Hunter, HellWood

Author:     Hunter

Released:   2009

Genre:       Goth Metal, Thrash Metal

Producer:   Andrzej Karp
                 Paweł Grzegorczyk

Rating:       ******** (8 out of 10)







Personnel:

Guitar, Vocals, Piano             Paweł "Drak" Grzegorczyk
Guitar                             Piotr "Pit" Kędzierzawski
Bass,                                       Konrad "Saimon" Karchut
Violins                                     Michał "Jelonek" Jelonek
Drums                                     Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski

List of Songs:

1. Nadchodzi...       2. Strasznik      3. $mierci $miech      4. Labirynt Fauna         5. Duch Epoki              6. Armia Boga      7. Dura Lex Sed Lex                8. TshaZshyC      9. Arges       10. Cztery Wieki Później...  11. Zbawienie   

Yes, this time we need to reach for something different. Different does not necessarily must mean bad or unworthy your time. The world has taught us how different parts might become one single unit. Just take a look at your discography and ask that smiling Michael Jackson, philanderer Tom Jones or looking-for-love Celine Dion – maybe they’ll prove that different is fun, my dear Rocker. However, it’s still the genre of the highest craving tunes from our Rocking world.

Hunter. Goth, Power, Thrash, Heavy Metal. Coming from Poland. They like black. Has it started fun? Oh, and sometimes they shed some blood in slaughterhouses (only in music videos, though). It’s not fortuity we mention Hunter now, but be patient – they will come. In this review we’d like to focus on one of their brightest records, and one of the best Polish Heavy Metal LPs ever made and you need to know that the Polish Heavy Metal scene is stronger than ever, so London Leatherboys – watch out!

They started with Thrash Metal in their Requiem debut from 1995, then stepped down to classic Metal with gothic influences owed especially to their violinist Michal Jelonek, who added that “magical” ingredient with a few well-fed pinches. They wore black with hats so they had been categorized as Goths. Are they? Are they more Thrash, Gothic or classic Metal? “HellWood”, their 2009 effort, proves to be everything at once, but good ol’ times with Metallica and Megadeth on the board come first to your mind. Unlike the lyrics, which had been influenced by the Hollywood productions and… obviously, those Friedkin- and Hitchcock-affiliated, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, El Laberinto del Fauno, or Dracula. Let’s make a trip on their brains (Suicidal Tendencies – approved) and step in the Hell’s gates for very one time (Maybe we’ll find some Metal Churches or the Possessed, who knows…).

Lasting over 56 minutes this album is fulfilled with a damn good material with both music and lyric theme fundaments. No lyrics are penned in Churchill’s language, but one needs two clicks on their mighty computers to discover the translations from Polish. A lil’ bit of magic doesn’t kill anybody. Look at the cover with a creeping up obscure dead tree centered in the titled Hellwood with gloomy light and gloomy surroundings and you’re already home. This album must be dark. Indeed, no ballads, no fancy melodies, no squeaking harmonies, but loads of good rhythms, progressive passages, tempo changes, and heavy mood loaded in every instrument. Starting from the intro “Nadchodzi…” (“It’s Coming…”) you know it’s really getting you from everywhere, giving you goosebumps and freezing your blood out. You think it’ll ring solid bray of Death Metal, but nope – “Strasznik” (“Bugbear”) must freak you out with thumping gallop of Dariusz “Daray” Brzozowski’s drums and bolts of riffing surrounding your soul just to capture it into another song. “$mierci $miech” (“$eath’s $augh”) holds forth the war theme and shows the skills of the frontman/lead guitarist/singer’s hooks who shouts out desperately: ‘They’ll dance on us/ Victorious waltz with volleys” and you know there’s no place to run.

You think it must be some filler around, but you may disappoint yourself by going next track further and assaulting into “Labirynt Fauna” (“The Faun’s Labyrinth”) – one of two epics on the record. It’s dark and it’s captivating when soaring and hoarse vocals scrape through heavy guitar layers, plenty of them, collapsing down the speakers. “Duch Epoki” (The Age’s Ghost) seems quite slow and dull, but it changes with “Dura Lex Sed Lex” written by the group’s violinist only. The second epic, “Arges”, tell a story about nobody else but Prince Dracula. Very slow, pathetic and glorious track with gothic atmosphere underlined by dramatic violins and untypical clear singing of “Drak” the singer. This is the climax of the disc and you just wonder if it can be better… Well, no, this it. Other tracks are on average, with no shines and glimpses.

