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Hawkwind - Hall Of The Mountain Grill - 18-Nov-06 12:26 AM
Hall of the mountain grill. What a strange album name for a "space rock" band. In fact, Hawkwind share more than sound or music. On this release, they share an ambiance : London, Moorcock, Idealistic dreams of galactic perdition. And the Mountain Grill refer to the Mountain Grill Restaurant, 275 Portobello Road in London. Moorcock put it in some of his short stories. Perfect isn't strong enough to qualify this album.

Just close your eyes and imagine your adventure as a Psychedelic Warlord. "Hall Of The Mountain Grill" is a long journey on a lost and wild planet. The entrance is brutal with an energic "Psychedelic Warlords". But some new things appear quickly : Violin and Mellotron which were not the tools of Hawkwind "Space Ritual period". Simon House, new member, is here for lot. His hymn is "Wind Of Change", masterpiece of ambient and 70's space rock, which contrasts with the first track. And all the album will balance through strong (stoner?) pieces and soft, psychedelic pieces. Savage, wild and calm, peaceful. This is the planet Hawkwind.

And this album is impressively closer. Dave Brock riffs on "You'd Better Believe It" or "Paradox", Lemmy's rythm bass on "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)", Nik Turner vocals on "D-Rider" or Simon House's touch for "Hall Of The Mountain Grill" or "Web Weaver" all prevent you from escaping the lost planet. I can't put another word to describe all these tracks together, it's perfect. The best Hawkwind album to my mind.

Goodbye space travels in the infinite space. Hawkwind settle in a land... So far... and You're Welcome.

Blue Öyster Cult - Club Ninja - 20-May-06 06:07 AM
This album came after Revölution By Night, in 1983, which was, to my mind, a very poor and weak album.

In this release, there are only three originals Cult members: Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma and Joe Bouchard. The first impression is that Albert Bouchard is missed a lot. Thommy Price on drums isn't as technical as this last, and the percussions give to the album a very FM dimension.

Yes, Club Ninja, like Revölution By Night follows the Öysters evolution to typically 80's Hard FM. There are lots of synthesizers with pretty much retro sounds, and the production is poor. (Why the 80's have made "echo drums"? Why can't we have an album with a purified sound for a lot of 70's bands?)

Nevertheless, Club Ninja is, for me, one of the best Hard FM album from the 80's. The compositions are good, some progressives (Madness To The Method, Spy In The House Of The Night), some aggressives (White Flags, Beat Them Up), and some soft (Perfect Water, Dancin' In The Ruins).
The ensemble of this album is correct, the synth effects more pertinents than on Revölution By Night. Indeed, some experimental passages increases the goodness of this release. The best example is for the "When The War Comes" end, with its solo drums. Besides, Buck Dharma's voice is a very pretty thing, a relical thing. With his so characteristic guitar, he makes the strength of a lot of tracks, especially Madness "To The Method", which ends Club Ninja perfectably.

So, Club Ninja reveals a Hard FM Blue Öyster Cult, the only release to my mind which can make them credible after the big "Fire Of Unknown Origin". Not perfect (some boring passages), but a very good release.

Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World - 07-Feb-06 04:15 AM
Released in 1990, this album begins the new Blind Guardian's style. Compared with the two precedents: Battalions Of Fear and Follow The Blind, the sound is better and the compositions more technicals.

Nevertheless, I have some difficulty to enter entirely in this album. I think it isn't really complete. The ambiance which is Dark Fantasy again, is intersected by some soft songs. These, Tommyknockers and Altair 4, are not bad, but relatively weak to my mind, contrary to the rest.

In fact, this album proves that Blind Guardian have progressed their music to a certain maturity. Hansi Kürsch's vocals range has increased whereas Thomas Stauch show us a better drums performance. Guitars sound is caracteristic on this album, and this is the first time that the Blind Guardian's sound is so personnal. So, a lot of tracks are actually hits, like Welcome To Dying, Lord Of The Ring, Lost In The Twilight Hall, or The Last Candle. Indeed, Kai Hansen, the master of Helloween sings with Hansi on Lost In The Twilight Hall. The opposition of the two voices is one of the strongest point on this release. And Lord Of The Ring give a timid approach on acoustic performances and ballads.

So, there are a lot of experiences on this release. Blind Guardian built his own style and Tales From The Twilight Hall is finally a transition album. Not bad, but not extremely good.

Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear - 06-Feb-06 07:50 AM
After two demos under the name of Lucifer's Heritage, Blind Guardian, just signed on No Remorse Records, release their first album Battalions Of Fear. Some years after, Virgin Records reedit their release on a cd.
They were, with Helloween, actually the pioneers of Speed Metal. And, in fact, their sound was totally different than Helloween. Heavier sound, more direct sound, Blind Guardian hit with strength for their first album. From Majesty to the epic Battalions Of Fear, all the songs are very inspired and put the listener in a dark fantasy world. The cover is in fact caracteristic. The Guardian plays a chess game in a world where the music is the lines. Hansi Kürsch has on this album very harsh vocals which, supported by the Olbrich's and Siepen's speed guitars, create a real ambiance.
The only weakness of this release is, to my mind, instrumental tracks which are placed to its end. They destabilize the listener and unbalance the album. One would have been enough, but the reedition deals with a bonus track.

Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind - 10-Dec-05 04:14 AM
Blind Guardian's Follow The Blind is one of the most underrated Blind Guardian album. I was deceived the first time I heard it. Nevertheless, when I put the ear a second time, I loved this album.

In fact, this Blind Guardian release is the essence of sword and sorcery (Moorcock or Fritz Leiber). All the atmosphere is heavy, dark and doomed. Hansi Kürsch has one of his most guttural voice, whereas the Thomas Stauch's beat can't let the listener free. Marcus Siepen's rythms are truly skilled and repetitives (but it's not a bad point on this release). Added to the André Olbrich's well constructed solos, the Blind wake up, walk, and you must follow him if you don't want to be lost in twilight hall.

Of course, there are speed tracks (it's a speed metal band !) like Banished From Sanctuary, Valhalla, or Don't Break The Circle. And these are fantastics, masterpiece of Speed Metal.
But the other tracks and in particular Follow The Blind have a lower tempo, a damned tempo. But it reprepresents all the album's mind : Damnation. It's not a hazard if two songs are written on Elric, the Moorcock's character, Eternal Champion and eternal damned. And because we're not in Black Metal or Doom Metal, the listener would be surprised to listen so heavier compositions.

So, this release must be listened a lot of time to be marked as well.