Monday, August 29, 2011

IF I WERE A GLADIATOR - Hallowed Antiquity


IF I WERE A GLADIATOR - Hallowed Antiquity

Written by Branimir Lokner
Monday, 29 August 2011

IF I WERE A GLADIATOR
" Hallowed Antiquity "
( Self - released ) 2011.
CD - USA
Progressive metal


















Out of Seatlle, WA, comes a newer act with interesting name - If I Were A Gladiator. A group work as a quintet with female fronted singer in its line-up, and her name is Emily Ruth. Conceptually, If I Were A Gladiator has offered own vision of ancient roman progressive metal, as they use to explain.where key themes belongs to gladiators and their lifes in a period of Roman empire. Musically,a band tried to find own original performing formula, where important rola belongs to often keybord and guitar dialogues.A vocalizations of mentioned Emily oftenly accepts a falcetto variants, and most of the songs are done in similiar vein. " Hallowed Antiquity" are consists of 6 equalizing tracks, without leading song. A production is modern, but in some places a group suffers from manniristical problems. Evidentally, as a band they need a little more experience, but what is more important, they sucessfully offered own authors and performing formula.
Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.ifiwereagladiator.com

Friday, August 19, 2011

DESTROPHY - Cry Havoc


DESTROPHY - Cry Havoc

Written by Branimir Lokner
Friday, 19 August 2011

DESTROPHY
" Cry Havoc "
( Victory Records ) 2011.
CD - USA
Melodic hard rock/heavy metal














Destrophy are USA hard rock/metal quartet, formed back in 2002. During the years, they have released with actuelle one a 4 full -lengths and 1 EP. They changed a style during the period of existence, as same as performing formula, normally judging by metal views, and actuelle. album finds them in more so call - melodic mood. " Cry Havoc" are consists of 10 pretty meloduc tunes, done in 80's hard rock/metal vain, but with modern production includings as well. A songs are fresh, convinceble enough, absolutelly listenable, and acceptable for radio usings too.
We can also find some nu metal and AOR traces in its approach as well, but it's clear that " Cry Havoc" delivers many brilliant and fine hidden places in each corner of album. A band did a fine work and " Cry Havoc" is important album in band's discography.

Rating : 8 , 5 / 10
C / o : www.destrophy.com
www.victoryrecords.com

Monday, August 15, 2011

TODD GRUBBS - Return Of The Worm


TODD GRUBBS - Return Of The Worm

Written by Branimir Lokner
Monday, 15 August 2011

TODD GRUBBS
" Return Of The Worm "
( Grubbworm Music ) 2011.
CD - USA
Instrumental rock/fusion







Guitarist and composer Todd Grubbs is a musician with longest experience behind. He's been active for 25 years, and during the period of existence, he has worked with many performers and artists. " Return Of The Worm" is his latest album, where we can find 11 instrumental tracks in. He has released album materials with team of respespectable colegues and performers. His guitar techniques as same as offering materials, varies judging by performing and genre's options and includings. So,we can find here and there " traditional" instrumental rock phrases, interesting funky rhythmizations, as well as unstandardized fusion improvizations,and some untipical psychedelic includings as well. A tracks/offering themes are different amom them, but some of present materials posses a enjouable atmosphere too. " Return Of The Worm" comphrises very fne works, and this is another musically sucessfull offering of mentioned USA performer.

Rating : 8 / 10
C / o : www.toddgrubbs.com

FASTLANE FLOWER - Deadline


FASTLANE FLOWER - Deadline

Written by Branimir Lokner
Monday, 15 August 2011

FASTLANE FLOWER
" Deadline "
( Nordic Records ) 2011.
CD - NORWAY
Heavy/power/melodic metal















Fastlane Flower are sextet coming out from Oslo, Norway. A band started out seriously during the autumn 2008 year, and its line-up are consists of well-experienced musicians. " Deadline" is actuelle debut from this 2011 year, and this is a full-length with 9 tracks in.
Fastlane Flower combines many metal idioms as a classic heavy, power, melodic as same as some dark or crossover tendencies as well.
But, a key performing rola in a band, belong to female vocalist Eline Stolan. Her melodramatic voice, also performing energy are key elements in group's songs structures and arrangments threathenings. A mentioned performing energy of Mrs. Eline isn' t a usual case in nowadays modern metal world, and she really know how to impress and satisfy avarage listener's ears. A Norway band in the other hand has offered mainly equalizing materials, with no impressive, but certain production realization. Finally, this is a good discographical start for group, and we'll see what the near future brings....

Rating : 7 , 5 / 10
C / o : www.fastlaneflower.no

Saturday, August 13, 2011

LAZULI - 4603 Battements


LAZULI - 4603 Battements

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 11 August 2011

LAZULI " 4603 Battements "
( Self - released ) 2011.

