| CD REVIEW TSM/SLW Promotions special May 2011, part one: Finn Arild – Backstage Heroes – Robin Beck – Black Sunday Dream |
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TSM/SLW Promotions special May 2011, part one: Finn Arild – Backstage Heroes – Robin Beck – Black Sunday Dream What with a lot of things happening in my personal life (positive ones, but nevertheless stuff that took away a lot of my free time) I've been unable to start a new special in April. On top, the editor-in-chief came around with a lot of already released material which needed reviewing first. Eventually however, I had to ask him to stop putting new material into my to-do box, until I could get around reviewing the TSM/ SLW material which I already had in my possession since halfway April. So, here we go, and it's a rather varied bunch, I can tell you! ----------------------------------------------------- Born in New Zealand from where his parents moved back to their native Norway soon after his birth, the multi-instrumental musician, songwriter, singer and producer known as Finn Arild (those are just his Christian names, family name being Aasheim) grew up with his elder brother's love for the music of the '70s on the one side, and his father's passion for Classical music on the other side. He learned to play the guitar at age six, and at 7 took a 4-year classical training. In the same period he learned to play the living-room organ, and after only a short time he could be heard playing rather decent versions of Bach's “Toccata” and “Fuge”. At the age of 12 he'd already written several songs and classical pieces, and that's when he met friends with musical interests. Playing in several local bands in the early years, he eventually made best friends with keyboard virtuoso Richard Wiik, with whom he shared the same experimental mind. So they started writing together, and recording music with whatever was at hand, using two cassette players/ recorders to record and overdub themselves...achieving great expertise at recording themselves with the limited means at hand inn the many years that were to follow. When their lives went in different directions (Wiik getting married and ready to start a family), and as their then current band SimpelTen hadn't gotten around to creating a new demo in a long time, Finn Arild decided to write and record his first solo album Serendipity, the demo of which got finished around Autumn 2004. Shopping it around to several labels, he found out what he could expect in royalties, and decided to get the album done on his own. He eventually contacted peripheral friend Tor Öyvind Quille to produce the album in his well-equipped studio on speculation in royalties. Following a try-out (Quille working on one of the demo tracks) they signed a contract and started off by recording the single Take Two And Call Me in The Morning, which was made available on iTunes and aired on most Norwegian radio stations. They then proceeded to record the rest of the album during Summer 2005, mixing it in Autumn, and releasing it in physical form early the next year. According to my info, the album was well-received...but details are missing. At any rate, his solo debut's success inspired Finn Arild to start work on his second solo album, this time a 65-minute concept album, telling the tale of the creation of the universe, life, and the impact of the creature known as “human” on the whole. To play the drums on this album, he made use of experienced drummer based Mikael Wikman, whom recorded his participation in his own Stockholm studio in online collaboration with Finn Arild. Helping out on backing vocals, we find Finn's wife Elin, and as guest on piano on half of the 12 tracks on the album, there's Finn's old friend Reidar Wiik. Stylistically, the album follows the '70s “rules” for Progressive Rock, which “dictate” that any and all influences outside the strict Rock medium (in this case, Classical Music, Jazz, Pop and Folk, but also a more contemporary influence comes from Progressive Hardcore) are welcome to make the whole a larger thing than its separate components. Not surprisingly, early ProgRock masters such as Genesis and Yes, as well as more contemporary ones like Marillion and Transatlantic, are named as the main basis from which Finn Arild works out his compositions. Yet one could hardly speak of any copy-cat tactics here! A nice extra touch are the samples which come both as a bridge between two tracks or within a song. To get a whiff of the album's material, there's 40-second samples of each track (two are instrumentals) made available at (www.) finnarild.com, and a full-length version of the track “All Right” can be found at (www.) myspace.com/finnarild. Quite enough to convince any lover of '70s ProgRock of the need to purchase this fine album, as agreed to by some early reviewers at Scream Magazine and Progressive Ears (samples of their comments can be found on Finn's official site). I mean, this is really a stand-out album, and anyone having read the album's review in Belgian magazine Rock Tribune can start wondering what muck that journalist had in his ears when listening to the album. Wish I'd had more time with this one, but it's definitely one of my favourite listenings in this month's batch. 