JUDAS PRIEST - "FIREPOWER" (2018)

JUDAS PRIEST - "FIREPOWER"
(Running time: 58:24 minutes; 14 songs)
("Sony Music"; 2018; CD):

Hell yeahr, hey guys, yes, already back again and this time again with a record review that's for far too long overdue up here nowadays and it is finally on the new JUDAS PRIEST masterpiece "FIREPOWER" released via "SONY MUSIC" this year's March of 2018 on CD and limited CD and also, at least I would bet so, also on LP and currently it is also out again in a brandnew special tour edition, yes, just that you know it, but (so far) I own only the normal CD version, since the day it was released, and so, of course, my review will just be on this very one. So, yes, 2018 and JUDAS PRIEST unleashing their supreme "FIREPOWER" and with doing so they pretty much annihilated all maybe-potential as well as all openly wanna-be rivals in the world for 2018 within the blink of an eye and so 2018 saw with JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER" the return of the pretty much best and greatest of them all ever. With 14 songs in nearly a hour of play-time with "FIREPOWER" JUDAS PRIEST constructed and build-up a sky-towering monument from scratch that truly is absolutely on par with larger than life divine masterpieces and lifechanging groundbreakers like for example immortal ones like "KILLING MACHINE", "BRITISH STEEL", "SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE", "DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH", "TURBO", and "PAINKILLER" and this, oh hell yeahr, this is an absolute statement of its very own and it is nothing less and nothing but totally conquering and this again and again time after time without end. And, in fact, JUDAS PRIEST created with "FIREPOWER" a soon-to-be-a-classic if not an instant-classic album that while combining in a totally relevant up-to-date way the best ingredients and elements of the above mentioned immortally divine JUDAS PRIEST classicks to create a true larger than life masterpiece of totally own of a kind like one in a million also manages to be so incredible fresh, independently, stand-alone, and alive-lively that it is nothing else and especially nothing less than absolutely breath-taking and the biggest and purest pleasure to listen to this phenomenal Heavy Metal thunderstruck and it showcases and this seemingly so easy how truly great Heavy Metal was, is, and always will be and this in all its lifechanging glory. Combine the clenched fist stoic marching Hard Rock fueled harsh stomping early Heavy Metal of "KILLING MACHINE" and the sharp cutting "BRITISH STEEL" with the pure by high octane energy fueled melodic and still mercylessly heavy forward storming and by huge and highly multi-facetted tension-arcs marked masterly supreme Heavy Metal of "SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE" and "DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH" with the anthemic and hymnal catchyness of the hard rocking and even harder rolling "TURBO" and the all and every resistance devastating and annihilating absolutely no prisoners taking and still incredible diverse and multi-layered sheer thundering heavyness of "PAINKILLER" and imagine this all done incredible fresh and independently and filled to the maximum with new, fresh, and spirited ideas and you probably should have a pretty good idea of "FIREPOWER" to start with - just in case you really shouldn't know (or own) it, why the bloody hell ever. The very multi-layered and diverse songwriting full of overwhelming many and great facets is phenomenal, the fantastic songs are packed up full to the absolute maximum with unbelievable massive amounts of total high octane energy and really headspinning and massively rousing and moving dynamics, the songs (each single one as well as the whole album which means the 'songs in their completness') 'brightly' shine and really massively and strongly excel with overwhelming amounts of ever-changing different moods and strong emotions while being marked by fantastic arrangements and brilliant arranged verses that very 'flowingly' run into truly larger than life 'fist in the air' refrains while all being 'stunningly' studded with gifted hooklines to kneel down to, exciting moments and grapping elements are everywhere to be found here on JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER", the rhythm structures and the pace work are very diverse and pretty much ever-changing over the whole album and every song owns its very own approach and identity, and in general is the ingenious fresh, alive-lively, rousing and very multi-facetted compositorial work of the songs nothing but totally and absolutely 'gifted-divine'. The guitars are literally the album-title taken from words and set (in)to musick which means absolutely all-guns-blazing sheer and pure "FIREPOWER" and really excel with their overwhelming and all and everything and everyone conquering power with fantastic riffs as well as abrilliant rhythm work and when we look at the divine solos and the brilliant leads and melody lines that's where they really, really shine and this like the brightest star you'll probably will ever see. Rob Halfords lead vokillz truly massively enrich and cultivate it all and this just from start to finish on a totally supreme and masterly level of skill, quality, and personality and also live he sings so strong and brilliant today that you could think he would be at least three decades younger than he really is. Much, much respect for this!!! The forceful and proud strutting bass and the crushing thunderous drumming then beef and bulk up the songs massively and perfectly, giving them their needed and very valuable backbone. JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER" is a nearly if not a truly through and through perfect piece of art and musick and every single song is the purest and most precious platinum you only can find and so every song is truly an incredible precious gem but if you ask for my personal favorites then this would be "FIREPOWER", "LIGHTNING STRIKES", "EVIL NEVER DIES", "NEVER THE HEROES", "CHILDREN OF THE SUN", "RISING FROM RUINS", "SPECTRE", "NO SURRENDER", and "SEA OF RED", hell yeahr, and so maybe start your discovery of JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER" with this über-divine gems. Very strong, interesting, and throughtful lyrics, an amazing and just 'overwhelmingly-conquering' artwork, and a frist-class powerful and transparent and still warm production-sound then finally round it all perfectly up. Be sure or be prepared to find JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER" on a very prominent position in my personal-best-of-2018-list and I'm pretty sure this will not only in my case that/this way. I think I've said so much all I had to say and I think you now know the deal and what you should do or have to do in case you really still don't own or even know it and now bang your head and rock hard and rock free. JUDAS PRIEST's "FIREPOWER", an immortally divine and larger than life masterpiece forged in iron by fire, flame, and will and a proud, powerful, spirited, gifted, and bright shining monument for the future delivered and gifted to us by the Metal Gods themselves. Perfect!!!

