Virgin Steele - Age of Consent

 

Ah, eighties metal. Fun, fun stuff. Virgin Steele takes all that was good from the eighties metal pool and mixed it up to spit out a great record. They have screechy male vocals, indulgent guitar solos, and hard hitting songs. The styles fluctuate throughout the record, some sounding like Iron Maiden while the next song is thrashy like old school Metallica.

 In the first three seconds of the very first song on Virgin Steele's Age of Consent, I thought, "Wow." And not in a bad way, no not at all. I love eighties metal. You're looking at someone who would gladly rip their right arm off to see Motley Crue, or Van Halen in concert. I loved the sound, elements of classic British heavy metal meeting glam metal to make a great, great album.

The thing I can't get over is the vocals. Very Iron Maiden sounding. The levels that DeFeis reaches with his vocals would make Vince Neil turn green round the gills. From low Dio esque growls, to soaring Bruce Dickinson levels, it's just flabbergasting. The whole album was high energy, and made me want to run on top of a tour bus going down a highway at 90 miles per hour. It packs kick you in the face speed with guitars that'll leave you slack jawed. Go ahead, put on "Screaming For Vengeance." Yeah, now go pick up your jaw from the floor that you headbanged off.

I really just cannot say enough how much I loved "Age of Consent." It was fun, and heavy, and fits right in with classic Dio, Iron Maiden, even Aerosmith. This cd didn't leave my headphones for numerous days. I just freakin' loved it, okay?!

From the talented vocalist himself, David DeFeis describes Virgin Steele's sound as, "From a whisper to a scream, barbaric, romantic, bombastic, yet subtle, grandiose, yet earthy. A call, a shout, an invocation to Freedom and the continual awakening to the awareness that every moment of life is lived to its fullest potential. It is a force, a sacred quest which drives Virgin Steele on.“

Couldn't have said it better myself.


--Gorgeous Nightmare

Astral Doors -Jerusalem

"Yeah...right," I remember muttering as I read their press kit. I may have giggled a little bit, too.

Ronnie James Dio (rest in peace) was one of the greatest vocalists of all-time, in my opinion, so when Sweden's Astral Doors mentioned, "the sound’s unmistakable kinship to Dio-fronted Rainbow and Dio/Martin-fronted Black Sabbath," when describing their new album, I had more than a few doubts.

Then I heard the 11 tracks of power-metal on Jerusalem and all those doubts disappeared. Poof.

Astral Doors sure backed up their claim about sounding like Dio, and then some. The similarity is so strong that it's almost uncanny, but if you ask me, Jerusalem sounds more like Dio's solo work, Last In Line and Holy Diver. Maybe that's just me 'cause I'm partial to those two albums. Whatever the case, I think Jerusalem is freaking fantastic.

I'm treated to all the power-metal essentials on this one. Clean, powerful vocals (as if you coudn't tell already) with emotional lyrics inspired by war, fantasy and personal struggles. Fiery guitars with electrifying solos. Amazing bass and drums. Got organs? Astral Doors does.

I had no idea about this band until a month ago, but they've been around the block.

BIO: 'In early 2002, Swedish guitarist Joachim Nordlund, drummer Johan Lindstedt and singer Nils Patrik Johansson teamed up and decided to write some metal songs in the spirit of the old heroes Rainbow, Dio, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. They completed the band with organ player Jocke Roberg and with Martin Haglund on the bass....Jerusalem is a journey through good and evil. Mixed by Daniel Bergstrand, the music of Astral Doors reaches new heights. Blistering hits like "Seventh Crusade", "Babylon Rise" and "With a Strangers Eye" meets up with the epic title track and the video hit "Child of Rock'n'roll"...'

That's a coincidence. Two of those songs I decided to include so you could hear them for yourselves. Just listen and tell me this band isn't Dio reincarnated. And just check out that album artwork. Awesome. I can't tell whose side the dragon is on, though. Is it the Crusaders? Muslims? Must be Jerusalem.

