29 January 2015

The Vintage Caravan are a mystery. »Arrival«, the third full-length from this Icelandic trio implies a maturity worthy of any band that has been on the road for some decades and enjoyed their share of smoked-filled seedy backstage rooms reeking of stale beer. A relaxed rocker like ‘Winter Queen’, with its perfectly-timed build-up and meticulous solos speaks of a long-experienced songwriter worth his salt. The blues-soaked ‘Monolith’ is as cleverly assembled as the percussion-driven heavyweight ‘Last Day Of Light’ or the shapeshifting semi-ballad, half-groove monster ‘Eclipsed’, or the whirling psychedelic trip offered by ‘Babylon’. The hand of a masterful composer can clearly be seen at work in each and every of the diverse songs featured on »Arrival« combined with a rare musicality on the instrumental and vocal side that can easily match those rock giants of the 70's. Yet that hand belongs to a kid or rather kids barely out of their teens.

Level 10 is a new Trans-Atlantic Metallic alliance between powerhouse vocalist Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) and the charismatic bassist/producer/writer Mat Sinner, one of the real flags of German Heavy Metal music.

Though they began as a hard-driving funk outfit, Lionel Ritchie's Commodores soon became Premier League purveyors of super soulful ballads. Songs like 'Easy' and 'Three Times A Lady' were instant hits and remain classics. Those songs lead off this brand new collection which also includes lots of lesser known ballads and rare romantic gems. Together with the hits, they prove that the Commodores love catalogue is second to none.

The ongoing SACD series of orchestral works byWeinberg now explores some lesser-known, late works of the composer. This disc features the last two Chamber Symphonies, which indeed reflect a largely hidden, yet still prolific period of his life. The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, recording with Chandos for the first time, is conducted by the highly experienced and versatile Thord Svedlund.