Bernie Tormé: Shadowlands (Retrowrek Records)
Having recorded over 24 albums in his career, reviewing a double album from a guitarist who has been around for decades was some challenge. I remember Tormé as the fresh-faced guitarist in Gillan, the band formed by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan who I absolutely loved at the turn of the 1980s. Then Bernie picked up the challenge to step into the tragically deceased Randy Rhoads shoes for Ozzy, keeping the Double O from collapsing and maintaining the Crazy Train on the tracks. Since then this superb guitarist has delivered numerous solo releases as well as working with Dee Snider in Desperados and GMT with former Gillan colleague John McCoy and drummer Robin Guy. Shadowlands sees Tormé deliver a new double album, bursting with blistering blues-soaked guitar work.
Having recorded over 24 albums in his career, reviewing a double album from a guitarist who has been around for decades was some challenge. I remember Tormé as the fresh-faced guitarist in Gillan, the band formed by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan who I absolutely loved at the turn of the 1980s. Then Bernie picked up the challenge to step into the tragically deceased Randy Rhoads shoes for Ozzy, keeping the Double O from collapsing and maintaining the Crazy Train on the tracks. Since then this superb guitarist has delivered numerous solo releases as well as working with Dee Snider in Desperados and GMT with former Gillan colleague John McCoy and drummer Robin Guy. Shadowlands sees Tormé deliver a new double album, bursting with blistering blues-soaked guitar work.
His vocals aren’t his strong point, often reminiscent of Ace Frehley with an Irish drawl, but there is no doubt about his guitar work. Tracks such as Come The Revolution, One To Blame and the epic Forever demonstrate his quality. With his trio completed by drummer Mik Gaffney and bassist Sy Morton, this is 74 minutes of laid-back hard rock which can just be appreciated and enjoyed. A guest appearance from former Gillan keyboard player Colin Towns adds to the flavour, whilst the 15-minute Innovative Jam/Chaos Theory features contributions from pledgers. Quite how he’s managed to pull this together is a mystery to me, featuring the dark arts of studio magic no doubt, but it works. Tormé has recently completed his final tour, but there are no plans to hang up the guitar. If you like your guitar in the style of Rory Gallagher, with some free-flowing innovative playing without boundaries, then you should enjoy this release. 8/10
Emigrate: A Million Degrees (Vertigo Berlin)
Emigrate: A Million Degrees (Vertigo Berlin)
I enjoyed the debut album of Richard S. Krupse’s project and was reasonably impressed by the sophomore release Silent So Long, which Emigrate released in 2014 and featured guest appearances from Lemmy and Marilyn Manson amongst others. Despite several spins, A Million Degrees has yet to really interest me in the same way. Opener War is a typically industrially tinged rousing start, but I struggled with the pop-style of 1234 featuring Billy Talent vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz. Lead You On which features vocals from Kruspe’s current flame and French Ex-pat Margaux Bossieux had my attention with its catchy rhythm and haunting melody, its Depeche Mode style electronica working well. Not so impressive was You Are So Beautiful, the less said about that the better whilst the plodding We Are Together also failed to interest.
It’s taken three albums but at last Till Lindemann finally makes an appearance on Let’s Go, adding lyrics in German on an anthemic electronic driven tune. I’m Not Afraid lingers in the memory, with Tobias Forge of Ghost adding vocals to a keyboard dominated track which could well have come from the pen of Cardinal Copia in parts. Some blistering guitar work adds a bit of meat to this track. The seeds of growth are buried deep in this album and repeated plays will probably get me spinning round the room. Certainly, penultimate track Spitfire has plenty of dance potential. Krupse has driven his band forward and whilst I’m not there yet, it certainly has moments. 6/10
Altitudes & Attitudes: Get It Out (Megaforce Records)
This is an interesting release to say the least. With the roots of the project formed way back in 2010, Altitudes & Attitudes combines two of the thrash world’s most important bassists in Frank Bello of Anthrax and Megadave’s Dave Ellefson, supported by A Perfect Circle drummer Jeff Friedl and Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci and additions from several guest musicians. Bello handles all the vocals and rhythm guitar work, Ellefson covering bass and additional guitar work. The result is far removed from the usual output that the two legends are renowned for. 48 minutes of solidly crafted melodic hard rock, very much in the vein of the Foo Fighters, with Bello’s clean and warm vocals surprisingly good.
