Power Play (2003)

This is an excellent effort by that infinite genius. Magnum Opus features some fantastic songs like Vangeance, Voodoo and Time will tell. Even an ordinary ballad like I'd die without you is given a sterling edge by the power of Malmsteen's soloing. But the real classic on this album, is the instrumental Amberdawn…

More than 20 years after Captain Beefheart's last musical outing, the Magic Band (sans the Captain) reconvened for the 2003 All Tomorrow's Parties festival. Actually, it's a Magic Band that never was, consisting of Drumbo (John French) on drums, vocals, and harmonica; Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) on bass; and guitarists Mantis and Feelers Reebo (Gary Lucas and Denny Walley, respectively). (For the live shows, Robert Williams – another Magic Band alumnus – took over the drum chair when Drumbo had to sing and play harp.) Of course, these guys knew the material, but they don't just play the tunes, they attack them, summoning up the controlled chaos that made the original Captain Beefheart recordings such singular achievements.

At Vance play it safe with their fifth album in as many years, 2003's The Evil in You, which offers textbook Teutonic power metal identical in nature to the rest of their recorded output – as well as to the bulk of their country's contributions to the heavy metal genre in the past, oh, 20 years…

War Child was Jethro Tull's first album after two chart-toppers, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, and was one of those records that was a hit the day it was announced (it was certified platinum based on pre-orders, the last Tull album to earn platinum record status). It never made the impression of its predecessors, however, as it was a return to standard-length songs following two epic-length pieces. It was inevitable that the material would lack power, if only because the opportunity for development that gave Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play some of their power.

War Child was Jethro Tull's first album after two chart-toppers, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, and was one of those records that was a hit the day it was announced (it was certified platinum based on pre-orders, the last Tull album to earn platinum record status). It never made the impression of its predecessors, however, as it was a return to standard-length songs following two epic-length pieces. It was inevitable that the material would lack power, if only because the opportunity for development that gave Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play some of their power.

After well over a dozen albums, Helloween still has an impressive knack for grafting memorably anthemic choruses over full-throttle power metal. What's more, their quieter, more melodic moments never dissolve into schmaltzy sentimentality (a mistake made too often by the band's many followers); the ballad "Don't Stop Being Crazy" has a certain pathos without being corny…

Uli Jon Roth - Metamorphosis Of Vivaldi's Four Seasons
FLAC | EAC, LOG & CUE | Disc Only Scan | Size: 345 MB | HF + FS
Cat#: Nippon Crown CRCL-4819 [Promo] | Country/Year: Japan 2003

Metaporphosis of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is a musical piece featuring guitarist Uli Jon Roth's interpretation of 'Antonio Vivaldi's work The Four Seasons, in a rock-classical fusion. The album also includes a new concerto, "Metamorphosis". "Metamorphosis" is separated into 24 tracks bridged by soundscapes and narration. It was released in Europe and Japan in 2003, and in North America in 2004.

On this high-power album, the larger than life New York bluesman goes back to the roots of post-war Chicago Blues and plays famous tracks by Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Willie Dixon, etc.He's joined by leading contemporary blues stars Bill Perry, Mason Casey, Matt Smith, Jean-Jacques Milteau, Paul Personne and Dimitri Archip from the Black Coffee Blues Band.On "Old School", Popa Chubby (who recently played some UK gigs) smokes TNT, drinks dynamite and shows he can put some speed on the classic tracks of his blues heroes.

Onmyo-za is a band that is difficult to categorize. The band members themselves introduce their music as "Yokai Heavy Metal," with yokai (creatures from Japanese folklore) being the subject matter for many of their songs. This however, does not give full scope to the wide range of styles that the band performs, including pop, rock, ballads and their own special matsuri (traditional Japanese festival) style compositions that end every concert performance. Admittedly their music is deeply influenced by orthodox heavy metal, but there are also many aspects of traditional Japanese music woven throughout their compositions…