This is it. Our first Polish Heavy Metal album review has just ceased. That is one of our strongest positions in The World of Rising Songs’ reviews catalogue. Sometimes you do not even know what kind of good music you may find in the other corner of the same world. As Scorpions sing, we all live under the same sun, but some places are darker, while others are brighter. We shall come back to Hunter in the nearest future, for sure.

The Beatles, Rubber Soul

Author:     The Beatles 

Released:   1965

Genre:       Folk Rock, Rock

Producer:   George Martin

Rating:       ******* (7 out of 10)







Personnel:

Guitar, Vocals         Jon Lennon
Guitar, Bass,Vocals     Paul McCartney
Guitar, Vocals             Gorge Harrison
Drums                        Ringo Starr

List of Songs:

1. Drive My Car      2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)      3. You Won't See Me 
4. Nowhere Man      5. Think for Yourself      6. The Word      7. Michelle      8. What Goes On
9. Girl      10. I'm Looking Through You      11. In My Life      12. Wait      13. If I Needed Someone
14. Run For Your Life

Rubber Soul was the sixth album the Beatles released, and frankly is one of my favorites. This was the first album in which the band really started taking control of the whole process. In an interview with John Lennon, he was quoted as saying “Finally we took over the studio. We were more precise about making the album...We took over the cover and everything.” This album has a total of 14 songs, with many of them becoming hits after the album’s release. However, I believe that every song in this album deserves its time to shine, so we’re going to go through all the songs in order.

The first song on this album is the well-known “Drive My Car”. This particular tune was sung mainly by McCartney, but was noted to be one of Ringo Starr’s best drumming performance in his Beatles career. “Drive My Car” is reminiscent of the older Beatles’ songs, in both tune and simple lyrics. This song reminds me of the simpler times of being in high school, driving around with friends and dreaming of our successful futures.

Next up is “Norwegian Wood”, a dreamy-toned song about one of John’s many affairs. In this particular instance, John meets a mysterious girl who proceeds to bring him to her apartment. This song features the sitar played by Harrison, which only adds to the dreamy and almost drug-like feeling of this track.

“You Won’t See Me” is, in all honesty, a forgettable track on this album. About a crisis between Paul and his then-girlfriend Jane Asher, this song is about as interesting as listening to your coworker’s marital problems (unless these are spicy problems).

Next is the unforgettable “Nowhere Man”. This song was influenced by Lennon’s feelings of isolation, despite his immeasurable fame due to the Beatlemania. What I really admire about this song is the universally relatable feeling of being the Nowhere Man at some point in our lives. We’ve all felt isolated throughout our existence.

“Think For Yourself”, the next track on the album, marked the emergence of Harrison as a songwriter for the band. While this song is rather straightforward “Do what you want to do, and go where you’re going to. Think for yourself ‘cause I won’t be there with you.”, there is that spark of the protesting sound that soon became popular among the youth. Overall, this song is merely an “okay” Beatles song, but perhaps this allowed for Harrison to better hone his songwriting abilities crossed so many times by his colleagues.

“The Word” is indeed love, love of a certain plant. That’s right folks, the Beatles were supposedly stoned out of their mind when writing this, and you can certainly tell. As was custom at the time, the marijuana was used to promote peace and love in a time of uncertainty and war. This is a cute little tune, but ultimately has no depth with its message, unlike the influential later track of “All You Need Is Love”. But who’s telling us whom we should love?

“Michelle”, the love ballad everyone knows. This song was the most recorded out of all the Beatles songs, and even won a Grammy award for song of the year in ‘67. If you’re anything like me, you instantly fell in love with the rhythmic strumming of the guitar and McCartney’s sweet, lulling voice throughout the song. It was an instant hit and has remained as one even today. Funny to think that two decades later some fruste added “My” before Michelle and introduced slightly different story of the same name...

