and Lord I’ve got a few” Gavin sings. Don’t we all?

NE

Poetry - Disappointing Day

Disappointing Day

It was just after Easter

When I continued a bad habit
Of feasting head first 
on a dark chocolate rabbit,

Which bit me right back 
on my upper right gum

A tooth sheared in two 
leaving me uncomfortably numb.
The mouthful melted...leaving nothing at all,

My imagination induced panic, 
where did the rest fall?

My tongue probed 
the scene of the gore,

Where a remnant swung 
like a saloon bar door.

I moved to the mirror 
whilst trying not to knock it

Dreading the pounds that 
would be leaving my pocket.

Driven to the dentist  
by my long-suffering wife,

The stalactite was removed 
without too much strife.

My mood remained 
like the pain so sore,

As dinner became soup 
at the local store.

NE

Ani DiFranco - Binary - Album Review

Ani DiFranco

Binary

Righteous Babe/Aveline

If you were impressed by Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globes speech, then let me introduce you to another confident, self-made woman of integrity who has also spent her life being a committed activist for positive change against the ‘isms we are familiar with and those we may not, like reproductive rights and patriarchy.  Ani believes equality is essential before we can solve the bigger issues. 

It deserves discussion because the pressing needs facing Earth, of poverty, access to water, starvation, wars, terrorism and environmental destruction are too important not to address.

The vocals sound somewhere between Grace Jones and Alanis Morrisette and the staccato delivery, whilst fitting the jazz rhythms well, doesn't offer the variety I was expecting.  The exceptional line in the song Play God about reproductive rights, “Every chance I can, I pay my taxes like any working man, and I feel I’ve earned My right to choose, you don’t get to play God, man, I do”, demonstrates her beliefs and a mastery of the written and spoken word, but I was dying to hear more melody, less words, and a little space to hear more flair from the whole band.

Influenced by Pete Seeger, Suzanne Vega and Michelle Shocked, Ani is not your typical pop star.  She’d “rather be able to face myself in the mirror than be rich and famous”.  It’s a shame there isn’t more like her so that she could relax to include more human stories like the track Pacifist’s Lament (“But there is nothing harder than to stop in the middle of a battle and say you're sorry”) but she confesses herself that “Some people wear their heart on their sleeve.  I wear mine strapped to my boot.”

Binary may not be my first choice for my living room, but as a politician with conviction, she’s my kind of presidential candidate.

NE

Barbara Black - Ad Libitum - Album Review- Rock

Barbara Black

Ad Libitum

As a cloudy day, may shade a landscape, so this recording sometimes threatens to veil this rock artist.  Even so, Barbara Black valiantly battles with great verve, creativity and a tireless energy to create an absorbing debut album under her own name. 

She has a wonderful raw voice which can be best heard on the piano ballad Shiva and Non-Human Person which builds to a choir climax.  At the other end of her range she can rock with the best and on Stardust, Nice to Meet Me (about selfies), and Ghost, she performs with the assurance and passion of a certain Mr Mercury, holding onto notes with a similar ease.  The versatility of the two guitarists whether on dobro, acoustic or the fine solos is the other notable feature of this band.  A little more Spanish in the guitar and in the language, could help the band build on this arresting performance that captures the interest.

The recording felt a little flat in places (vocals and guitars need more mid-range boost) – a bit like my Nan’s Yorkshire Puddings (sorry Nan!) – plenty of taste but needing just a touch more lightness in the mix.

NE

Crematory - Live Insurrection - Review

Crematory

Live Insurrection

Steamhammer / SPV

“Gothic Rock and Roll for twenty-five years” Felix Stass proudly proclaims during this recording last year at the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.  It’s a declaration of intent that the essential spirit of the band is forward looking in the recent recruitment of Tosse Basler on rhythm guitar and clean vocals and Rolf Munkes on lead guitar.

Their formula for success combines riffs that are a match for any metronome, the contrasting growls from Felix and vocals from Tosse, and the keyboards of Katrin Goger, who calls upon the great German keyboard lineage to add texture and embellishment to Crematory.

The album contains the strong singles Shadowmaker, Greed and Fly and the band sing in both German and English.  The stagecraft of the band apparent in the accompanying DVD, detracts from the music however.  The band are far too static and the excessive profanity from Felix was wearisome. Katrin, who with her keyboards are an integral part of the sound, needs to be brought forward and angled at 45 to 90 degrees to the audience and needs to find even more space musically between the bass and vocals.  Her valuable contribution, Tosse’s vocals and more lead from Rolf on their forthcoming album, Oblivion, can ensure the band remain in the spotlight with their likeable brand of rock.

NE

Comeback Kid - Outsider Review

Comeback Kid

Outsider

Nuclear Blast

Canadian hardcore crew Comeback Kid have returned to recording after a three year absence with Outsider, their first for Nuclear Blast, after exhibiting backbone by completing their previous contract in full.

Formula 1 champion Louis Hamilton could struggle to match the pace set by Loren Legare on the skins, which becomes the canvas the rest of the band use to create the art of this masterpiece.

The yelling of Andrew Neufeld is intense with an energy which is exciting.  It's balanced by band choruses, the occasional melodic vocal, and a trio of guitarists in Jeremy Hiebert, Stu Ross and Ron Friesen on bass.  Their forte is to provide changes of tempo, plentiful hooks and riffs that support the vocalist to express his anthems.

Author Ruth Krauss in the illustrated book (by Maurice Sendak) Open House For Butterflies, wrote  "A screaming song is good to know in case you need to scream" and Outsider fulfils the need with speed and style.

NE