STRYPER - "GOD DAMN EVIL" (2018)

STRYPER - "GOD DAMN EVIL"
(Runninmg time: 44:40 minutes; 11 songs)
("Frontiers Records"; 2018; CD):

Yes, all you dirty and filthy sinners repent because judgement day is finally one more time again here and judgement aims its blood dripping spear at you while silver shining swords cutting off your heads and in golden shields the last you see is the reflection of your painfilled face screaming out loud in silent anger and misery… okay, maybe this all lead me a bit too far… ahm... okay, in other words: The mighty STRYPER are back in 2018 with their newest full-length-album "GOD DAMN EVIL" released still more or less pretty recently in 2018 via "FRONTIERS RECORDS" (on CD, but probably also on LP). STRYPER, the grandfathers of Christian (Hard) Rock (or so to say), have sort of always been a guilty pleasure of me, myself, and I (even without being a Christian myself) and so I was pretty excited when I finally saw STRYPER's "GOD DAMN EVIL" in my local media store and this even more after it sort of came out of nowhere for me. Ah, and btw, anyone who really (still) ticks out'n'off because of their religious agenda just stop reading, no problem, anyone else go ahead: For all what I would say STRYPER are (much) harder and definitely a bit more modern up here on and with "GOD DAMN EVIL" working with more stunning Heavy Metal marks to enrich their Hard Rock/Heavy Rock quite a bit and also they manage to work a bunch of more groovy and modern rhythm arrangements and structures into their songs with a stronger focus on tension-building rhythmic accentuations to bulk up their anthemic and melodic yet heavy hitting and stomping Hard Rock quite a bit and this in a pretty stunning and massive way. Best example surely is the opener "TAKE IT TO THE CROSS", a fantastic song, harsh and groovy thrashing Metal that will please any fan of bands from PANTERA over DAMAGEPLAN to SHADOWS FALL and that showcases even some few Death Metal grunts (as backings, so to say), surely one of the if not the heaviest songs STRYPER ever did to date. But also massively heavy and stunning songs like "GOD DAMN EVIL" (even being totally fist pumping hymnal STRYPER-esque Hard Rock par excellence), "THE VALLEY", "OWN UP", and "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME" (brilliant composed refrain, just btw) are prime examples for STRYPER going more heavy and modern in 2018 then even before, yes, and are also absolutely first class songs. I go even so far and say that I would have wished that STYRPER would have taken this even a bit further, yes, but maybe that's just me, who knows. But calm down, because STYPER still know how to do and deliver absolutely top notch melodic (and again and again pretty much all the time also nicely metallic) Hard Rock here and there maybe slightly also flirting with some AOR and that's marked by very strong songwriting full of rousing dynamics and energy and grapping moments from start to finish and that's all the time very nicely multi-facetted and so offers a lot to discover, and that's filled to the exploding maximum with fantastic guitar playing that delivers majestic riffing and rhythm works as well as and especially top notch leads and goosepimple-giving solos, amazing and gorgeous and highly charismatic vocals, and a massive stunning rhythm section consisting (out) of a great and really walking'n'talking bass and thundering drumming and all full of sheer power and full force, and also some nice backings and some few atmospheric organ moments we get on top of it all, yes, and all done on a very high level of quality by truly high skilled musicians (and songwriters). My personal favorites would be or surely are "TAKE IT TO THE CROSS", "GOD DAMN EVIL", "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME", "THE VALLEY", "SEA OF THIEVES", "OWN UP" and "THE DEVIL DOESN'T LIVE HERE", yes, so maybe check this heavyweight gems out first. Some good and surprisingly pretty subtle lyrics, a gorgeous artwork, and a very heavy production-sound (I would just wish that the sound would be a bit more cleaner and clearer, but maybe that's just my personal taste, again: who knows) finally round STRYPER's "GOD DAMN EVIL" up and this in a pretty good way. Yes, all in all a very nice and welcomed breath of fresh air and a damn strong album that I can calmly and clearly recommend to anyone into Hard Rock (and Heavy Metal as well).