(10 of 10 points)

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

JUDAS PRIEST - "NEVER THE HEROES" (2018, "FIREPOWER")

MONUMENT - "HELLHOUND" (2018)

MONUMENT - "HELLHOUND"
(Running time: 42:48 minutes; 9 songs)
("Rock of Angels Records"; 2018; CD):

Okay, yes, incoming is now already the next dose for you and this time it is my record-review on the new MONUMENT full-length-album "HELLHOUND" released pretty recently in 2018 via "ROCK OF ANGELS RECORDS" on CD. Before "HELLHOUND" MONUMENT from London, England/U.K. were total strangers to me, why ever, and if you now ask yourself what awaits us here let me here and now just name three terms: (1.) Heavy Metal; (2.) NWOBHM; and (3.) IRON MAIDEN, yes, and this 'trio of terms' sums up and tells you pretty much already the most important informations about MONUMENT and their unleashed "HELLHOUND". This is really old school 'spirited' and done British Heavy Metal but thank to the mighty gods too energetic and fresh and alive-lively done to be any lame and stale retro crap stuff and that's damn, damn good. Beside this… MONUMENT come close to be sort of an IRON MAIDEN ripp off, because, yes, "HELLHOUND" sounds like an IRON MAIDEN album somewhere between maybe "THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST" and "PIECE OF MIND", okay, but definitely without being exactly that groundbreaking and lifechanging fantastic and great but how could they and so not blaming them and this not even a single bit. But, yes, I miss anyhow a bit of a fresh and own unique identity and character and like in most of this cases I still would choose the original over the copy any time, if you get what I'm saying, but with that said, yes, MONUMENT have done a very decent and a really good job here on and with "HELLHOUND" and so expect rousing and high octane songwriting non stopp and a damn good album filled to the max with air raid siren vokillz, fast galloping bass runs, thundering guitar riffs and thrilling twin guitar leads and exciting solos, and forceful 'weasel-nimbly' drumming as well as grapping arranged verses and huge refrains. Truly, yes, pretty much top notch stuff… just maybe sort of find a bit more of your own character… but what do I know and who am I to judge anyhow. Beside IRON MAIDEN there aren't that many more influences or comparisions to name here beside the fact that the opener "WILLIAM KIDD", as really damn fucking strong as it truly is, is a through and through RUNNING WILD ripp off (but with too weak vocals) and that the fantastic "NIGHTRIDER" is heavily inspired by the almighty JUDAS PRIEST and "THE END" showcases some U.S. Metal influences somewhere between OMEN and MANOWAR thrown into the mix and then that's it. A bunch of strong lyrics, a gorgeous artwork, and a pretty heavy and yet natural production-sound then finally round it all up. My personal favorites would be or better are "ATTILA", "NIGHTRIDER", "THE END", "STRAIGHT THROUGH THE HEART", "WILLIAM KIDD", and "HELLHOUND", yes, so maybe try that songs out first. That's all what I have so far to say to/about MONUMENT's "HELLHOUND", an album any IRON MAIDEN fan and especially any IRON MAIDEN fan of their legendary earlier works who like me, myself, and I can't really connect to their über-'bombastic' current works will surely love and hail. Like already said is my only problem with it that it too often comes a bit too close to being sort of an IRON MAIDEN copy but that many other (bigger) negative points aren't to be found up here and so to any Heavy Metal and especially NWOBHM and/or IRON MAIDEN fan I can only recommend MONUMENT's "HELLHOUND" here and now and this clearly.

