Missionaria Protectiva

       O n the one hand, it's noble of Scott Gorham to rename his Lynott-less version of Thin Lizzy for the purposes of a recording career. On the other, given that the music they make would fit snugly on to a late-70s Lizzy album – right down to singer Ricky Warwick's inflections and asides – it seems a little self-defeating. The stand-out is the most Lizzyesque song, Bound for Glory , with one of those twin lead guitar lines kicking into a riff filled with empty space: it's like 1976 all over again. Conversely, the worst song is where they take things too far and step outside Lizzydom: Kingdom of the Los t revs up the Celtic folk influence nicely, then charges into a boozealong chorus more suited to one of those aggressively Irish punk bands from the US. Between those two poles falls plenty of enjoyable melodic hard rock, never poor, though not always scaling the heights. But then Thin Lizzy were never the most consistent of studio bands, so maybe that's fitting. ...

  THUNDERSTICK  Feel Like Rock'n'Roll?  (Thunderbolt,1983) - NWOBHM       Thunderstick himself gained popularity and success as the eccentric, flamboyant drummer of Samson. Dressing up in gimp gear, leather, and performing in cages, with the popular act must have been an enjoyable experience for him, as it is rumored he turned down an offer to play in Iron Maiden to replace the often underrated Clive Burr, as he was enjoying his persona, and moderate success in the bands. I’m not sure if this rumor is true, or if it is, if he is kicking himself for not taking the opportunity to play with what became arguably the most successful British metal band to grow out the London scene. Either way, playing in Samson itself wasn’t enough, and he opted to form this act, fronted by female vocalist Jodee Valentine. Thunderstick here has a melodic, poppy, yet energetic sound. Interestingly, they do have the upbeat, party kinda vibe that Girlschool and Runestaff had, while ...

  TOKYO BLADE  Tokyo Blade  (Powerstation, 1983) -NWOBHM       Tokyo Blade definitely had some talent and wrote a few very catchy tunes. The playing wasn't spectacular, but it was more than competent on cuts like "Powergame" and "Break the Chains." They had the same heavy riffing and commercial sensibilities of the early Saxon albums. It all came together on the band's signature song, "If Heaven is Hell." This song is a true gem of the NWOBHM. It has a smashing chorus, an intricate structure that creates emotional ups and downs, great drumming and wonderful leads. If the Blade could have recreated the magic of this track again, there's no doubt in my mind they would have been picked up by a major label. Unfortunately, the album is dogged by some less than stellar songs like "On Through the Night", "Killer City" and "Liar." To be fair, these songs aren't horrible, just generic, but what really sets them apart i...

  VENOM  Official Bootleg  (American Phonograph, 1985) - Heavy metal       Oh Venom... So many different live albums to listen to, and pretty much all of them sound like the Show was taped and recorded in a filthy public toilet rather than at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon. This type of quantity over quality mentality on the part of the band is probably more than enough to frustrate most dedicated fans       Through the negativity, there are some bright spots on the album. Mantas’s soloing on “Seven Gales of Hell” is quite good because it breaks through the dirge of the album. In addition, Cronus’s vocals can actually be heard on some parts of the song. So, I should say that this is the best song on the album by default but the song does drag on a bit too long. The spoken part on “In Nomine Santanas” is done well and there is a good thrash part right after that bit. However, for top song, I am drawn to “Warhead.” Cronus introduces the song w...

        Grindcore's premiere bassist Shane Embury has been routinely breaking speed records with Napalm Death virtually since the band's inception. He has also collaborated on an impressive string of side projects, including Lock Up, Brujeria and Venomous Concept, to name but a few. NAPALM DEATH Live Corruption Earache, 1991 https://www.sendspace.com/file/rod3et

  STACKRIDGE  Friendliness  (MCA,1972) - Folk rock       Instead of taking their sound a step further, Stackridge appear to have been struck by a nostalgic 60's syndrome and their sophomore effort sounds more poppy and less progressive than their debut.Reputedly the limited time in the studio forced the band to use material predating ''Stackridge'' and the result was an album with strong THE BEATLES and PROCOL HARUM influences and less, quirky instrumental themes.Moreover there is almost no track to clock at over 4 minutes (except ''Syracuse the elephant'' and ''Teatime'').The stunning opener ''Lummy days'' gives hopes for another monumental work, being an all instrumental workout based on violin, piano and flutes with impressive interplays, somewhere between British Folk and Classical Music, but the following tracks are more in a Psychedelic Pop vein with some orchestral and Folk underlines, characterized by a strong ...