Dream Theater – Distance over time
Release date: 22 – 02 -2019 Label: InsideOutMusic
Line Up: James LaBrie – lead vocals John Petrucci – guitars, backing vocals John Myung – bass Jordan Rudess – keyboards, piano Mike Mangini – drums, percussion
Track list: 1.Unthetered Angel 2.Paralyzed 3.Fall Into The Light 4.Barstool Warrior 5.Room 137 6.S2N 7.At Wit’s End 8.Out Of Reach 9.Pale Blue Dot 10.
Viper King (Bonustrack)
This is already the 14th album of Dream Theater in the 34 years in the Progressive metal world. This is also the 4th studio album with Mike Mangini in the band.
The writing and recording of this album took 4 months and they done it in a remote location, Yonderbarn studios.
So, for 1 months of the 4 months the whole band lives together in this old farm that is used as rehearsal room and as studio.
We cannot compare this album with the previous album ´The Astonishing´. With this album Dream Theater return to the early years and show the bands that inspired them and that are bands like The Beatles, Yes but also Metallica.
Also, the vocals by James Labrie is like the old times and we know that not everybody likes his way of singing but on this album, he sounds very good. We follow this band for 30 years now and every album they make is full wonderful and complex playing.
What this album makes this a special album is that we can enjoy the so-called duel between John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess
What also is good on this album is that John Myung’s part are very good to hear and comes by the mixing and the production of the album.
An other thing that makes every album worth to listen to is the fact that they can play different styles in one song or the fact that the change the tempo in one song but makes that is sounds good and complex. On past albums the even produce songs that are 15 or more minutes long.
The longest song on this album is more than 9 minutes long but that is not bad at all.
What we like about Dream Theater and about this album that the songs are complex in styles and well preformed. We are most curious how all these songs will sound during a concert and we do not have to wait long. We also know that this album will hit many years lists in the top 3. We even will put it on the number 1 spot.
http://dreamtheater.net/
https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/ Cd review by Yolanda & Hans Clijnk All concert photos by Hans Clijnk
Lordi – Recordead Live Sextourcism in Z7
Release date: 26 – 07 – 2019 Label: AFM Records Line up: Mr. Lordi (vocals) Mr. Amen (guitars) Mr. Ox (bass) Mr. Mana (drums) Ms. Hella (keyboards)
Track list:
01 – Sexorcism 02 - Missing Miss Charlene/House Of Ghosts 03 - Would You Love A Monsterman 04 - Your Tongue's Got The Cat 05 - Heaven Sent Hell On Earth 06 - Mr. Killjoy 07 - Rock The Hell Outta You 08 - Blood Red Sandman 09 - It Snows In Hell 10 - She's A Demon 11 - Slashion Model Girls 12 - Naked In My Cellar 13 - Rock Police 14 - Hug You Hardcore 15 - Evilyn 16 - The Riff 17 – Nailed By The Hammer Of Frankenstein 18 - Who's Your Daddy 19 - Devil Is A Loser 20 - Hard Rock Hallelujah
We got the album to review but there is also a dvd from the same concert date and it is under the same title.
There are some difference between the dvd and the cd and that is that the dvd got all the solo’s filmed and these are cut out of the cd version. And of course to watch the concert and to see the show and all the bandmembers playing.
The music and the singing of Mr. Lordi sounds a lot like Kiss and that is not strange because Mr. Lordi is a big fan of Kiss and he is head of the fan club Finland. The titles and the songs and the show elements got more from Alice Cooper.
In 2006 they make history to perform on the Eurovisie song festival with the song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ and to win it.
The dvd is extra special because it is the final time to see Mr. Ox (bass) play in Lordi. He left the band in August 2019.
The cd is 20 songs long and the dvd also got the same songs and then also the solo’s.
Every body that have seen a show knows it is a great show full pyro and fireworks.
And to see all band members fully get into their role and to stay in their role until the end.
It is also good to see the dvd and to know as new fan what you will get when you go to a Lordi concert.
We saw them 2 times and we can say you do not want to miss this at all. There are no words to explain what to expect at a Lordi concert. So pick up the dvd and sit down in a lazy chair and let Lordi take into their world and the next time you will see them in is not from the lazy chair but in a concert hall.
https://www.lordi.fi/ https://www.facebook.com/LordiOfficial/
Cd review by Yolanda & Hans Clijnk All concert photos by Hans Clijnk
Rhapsody of Fire – The Eighth Mountain
Release date: 22 February 2019.
Label: AFM Records.
Line up: Giacomo Voli (vocals) Alex Staropoli (keyboards) Roby De Micheli (guitars) Alessandro Sala (bass) Manu Lotter (drums)
Track list: 01 - Abyss Of Pain 02 - Seven Heroic Deeds 03 - Master Of Peace 04 - Rain Of Fury 05 - White Wizard 06 - Warrior Heart 07 - The Courage To Forgive 08 - March Against The Tyrant 09 - Clash Of Times 10 - The Legend Goes On 11 The Wind, The Rain And The Moon 12 - Tales Of A Hero’s Fate
Before we start to review this album we have to explain something otherwise it gets too difficult to understand. The basis of this band is formed back in 1997 and that was under the name Rhapsody until they change the name in Rhapsody of Fire in 2006. Luca Turilli left the band in 2011 and formed Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and in 2016 Fabio Lione left the band. They formed in 2018 the band Turilli / Lione Rhapsody.
So now we have cleared things a little up about the history of this band and what the basis is.
To step in the shoes of a singer as Fabio Lione can be a hard job.
