| CD REVIEW Tokyo Blade |
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Band : Tokyo Blade My heart leapt up to my throat when the editor-in-chief handed me over this one, because I’d immediately recognized the Tokyo Blade logo. Could this be, after all these years (it’s been since 1998’s Pumphouse), a new studio album by this British legend from the NWoBHM era? Yeah, well, wishful thinking…because this is a live album, and not even a recording from the re-united band that played Germany’s Bang Your Head festival in 1996, but a gathering of the only remaining original TB member, guitarist Andy Boulton, with a bunch of musicians from the US. From the band Overloaded come singer Chris Gillen (an occasional Dio-soundalike) and drummer Lorenzo Gonzales, who’re joined in rehearsals States-side by Arrest guitarist Bryan Holland and Mindcandy bassist Frank Saparti (rehearsals which Boulton doesn’t even attend, apparently, the band simply replacing that by the short soundcheck before gigs). This is a recording compiled from the band’s complete set played at Germany’s Keep it True festivalof last year, enhanced with 3 songs from the band’s appearance in Cyprus on that same tour! Not surprisingly, the set-list includes tracks coming mostly from the band’s first three studio albums, singles, and EPs. Not surprisingly, because that was their strongest material. Exception is the Dio cover “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”, which shows Gillen’s true nature as a singer! At any rate, this is a live album, hence a compilation of sorts, and thus not subject able to a rating (wouldn’t be fair either, because as I was raised with that kind of music in my late teens, I would be rather prejudiced, eh,!). Nice memories, but I would like a new studio album! If you’ve never heard of TB, you haven’t gone through (that kind of) the motions, so check out what you can listen to at myspace.com/tokyobladeband. Alternally, I’m sure your father, or (much) older brother may have a vinyl album or two of these guys in his (their) collection! Tony. |