One of the earliest Eastern European breakouts, this lot were trailblazers for all the heaviness that has followed both before and after the fall of the wall. Vader is an integral part of metal history and these three albums provided a bit of background to it all. If you are getting one of the live albums, I would recommend the more modern Live in Japan naturally.
Kamelot: Ghost Opera
The first thing that struck my wife and I about this one is it sounds a lot like a very heavy version of Phantom of the Opera, the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Now it might shock many to hear this but I find this no bad thing. If symphonic metal bands can be operatic and musical, but leave off the heavy cheese, then by all means do so. Kamelot are quite a stunning band, it has to be said, using all elements to create a wonderful collection of tracks.
As with their past they use female vocal dueting when it fits. I predict this album will eventually be done in its entirety live. It flows together as if it’s a concept album while at the same time having songs that stand perfectly alone. There are no stand-out tracks on here. It's all very good, catchy, powerful, heavy and symphonic in its entirety. While retaining its power metal styling one still finds oneself, and any other singers in the room, singing along on the second chorus during the first listen. This is, by far, Kamelot’s most consistent release and marks a new high for the band that improves with every release.
Don Mancuso: D Drive
You might not have heard of him but the likes of Lou Gramm of Foreigner and Phil Naro of Talas were willing to come along to sing for him and co-write the tunes. The music on here is bluesy hard rock with a smirk and swagger. Just listen to "Down, Rotten and Dirty" or "Can’t Dig Your Way Out." Some would say this has an 80's rock pop feel to it. Think Poison with some talent or Tesla at their best.
“Wait till the Sun goes Down" sounds a bit like Foreigner if they were jamming with Collins-era Genesis at their least cheesy. It's good to hear Gramm cranking it out after his health problems. This is a great sleeper of an album that, like many such outings, will get under your skin and stay there. Oh yes, Mancuso plays with some bloke named Hendrix who is the brother of that Hendrix. Well worth seeking out this hidden gem.
Article comments