These days, I seem to find myself with quite a bit of music that I’d like to write about and not enough time to actually sit down and put together full reviews. Though I’m working on longer takes of a few of these that may or may not get finished, I wanted to offer up some quick thoughts on my favorite records of the first half of 2023 because it has been a strong year so far. Rather than rank them, I’m putting them in alphabetical order. I’ll save the rankings for the end of the year.
AD INFINITUM – ‘CHAPTER III: DOWNFALL’: The third album from symphonic-metallers Ad Infinitum delivers with all of the power and majesty that we’ve come to expect over the past few years. It’s a perfect blend of often dainty heaviness with beautiful melodies, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s almost impossible to go wrong with Melissa Bonny on vocals – the beauty and the beast all in one package. Favorite song (at the moment): “Ravenous.”
ARCHON ANGEL – ‘II’: We got the bittersweet announcement from Jon Oliva earlier this year that there would be one final Savatage album, most likely in 2024, so Archon Angel is still the closest thing we’ve had in a long-time. This project from Zakk Stevens took over vocal duties from Oliva in Savatage in the early 1990s, bringing that classic feel back with their first album a few years ago. I was less excited by the early singles from this one, but it turns out to be a very solid record. They back away from that ‘90s Savatage sound a little, but there’s still enough of it here to satisfy guys like me and bring them around to the Archon Angel sound. Favorite song (at the moment): “Wake of Emptiness.”
AVATAR – ‘DANCE DEVIL DANCE’: No surprise that this one lands on my list. Avatar’s Dance Devil Dance was probably my most anticipated album coming into the year, and it does not disappoint. As always, these Swedes provide a crazy carnival ride that ranges from death metal to doo-wop. Whether it be the disco glam rock of “The Dirt I’m Buried In,” nods to Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs on “Gotta Want a Riot,” shades of Jane’s Addiction on “Chimp Mosh Pit” or the pummeling rage of “Valley of Disease,” you’re never going to get bored. Favorite song (at the moment): “Dance Devil Dance” / “The Dirt I’m Buried In” / “Train” (I really couldn’t decide which I liked best. All have been in heavy rotation.)
BURNING WITCHES – ‘THE DARK TOWER’: Burning Witches have honestly become one of my favorite throwback metal bands over the past few years. I have jokingly called them Judas Priestess since discovering them with their 2018 release Hexenhammer. They perhaps take that comparison to a whole new level here with “World on Fire,” which is essentially a straight lift of “Judas Rising,” but they continue to be on top of their game and deliver on my desire for some fresh 1980s-inspired metal. This is another great collection horn-raising, fist-throwing songs, along with the expected classic metal covers that have become a calling card – this time Ozzy Osbourne’s “Shot in the Dark” and W.A.S.P.’s “I Wanna Be Somebody.” Favorite song (at the moment): “The Dark Tower.”
DELAIN – ‘DARK WATERS’: I was saddened when Delain announced its breakup a couple of years ago after the release of the excellent Apocalypse & Chill. Band founder Martijn Westerholt then announced that he’d be continuing with new members, and I thought it was a mistake, primarily because I didn’t think he’d be able to replace the distinctive voice of Charlotte Wessels. I’ll be damned if he didn’t. At times, Diana Leah’s voice can almost be a dead ringer for Wessels, but her performance also doesn’t come off as copycat. With essentially a whole new band, Westerholt hasn’t missed a beat. Dark Waters delivers the expected mix of gothic moods, symphonic epics and heavy hitters the band has become known for. Favorite song (at the moment): “Moth to a Flame.”
IN FLAMES – ‘FOREGONE’: In Flames excited fans last year by previewing a few of the heaviest songs to be found on Foregone, fueling speculation that it would be a return to their melodic death-metal roots. It’s not. They’re not returning to the Clayman sound, but this is still the heaviest record that In Flames has done in a long, long time. For the most part, even the more mellow songs here have some hard-hitting riffs that put a smile on my face, and the songwriting is fantastic with very few skips even four months after its release and almost a year after we got the first taste. And what ‘80s rock fan wouldn’t get a kick out of the reference to Europe’s Joey Tempest and their biggest hit on “The Great Deceiver?” Favorite song (at the moment): “End the Transmission” / “A Dialogue in B Flat Minor.”
AYRON JONES – ‘CHRONICLES OF THE KID’: I’ve been aware of Ayron Jones for a few years now. I thought his stuff wasn’t bad, but nothing had really grabbed me. That was until he released “Filthy” late last year. I thought it had more personality than some of his previous work, which landed kind of in the generic blues rock/hard rock category for me. It seemed like a song that he was really feeling and became a staple of my playlist for months. There’s more of that same attitude to be found throughout Chronicles of the Kid. I don’t love it all, but the songs that I do love are seriously badass. Favorite song (at the moment): “Blood in the Water.”
METALLICA – ’72 SEASONS’: As usual, Metallica releases a fairly polarizing album that ignites feuds between those who still haven’t gotten over their change of direction in the 1990s and those, like myself, who have accepted what Metallica is now and what they’ll never be again. 72 Seasons leans heavily on the sounds that they transitioned to in the ‘90s, but a more aggressive version, and they weave bits and pieces of everything that they’ve ever done into this one. You won’t find any of the complex compositions from Master of Puppets or … And Justice for All here, you will find elements of that sound sprinkled throughout – and honestly, “Lux Aeterna” with a raw mix and James Hetfield’s old-school barking vocals, would fit right in on Kill ‘Em All. For me, this is the best thing they’ve done in 30 years. Favorite song (at the moment): “Shadows Follow.”