Ringo had been always given the throwaway songs, that is a plain fact. However, I simply cannot understand why they even decided to put “What Goes On” on this album. This country-esque mistake was sung by the poor Ringo Starr, who always had an affinity for country-western themes. I know I may get some flack for this, but Ringo isn’t a horrible singer. He sings his part well, but I have no idea why they allowed this song on the album, it simply doesn’t fit with the other tracks. In short, ***k this song.

“Girl” freshens the palate after experiencing the previous song. Written by Lennon, this song is the dreaming up of the perfect girl, who in reality doesn’t exist. This “girl” acts as if she’s too cool for her boyfriend, making him look like a “fool” in public, however the singer “won’t regret a single day”. In all honesty, this song confuses me. The tone is quite sad and yet nostalgic of a good time. It is almost reminiscent abusive relationships where the abused idealizes their abuser. Overall, it’s a memorable song, but with a confusing message.

“I’m Looking Through You” is another song in which McCartney talks about his dying relationship with Jane Asher. In this song, they have become so distant that they barely recognize the person they once were in love with.

“In My Life” has always meant something special to me. Being the hopeless romantic I am, this song really hits home to what it feels like to be in love with someone. You never forget your memories of past lovers, but you realize that out of all your experiences, you still would want to be with your current partner. The lovely harpsichord segment in the song really adds something to this slower song. It’s not that it speeds up at all, but adds a sort of classical romantic sound. Overall, this is probably one of my favorite Beatles’ songs and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a heartfelt song to send to their lover.

“Wait” is unfortunately another forgettable track on this album and honestly, this song just bores me. It has a good concept but the rhythm is so repetitive that I get bored halfway through a 2 minute song. Wait… that’s it?

“If I Needed Someone” is a track written by Harrison and depicts a person already in a relationship, being hit on by someone new. The person in the relationship is committed to their partner, but says “if I needed someone” it would be the person hitting on them. It’s reminiscent of the “for a good time call” kind of relationship, in which the person is simply filling a, probably sexual, need using another person.

“Run For Your Life” is the final track on this album, and boy is it a dark ending. This song is about a man who is threatening his girlfriend if she ever goes against him. These threats are mostly death threats, which makes it seem as though this relationship is highly abusive. This reflects Lennon’s own struggle with jealousy and insecurity, in which he would show aggression towards his partners in order to keep them close. In fact, Lennon was reported saying that out of all the songs he has written, this is the one he regrets the most, perhaps because it shows a violent side of him. Curious, do you think that Sammy Hagar had the same in mind penning a-same-title-track?

This album was full of memorable hits that have lasted to this day, and also some flops that should never see the light of day. Overall, this is the start of when the Beatles start experimenting with new sounds and themes. This experimentation would soon progress, creating the Revolver album in which the Beatles become even more successful with their experiments. I would highly recommend this album to anyone first getting into the Beatles, seeing as some of the earlier albums may seem a bit too bubblegum-pop for beginners. The Beatles have influenced the world with their music, and this album was only the beginning of their influential ride through musical history.

Taking Dawn, Time To Burn

Author:     Taking Dawn

Released:   2010

Genre:       Hard Rock, Heavy Metal

Producer:   Micheal "Elvis" Baskette

Rating:       ****** (6 out of 10)








Personnel:

Guitar, Vocals    Chris Babbitt
Guitar                 Mikey Cross
Bass                    Andrew Cushing
Drums                 Alan Doucette

List of Songs

1. Time To Burn     2. Like A Revolution     3. Taking Me Away     4. So Loud     5. Save Me
6. Close Your Eyes     7. Godless     8. Fight 'Em With Your Rock     9. Never Enough
10. Endlessly     11. The Chain

Nobody’s ever gonna convince me that Rock is dead or even on the edge of dying. Newcomers gave birth to followers, who in turn inspired newly coming badasses of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Where there is action, there is reaction, and some heads are gonna roll and I can’t wait to see all of those heads trundling down the hills of Iommi, Page, Clapton, Blackmore, Hendrix and others. I have heard a few greenhorns worshipping the Good, Old Times with a particular sound of a particular era of Rock ‘n’ Roll and I must say that new is not equivalent to bad, but everybody will agree that bad is never going to be good. The question is: How good is the new good?