95/100 ----------------------------------------------------- Can't say I feel quite the same about this Italian band, which was founded in 2008 in the industrial town of Torino by guitarist “Ritchie Mohicano” and drummer “Dany Disgrace” with “...the intention to build up a rough Rock 'n' Roll band derived from the wild American Punk's abandoning...inspired by glorious bands as Guns 'N Roses, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Motley Crüe, and influenced by modern Sleaze Rock background from North Europe (Hardcore Superstar, Backyard Babies, Velvet Revolver)...” (taken from the band's info sheet we got along with the promo copy of the album). The founding duo were soon enough joined by singer “Lory Cruel”, and completed by bassist Miro Jayme 4 months later. As far as releases go, BH started proceedings with the September 2008 releases EP Stone Cold Cruel. In the two years that were to follow, the band played more than 110 shows and managed to open as support band for the likes of established bands such as Vains Of Jenna, Crazy Lixx, Adam Bomb, Last Vegas, and Innocent Rosie...but since the end of 2009 that has been with “Cris Crow” on the drum seat! What else? Well...I can think of a few things, alright, as anyone listening to the couple of songs posted at (www.) myspace.com/backstageheroes could (by the way, the posted Stone Cold Cruel songs “Die For Me” and “New Hero” were re-recorded for the full-length). “Immoderate riffing”...“Portentous rhythms”? Let's agree that what you get is fairly middle-of-the-road melodic Glam Rock based on rather basic riffs with the occasional guitar solo worked in (a couple of exceptions notwithstanding). But hey, the rhythm section ain't that bad...not at all! In fact they're the best thing about this band, because the frontman's voice ain't exactly an item I would do a rave review about! Neither are the backing vocals, by the way. Still, on the track “I Joke(he)r” the complete band excels with a style closer to Country Rock (including even slide guitar play after a great intro) than to Glam. This is the track where Lory's raunchy voice actually comes out best...something which cannot be said about the opening passage to “So Far From Home”, where he's forced to use a more subdued vocal style...something which he clearly does not master. End conclusions? If indeed this album portrays the result of a band working intensely at their art for two years, I'd say there is still (and quite considerable) room for improvements, especially in the vocal department. But hey, if you're a lover of Glam Rock and happen to disagree with that assessment...this is a free world, and besides...I'm sure that in their area of influence BH is well capable of whipping up a mean party! 73/100 ----------------------------------------------------- My first surprise: finding the latest album by this artist promoted by TSM/ SLW. Not to put down the great promotional work the agency does, but I would never have expected an established and renowned artist as Robin Beck needing to work with 'em. My second surprise: finding out that no label was found to release the album! Third surprise: the fact that this is actually the first new studio album by Robin been since 2007's Livin' On A Dream (to kick off her own label, she already released the 20th anniversary of her sophomore album Trouble Or Nothing in February 2009 – a release which we were never sent for review). So, a little checking up on the artist's career (for a history prior to 2005's Do You Miss Me album – like Livin' On A Dream, it was released through Frontiers Records – check the review posted 30/06/2005) seems in order. As it turned out, 2007's Living On A Dream was rather a successful album, getting extremely positive feedback from the major printed and online magazines. It brought Robin's classic 1988 hit “First Time” (used worldwide for a Coca-Cola ad) back in the spotlights, and resulted in major label Universal getting her to re-create the song for a dance mix furnished by the infamous Sunblock mixers. The new version became an instant success (topping at #9 on the UK's official Billboard Charts and selling over 3 million copies to date), and Robin performed on Top Of The Pops. In spite of those recent successes, Robin had always felt powerless because she had always had to listen to the guys owning the record labels, sitting behind their desks with their checks, and calling the shots! For Robin, becoming a label owner herself was about getting back to the dreams she had as a young songwriter, to compose and “make it” with your own material. The first album to be issued on her label would be the 20th Anniversary