CD - FRANCE
Progressive/progressive rock











French band Lazuli is another interesting act in progressive area, coming out from France. With actuelle one, a group has recorded a 5 albums, discographically started out in 2004 year. " 4603 Battements" a band did with own forces, and album looked a light of day during the May, this 2011 year. Lazuli is a band with respectable experince, in its line-up are well-trained musicians, and also is important to say, that judging by authors creations, a French act knows to offer many interesting ideas, with hints of originality as well. " 4603 Battements" are consists of 11 tracks in, and this is a Digi CD with additional 24 pages booklet. Musically they mixes electric with acoustic lines and parts, with addition of some interesting samples. Also we can find hidden folk, chanson, and avangarde elements as well in its arrangmants works. A production is modern, and generally their music posses many eclectic views. Complexivity ( in positive meaning ) is a middle name of present songs, and French act did a nice work in final. Pretty recomandable for progressive freaks and followers.

Rating : 8 / 10
C / o : www.lazuli-music.com

Thursday, August 11, 2011

YUJI FUKUDA - Artifact


YUJI FUKUDA - Artifact

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 11 August 2011

YUJI FUKUDA
" Artifact "
( Leccia Records ) 2010.
CD
Fusin - JAPAN






Yuji Fukuda is a promising name in a world of jazz and fusion tendencies. He learned guitar technique and theory in vocational training school like " MI Japan Nagoya ", and became a teacher at the school, at the age of 23 after graduating. With the team of also skillful collaborators and musicians, during the previous 2010 year, he has released an album, entitled " Artifact". Mr. Fukuda introduces himself as a well-experienced guitairst with gentle and sophisticate guuitar technique. He is also a instrumentalist who knows to " deliver" lotta' melodic phrases, even that his methods of performing, and also of his band, knows to remind on same previos periods, as a a specifically 70's era. " Artifact" are consists of 6 instrumental tracks, done in mentioned fusion mood, with evidental funk, groovy and jazz-rock tendencies as well. A flavour of past times occupies a whole album in general, even that judging by technical, and as same as productional tendencies, "Artifact" certainly touches a standards of our time too. Actuelle album of Japanese guitarist and his team is also enjouable product, acceptable equally for jazz and non jazz followers.

Rating : 8 / 10
http://yujiguitar.ashigaru.jp

NAILGUN - Paindustry


NAILGUN - Paindustry

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 11 August 2011

NAILGUN
" Paindustry"
( Self - released ) 2011.
CD
Heavy/power metal - GERMANY













Nailgun are relatively newer act on national underground metal scene, coming out from southern part of country. They are sextet with 2 vocalists, and 2 guitarists in its line-up. They were formed in 2008 , and during the April this 2011 year, their debut full-length looked a light of day.
" Paindustry" , judging by cover artwork and design, is visually, as same as technically well " packed" CD, and I have to add, that also other technical elements, and specially a production, a band has threathed in a modern way. Musically, Germans has offered own vision of heavy/power metal, fullfield in some places with additional progressive and hidden industrial elements as well. Manniristically, a songs were released with similiar threathenings, and practically also with similiar realizations. Arrangmenst follows up a song structures, and members from band introduces themselves as a well-trained performers. A German fellows convinceble delivers own ideas, but also is truth to say, that manniristical " problems", are presents on whole album materials. Even of that, "Paindustry" could be a solid discographical start for German act.....

Rating : 7 / 10
C / o : www.nail-gun.de

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

FRANCK CARDUCCI - Oddity


FRANCK CARDUCCI - Oddity

Written by Branimir Lokner
Tuesday, 02 August 2011

FRANCK CARDUCCI
" Oddity "
( Vocation Records ) 2011.
CD
Progressive rock - FRANCE

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Franck Carducci is a musician with huge experience.During the years he cooperated with many groups, and rumours says that he was playing in 20 to 30 different bands, and was involved to recording beleive or not about 15 different albums.
" Oddity" is a solo project, released with respectable team of proffesionals. It is a sort of concept album, based on well-known Greek mithology. Musically, Franck and his colaboraters has offered a sort of classic progressive variants, influental by the 70s and 80's progressive movements as well. So, we can find here and there some clear Genesis musical traces, and Franck also has citied legacy of mentioned band, included on album song " The Carpet Crawlers". We can also hear touches of Camel or Pendragon works, but " Oddity" is a complexive and also very listenable product. A production has captured a standards of our time, and it's importsant to say, that all other technical elements funkcionizes according to plans. A fine album, probably also enjouable for prog fans...

Rating : 7, 5 / 10
C / o : www.franckcarducci.com