There was Kingdom Come as a Led Zeppelin’s poor man in ‘80s and Greta van Fleet nowadays. There is Airbourne following the footsteps of mighty AC/DC. Not to mention all those Death and Black Metal bands growing on likes of Dimmu Borgir, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth and obviously Venom. When speaking of today’s Rock and Metal bands, groups of kind of the Darkness, Jettblack, Voodoo Six, H.E.A.T., and the Treatment come to mind, but there is one more. Taking Dawn took off in 2007 handing the torch of Rock ‘n’ Roll for the new generation and more crowning the nasty ‘80s than artistic ‘70s, but roots of Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence Clearwater Revival and late Sabbath albums are easily found on their first and last album Time To Burn. They left Roadrunners Records after their 2010’s debut release because of still unclear reasons and signed up to… Roadrunners again? Now they’re known as Devil’s Run, but as Devil’s Run they haven’t delivered anything than just an EP in 2014, so let’s not waste time anymore, roll up the sleeves and go on.

The lead single, opener, and their first big hit, Time to Burn, spans in less than 3 minutes and mixes up the vibe of ‘80s with new production of 21^st century. The goods are on deck, Babbitt’s pipes are strong and crazy riffing shuffles the dust off rappized music shelves. The chorus is so insanely infectious that the groove you loose and “Halle-fucking-llujah” you find in head even two days after. Like a Revolution and So Loud smash ‘n’ grab the best of the mixture as well with a slight decrease in firing the blazing guns. The former one lacks a catchy chorus and the latter desperately is moaning for more ingredients and not only the stale tales. There is no love song or power ballad, only power riffs and fists-and-pumps.

Save Me and Never Enough take the album higher with a concise message of deliberate chaos with good taste. Lyrics are blunt everywhere and the guys need to learn how to pen a good song with good lyrics, not only “You bad cutie”, “You bad ass”, “**ck you all!” attitude. Never Enough delivers more stuff which cannot be described as sophisticated, but with a little of insight one can hear lines like “Whoever’s eyes I try my sight’s still set on you” which shows some progress in the total regress, but You push me away/ I hate you “gems” should be deleted and reframed… pity. There are three great songs, including the title track, Fight ‘Em With Your Rock and Endlessly. Fight ‘Em With Your Rock resembles the good, old stuff of Blackout-era Scorpions with Quiet Riot’s high party penning and smoking soloing and smothering bass drum kicking. Endlessly is rhythmic, but AC/DC-wise in recognition, but if you want to go up higher, you need to take from the heights.

There is a party everywhere and Kiss mammoths would like it. If you plan on having a riffles-down-glass-rise party with your Rock ‘n’ Roll friends, internalize the Taking Dawn’s album, raise your ***king glass and drink for the Good and Bad Times when a Shot in the Dark meant more than only a shot. Take your shot and enter the Crazy Train with those four Las Vegas folks – a good party guaranteed. 

Whitesnake, 1987

• Author:      Whitesnake

  Released:   1987

Genre:        Hard rock, Heavy Metal

Producer:   Mike Stone & Keith Olsen

Rating:       ******* (7 out of 10)

Personnel:                                      

Guitar - John Sykes                                                          
Bass - Neil Murray                                   
Drums - Aynsley Dunbar
Keys - Don Airey and Bill Cuomo   
Vocals - David Coverdale                 

List of Songs

1. Crying in the Rain          2. Bad Boys          3. Still of the Night           4. Here I Go Again '87
5. Give Me All Your Love 6. Is This Love      7. Children of the Night    8. Straight for the Heart
9. Don't Turn Away

1987 witnessed a lot of events, affairs and episodes. Ronald Reagan underwent prostate surgery, Metal Gear was released in Japan, Great Storm of 1987 hit Great Britain, John Paul II issued the encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis and Whitesnake released their self-titled album. This is the point of the review where the band Whitesnake may be used properly as a synonym (or a nickname) for Mr. Medicine Man alias Love Man alias Love Hunter alias David Coverdale (ex- Deep Purple vocalist). David Coverdale established his band in 1978, as Deep Purple split up in 1975/1976 and new career pathway must have been chosen. Up to 1985 Whitesnake had released six less or more successful albums charting on US and UK lists and selling in millions of copies having proved that the beau and the crew made their livings pretty up. However, blues-rock fundaments were being slowly lost and Whitesnake raced like mad towards commercial breakthrough and to win the first prize on the scene of rock. The year 1987 was about to belong to them.