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.stryper.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

STYRPER - "TAKE IT TO THE CROSS" (2018, "GOD DAMN EVIL")

MAGNUM - "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" (2018)

MAGNUM - "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY"
(Running time: 66:51 minutes; 11 songs; Bonus CD: 24:39 minutes; 4 songs)
("SPV"/"Steamhammer"; 2018; Double CD):

Hey folks, yes, time to get back to work again up here and so I now do and so here now comes my review on the (brand)new 2018 masterpiece that the British AOR legends MAGNUM (titled "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY") released at the 19th of January of 2018 via "SPV"/"Steamhammer" and I have the (limited?) Double CD that I bought recently when it was released this January and that so is up now for being reviewed here by me for you. Back in 2015 MAGNUM took me by storm with their fantastic "SACRED BLOOD, 'DIVINE' LIES" longplayer (my review on it I finally did last summer up here) and so I was very hungry and curious for their new album to finally see the light of the day and enthusiastically I cheered up loudly when it finally was to be found in/on the shelves of the local record/media store here where I live and I took it promptly with me. And what shall I say, MAGNUM's "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" conquered me massively and 'overwhelmingly' and this even more than "SACRED BLOOD, 'DIVINE' LIES", yes, even more. "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" is filled to the max packed up full from start to finish with larger than life monsters of songs that will manifest and establish an overwhelming and exciting grip on you and won't let loose of you again even when the nearly 67 minutes are over and the goosepimples run down your neck and back without an end so that you can't do anything different then just simply press the 'play-button' one more time again- and again and again and again... This is fantastic and in all and every ways and manners highest skilled and highly authentic as well as 'engagingly' sympathic AOR (or name it Melodic Rock, Classic Rock, Hard Rock or Heavy Rock, what-ever term suits your gusto better) in absolute perfection filled with an incredible hugh amount of manifold biggest and mightiest honest and heartfelt emotions, full of rousing passion and bursting with life due to a bright shining heavily beguiling soul that breathes life and fresh-alive/lively air into the whole album so that it 'formally' comes fiery hopping out of the speakers sheer exploding (be)for life and it completely takes over with an adorably fresh and high amount of highly dynamic energy so that it will nothing else but take you by storm and maybe even as much as it took and conquered me. The brilliant songwriting that this fine gentlemen and highest skilled formidable musicians in 'persona-union' that form MAGNUM deliver us here on "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" is just mindblowing and breathtaking and so incredible rich and multi-faceted, multi-layered and highly diverse, packed up full of/with an amazing amount of awesome fresh ideas and exciting and grapping twists'n'turns all along the ride, while at the same time and over the whole time being so massively stunning and intense and highly atmospheric as well as full of gifted melodies and unobstrusive and yet so even more 'conquering triumphantly' hymnal/anthemic catchyness, yes, it will leave your mouth wide open, your eyes shining, and your ears sounding and clinging for/of joy, yes, and the instrumentation as well as the variety of 'musical influences' (for example enrich gifted Folk arrangements and great slightly Medieval melody lines as well as a ton of dreamlike fantasy impressions the brandnew MAGNUM compositions here on "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" heavily and massively and even more than before) is just stunning and so wide'n'broad and all is at the same time so perfectly flowing and highest skilled 'inter-woven' into the AOR music that it only furthermore prevents your mouth from closing again. Something that also definitely needs to be mentioned here explicit and precise are the just sheer fantastic and heavily rousing pace arrangements and the almighty forceful rhythm structures that mark all the songs and the whole album in a just sheer fantastic way'n'manner. That's perfect, nothing else, period. 'Instrumentation-wise' the biggest trademarks are surely (at least so in my book) the highest gifted and incredible soulful, passionate, heartfelt, and playful, rich, varying, and diverse as well as above all else highly characteristic guitar work, the mighty and powerful vocals with a very own and strong character of their very own, as well as the fantastic paino/organ/keyboard arrangements, yes, and this is all 'just' absolutely amazing and totally fantastic. The powerful and precise, tight and yet also very diverse, playful, and nicely and refreshing 'airy-loose' rhythm section is the perfect and much needed backbone of it all. Ah, yes, and the title-track also offers first class guest vocals by no one else than AVANTASIA's very own Tobias Sammet, yes, just that you know it. Fantastic, thoughtful and throughtprovoking, expressive and interesting lyrics, a drop-dead gorgeous artwork (I'm totally in love with it), and a very warm and natural, round and yet still nicely heavy production sound then round it all (perfectly) up. My personal favorites? Ha, the whole album, period. (Even the absolutely amazing larger than life and incredible powerful "STORM BABY" is my total love affair up here on MAGNUM's "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY".) The Bonus CD features a bunch of fantastic older MAGNUM opus' in a formidable live quality and is a very welcome nice bonus goody. Even we now have just reached March of 2018 I am pretty sure that you will definitely find MAGNUM's "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" in my 2018 top ten list, and so I think I've said it all and I can now only leave you with my highest and honest recommendation(s) and so in my book every fan of honest and passionate Rock music simply needs to call this giant of an album his/her very own and so you better get it way earlier than any later in case you still don't have it. A masterpiece of one of a kind. Cheers.
(10 of 10 Points)
www.magnumonline.co.uk/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

