Review: Accept, "Blood of the Nations"

For those familiar with my musical tastes, it might come as a bit of a surprise that I was never a big fan of Accept. Oh, I’ve got a copy of Restless and Wild and Balls to the Wall, but for some reason I never really connected with the band. When it was announced that they had found a new singer and were recording a new album, it barely made a blip on my radar. That is, until I got Blood of the Nations in my hands.

This record rocks, plain and simple. The sound will be very familiar to fans of Accept’s classic material, yet it doesn’t sound dated or hokey. It’s everything that I want in a traditional metal album – heavy, melodic and catchy as hell.

The Formative 15

A couple of weeks ago, there was a thread going around Facebook asking people to name 15 albums that were important in their lives in 15 minutes or less. I wanted to add my own, but I couldn’t do it. Rather than list the first 15 records that I really liked off the top of my head, I wanted to take some time to really think about it and get it right. Yeah, I know the spontaneity was kind of the point, but it’s just how I’m built when it comes to talking about music.

Note that this list does not represent my 15 “favorite” records. While a few of these would certainly make that list, there are a few here that I haven’t listened to in their entirety for years. These are records that, in some way, shaped my musical tastes and led me to being the hack music writer that I am today.

The Formative 15 part 2: The Best of the Rest

So, like I said in my post on The Formative 15, I started out with about 100 records on my list, but when I had pared it down to 15, there were still some that I really wanted to mention. Since I can never do what I set out to do and just leave it be, I’ll leave those that care with a few more that were close, but didn’t quite make the cut. Amazon links also provided, where possible.

Charlie Daniels Band, “Fire on the Mountain” (1974). Released before the peak of his popularity, this record contains some true classic CDB tunes, including my favorite “Long-Haired Country Boy.” I immediately latched on to the message of that song, and took it on as a kind of personal anthem. Though my long hair has been gone for a while, the idea behind the song still rings true.

Review: Black Label Society, "Order of the Black"

The four years since Black Label Society’s last outing, the lackluster Shot to Hell, have been quite tumultuous for bandleader Zakk Wylde. He’s had some pretty serious health issues, been forced to give up the booze and been kicked out, then brought back in, then kicked out again of Ozzy Osbourne’s band. The good news for fans is that, sometimes, adversity creates good music, and Wylde definitely has his groove back on Order of the Black.

The newfound energy here probably stems just as much from taking a needed break as from the turmoil of the last few years. In the early part of the decade, Wylde was pumping out a new Black Label Society record every year, and no matter how prolific you are, there’s only so long you can keep that up and continue to produce good music.

Review: Black River, "Black 'n' Roll"

In recent years, a few hard rock efforts from members of black metal groups have crossed my desk. I’m not really sure what the connection between black metal and old school hard rock is, but apparently there is one. The latest is Black ‘n’ Roll from Black River, featuring members of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Neolithic and Rootwater.

There’s one problem that I’ve come across with most of these offerings – the vocals. One of the reasons that I’m very choosy about the extreme metal that I listen to is that in so much of it, the vocals seem to be almost an afterthought.

Review: Soilwork, "The Panic Broadcast"

Often when a beloved band member makes a comeback, there’s a tendency for fans to heap praise on that record when it’s not always completely warranted. To my ears, that’s kind of what’s happening with Soilwork’s “The Panic Broadcast.” The truth of the matter is that Soilwork has rarely disappointed me, and “The Panic Broadcast” is a very good record. But the return of guitarist Peter Wichers has returned and, just about everywhere, people are gushing about this record. To me, though, it’s another in a steady stream of Soilwork releases, and certainly not a better record than their last outing “Sworn to a Great Divide,” which was, for me, something of a comeback record.

Review: Heath Forbes, "Caught in the Middle"

Heath Forbes may call Nashville home these days, but it's obvious from one listen to his latest record "Caught in the Middle," that his heart is still in Louisiana.

It begins with album opener "Where the Cypress Meet the Pine," a Hank Jr.-influenced country rocker that serves as an introduction to Forbes' home state and is loaded with references for other natives.

Review: Soulfly, "Omen"

When Sepultura and Max Cavalera parted ways in 1996, fans were the ones who got the shaft. Instead of the thrash powerhouse we’d had up to that point, we got two mediocre acts that, while both having their moments, never came close to delivering anything with the power of Arise or Chaos A.D.

Over the course of his past several records with Soulfly, though, Cavalera has slowly started to change that.

Review: Wuthering Heights, "Salt"

I remember being asked to review a Wuthering Heights CD a few years back for Teeth of the Divine, and I remember two things about that record. First, the Emily Bronte-inspired band name that wouldn’t really entice me to pick it up otherwise, and second, that I didn’t really care for it much. I guess things can change in a few years.

I initially passed on an offer to review their latest, “Salt,” for Teeth, but decided after reading Erik Thomas’ review of it there to give it a chance. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.