The debut album, and this second album from Illumishade sounds like what would happen with two members of Eluveitie and a film composer got together. This is because the band is actually the result of vocalist Fabienne Erni and guitarist Jonas Wolf creating another band away from the folk metal juggernaut, the pair joined by film composer Mirjam Skal (orchestrations/synths), bassist/lyricist Yannick Urbanczik and drummer Marc Friedrich, improving on their debut with an epic theatrical modern prog metal style which reminds a me a lot of Evergrey as the use of thick distorted chunky guitar riffs are paired with the soaring vocals and dense orchestrations, supplied by the Budapest Art Orchestra.
Erni’s vocals are fantastic, clean and emotional with bags of power, as Skal’s orchestrations evoke a dark but triumphant atmosphere. Perfect foil for Wolf to crank out djent riffs on tracks such as Enemy or Riptide, but also throw in some galloping power metal on In The Darkness, going back to the origins of the ‘symphonic metal’ genre. Over 14 tracks (yup!) they add a lot of different facets to Another Side Of You, from pop metal on Cloudreader, to the building levelling grooves on Cyclone, they nod to their other band with the folky Fairytale and HYMN, anthemic and featuring excellent use of strings as TWILY has oscillating electronics.
With the heavy tracks splitting the album up, there’s room to experiment with the pop tracks and the ballads, the album ending with the emotive
Hummingbird and
Verliebt, a love song sung in Swiss German and has Epica’s Coen Jannsen on piano, closing the record with a surprise. Illumishade improve on everything they attempted on the debut, the heavy parts are heavier, the melodies more melodic and the performances are all high end. Slick modern metal with symphonic and progressive variation. 8/10
Profiler – A Digital Nowhere (Sharptone Records)
I’m of an age to remember when Nu-Metal as brand new, baggy jeans, hip hop vocals and unbridled jock aggression that resulted in the burning down of Woodstock 1999. It’s had many detractors but now 20 odd years later there are bands who are trying to revive it, many are lumped into Djent but Bristol based vocalist/guitarist Mike Evans has tried to truly tap into what Nu-Metal is as a genre with Profiler.
Completed by bassist/vocals Joe Johnson and drummer Brad Ratcliffe, A Digital Nowhere is their debut album and on the first two tracks alone I can hear influences from Korn, Deftones and Coal Chamber as chunky bass grooves and rap/scream/angsty vocals as Delay adds Linkin Park to the homage. A Digital Nowhere manages to invoke the sound of that very well, be it the grooving To Utopia, the turntable infused Zero which will bring the Limp Bizkit stank face or the post-grunge psychedelia of Consumed, for those that were there, it’s like jukebox of the biggest bands of that time period.
Of course anyone one who wasn’t there will discover the best bits of a genre that is getting it’s due no matter whether you think it should or not. 7/10
Crazy Lixx – Two Shots At Glory (Frontiers Music Srl)
Crazy Lixx have been cranking out hard rock records for 20 years and as such they celebrate this milestone with a record that features re-recorded/reimagined versions of fan favourites and big hitters along with three newbies for good measure.
Released with an album cover that looks like the cover for Blaze Of Glory/Young Guns, it’s no wonder that Two Shots At Glory (the song), sounds like it’s jumped straight out of the 80’s and in particular those early Bon Jovi records, Invincible meanwhile could be on Pyromania, while the third new one Sword And Stone brings more Leppard and a heap of innuendo.
The three new ones are worthy additions to the canon, but many will be playing this to hear the new versions of the older tracks as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Lights Out and Fire It Up have the rock n roll thrust of Poison and Ratt, choppy guitar playing, big backing choruses and sleazy attitude. Crazy Lixx have always been a band who know how to build a hook and with several of their best here, made achingly modern by a band with 20 years of experience, it’s easy to understand why they have lasted so long.
Just as you think it’s another sleazy rocker they bring some AC/DC guts to
Ain’t No Rest In Rock N Roll or the gothic ballad
Only The Dead Know, but most of the album contains some damn good rocking. Spearheading the Scandi 80’s resurgence Crazy Lixx are now a dominant name in that entire scene and so this album will be embraced by long-time fans and newbies alike, play loud! 8/10
Honeymoon Suite – Alive (Frontiers Music Srl)
No it’s not the new Arctic Monkey’s record, Honeymoon Suite are a Canadian Melodic Rock/AOR band consisting of Johnnie Dee (lead vocals), Derry Grehan (guitars/keys/vocals), Dave Betts (drums), Gary Lalonde (bass), and Peter Nunn (keys).
Formed back in 1981, they have had numerous personnel changes during the turbulent 90’s/2000’s but has been consistent since their original line up reunion in 2007, releasing seven studio albums in their career and their style hasn’t really moved away from that anthemic style of melodic rock/AOR from their 80’s heyday, probably why Frontiers has snapped them up in 2008 to re-release their album Clifton Hill, while waiting all this time for a follow up.
Alive is their eighth album overall and keeps doing what they have been doing for years, but with veteran refinement. What I will say is that Johnnie Dee’s vocals are remarkable they show no signs of age at all, even on the ballad Love Comes there’s no cracks in someone who has been doing this melodic style for over 40 years. Having toured with some big acts and had their music featured in numerus shows and films, Honeymoon Suite are possibly the unsung heroes of the Canadian music scene, but after 17 years they have release a new full length ready to remind people of who they are.
If you like you melodic rock then you’ll find Honeymoon Suite very much Alive. 7/10