Halford - Resurrection
Review by Martin Roger

BMG/CMC International Records - 2000
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When I first put this disc on I thought I had Metal Works on, as I was hearing Judas Priest at it's best. Yet it was Rob Halford returning to his metal roots with hard guitar rock with his trademark screaming vocals. Opening with the title track, Rob puts the heavy back into metal. Made In Hell, Silent Scream and Saviour are just incredible. My big disappointment is the fact that two of the best song on this album was only release in Japan. The bonuses song Sad Wings of Destiny and Hell Last Survivor are very good. If you want to get the MP3 of those songs, I suggest that you visit www.judas-priest.com

If you dig Priest or metal this is a must have. Great production from Roy Z and the band is tight and powerful. Long Live Metal!

4/5

Helloween - The Dark Ride
Review by Martin Roger

Nuclear Blast - 2000
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With the release of "Better than Raw" I thought that it was the greatest album of Helloween since Andi Deris join the band. But "The Dark Ride" is even better. It seems that they improve with each new album.

Roy Z was co producing this release. He had done such a fantastic job with Rob Halford earlier this year. Z is joined by Charlie Bauerfeind behind the console. The rumour was that this disc would be a heavier CD for Helloween. Well they have definitely delivered on that. This CD is indeed heavier overall than "Better Than Raw" without sacrificing any of the signature Helloween sound.

After a short intro track "Beyond the Portal" the band kicks into high gear with "Mr. Torture", an upbeat song with heavy riffing, a traditional sounding Helloween chorus, and humorous lyrics about a guy who sells S&M services via the phone and the internet. The ride continues with "All Over The Nations" which to me is kind of reminiscent of classic Keepers era Helloween. Andi Deris is no Michael Kiske but he has a distinctive voice that fits perfectly with the Helloween sound. "Escalation 666" is one of the heavier tunes on the CD. If anyone says that power metal is too happy then they should listen to this track. Nothing happy there. The first single is "If I Could Fly" is a mid tempo track that uses piano to augment the main riff. When I first heard this track on an advance single it took me a few minutes to warm up to the sound but it has since become one of my favourite tracks on the disc. Now, for some reason, "Salvation" reminds me of Gamma Ray. It could be just because both bands are so historically intertwined but my first thought when I heard this song was of Kai Hanson's band of merry metallers. "Immortal" is a very good ballad that sets up the CD closer "The Dark Ride". This is an almost 9 minute track penned by guitarist Roland Grapow. As with most of the other tracks this song deals with a darker side of life. "One way ticket, there is no returning, leave your soul at the gates. Out of doubt - No hope, Satan feeds our madness, insanity confirms where we stand." Very cool stuff and a bit of a different path for Helloween.

5/5

Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy
Review by Martin Roger

Noise - 2000
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With help from producer Sascha Paeth, Kamelot has recorded an album that is more symphonic than what they have done before. The result is also a very strong album, and this is definitely not just because of Sascha. The band has written some very good tunes, and they manage to give us some diversity. The title track is very fast, but when Khan starts to sing he comes up with some surprising melody lines. He takes the song in a different direction from what you expected, and I have to say that it turns out excellent. There are quite a few tracks here which are fast, but some very well arranged ballads are outstanding. More diversity is to be found in "Nights of Arabia", which (not surprisingly) have some Arabic inspirations. In every possible way this is a fine album, and you just have to own a copy of it.

3/5

Startovarius - Infinite
Review by Martin Roger

Nuclear Blast - 2000
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Did these guys invent the wheel? No way, and if that bothers you just stop reading. This time I see that Stratovarius has renewed themselves a little, and maybe gone in the direction they should have chosen after "Episode". Fact is, this is their best CD since "Episode". It is more progressive than before, without really being progressive, and it is more symphonic than ever, still without really being symphonic… Timo Tolkki has developed as a guitar wiz, at an age where guitar players too often get boring, but the really impressive part here, playingwise, is the freak Jens Johansson. What a madman!!!

Many people claim that these guys have achieved a lot that many other bands also deserve, and therefore they bitch about them. My piece of advice is to support Stratovarius, and let them lead the way for the others. Stratovarius has what it takes to bring the metal back to the charts, so let's help them out!

5/5

Rhapsody - Dawn Of Victory
Review by Martin Roger

SPV/Limb Music - 2000
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The undisputed "Kings of Italian Hobbit Metal" have returned with Dawn of Victory, a much more violent and bloody chapter in the saga of the Emerald Sword.. And for this, fans of Rhapsody should be thankful...

According to guitarist Luca Turilli, the band likes to write music which adequately reflects the moods set by the lyrics, therefore the majority of the songs on Dawn of Victory are faster and heavier with fewer "mellow breakdowns" than the songs on their previous two albums. While I enjoyed Rhapsody’s earlier CD’s very much, I took an immense liking to this new release right away. Without compromising their heavily orchestrated sound, they’ve managed to write some incredible double-bass laden Power Metal tunes like "Triumph For My Magic Steel", the Yngwie-esque "Dargor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain", "Holy Thunderforce", "The Last Winged Unicorn", and the title track. Amazing stuff, to say the least.

If you liked Rhapsody’s previous works, then Dawn of Victory is an absolute MUST HAVE!!! Yes, it’s full of classical and folk music elements... Yes, it has huge sounding choral arrangements... Yes, it contains lyrics about warriors, wizards, and demons... But don’t let that deter you, GET IT NOW!!!

6/5