Ear Music

It seems that once again, Stratovarius has managed to deliver us a good album. Their 16th studio

album so far,  since their formation in 1984.  They did a tour to promote this new album, which also

brought them to Belgium, at the Biebop.

They still play power metal, but it seems they have gone back to their earlier sound.  This also implies

you don’t have to expect new gimmicks on this album, it’s good, old fashioned Stratovarius stuff, with

the o so familiar Timo Tolkki vocals., which you either hate, or love. And once again I’m flabbergasted

Saga is a Canadian rock band that has been around for some forty years or so, who over that period have released 21 studio albums if I’m correct.  It is however not one of my preferred bands, although they have some good songs.

What the heck is this I thought.  From the first moment on, I hear nothing but grunts and growls, interspaced with some more normal singing.  The rhythm is ferocious, fast paced, you cannot understand what they are singing.

I guess what these Frenchies bring us, is a mix of death metal, and despite the fact that this band was founded in 1992, has toured extensively and has released a score of albums before, this is the first time I had to listen to this band, and it will also be the last.

This is a type of music/album I absolutely hate !

Circle II Circle is and was fronted by Zak Stevens, and since their beginnings some years ago, I guess it was 2001, they have always sounded a bit like Savatage, which may not sound as a wonder, as Mr. Stevens fronted this band between 1992 until 2000.

Thunder is one of these bands that seem to have been around since God knows when.  Despite existing for some 25 years, this is only their tenth studio album.  Of course there was a hiatus of some three years, since they split up in 2000, and reunited in 2002, and again disbanded in 2009, only to start playing together again in 2011.

Ear Music has been reissuing some of  Deep Purple’s back catalogue, and this is the latest release in this series, a live recording dating back to 1971, recorded at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach – California, where they played as opener for Rod Stewart and The Faces.

While Rick Springfield  was born in Australia, and scored his first top ten hit there in 1972, he subsequently moved to the USA, and had a nr. 1 hit over there, as well as in Australia with ‘Jessie’s Girl’, for which he also received a Grammy award for best male rock vocal performance.  More top ten hits followed with ‘Affair Of The Heart’ and ‘Love Somebody’.  He also performed as an actor, playing Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drame ‘General Hospital’. 

What started out as a private charity event, organized by Deep Purple’s Ian Paice and his wife Jacky Price  was opened to the rockfans in 2012, resulting in a performance in the prestigious London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Having so far released 4 full studio albums, this is the first live album by this stunning band, recorded live  at the Garage in London on16th May 2014 during their first ever headline tour.

Jeff Scott Soto is back with a brand new album, and the world will know it !   Being born in the same year as yours truly, Jeff is a person that since the early eighties has appeared in countless bands and projects, as well as doing solo-albums, but it’s been years since I’ve heard him rocking like on this album.  What he brings here is metal in it’s purest form.