We all miss K.K. Downing in Judas Priest, don’t we? However, the situation has been sorely infected ever since he bowed out of Priest back in 2011 so the chances for us to see him alongside his replacement Richie Faulkner now that Glenn Tipton isn’t able to play live anymore are minimal. With the situation the way it is, Downing decided in 2019 to put his own Priest together – hence the band’s name – using former Priest members singer Ripper Owens who once replaced Rob Halford in Judas and old drummer Les Binks. Binks involvement in the band was short-lived, though, due to health problems.
Category Metal
U.D.O. – Touchdown
Here’s a guy who has devoted his life to music. Metal music. Udo Dirkschneider refuses to rest on his laurels and go nostalgia on us, no he needs to create and stay relevant and for a guy in his 70’s – he’s 72 – it’s quite impressive to keep writing, recording and releasing new albums with tours to follow everyone of them. This is Udo’s 20th album as a solo artist and you can add ten studio albums with Accept to that. In my book, Udo has never released a full-on bad album but his career has still been a bit up and down quality wise. The last time U.D.O. released a killer record was Steelfactory back in 2018 with the three albums that came after being more uneven affairs. That said, with his old Accept band-mate Peter Baltes now in the band there are expectations on his new effort.
Metallica – 72 Seasons
Ever since the 90’s and Metallica’s self-titled black album discussions has gone on about when the band lost their mojo. It’s a matter of taste of course but one can’t help wondering how relevant new music from the band is among fans. Whenever Metallica releases new music it’s a roller-coaster of opinions. They might be the biggest Heavy Metal band in the world but unlike Iron Maiden-fans who go bananas whenever the band releases a new record and everything they do is nothing short of amazing Metallica’s fans seems way more critical. The band do have a few hick-ups in their discography but ever since Death Magnetic (2008) the band has tried their best to go back to their thrashier roots. Personally, I haven’t really been a fan of much of the band’s work since Load (1996), an underrated album in my book but their last release, Hardwired… To Self Destruct (2016) was to me a come-back that felt focused and firey with a whole bunch of damn good songs. It was no Ride The Lightning (1984) but easily the best the band had released in ages.
Archon Angel – II
When the Frontiers label started they became known for doing their best to bring back melodic Hard Rock and AOR bands in a time when those genres weren’t really popular. They did a damn good job too, so good that they actually managed to reunite old 80’s bands. Today the label is mostly known for bringing out shitloads of projects. Some projects are where they have the songs, put together an all-star band and record an album. Other projects are actual all-star bands writing and producing their albums themselves. And then there are the “related to…” projects. Projects where the label put together a writing-team, bring in a producer and try to emulate a now defunct band using at least one key-member to get that old sound.
In Flames – Foregone
No matter how hard I try I can’t really think of any band that was once so loved that has been given so much crap from fans as Swedish (former) melodic Death Metal band In Flames. The last time the band was hailed was with A Sense Of Purpose (2008) but even then true Metal soldiers started to whine about them being too melodic. In Flames are huge still but with Sounds Of A Playground Fading (2011) and forward the band has been given so much shit thrown at them for abandoning their Death Metal roots and becoming more of a melodic Metal band. Some tone-deaf people even go as far as calling them a Pop band. How stupid. But so what if that was the case? Love ’em or hate ’em, but be correct in your criticism.
Liv Sin – KaliYuga
As a big fan of Sister Sin it was a huge disappointment when they decided to call it quits back in 2015 after almost 15 years and on the threshold of their big break. However, singer and frontwoman Liv Jagrell didn’t sit idle for long and went to work forming her own outfit, a somewhat solo-band under the Liv Sin moniker, something I’m thankful for. Jagrell is one hell of a singer and one of the best front-persons I have ever witnessed live. That being said, Liv Sin’s debut Follow Me (2017) was a bit of a disappointment for me. Not bad at all but I missed the big hooks and melody-sense that Sister Sin had. The follow-up Burning Sermons (2019) was a step-up which had me hoping that the new record will be another bettered release from the band.
Johan Kihlberg’s Impera – Scandinavium Alive
Full circle. That could have been a fitting title for Impera’s new live album. Because after living most of his life with Kiss (just take a look at the album’s art-work) – as a fan, the president of Kiss Army Sweden and even knowing the members personally – it doesn’t get much more full circle than to get to open up for Kiss for Impera’s founder Johan Kihlberg. This gig was recorded at Scandinavium, Gothenburg – hence the title – and judging by the pictures it looks like the place was pretty much full when Impera went on, something that’s not all that usual. To record a gig like this for personal reasons is a no-brainer but as live-albums today aren’t exactly commercially functional, it’s great that they decided to share this experience with the rest of us.
Candlemass – Sweet Evil Sun
When Swedish doomsters Candlemass released their new album it dawned on me that I have never reviewed a Candlemass album. That’s almost a wrongful act. That we can’t have. Why then? Well, to be honest, I have never been that much into Doom Metal. Yes, I love Black Sabbath but that’s a whole other thing. That means that Candlemass have never really been a part of my musical journey other than that I know of them, seen them live on a couple of occasions – once with Robert Lowe and three times with Mats Levén singing – and listening through some of their earlier records one time. Fact is, the only album I really dig – and know – is Chapter VI (1992) when Thomas Vikström (Therion) was their singer. I’m a much bigger fan of bassist Leif Edling’s side-projects Abstrakt Algebra, Krux and Avatarium.
Disturbed – Divisive
Back in 2015 modern metalheads Disturbed had a MASSIVE hit with the old Simon & Garfunkel ballad “The Sound Of Silence”, a weird choice that worked brilliantly – depending on who you ask, that is. Negative comments came on pretty hard at times but I loved their version and it helped the album Immortalized sell shitloads, making it their most successful album in years. It was a damn good record too, maybe their best yet and how do you follow such a success, then? In Disturbed’s world – with an album crowded with ballads and radio-friendly pop-rock-metal tunes. The album didn’t fare well. While it didn’t bomb, it wasn’t a big success either. Evolution (2018) wasn’t a crap album but it was far from a killer too – sad to say they took the wrong path with the album. Time for revenge, then, with this album?
Threshold – Dividing Lines
From Jon Jeary to Damian Wilson to Glyn Morgan to Damian Wilson to Andrew “Mac” McDermott to Damian Wilson to Glyn Morgan. That’s how British prog-rockers Threshold’s singer journey looks like from 1988 to this day. Changing singers usually changes both sound and dynamics in a band and more often than not it changes the music too and everywhere a singer-change has happened, there will camps within the circle of fans. Threshold is unique in that area as the change of singer hasn’t changed neither the dynamics, sound or the music. And it looks like there are no camps dividing fans either. Threshold’s fans seem to dig the band no matter who’s singing. I do too. Luckily enough, Threshold has always had great singers which surely helps.
CD & Festival reviews 