MAGNUM - "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY" (2018, "LOST ON THE ROAD TO ETERNITY")

DEF LEPPARD - "DEF LEPPARD" (2015)

DEF LEPPARD - "DEF LEPPARD"
(Running time: 54:33 minutes; 14 songs)
("Bludgeon Riffola Ltd." & "Edel Germany GmbH"; 2015; CD):

Hi folks, I'm finally (or so) one more time back @ it again, doing some new stuff up here, heading into the final week of the (if you want so) solely (or more or less solely) Rock and Metal month up here, and we will do this with this review on the 2015 self-titled full length album by the british grandmasters of Rock, yes, no one else than the (al)mighty DEF LEPPARD. When this album came out back then two years ago in 2015 I've read a lot of very enthusiastic reviews saying that this is sort of a comeback for this fine gentlemen with stating that DEF LEPPARD released with "DEF LEPPARD" their best album since/in 28 years, their best since their immortal and larger than life classic "HYSTERIA". Hm, I won't go into this simply because back then when "HYSTERIA" first came out I was like six years old or so and so anyhow I don't think I would be the or just a right one to judge this, no, but what I can judge and what I will say is simply that DEF LEPPARD's "DEF LEPPARD" was and damn sure still fucking is one damn amazing hell of an album; and I'm pretty sure it will continue to be and stay exactly this for many, many years to come, point and fact. DEF LEPPARD celebrate on this one highest skilled, playful and colourful, very passioante and heartfelt, honest and just really big AOR on one damn incredible high level of quality with totally unexpected youthful-fresh energy and all is highly dynamic and filled to the max with varying and diverse arranegments rich on varaitions and high on adrenaline, this is truly nothing but absolutely top notch first class Melodic Rock with a lot of Pop Appeal and some slight Hard Rock impressions in it all with a classic but yet very youthful and fresh approach to it all. All is filled with a very multi-layered and just rich guitar work that excels with just amazing melody lines and sensitive leads and just very symphonic solos as well as a totally overwhelming and just massively conquering soulful rhythmic work; and for sure the guitars are the most marking trademark on/of "DEF LEPPARD" and they just shine in an incredible bright light and are full of emotions and just a through and through heartfelt authenticity, creating many larger than life moments again and again. Then there is a just "stunningly" cool and nicely present absolutely high skilled bass work that manages to commute "brilliantly" between clever and laid back restraint on the one side and sheer force and cool "walking" grooves that mark the songs strongly on the other side. The very sensitive and yet still nicely with some power delivered keyboard playing enriches the songs in a very strong way, like the powerful "punching" drumming creates the right loadable foundament of the songs to be build further on with a lot of tension