And this is when Whitesnake ‘87 appeared and true revolution sparked off. Stricken relations between the chief and ex-Rainbow and Jeff Beck Group drummer Cozy Powell led to Powell disbanding. Similar tensions were perceptible also between Coverdale and his lead guitarist John Sykes (Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy) who had enough the tyranny of the singer. One could think that such unfortunate circumstances do not foster the collaboration among band members, but a willing to become giants of the scene is stronger. And it worked. Released in April 1987 Serpens Albus (as it was named in Japan) turned out to be the band’s greatest masterpiece in terms of charts positions and copies sold. On this album, everything works perfectly – from the very first to the very last song. Even saying nothing of tracks order in several different editions for North America, Europe and Japan and different titles, ingenuity and quality of the material covered with shadows everything else.

Nine songs (or eleven if to include bonus tracks) are loud, rabid heavy rockers with creaky and crunchy guitars dashing and trotting with immense speed. Starting from opus magnus and opener Still of The Night, with Led Zeppelin – esque main riff hitting a listener between their eyes and first astir of true Love Hunter’s lines, and ending up with Children of The Night with virtuosic soloing and fleshy rhythmic session that turn all knobs 361 degrees. Coverdale – Sykes duo proved their ingenuity and writing talents, recording songs that start and end with finest details attached. Medicine Man dusted two tracks from his previous albums, Crying In The Rain (from Saints & Sinners) and their biggest commercial hit, Here I Go Again, written primarily by Coverdale and Bernie Marsden (he left the band in 1982) for Saints & Sinners album. ’87 version sounds too polished and smoothed, covered by redundant layers of ornaments that makes it untrue and inaccurate, being too close to pop-rock gender. Similar, though slightly variant way was chosen for Billboard number 2 hit Is This Love, sang by Coverdale in tender, but moderate style preserving some kind of conservatism in his singing. Drums direct bluesy, even souly rhythm, changing it somewhat throughout the song, laying foundation for swaying guitar work supported by melancholic keyboards. May this not mislead you; gems like Children Of The Night with fretful strings and characteristic hoops of Coverdale or Give Me All Your Love with restrained, but ringing melodies and masculine lyrics (I’ll rock you in the morning/And Roll you in the night, Give me all your loving tonight) – they  rock the ground. Everything works, from the beginning to the last tune.

If Coverdale’s ship wanted to reach mainland of fame and recognition, they succeeded in full dimension. It was not blues-rock band anymore, providing mid-paced, insightfully playing around the strings songs. Since 1987 Whitesnake became a band chucking out furious riffs and even more nasty lyrics, changing style and showing up on the party right in time. This album shakes the earth, and having Bob Rock as a producer by their side, the same guy who produced Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet one year earlier, the fact of smoothed and commercial ingredient included in a couple of songs should be surprise no more. 

Machine Head, 1972

• Author:      Deep Purple

  Released:   1972

Genre:        Hard rock, Heavy Metal

Producer:   Deep Purple

Rating:       ********* (9 out of 10)

Personnel:                                       List of Songs:

Guitar - Ritchie Blackmore                     Highway Star; Maybe I'm a Leo;                       
Bass - Roger Glover                                      Pictures of Home;Never Before;
Drums - Ian Paice                                  Smoke on the Water;Lazy;Space Truckin'
Keys - Jon Lord
Vocals - Ian Gillan

Under the Machine Gun

March 1972 embraced joyfully, as a loving mother her newborn, two singles released from the sixth album by an English Rock ‘n’ Roll band, Deep Purple. Highway Star indeed broke the speed of sound and a woman because of whom Ian Gillan was tired and crying on Never Before must have felt unwell knowing the success that had followed not only those two singles, but ultimately the third mighty one, Smoke on the Water. In May 1973 as a single, but before on album from 25 March 1972, this song had changed everything as well as its birth giving mother, Machine Head.