(8,5 of 10 points)

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

MONUMENT - "ATTILA" (2018, "HELLHOUND")

SAXON - "THUNDERBOLT" (2018)

SAXON - "THUNDERBOLT"
(Running time: 47: 47 minutes; 12 songs)
("Silver Lining Music"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, back from the fantastic TANKARD gig yesterday and somehow holding the infuenza a bit 'on distance' today or so it seems at least currently I decided after an easy-going day today that will thankfully and very smoothly move over into an easy-going night tonight I could also do something new up here and come up with a new post one more time again, yes, and so I now do with my record-review on the brandnew SAXON album "THUNDERBOLT", yes, the 22nd SAXON (pushing on since 1979) full-length-album that was released @ the 2nd of February 2018 via "SILVER LINING MUSIC". Last year I did my review on the predeccessor "BATTERING RAM" from 2015 and if you know this then you pretty much know that I love "BATTERING RAM" and also and especially SAXON in general, right, and so it was instantly clear for/to me that I would grab a copy of "THUNDERBOLT" as soon as it would be out, yes, and so I did. "THUNDERBOLT" is purest and best Heavy Metal through and through, SAXON are still NWOBHM in perfection, and... "THUNDERBOLT" is just damn great, period. It's not exactly that strong as "BATTERING RAM" but it comes pretty close and it is anyhow one hell of an asskicking Metal output of the highest quality grade. I still think it's amazing how fresh, how powerful, how strong and how enthusiastic these fine gentlemen still sound after now almost 40 years of delivering the goods and still they deliver fresh ideas and surprising sprinklings in and with their songs and albums like the (Viking/Pagan) Death Metal marks in "PREDATOR" or the operetta-like dramaturgy'n'arrangements in/of "NOSFERATU (THE VAMPIRE'S WALTZ)" up here on "THUNDERBOLT", yes, that's really great and makes SAXON at least in my book stand-out quite a bit with (maybe even only in little steps) ever 'ongoingly' enriching and cultivating their sound'n'style even after nearly 40 years of playing Rock & Roll. And it's also amazing and just heavily and massively rousing how high the dynamics and energy levels still are that SAXON serve us again and again and "THUNDERBOLT" is no exception to this, hell no, but rather the complete opposite as it stands in the best tradition of high energy Heavy Metal that SAXON are so well known (and loved) for. Also in 2018 SAXON deliver hard rocking, sharp and heavy slashing, and yet very melodic and catchy respectively hymnal/anthemic Heavy Metal with great atmospheric intensity and marked by a fresh, powerful, rousing, and nicely varying and diverse songwriting that offers nice little surprises and very alive/lively twists and truns all along the road and that shines with an immense own character/identity and some damn strong arrangements and compositorial tricks so that "THUNDERBOLT" stays from start to finish and also again and again and time after time 'thunderous' like it should be with a title like that. Really strong and forceful onwards pushing guitars, that deliver first class riffs and smashing rhythms all the way and yet especially shine with atmospheric melody lines, singing leads, and brilliant solos, mark the songs heavily as well as the razorblade like sharp cutting and 'highliest' charismatic vocals, and the heavy roaring bass work and the thunderous drumming reliable pouring the loadable concrete of SAXON's "THUNDERBOLT" and making sure that this Heavy Metal warhorse one more time again rides gloriously into battle bringing destruction to All False Metal outta there... or so to say. My personal favorites are the heavily forward pushing titletrack "THUNDERBOLT" himself/itself, the epic "THE SECRET OF FLIGHT", the highly dramatic "NOSFERATU (THE VAMPIRE WALTZ)", the heavy rocking and hard rolling MOTÖRHEAD tribute "THEY PLAYED ROCK & ROLL", the fantastic SAXON/AMON AMARTH mash-up "PREDATOR", the 'epicly paganized' and 'worn-intoned' hymn "SONS OF ODIN", and the catchy as fuck and highly hymnal anthem "ROADIES' SONG". A gorgeous artwork, very strong and diverse, interesting lyrics, and a powerful and heavy smacking production sound finally round it all up and turning SAXON's "THUNDERBOLT" finally and one more time again into the real deal and the complete package. To any Heavy Metal/NWOBHM fan I can nothing but give my honest and highest recommendations and so make sure that the thunder strikes and so that SAXON's "THUNDERBOLT" will become a (prominent) part of your record collection and this by far better much sooner than any later. And don't Forget: Heavy Metal is the law.