created through an impressive strong compositorial work. The melodic, clear, and yet with a lot of force delivered lead vocals, that are also joining forces with some nice backings here and there, then finally put the crown on it all. All is delivered by high skilled musicians on a very high level of musical quality and this all via one hell of an outstanding songwriting that rouses a lot of tension, that is filled with grapping and exciting moments and surprises all along the ride (like for example the smart tribute to Psychedelia in form of the masterpiece track titled "SEA OF LOVE"), and with just a lot of awesome arrangements. This is an exciting ride from start to to finish, and it is one outstanding piece of just really great and impressive masterpiece Rock music, and it is also fantastic how hymnal and anthemic this whole album is and this all combined with a very cool attitude and an intense and emotional (and this means "emotional-diverse", but all the time honest and real) atmosphere, and from (powerful) ballads to just cool and hard rockin' and harder groovin' Rockers we get here it all. Strong and intersting, pretty often also strongly "uplifting" lyrics, a transparent and clean, yet still warm and nicely powerful production sound, and a first class artwork we finally get on top of it all as well. My personal favorites are "LET'S GO", "DANGEROUS", "MAN ENOUGH" (sort of the coolest walking bass I've listened to in a long while), "WE BELONG" (incredible beautiful), "INVINCIBLE" (my absolute personal favorite), "SEA OF LOVE", "ENERGIZED" ('the-name-is-programm') "ALL TIME HIGH", "FOREVER YOUNG", and "LAST DANCE", so maybe start your journey to discover DEF LEPPARD's self-titled "DEF LEPPARD" masterpiece, but be sure that the not mentioned songs are definitely no weak stuff. Only "BLIND FAITH" and I don't really come together, hm, but however... What I also really like, no, not like but honestly love is the fact that this album is incredible powerful and lifts you up in a massive way while listening to it; and so, yes, it's no wonder that it's one of my current favorites respectively (to say it better and more precise) currently in my current Situation one more time again one of my favorites. So, okay, I think so far I've said it all what there was to say, so yes, DEF LEPPARD's "DEF LEPPARD" I can only highly recommend to you if you are into AOR, Rock and/or (still very melodic) Hard Rock and so if you really still don't know it then make sure to change this best right now. An amazing album, still today, point and fact.

(9 of 10 points)

http://www.defleppard.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

DEF LEPPARD - "INVINCIBLE" /my.personal.favorite-and.it.gives.me.especially.currently.a.lot.of.power.all.the.time\ (2015, "DEF LEPPARD")

MAGNUM - "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES" (2015)

MAGNUM - "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES"
(Running time: 54:26 minutes; 10 songs)
("Steamhammer"/"SPV"; 2015; CD+DVD limited version):