The album kicks off with a half of a minute Roger Glover’s bass solo playing in turns with Ritchie Blackmore’s leaping Fender Stratocaster, which both launch into the main speeding riff that seems to be on drugs and out of the 1972 world, when the fastest known song was freaking Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. However, both tempo (DP’s 174 vs BS’s 163) and riff signature cannot compete, because powerful Paranoid would eventually lose and nobody wants to hear that (to all devoted Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne fans: Paranoid is a true rocking horse of heavy metal). Gaining No. 19 in Guitar World’s “100 Greatest Guitar Solos” Ritchie’s under-one-minute-and-twenty-seconds solo flares a red light among his contemporary peers that could have been endangered by talent of  the Man in Black. Peeping round the door from the second in a row Maybe I’m a Leo is not the elephantine sound of thumping slow riff that alongside on the boat with wondrous rhythm section rock that boat (Frank Loesser would like that metaphor) with doleful tone of Gillan’s singing. Only nine verses of lyrics and a long music sheet covered by early Heavy Metal notes cut off a listener’s coupon –  staying outside a theater encouraged by listening to rushing at breakneck speed Highway Star and prompted to buy a ticket for the entire show when Maybe I’m a Leo breaks the window. More moody and climbing the Mount Rushmore’s history of the band, Pictures of Home depicts all five members mature enough to write most probably the most transcending and sagacious song in their long as river high catalogue. Fast, but composed tempo of this hasty group born to be wild speeds up a bit to end up on a single shared with another enormous giant, When a Blind Man Cries – highlands of studio spiritual talent of songwriting that missed by whimsical “Wayward Son” Blackmore because of any reason, the song appeared live just in 1990s, when Steve Morse joined the hands of the British giants and extended the live performance to as long as about eight minutes. However, a casual listener could feel a kind of insufficiency during the end of Pictures of Home, when a record player’s needle stops spinning around side one of Machine Head. Fortunately, side two provides the same listener with an equivalent of atomic bomb explosion in mid paced, shuffling and rolling riff of the most recognizable song in the Rock ‘n’ Roll history. Smoke on the Water was recorded at Montreux Casino in Switzerland in 1971 in the first days of December as well as all other six songs, but only this song tells a story of some stupid man with a flare gun who burned the place to the ground and this story and this song had been introduced to the Temple of Rock forever. First couple of seconds are taken by glorious preliminary of Fender Stratocaster chucking out the notes of formidable, venomous riff that carries a massage: I will take your soul away; once you have heard this destructive “music flare”, you will never get rid of it off your head. Afterwards a marching army of bass line and Jon Lord-derived neo-classical progressive chords mix together letting Blackmore fling out a fulminant guitar solo gobbling a hasty scampering of Ian Paice’s large tom-toms. It all ends just to make another dandy comeback finalized in Lord’s keyboard solo. Loose, jazz-like intro of keys, guitar, bass solo and crowned harmonica by Gillan of Lazy proceed into something which is more focused jamming of well talented artists than a measured, strait song with heterogeneous structure and wavering tempos brimful of instrumental solos. One could think that Fireball times influenced this particular recording, although as long as No One Came or Fools shine as diamonds, Lazy seems to be an interlude of rocking side two between Smoke and cosmic Space Truckin’. The last song most presumably contains the most metallic riffing of Blackmore tinged with Lord’s blasting chords and tight rhythm section that lifts up the song contemplating a space travel to the heights of stars. While Highway Star is holding the ground, Space Truckin’ is shooting at the moon and waiving at the Earth grinning at the whole world. 

On 4 December 1971 while at a Frank Zappa’s concert, some stupid fired the roof and then the whole Montreux Casino building with a simple flashing flare gun. There was smoke on the water and fire in the sky and there were days from December 6 through December 21 that gave to the world one of the finest albums ever recorded, and thankfully Roger Glover woke up one day during the recording sessions and spoke: Smoke on the Water. Led Zeppelin’s IV and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid stood the test of time with Machine Head, but only Machine Head had influenced more artists than it has songs on its playlist.