OVERKILL – ‘SCORCHED’: There’s arguably no 1980s thrash band that has been more consistent than Overkill. While their contemporaries were trying to find themselves in the 1990s experimenting with alternative, grunge, nu metal, electronics and even death metal sounds, Overkill kept doing Overkill things. But the band is at its best when it does those Overkill things with a little more melody and some solid hooks. There’s a certain AC/DC-ness to much of what the band does in terms of sounding the same over and over. There is some of that here on forgettable songs like “Harder They Fall,” but more often than not, Scorched gives us something memorable to latch on to. Those disappointed that Metallica didn’t return to their ‘80s thrash sound, will find a lot to like here. Favorite song (at the moment): “Wicked Place.”
NITA STRAUSS – ‘THE CALL OF THE VOID’: OK, with an early July release, the new album from Alice Cooper’s axe slinger isn’t technically a first-half record, but Strauss has dripped out so many songs from The Call of the Void over the past couple of years that I already know it’s going to be great. The album features a mix of instrumentals and guest shots by some of the biggest vocalists in metal, including Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), David Draiman (Disturbed), Anders Friden (In Flames) and, of course, Cooper himself. The songs with guests do borrow heavily from their bands, but the songwriting is solid and this is the kind of album that could establish Nita Strauss as a legitimate solo artist rather than the guitarist for other acts. Favorite song (at the moment): “The Wolf You Feed.”
TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION – ‘THE NAME LIVES ON’: Ever since 2012’s Peacemaker, I’ve been waiting for Texas Hippie Coalition to deliver its equal. The Name Lives On doesn’t quite reach that level for me, but this one – like Peacemaker – is strongly rooted in the band’s Texas and Southern metal origins. I’ve felt a lot of Texas Hippie Coalition’s albums over the years have been spotty, yet this one is entertaining from front to back with some great grooves, and of course, founder Big Dad Ritch’s over-the-top braggadocio and swagger. I think this is easily their strongest outing in the last 10 years. Favorite song (at the moment): “Hell Hounds.”
WINGER – ‘SEVEN’: No, I’m not joking. I haven’t though much about Winger since 1993’s Pull, which brought a harder edge to the band that I quite liked. Seven does that again. There are moments of pop-metal that are undoubtedly Winger scattered throughout the album, but overall the sound here is much grittier and grungier than the one that took them to the top of the charts (and made them one of the most maligned bands of the 1980s). There are great grooves on tunes like “Voodoo Fire,” heavy hard rock riffing from guitarist Reb Beach on songs like “Stick the Knife in and Twist,” and of course, a few ballads, but I’ll give those a pass when a song like the dark “Tears of Blood” comes on. That one alone is enough to put Seven on this list. Favorite song (at the moment): “Tears of Blood.”
STILL ON THE FENCE
These three records from favorite acts have gotten a lot of play time from me over the past couple of months, but I’m still on the fence about them. I’ll have more to say about all three of them at some point in the near future.
ANGUS McSIX – ‘ANGUS McSIX AND THE SWORD OF POWER’: For his first solo foray after being unceremoniously fired from Gloryhammer, vocalist Thomas Winkler takes on the role of Angus McSix (“one better” than his Gloryhammer character Angus McFife) in a display of impressive pettiness that followed through in the opening salvo from this album, “Master of the Universe,” which addresses his “rebirth.” Despite some strong songs and an impressive band lineup of power-metal veterans, much of Angus McSix and the Sword of Power ends up being pretty generic and interchangeable. It has grown on me in the few months since its release, but I’m still not sure where I land on it. It’s one saving grace, though, is the disco metal third song “Laser-Shooting Dinosaur.” It gives me all the goofiness that I loved about his past work, and it’s honestly the most fun I’ve had with a song this year. Favorite song (at the moment): “Laser-Shooting Dinosaur.”
EXTREME – ‘SIX’: Randy Rhoads made me want to pick up the guitar, while Nuno Bettencourt who made me want to master it. Sadly, that wasn’t my destiny, but I’m always excited to hear rare new music from Extreme. The first three singles had me completely pumped for this one. “Rise” brought a heavier sound than their previous material. “Banshee” is a better Aerosmith song than Aerosmith has written in 30-plus years. “#Rebel” swaggers with heavy attitude. Unfortunately, for me, Six didn’t live up to the promise made by those three songs. The rest of the tracks are a much more eclectic mix, heavy on the ballads and with a good bit of experimentation and at least one song that I never need to hear again in life. It’s a good album, but I really, really wanted that straightforward heavy rock album that it sounded like we were getting. Favorite song (at the moment): “Banshee.”
GLORYHAMMER – ‘RETURN TO THE KINGDOM OF FIFE’: In their first outing with new vocalist Sozos Michael, Gloryhammer delivers some of their most complex compositions, and yet it’s falling a little flat for me. Return to the Kingdom of Fife is good, and at times as much fun as their first three records, but seems to lack some of the character and energy of those outings as well. It would be easy to blame my lack of enthusiasm on the vocal change and, indeed, I think Michael is a very good singer but I don’t believe he embodies the character of Angus McFife the way that his predecessor did. Still, I don’t think that’s all of it. There just seems to be something else missing, though I can’t really say what that is. I’m just not having as much fun. Return to the Kingdom of Fife has grown on me over the past couple of months (I absolutely hated it the first time I heard it), and maybe it will continue to do so. I don’t think it will ever come close in my mind to Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards or Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex. Favorite song (at the moment): “Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost.”
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