Till We Have Faces (Digipak)

New electric band effort from Mr. Hackett was long overdue. Wild Orchids marks the return of keyboardist Nick Magnus to the fold. The rest of the band are the cats that Steve has been recording and touring with for years now but there are augmented by the "Underworld Orchestra". The music has a subdued laid back vibe but of course we get those trademark withering solos that are unmistakably pure Hackett. Some world music influences creep into the mix in spots reminding of Peter Gabriel's solo work, while other tracks evoke the feel of Please Don't Touch. One curious inclusion is a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Man In The Long Black Coat" - Steve slays on it but...

"Riot has always been ahead of the curve, be it their powerful riff machine, or their unapologetic status as pioneers in the speed metal genre. I would like to take an opportunity to differ once again with the common viewpoint here, this is not “almost” Painkiller 2 years before; it is its doppelganger, at least in terms of kick ass aggressiveness and image. It is a more musical and complex answer to the thrash genre that it fathered; its spirit is that of a triumphant warrior cutting down its foes. While the heroic Painkiller soared through the sky putting fear into the hearts of his enemies, Thundersteel’s half-cyborg/half-tank body stood tall to face them on the ground.In 1988 metal was mostly known by its image, and if you judge these guys by that alone, they look like the bastard sons of Motley Crue and Judas Priest. But when Tony Moore blasts his high banshee voice into the microphone, he sounds like a crazed Viking Berserker ready to behead an army of frightened Romans. Mark Reale, the only remaining originator of this outfit, wields his guitar like a battle axe and challenges the likes of K.K. Downing, Dave Murray and Ross the Boss. Bobby Jarzombek, who is well known for his work with Rob Halford’s solo project, as well as several other bands, gives the performance of his life on here. Don Van Stavern keeps the bottom end solid and has a wicked bass intro in “Johnny’s Back”.There is never a dull moment on this album, from start to finish it grabs you by the throat and commands you to praise the Gods of Metal. Be it the fast as hell title track, which rivals anything Judas Priest has ever put out, or the more moderated Deep Purple riff monster “Sign of the Crimson Storm”, it screams metal. You’ve got an anthem of rebellion and non-conformity at warp speed like “Johnny’s Back” in the running, or the Manowar inspired heavy ballad “Bloodstreets”, which gives Heart of Steel a run for its money. “Fight or Fall” and “Flight of the Warrior” have memorable choruses and plenty of amazing lead work, all done by the original speed metal riff man Mark Reale, while “On Wings of Eagles” is a better produced version of something you might find on Kill Em’ All.We’ve got two highlights on this album, both of which are a good bit different than the lion’s share of speed driven songs on here. “Run for your life” is an upper mid-tempo crusher with tons of great lead guitar work, but it’s true charm is the chorus, which reminds me a bit of the high/low vocal interchanges that you hear on Dio’s early material. “Buried Alive (The Tell Tale Heart)” is actually a bit reminiscent of Crimson Glory’s work on Transcendence, which came out the same year that this did. You’ve got a rather odd spoken intro with a clean and somber guitar line, followed by some brilliant twin guitar soloing (all done by one guy, just the same way Tony Iommi did it). After 3 minutes of mind-blowing, we get a slow and evil sounding groove that grows into a brilliant homage to the NWOBHM, names like Iron Maiden and Angel Witch come to mind.In conclusion, this is a piece of metal history that demands to be listened to. If you are a power metal fan who lives for speed and melody, get your tight jeans wearing ass to the store right now. If you’re a holdover from the glory days of traditional metal and you don’t have it, get it now or risk having your credentials as a metal head questioned. If you love thrash with attitude, this gives the bands that carry that label a run for their money. Fans of Judas Priest, Manowar, Helloween, Running Wild, and Iron Maiden in particular will love this. There is a new power alive in the distance, carrying a fully charged plasma cannon, followed by an army of true metal warriors, and his name is “Thundersteel”." - Metal Archives

Fans of the Original Album Series box sets, rejoice: we bring unto you our latest effort, this time spotlighting five albums from the late ’70s / early ‘80s period of Jethro Tull’s discography. You will please note that this spotlight shines strictly upon the band’s studio output, which is to say that you’ll have to look elsewhere if you’re interested in obtaining a copy of their 1978 live album, Bursting Out. You may also wish to recall that there are some critics who would argue that this timeframe will literally provide you with the highest of Tull’s creative highs as well as the lowest of their lows, but, hey, everybody’s got their own opinion. (Personally, we find that there are merits to all of the albums included in the collection...but, of course, that’s just the sort of thing a label would say.)If you don’t happen to have the Jethro Tull discography memorized, here’s the quintet of albums that you’ll find in this Original Album Series set:Songs from the Wood: You’re not likely to find many fans or critics who won’t deem this to be the crown jewel of this particular collection. Although strong through and through, the album’s single, “The Whistler,” was a chart hit in the U.S., hitting #56 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the title track, always a fan favorite, found additional life after its inclusion on the band’s 1985 compilation, Original Masters. Frontman Ian Anderson has said that the album was felt by Tull’s full membership to be “a reaffirmation of our Britishness,” and it proved to be the first in what would prove to be a trilogy of folk-rock albums by the band, along with Heavy Horses and Stormwatch.Heavy Horses: Another effort which was well-received across the board, Heavy Horses was a bit harder on occasion than its predecessor…or perhaps “more enthusiastic” is a better descriptor. Either way, it’s a strong album full of lovely melodies, but it proved to be the final Tull recording featuring John Glascock on all tracks, which – given that Ritchie Blackmore once called him the best bassist in the business – proved disappointing for all parties concerned.Stormwatch: Given that Glascock was suffering from a cardiac infection while contributing to this album, an infection to which he would soon succumb, it’s no wonder that Stormwatch proved to be arguably less effective than the first two albums in the trilogy, but tracks like “Dark Ages” and “Warm Sporran” continue to have their fans, as does the album’s closer, “Elegy.”A: Let us first begin with the acknowledgment that this was originally intended to be an Ian Anderson solo album and only saw release under the Tull moniker by request of the band’s label. Once you know that, then consider the sound of Anderson’s solo album, Walk Into Light, and you’ll appreciate better understand why A is so synth-heavy. That’s not to say that there isn’t still a bit of folking out – witness “The Pine Marten’s Jig,” for instance – but if you don’t think it sounds a heck of a lot like Tull overall…well, you’re right. But at least now you know the reason for it.The Broadsword and the Beast: Probably the album in this set with the most divergent opinions between critics and fans, this somewhat conceptual effort features some of Anderson’s favorite music by the band, and there’s semi-solid ground to stand on if you feel that it provides the most successful middle ground between the folk of the band’s late ‘70s work and the more contemporary instrumentation found on A. You might love it or it might make you cringe, but you can’t say that Jethro Tull didn’t try to evolve with the times.