re-recording of the album that gave her the break-through, re-recording every note on the album, and adding quite a few new songs to boot (remind me to pick that jewel up, will you?). During the two years since that release, Robin not only managed, but also wrote songs for and performed with the new young Wales based band Kane'd...writing a new batch of songs (along with husband James Christian – yes, of House Of Lords repute – and mastermind Tommy Denander known of Radioactive) for the follow-up to the new version of Trouble Or Nothing to boot! When time came to record the material, quite a host of guests were ready to contribute to the album: Christian shares bass duties with James Jamal, and shares drum duties with Tommy Denander. That being the rhythm basis, Denander also plays most of the guitars, with a guest performance for Dai Smith and Paul Jones on the one track “Baby I'm Not A Bitch” (actually a cover, the original coming from the Elements). Denander also performed all keyboards on the album, except for the piano on “Baby...”, which saw Katherin Ownes as a guest (she also did backing vocals on that same track). More backing vocals were performed by Robin and Christian, and Robin's daughter Liv. Also, there's two duet songs on the album, with a co-starring role for Joe Lynn Turner on”That All Depends” and one for Christian on the beautiful album closing love song “Till The End Of Time” (actually a – most befitting – song written for the couple by Denander and 2 other friends). Thus far the factual details, now for the music...which is really axactly what you might expect from a Beck-Christian-Denander collaboration. No “surprises” in the vocal department either, because Robin's voice is as wonderfully feminine and powerful as ever! You can listen to (approximately) 1-minute samples of all 11 tracks on the new album on the music player at (www.) robinbeckrocks.com, and that'll have to convince you of the new album's high qualities, because at (www.) myspace.com/robinbeckrocks you'll only find full-length songs off the 20th anniversary version of Trouble Or Nothing, 2007's Livin' On A Dream, and an additional 2 songs performed by Liv Beck. At any rate, if you know a little about classy A.O.R., you knów you cannot let this new Robin Beck album pass you by un-purchased! Yeah Baby, this is prime year-lists material! 98/100 ----------------------------------------------------- Third BSD episode of the year! Well, it possibly should've been the first, as End Of Days appears to be the band's first collection of recorded songs. Actually...there's some controversy in my mind as to when exactly the album was released. You see, I finally got onto the band's website, and from there was able to retrieve some extra info. The band was founded in November 2007 with another drummer, Dennis Galway completing the current line-up in the summer of 2008. According to the copyright info at the back of the End Of Days album cover, 2008 would've been the year the songs on the album would've been written. A rave review done by B. Mcnulty of San Leandro, California and posted July 25, 2009, seems to confirm the possibility that the album might've been released earlier that year, yet under the album's product details the release date mentioned is September 21, 2010. Surely, there's some mind boggling contradictions here? To add to the confusion, this IS the first time I heard of the existence of the End Of Days album, and material off it was and still is not available on either the band's own website, or their pages at MySpace and ReverbNation. Luckily, there's no contradictions about the material engraved upon the disc, as it is very much in the same line as the stuff on Light Of The Night...and anyone having gotten a craving for more by this band after having come across 'em a first time (myself included) is warmly recommended to order their copy from the band! You know something? Donald Hillier's unique voice may be somewhat weird to people hearing it for the first time, but it works heavily addictive after repeated listenings and this, combined with the band's catchy/ melodic instrumentation sure make this a one-of-a-time unique band, which deserves more than the Underground status it has had to date! I love this album even more than Light Of The Night, but of course part of that comes from being infected by their tunes on the continuous feed the band has (to my great joy) pushed onto me by sending me all of their material in such a short period. Yeah, I wouldn't mind becoming this band's ambassador...if only I had the means to do that! Anyhow...here's me contributing to encouraging the band in continuing to make their music with a perfect rating, and an addition of the album to my year-lists. I dó hope the band lets me know what year the album was actually released...and I'm also looking forward to any future albums by this great act! 98/100 ---------------------------------------------------- Tony. |