Next one's coming in and we'll remain a little bit in the year 2015 with this record review being again a record review on a 2015 album and here and now we will have a closer look on the 2015 MAGNUM album "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES", the 19th regular full length album by this British Grandmasters of Rock/Hard Rock music (live and compilation albums not counted here and now) in a now 45 years spanning career, and it's also for all what I know their current regular full length album to date with having released since then just a "THE BALLADS" or so titled compilation album more or less recently this year, I guess. I knew MAGNUM before this one, to be honest, not really at all (I know, shame on me), some of their "hits" (I guess) were known to me but beside this bunch of songs not much else. When I then read two years ago a lot of very interesting and positive reviews on "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES" I got curious and when I finally saw it in the local media store I grabbed it, bought it and took it with me, and it convinced me pretty much right from the start. This is just damn fresh and intersting, exciting and from start to finish grapping, very heavy and yet symphonic-melodic Hard Rock of the premium kind and with some nice strong Rock/AOR marks in it all, and it is also very self-contained/independently done with a huge own identity and a pretty unique own character, with big bombastic elements/arrangements and all delivered with overwhelming playfulness. The songwriting is pretty diverse and all the time high skilled, covering a wide area or stretch/distance of truly wide emotions, tones/tonings, and moods, not to talk about all the majestic changes of the paces and in the rhythmic architecture and the arrangements of the songs as well as in the dramaturgy of the strong tension building and atmospehric close songs. This is really high skilled stuff the premium way and it's a really grapping album, very intense and it really stands out even still today with already being two years old now. It's an exciting musical roller coaster ride and a, if you want so, pure "joyride" for sure with a lot of little, huge surprises in it all. Gorgeous, diverse, sensitive and melodic yet stunningly heavy guitars mark and carry the songs in combination with the fantastic piano/keyboard playing and the bright shining melodic and still pretty heavy or maybe better strong done clear lead vocals with that charismatic tone to it, and the fantastic tight, precise, diverse, and to the point played rhythm section is then backing everything up in a beefy and bulky way and is so giving the songs the/their final heavy punch, and all done highest skilled. First class expressive lyrics, a brilliant and gorgeous artwork, and a warm yet bonedry and heavy production sound are then rounding everything just beautifully up. My personal favorites are the title track and opener "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES", "PRINCESS IN RAGS (THE CULT)", "AFRAID OF THE NIGHT", "A FORGOTTEN CONVERSATION", "QUIET RHAPSODY", and "DON'T CRY BABY" and that are purest gems you simply need to know, period. And in my book the only really weak or at least weaker song is the personally for me just too corny ballad "YOUR DREAMS WON'T DIE" that I skip more or less always, but that's at the end just a matter of personal taste and says pretty much nothing about the musical quality of this particular song. So, with all this said, with "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES" the mighty MAGNUM delivered us one hell of a great album and to every Rock/Hard Rock fan out there I can only highly recommend it and this also still today with now being already two years old. The bonus DVD is also pretty nice stuff and offers us also three strong bonus songs that are more than worth listening. Okay, so I guess you know what you should do now in case you still don't have  or know it. So, yes, with having said everything I am signing out for today and so I wish you all a nice saturday, enjoy your weekend, I'll try it as well... and you read from me again more or less soon or so. Bye.

(9 of 10 points)

http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

MAGNUM - "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES" (2015, "SACRED BLOOD 'DIVINE' LIES")

NIGHT RANGER - "DON'T LET UP" (2017)

NIGHT RANGER - "DON'T LET UP"
(Running time: 50:39 minutes; 11 Songs)
("Frontiers Records"; CD; 2017):

