DELANY – BLAZE AND ASHES
Out Now / Music Buy Mail

A concept album based on the works of a German fantasy writer. Could go both ways really...With Lana Lane and David Readman sharing vocal duties we can at least be assured the singing will be of a more than acceptable level.

Overall the album doesn’t disappoint. Melodic heavy metal with some old school hard rock influences.  There’s an overall tendency towards epic, mid paced bombast, but it never gets awkward or overblown.

Production was in the hands of Davy Vain, formerly of the band Vain, who has built quite a reputation for himself as a producer it would seem. With mixing and mastering handled by Dennis Ward, you can rest assured the album sounds spiffy.
The excellent guitar work is provided by Jamie Scott, from Davy Vain’s band.

Because of the limited number of singers, this album steers clear of Avantasia and Ayreon waters and is a refreshing breath in the European metal scene, which seems to be overrun by gimmick-of-the-day power metal clowns.

Rating - 83%
Review by Joost

MARKONEE - SEE THE THUNDER
Out Now / Escape Music

Contrary to most of their compatriots, Italian band Markonee hasn’t opted for power metal or its more symphonic variant. Rather, they serve up a dose of distinctly 80s influenced hard rock, heavy on keyboards and dripping wet guitar tones.

Not heavy on originality, but tons of fun for the whole family. This is one of those albums that puts a smile on your face with its unpretentious approach to rock n roll. Think Winger or a slightly softer Gotthard and you’re most of the way there. Last track “I Believe In Father Christmas” even injects some Stryper into the proceedings.

Whether it’s opening cut “Way 2 Go”, the title track or “Brand New Day”, all the tracks just exude a carefree atmosphere that’ll have you tapping your foot and shaking your mullet in no time.

Production is good, if a bit dense (probably due to the lavish helpings of reverb that have been applied)

Solid hard rock album for 80s fans.

Rating - 85%
Review by Joost

URIAH HEEP - CELEBRATION
Out Now / Zoom Records

I have to admit I’m not exactly a Uriah Heep fan. They are one of the rare bands where I walked out on a gig because I was afraid I’d end up in a coma… That being said, I do enjoy some of their classic studio recordings. So, what does this collection of re-recorded Heep classics bring to the table?

Well, for starters the band have stuck to a very vintage sounding production. Which is nice, but does raise the question why bother rerecording them? The sonic difference is minimal.

Bernie Shaw is a decent enough singer but he’s no David Byron, made painfully obvious in “Gypsy”. The renditions of the songs aren’t all that different from the originals, neither adding nor detracting much. Some tracks work very well, “Sunrise” and “Between Two Worlds” come to mind. “Stealing” on the other hand just sounds tired.
New songs “Only Human” and “Corridors Of Madness” don’t stick out, which is a testament to the consistency of this seemingly indestructible band. “Corridors” is a bloody good song, actually.

I’m not generally a fan of these “re-recorded classics” albums, and this one leaves me pretty indifferent as well. They are a way for a band to get some royalties from their glorious past I guess, where the original versions belong to a former label…

There’s little to find fault with on this album. But there’s also little to get excited about.
If you’re a Heep fan, I suppose this is an interesting release but personally, if I wanted to hear these songs I’d pick up an anthology with the original versions.

Rating - 78%
Review by Joost

19 years seperate this new Mastedon album from its predecessor. Take that, Boston, with your rushed releases!

All kidding aside, the long interval was most likely due to the musical climate in the nineties and the fact that the Elefante brothers, driving force behind Mastedon, forged new ventures, most notably a very successful recording studio.

But here they are with the third Mastedon album. I’m not very familiar with their earlier material, but if this new one is anything to go by, I need to get more closely acquainted.  Classic AOR with a slightly more metallic edge than most is what we are offered here.  Throw Boston, Kansas and Styx in a blender and you’ve pretty much got the recipe for Mastedon.

Check out opening rocker “Revolution Of Mind”, majestic ballad “Nowhere Without Your Love” or the mid-paced “Lying” for some prime examples of melodic rock. “One Day Down By The Lake” wouldn’t be out of place on a Kansas album (not entirely surprising as John Elefante was a member of that band in the eighties) and displays a distinct Pink Floyd influence as well. Likewise “The Western World” owes more than a little to Boston.

As you’d expect from someone with John Elefante’s credentials, production is spotless. Easily one of the best sounding albums of the year.

A brilliant AOR release. Frontiers really seem to have this market cornered at the moment, and albums like this can only help consolidate their position.

Rating – 93%
Review by Joost

THE AURORA PROJECT - SHADOW BORDER
Out Now / The Lasers Edge

The Aurora Project are a Dutch progressive rock band with roots dating back to 1999.  “Unspoken Words” the band’s debut was released worldwide in 2006 by Dutch record company ‘DVS Records’ and for their second effort “Shadow Border” the band have been picked up by Laser’s Edge.

The band possess a dark quality about them although this is more mid tempo melodic in nature than say the all out metal brutalism of Evergrey or Ashent.  Vocalist Dennis Binnekade will be an acquired taste for many, being exceptionally narrow in his range and almost monotone in his delivery sounding like a cross between Chris De Burgh and Counting Crows vocalist Adam Duritz!  To these ears it does make the album heavy going in a lot of places. I  found myself listening just begging him to get a least a little excited in his delivery but it never happens which is a shame as the music is for the most part good enough it not spectacular. 

The dual guitar attack of Remco van der Berg and Marc Vooys are competent enough, yet never dazzle whilst the keyboard and sample work of Marcel Guyt is more about textures than dexteric flair.  Sadly the album also lacks an exciting production, everything is well balanced and mixed but the whole effort just lacks any power, depth or character, its just bland. “Within The Realms” is the most exciting track on offer, but even then it never really gets going although the quasi Pink Floyd interview section is a nice touch.

Overall this album was hard going.  Nothing really pokes its head above average and I would only recommend the most hardened and dedicated of prog fans check this out. 

Rating – 40%