(9 of 10 points)

www.saxon747.com (-the link to the homepage of the band)

SAXON - "THEY PLAYED ROCK & ROLL" (2018, "THUNDERBOLT")

SAXON - "BATTERING RAM" (2015)

SAXON - "BATTERING RAM"
(Running time: 50:21 minutes; 11 songs)
("UDR"; 2015; CD/limited digibook Edition):

Hey guys, back on track again, next post, next record-review, next 2015 release in the focus, and after paying respect to a lot of great 2015 releases especially over the last days now we will have a look on one of my personal favorites and top ten albums of 2015 and so now here comes my review on SAXON's "BATTERING RAM" for you. Okay, so here we go: "BATTERING RAM" is the 21st studio/full-length-album by the Heavy Metal/NWOBHM legends SAXON in their impressive career that's already ongoing since 1979, and this alone already means or says something. But what really says and means something and "something-a-lot" is the stunning and breathtaking quality of "BATTERING RAM", an album that from start to finish lives up to the promise of its name. We get hard hitting, sharp cutting, and hymnal stomping, nicely varying and incredible fresh delivered and strong done Heavy Metal/NWOBHM full of "playfullness" and to the peak packed with forceful energy and energized dynamics and shining bright with fresh ideas, cool surprises, and a strong and especially hard (or "hard'n'heavy") rocking'n'rolling approach to it all and that also not shies away from massive stunning groovy rhythms. Sharp cutting, definitely harsh and powerful yet pretty to very melodic and especially very charismatic lead vocals; brilliant and very, very forceful as well as diverse done guitars that shine with very strong rhythmic work(s) and with "earthy" and "organic" grooves and all delivered highest skilled and also damn fucking very fresh and exciting, yes, and all heavily defining the music and the songs, while the first class top notch melodic lines and also the very "out-standing" leads and the exciting killer solos that are nothing else than a pure "joyride" full of "hellish joy" enrich it all massively and also truly pretty unique; varying and all the time damn "crushingly" heavy and just very, very bulky and to the point played, delivered, and done drumming in combination with an asskicking bass work culminate in an over the top rhythm section: this are the ingredients of "BATTERING RAM" and SAXON melt it all "uniquely" together by fresh and alive/lively songwriting full of great ideas, a bunch of nice surprises, outstanding strong verses and just "mighty-to-almighty" athemic refrains that turn song after song in one hymn followed by the next, the passionate play with different tonings in combination with a wide palette of moods and emotions, with strong tension building via impactful arrangements and an intense "dramaturgy" and a tight atmospheric "composition-work" to it all. "BATTERING RAM" is an intense and a forceful and an exciting, a through-and-through powerful and thrilling, and very unique as well, yes, a true stand-alone album and this also to date with now being already two years old; and in short it's in my book one of the very, very best SAXON albums ever and maybe my favorite one of them since their almighty "UNLEASH THE BEAST" masterpiece from back then in the glory days of my youth that were the 1990's. My personal favorites are the crushing "BATTERING RAM" itself, the hard rocking AC/DC inspired anthem "THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND", the "breath-takingly" intense "KINGDOM OF THE CROSS", my personal anthemic über-hit "TO THE END", the sinister and stoic smasher "QUEEN OF HEARTS", the "loud'n'proud" asskicker that is "HARD AND FAST", and the larger-than-life "TOP OF THE WORLD". All is finally enriched by very strong lyrics that also really had and still has a lot to say, a just "stunningly" beauty of an artwork, and a sheer massive wall of (production-) sound as well. For every SAXON maniac and every Heavy Metal and NWOBHM fan, yes, you now here get nothing but my highest recommendation, and I think that all you Hard Rock fans outta there will also nothing but love this out-standing masterpiece that is SAXON's "BATTERING RAM"; and so, in case you really don't know/have it so far, shame on you, go and get it as soon as possible. This is just amazing, it's awesome, and it's a fantastic masterpiece that's since two years now on my heavy rotation schedule, and trust me, that should tell you all about it. I just truly love the "BATTERING RAM", it's one of those (few) perfect albums out there.

(10 of 10 points)

http://saxon747.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

SAXON - "TO THE END" (2015, "BATTERING RAM")

SAXON - "KINGDOM OF THE CROSS" (2015, "BATTERING RAM")