And today, like promised, the next record-review on a 2017 release. And we will stay in the Rock sector for this one (and we will return into this sector pretty often in the future, trust me), so now we will focus on the new full-length-album "DON'T LET UP" by the damn mighty NIGHT RANGER, definitely an AOR or Melodic Rock or Arena Rock or Classic Rock (name it like you want, for me it's first and foremost Rock, period) institution, going strong since the 1980's (with being around since 35 years now) and also, showcasing this with their newest baby "DON'T LET UP", still so today. And yes, years ago I once bought my first NIGHT RANGER album on a "second-hand-market-square" (it was the "BIG LIFE" record and that record I bought one or two years ago even for a second time because I found it on vinyl) and since then I was and still am sold to NIGHT RANGER. And when you now wonder and think why the hell I also listen to Rock of the AOR kind, yes, so I do, then keep in mind that my musical taste is very wide and that I love good music because it's good music, music that I like, that moves, and pleases me, and not because it's music of a what-so-ever certain genre or anything like this, and so it can be anything from an Oi! and (Street)Punk album to a Hardcore release, and from Crustcore and Grindcore to pretty much any kind of Metal to Stoner and Sludge music as well as it can also be (Classic) Rock, Hard Rock, Blues or Jazz, Swing, SKA, Reggea, Funk and Folk & Country music of any kind, hell, even World Music or what the hell else ever graps and moves me. And this also always reflected up here on this blog, sometimes often, sometimes less. So any "Toughguys" can skip this post, if they want to do so, absoultely no problem with that. Btw, after growing up from my youngest days on listening beside BLACK SABBATH, ALICE COOPER, IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC, SCORPIONS, BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE, DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, THE WHO, AEROSMITH, VAN HALEN, ZZ TOP, and SAGA also with listening to FOREIGNER, BOSTON, ASIA, DEF LEPPARD, JOURNEY, TOTO, FLEETWOOD MAC, SURVIVOR, and of course also all the great "ROCKY" soundtracks, hell yeahr,growing up with all this bands and their albums and music (in very large parts thanks to my beloved parents), growing up with them and still loving all this bands it should be no wonder to anyone why also NIGHT RANGER finally back then should take me by storm. And so they did, and so they also did with their new one "DON'T LET UP". It's all there what you sort of desperately want and need from an AOR/Rock-album and especially what you definitely want from a new NIGHT RANGER album: Strong and pretty diverse/versatile composed songs full of first class melodic arrangements, incredible moving rhythms, powerful rocking yet very melodic if not symphonic (as sort of "melodic+", if you get what I'm trying to say) guitars that really shine and sing (especially in the leads and solo departments), really grapping keyboard fueled lines and moments, a very well-versed and surely high skilled rhythm section that beefs the songs in a majestic way up, and above all just outstanding and larger-than-life clean sung and damn strong, charismatic vocals, giving the great songs finally their it-all-cultivating-crown; absolutely fantastic stuff. The songwriting is of highest quality delivering loads of variations, lots of different pace directions,  and it shines with a lot of surprises and also with truckloads of grapping and touching and heartfelt, passionated moving moments, this is "just" great. Huge and forceful refrains shine bright throughout every song, and the verse structures and arrangements do so as well. It's packed up full with (positive) energy, an impressive forward pushing drive, a strong dynamic approach to it all, and with an undeniable shining spirit that's maybe best desribed as sheer and pure lust-for-life, and I love this. And in all is breathed life with a highly positive attitude that really strengthens and lifts you up. This also demonstrate the strong lyrics and the powerful artwork (especially the "racing" front-cover), and the very warm and organic, yet clear and powerful production sound fits perfect to the music. My personal favorites (at least at the current moment) are "SOMEHOW SOMEWAY", "RUNNING OUT OF TIME", "TRUTH", "DAY AND NIGHT", "DON'T LET UP", "SAY WHAT YOU WANT", and "JAMIE", but the (anyhow only few not listed) other tracks rule as well in a supreme way; only "NOTHING LEFT OF YESTERDAY" somehow not graps me but anyhow anyway this is just a brilliant album. And btw, if you start your day with NIGHT RANGER's "DON'T LET UP" then you start your day with a big smile on your face and with a positive mindset, and yes: "Champ, what better way to get in the right mood for a "winning-day", right!?!?" And, damn it, it's also absolutely great music when you're driving a "fun-round" with your car, especially currently in the summer. It's in every positive-meant-way a great winning and positive album, that beside this also carries and owns a lot of deeper value and that's of highest quality in every way and that's making it a total first-class album in nearly every sense, positive and with value, first class, period. Okay, I think that's it for this one, I can only recommend this one highly to every fan of great Rock music out there, so if you still don't have it (why-the-hell-ever) then you should make sure to change this asap and best promptly. A fantastic album!!!

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.nightranger.com/#/ (-the link to the homepage of the band; you know anyhow how to go there and so I won't loose any more words about it)

NIGHT RANGER - "DON'T LET UP" (2017, "DON'T LET UP")