Altitudes & Attitudes: Get It Out (Megaforce Records)
This is an interesting release to say the least. With the roots of the project formed way back in 2010, Altitudes & Attitudes combines two of the thrash world’s most important bassists in Frank Bello of Anthrax and Megadave’s Dave Ellefson, supported by A Perfect Circle drummer Jeff Friedl and Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci and additions from several guest musicians. Bello handles all the vocals and rhythm guitar work, Ellefson covering bass and additional guitar work. The result is far removed from the usual output that the two legends are renowned for. 48 minutes of solidly crafted melodic hard rock, very much in the vein of the Foo Fighters, with Bello’s clean and warm vocals surprisingly good.
Every track on this album is a sing-along style, except for the instrumental Leviathan, which features guitar work from Steel Panther’s Russ Parrish (that’s Satchel to those that give a bollock about SP), and some Ellefson low-end eight string ESP bass work. Other luminaries contributing include Ace Frehley on Late, a throwaway paint by numbers hard rock track and Alice Cooper’s guitarist Nita Strauss on Part Of Me and Slip. There are some deep lyrical themes behind seemingly lighter musical songs, such as Out Here (Anthrax lead guitarist Jon Donais adding his fire), which sees Bello tackling the abandonment issues he felt when his father left the family when he was young whilst Slip documents his Bronx upbringing and the neighbour who fell into a spiral of alcohol abuse.
You also get Gus G shredding on Here Again and Randy Walker’s Hammond organ on the brooding All There Is. If you like the Foos then you should love this album. If you want Anthrax and Megadeth you’ll be bitterly disappointed. However, if you appreciate melodic hard rock then Altitudes & Attitudes may well be a surprisingly good start to 2019. The band tour the UK for four dates in February before hooking up with Slash for his European Tour. 8/10
Captain Caravan: Shun The Sun (Cursed Tongue Records)
This is the debut release from Norwegian four-piece Captain Caravan. Sitting solidly in the Southern stoner rock drawer, Shun The Sun offers many surprises over 40 minutes of thunderously impressive crashing hard rock which allows fuzzy guitars to combine with explosive drumming and crushing bass. Meandering tracks such as Illusion Of Meaning smoulder with malevolent menace, the change in pace and tone alarming and sinister. Vocalist Johnny Olsen hits the spot, his strangulated drawl and strain merging with the chaos in the background.
Captain Caravan: Shun The Sun (Cursed Tongue Records)
This is the debut release from Norwegian four-piece Captain Caravan. Sitting solidly in the Southern stoner rock drawer, Shun The Sun offers many surprises over 40 minutes of thunderously impressive crashing hard rock which allows fuzzy guitars to combine with explosive drumming and crushing bass. Meandering tracks such as Illusion Of Meaning smoulder with malevolent menace, the change in pace and tone alarming and sinister. Vocalist Johnny Olsen hits the spot, his strangulated drawl and strain merging with the chaos in the background.
Eschewing the typical stoner approach, there is variation aplenty here, with the title track seeing Olsen pushing the vocal limits, BK Saestad adding psychedelic edged guitar work reminiscent of the great Tony McPhee in The Groundhogs, whilst the rhythm section can follow their own path as the track twists and winds its way independently of any constraints. The brooding Godkiller changes style once more, a hauntingly ominous vocal aided only be vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar to great effect before the band explodes once more into the groove licious Zombie Killer with a hook and undercurrent that demands you plug in. Shun The Sun is an impressive debut from a band who ooze confidence. 7/10