 

Rising Rainbow, 1976

• Author:      Rainbow

  Released:   1976

Genre:        Hard rock

Producer:   Martin Birch

Rating:       ********** (out of 10)

Personnel:                                       List of Songs:

Guitar - Ritchie Blackmore                         Tarot woman; Run with the wolf;                       
Bass - Jimmy Bain                                      Starstruck; Do you close your eyes;
Drums - Cozy Powell                                  Stargazer; A light in the black
Keys - Tony Carey
Vocals - Ronnie James Dio

     It was two years after Ritchie Blackmore (the Man in Black) had left his enormous rocking ship called Deep Purple, which course had been brought in the direction of hard rock and evolving heavy metal. The world froze in horror having awaited his next step. It could be something huge, unexpected, and ravishing; but it could be something indefinite, boring, and missed. Fortunately the Man in Black made his move toward the first path. Thank you, Ritchie!

     Rising is the second album from the giant group Rainbow  that established their position in the musical universe. AllMusic says Rainbow hit a home run. That's true and what a true! In less than one month Ritchie and Dio did an excellent work, having laid the foundations for "rising" heavy metal and determining the direction of such bands as Iron Maiden or Metallica. Every single detail is refined to perfection and sound mixed by Martin Birch (Deep Purple, Iron Maiden Fleetwood Mac) leads one to think: Brilliant. This album changed a river current called rock, kindling another flame of Holy Graal of arts - music.

     Six songs lasting over 30 minutes on this album present artistry masterpiece of guitar playing of Blackmore, shaking the foundations vocal of Dio, doing pirouettes bass of Bain, and intimidating drumming of Cozy "Stick" Powell. But who doesn't know a thrilling keybords intro in Tarot Woman by Tony Carey? But where is the beginning and the end of this epic music album? Right here!

     Six minutes opener of Tarot Woman? Why not, forasmuch as this song begins with almost two minutes lasting intro on keybords entwining with a leading riff on guitar. I don't wanna go/ Something tells me no, no, no, no - Dio comes out of shadow and presents his one of most valuable voices in history. The song speeds up and culminates in the end commanding the listener to beg for more. And what is more? Run with the Wolf  tells the story of an animal (but it could be also a human) which follows its own way. Very harsh and crude track with a strong, galloping riff and a hard drums hitting. It ends up as suddenly as suddenly starts Strastruck with a famous If I'm high on a hill/ She'd still been looking down at me. Have you ever dreamt of a fan, who is a girl, that follows your every step and is ready for every step just to be near you? Dio and Blackmore knew and here we are! Starstruck is a definitive proof that milestone is not only a word but an animated matter which indicates in life a direction of everything else. Dio races with a guitar and drums bring them to the end of the loop. Guitar solo almost sculpts with sound the face of a girl hunting poor (!) musicians. Do You Close Your Eyes? Quintet asks a question to their fans ( especially to the female part of audience) in a short but distinct and expressive song with a good playing of keys and "uproarious" Dio's voice.

     These are four tracks that form wonderous and cohesive integrity but they would have been nothing if not next two songs, monumets of rock music, Stargazer and A Light in the Black. Stargazer seems at the moment so important that nothing would be capable to move it at least one inch. Nothing! This song created by Blackmore and written by Dio played with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, lasting over 8 minutes, put an imprint on every well - known musician in the world, forcing them to push their skills forward. It is an epic, grand and mighty brainchild of outstanding soloist Ritchie Blackmore. Ronnie sings in first verse: Oh, I see his face. He points out the wizard with whom he built a tower to reach the stars With our flesh and bone. But what is the cost of that? Many died... B Phrygian dominant scale solo on stratocaster along with a thunder hitting Powell's drums and cello lifting in the air just to allow Dio to sing No sound, as he falls instead of rising. The song's climax seems to be as high as the wizard was, but instead falling down it raising and touching the top of musical skills, and when you think it is all over, Dio shouts: Where was your star?/ We believed. Yes, I believe in them! This is the song everybody must listen to and know.

     And what about A Light in the Black? Hard, powerful and heavy rocker wich staggers the wheel and finishes what has 30 mintues ago started. The sound turns down just to ring again in as much powerful Long Live Rock n' Roll!

     Rising of Rainbow is undeniable monster of rock and indispensable position for every rocker living in this world. To cite Rob Halford (Judas Priest): It plays as well and sounds as well and feels as good now as when it first came out. That shows you how important and how valuable that music still is. Oh, yeah!!!

Thanks for reading and showing interest.

And what do you think about Rising and Rainbow?

PS.: Be ready for next reviews of classics and not only!