Giacomo Voli is the new singer of Rhapsody of Fire and it is a hard and difficult if you get compared with the singing of Fabio Lione. The start of the album is with an intro of 48 seconds long. After this intro it is full speed into the album and we are impressed about what we get to hear. The way the songs are written and the way they play it is a lust for the ears. Albums like this is our favourite kind. From the first song till the last song we enjoy the way they built the songs up to a climax and the
vocal is built in perfect and all this makes that the songs are outstanding.
https://www.rhapsodyoffire.com/ https://www.facebook.com/rhapsodyoffire/
cd review by Yolanda & Hans Clijnk All band photos by Karsten Koch
Dreams in Fragments – Reflections of a Nightmare
Release date: 28 – 06 – 2019 Label : Rockshots Records Line up: Seraina Schöpfer (vocals) Christian Geissmann (guitar, vocals, programming)
Jan Thomas (bass) Frank Fritschi (drums) Track list: 01. Everytime 02. Nightchild 03. The Maze 04. Incomplete 05. Prologue 06. Defy Every Storm 07. Falling With A Crown 08. Little Red 09. In Flames 10. Unireverse
Dreams of Fragments is a band from Switzerland and until now unknown. With ‘Reflections of a Nightmare’ they step into light of the world. We can not believe this is the very first album from this band.
The way the songs are made and the way the songs sounds is perfect in every way and it is of high quality.
By the first song ‘Everytime’ we can hear that they self say that Delain but we also think of Evanescence or Amaranthe.
The album is full highlight of songs like the second song ‘Nightchild’ is also a song that keeps spinning in your head and do not disappoint at all.
The more song we listen too the more we love this album and the more we get excited to listen more songs.
There 2 things we hope the first is a tour and they play in The Netherlands because we are sure we want to see this band. The second thing is they keep up writing this kind of albums in the future and then the road to success is wide open. Next to bands we already wrote down there is room for Dreams in Fragments.
http://dreamsinfragments.ch/ https://www.facebook.com/dreamsinfragments/
cd review by Yolanda & Hans Clijnk
Mirror Plain
Firewind
Queensryche The Verdict Tour 03 – 08 – 2019, Effenaar in Eindhoven. The start of the concert is early because after the concert there is another event in the hall. Before we can listen and watch Firewind and Queensryche it is first MirrorPlain that opened the concert. MirrorPlain is a band from Germany. The music is very good and the setlist is 9 songs long. The only sad part is that the vocals and the backing vocals are not in key. But luckily it was only by one song and not the whole concert.
1.
No. 1-0-7
2.
Northstar
3.
Judgement Day
4.
Lost in Paradise
5.
Sealed Off
6.
Drown
7.
Unsought
8.
Fortune
9.
Salvation
The band is closing in to the end of the set and it is getting more crowdy in the hall and the next band is ready to start to play. The next band is Firewind and they are special guests of the tour. We saw this band earlier and we know this band is doing a killer show. The start of the show with the song ‘Ode to Leonidas’ is the prove of the rest of the show.
All the bandmembers are masters of their own and they are capable to make a killer show. Gus G is really on fire and armed with his guitar is doing some great sounding lead guitar parts and the rhythm guitar parts are done by Bob Katsionis.
Ode to Leonidas We Defy Head Up High Few Against Many Between Heaven and Hell
World on Fire The Fire and the Fury Hands of Time Wars of Ages Mercenary Man I Am the Anger Tyranny Maniac (Michael Sembello cover) Falling to Pieces The vocals are done by Henning Basse and he lift the whole show to a higher level of singing. Henning is really a very good singer. But is not only these 3 guys that makes this show to sound top. We have not forget there are 2 other guys in the band that done a very good job.
These 2 guys are Petros Christodoulidis on the bass and Johan Nunez on drums.
The show is so good that members of Queensryche are watching the show from the side of the stage.
They are close to the end of the show and they play a cover in a metal way and the song is well known of the film Flashdance it is the song ‘Maniac’. And then there is only one song left and can we wait for Queensryche. We do not have to wait very long before we will see Firewind again in Holland. More about this at the end of this review.
The tour of Queensryche is to promote the new album ‘The Verdict’. If we look to the setlist this tour can be named fan favorites show. We get to hear a fine selection of songs from the first 6 albums and some songs from the last album. This is also the first show we see Casey Grillo as touring drummer in the band and he is doing a good job to nail every song.
The band not only sounds good but they also enjoy every moment themselves on the stage. We are very surprised they have the song ‘I am I’ in the setlist. Todd is sounding very good and makes every song sounds like a jewel. This are concerts we love to see and hear.
Michael and Parker are playing like we did saw in the old days with members Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo.
The backing vocals are done by Parker and Eddie. We are very impressed about the concert they gave and the way they play it makes us feels to go back to the first concerts we been to and that was in the late 80’s.
Launder the Conscience Blood of the Levant I Am I NM 156 Man the Machine Walk in the Shadows Condition HĂźman Queen of the Reich Silent Lucidity Operation: Mindcrime
Propaganda Fashion Screaming in Digital Take Hold of the Flame Eyes of a Stranger (with Anarchy-X outro) Encore: Light-years Jet City Woman Empire We know we do not have to wait very long to see 2 of the bands again because they already planned new concertdates. Check the tourflyer to find a city near your city or a date to go to. For the Dutch fans out there here is the Dutch date: 03 – 12 – 2019 Hedon in Zwolle.
http://www.mirrorplain.de/
https://www.facebook.com/Mirrorplain/ https://www.facebook.com/firewindoffici al/ http://firewind.gr/2017/ https://www.facebook.com/Queensryche Official/ http://www.queensrycheofficial.com
Concertreview by Yolanda & Hans Clijnk All concertphotos by Hans Clijnk