What was I thinking? The Dio-inspired power-metal that I loved when I was growing up hasn't gone anywhere - I just haven't been looking in the right places. I'm glad that I finally found it again, and that Astral Doors have opened up and shown me the way.

Jerusalem is released through Metalville Records. Any fan of Ronnie James Dio will dig this music a lot. Highly-recommended.

--Heddbuzz

Rainbow - Rising

You know you’re old school or just plain old if you’re into this album. I’ve known and loved it for years but recently picked up the excellent LP reissue on England’s Back On Black label and it’s been on non-stop rotation on my turntable. Talk about classic! Everything about this 1976 album is perfect. The striking front cover artwork by Ken Kelly is truly denim jacket worthy. The classy black and white band shots are powerful and mysterious. Martin Birch’s production is outstanding. But, most important, is the incredible songs and the superpowers of the musicians who created them.

After leaving Deep Purple, guitar wizard Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow with the one and only Ronnie James Dio to form one of the greatest alliances in all of heavy rock. Both men made great music before and after Rainbow Rising but this might be the peak for both of them. Then when you add the powerhouse drumming of Cozy Powell that’s a lot of talent and sky scraper egos in one unit.

“Tarot Woman” starts off with some atmospheric keyboards from Tony Carey. Right off the bat you know this was not meant to be a clone of Deep Purple, Jon Lord would never play like this. Not better or worse, but very different. When the band comes, the rhythm section of Cozy and bassist Jimmy Bain stomp hard and leave plenty of room for Blackmore’s guitar and Dio’s vocals. “Run With The Wolf” is another mid-paced rocker with a nice bluesy solo from Ritchie. Side one wraps up with the ass kicking “Starstruck.” Featuring an awesome riff that gets stuck in your head as soon as you hear it and a great arrangement, Dio’s vocals are so powerful.

Side two opens with the raunchy “Do You Close Your Eyes.” Dio’s lyrics are usually fantasy oriented but rarely sexual in nature and it’s a lot of fun to hear him howling “when you’re making sweet LOOOOOOVE to me!” on the chorus. It’s also a great lead in for the centerpiece of the album – “Stargazer.” The overused term “epic” really does apply here. Here’s a song that rivals Zep’s “Kashmir” in full on exotic heaviness. Cozy’s drum intro is breathtaking and Ritchie’s riff is one of the heaviest of all time. On the inside of the gatefold sleeve this is the only song that has the lyrics printed. If used the inside of the gatefold sleeve correctly then by the time this song came on your attitude had been properly adjusted and you could bug out on the amazing tale that Ronnie relates. The production on this song is majestic. There’s tons of phasing effects on all the instruments and towards the end the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra make this heavy song even heavier. It’s impossible to follow up this song, but the fast headbanger “A Light In The Black” wraps up the album nicely.

It’s a short album, only a little over half an hour that leaves you wanting more but it’s perfect as an LP. The Back On Black reissue is pressed on heavy duty vinyl and the short sides mean there’s plenty of room to spread the grooves for maximum fidelity. I’ve been listening to this album for many, many years and it’s never sounded better. It ain’t cheap but when you’re cranking it twice a day you’re definitely getting your money’s worth.

  --Woody

Ripple News - GEEZER BUTLER STATEMENT ON RUMORS OF BLACK SABBATH REUNION

In today at the Ripple office, some news for all Sabbath fans.

Responding to ongoing rumors surrounding a possible Black Sabbath reunion, Geezer Butler has issued the following statement:

"I would like to make it clear, because of mounting speculation and rumours, that there will be definitely no reunion of all four original members of Black Sabbath, whether to record an album or to tour."

Butler's most recent musical outing was with Heaven & Hell, a four piece featuring Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi as well as one time Black Sabbath members Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice.  The band released Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell in November of 2010.

www.geezerbutler.com