Treat – The Endgame (Frontiers)

 

Treat was always one of those bands that wrote and recorded great music.  This Swedish outfit was never on the forefront when it comes to the popularity, but their records were solid.  They enjoyed a cult following around the world, and the fact that in 2022 they are still making music speaks volumes.  Their style can be described as melodic hard rock. 

Endgame is a heavy hitter from the very beginning.  The album is full of great melodies, catchy choruses, and outstanding performances.  In many ways, it’s a perfect record, that will get you singing along and stumping your foot to the rhythm.  The band certainly got a brand-new trick to fool the grim reaper, and it works!

The album has a very strong 80s feel.  There are plenty of great leads, harmonies, and some cool lyrics to go along.  Produced by Peter Mansson for Vendelay Industries, and that should get all Seinfeld fans alarmed.  The production aspect of the album is spotless.  The record sounds beautiful.

The songs rock hard, and this writer would be chuffed to see the band live with this material all the way through.  The opening, Freudian Slip, sets the tone.  Things get deeper with Rabbit Hole.  Sinbiosis continues this great feel and so on.  The tracks just happen, and they make The Endgame and exceptional album from start to finish.

Treat proves that traditional heavy metal is alive and well in Sweden.  The Endgame is record that focuses on quality melodies, and power.  There is nothing to complain about here, but give this great record another spin, and enjoy the music.  Perfectly crafted, and beautifully executed.

Mark Kadzielawa

Black Swan – Generation Mind (Frontiers)

This is a perfect melodic hard rock record.  Great listen, filled high energy performance and catchy songs.  Generation Mind is a second album from Black Swan.  A supergroup put together by vocalist, Robin McAuley, guitarist, Reb Beach, bassist, Jeff Pilson, and drummer, Matt Starr.  All of those players proved themselves repeatedly on the hard rock circuit, only to deliver another stunning record.

Black Swan seemed like another one-off project, but it’s not the case here.  They came back for another one, and their sophomore effort blows away the debut album.  One great track follows another, not a filler in sight.  You want to play this CD as soon as it finishes.  Strong and memorable melodies all over the place.

Vocalist, Robin McAuley, shines here.  The man is certainly getting better with age.  His voice was always strong and melodic, but he’s getting even more flexible with how he is applying himself.  McAuley is simply singing even better than he ever did before.  This was already noticeable during his time with Michael Schenker Fest, but here we get a larger dose of his vocals.

All twelve tracks on Generation Mind are extremely melodic and memorable.  The album does have that 80s cool vibe.  The band delivers an excellent instrumental performance, and the production is beautifully handled by Jeff Pilson.  Reb Beach is incredible.  His tone and riffing absolutely superb.  Strong effort from every possible angle.

Black Swan is a melodic heaven for the hard rock lovers.  Let’s hope they can take this album on the road, and properly promote it.  Considering that each member of this band has other commitments we may be asking for a lot, but hell, we deserve it!  Generation Mind is as perfect as it gets!

Mark Kadzielawa

Amorphis – The Forge, Joliet, Illinois 4-19-20 (words and images by Mark Kadzielawa)

 Amorphis just released another great album, Halo, and now they are promoting the album on the road.  The stop at Joliet was very impressive.  The band sounds creatively at the top of their game, and their show was also very inventive, and intense.

Amorphis opened with two tracks from the latest album.  Northwards and On the Dark Waters were delivered to enthusiastic Joliet crowd.  The band came across very tight, well rehearsed, and ready to smoke.  Their music was very nicely illustrated by a great light show.  There were different shades of blue and red, the two colors dominated the show completely.  It was an ideal match between the music and the visuals.

Singer, Tomi Joutsen, worked the crowd with all his might, navigating between all of his vocal registers.  Guitarists, Esa Holopainen, and Tomi Koivusaari, enjoyed a very creative dialog through their instruments.  It was a joy to watch these two players in action.  Oli-Pekka Laine played solid bass rhythms, and drummer, Jan Rechberger, added the aggression.  Santeri Kallio provided a lot of color on his keyboards.  His playing definitely sets Amorphis apart from other bands.  At times, his keyboard parts were reminiscent of those from Tony Carey of Rainbow.  All six players from Amorphis create one powerful unit.

The band played a number of older tracks, and they do have a large catalog to draw from.  I liked how the old songs worked well with the newest material.  There is definitely the band’s style that connects it all together.  Amorphis played a very well-balanced set, but clearly promoting the new album, and rightfully so. 

There were so many musical highlights taking place on the Joliet stage.  Heart of the Giant from the excellent Queen of Time album, was definitely a turning point of the show, as was the title track of the current album.  Some amazing guitar harmonies were played on top of very catchy melodies.  Into Hiding went back into the 1990s, and reminded everyone of the great beginnings of this band.  Amorphis gave a great overview of their long career through this set.

Amorphis is definitely one of the more original band on the death metal scene.  Their combination of folk themes, melodic lines, and progressive rock influences creates a winning formula.  There isn’t anyone quite like Amorphis, and they prove it with each album released.  They are a pride of Finland, and this evening they brought that to Joliet.

Mark Kadzielawa

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Blades of Steel Festival – Club Garibaldi's, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 7-9, 2022 (words and images by Mark Kadzielawa)

 

The Blades of Steel festival was absolutely a great experience.  Over the three days, countless bands took the stage, and shared their passion with the fans.  The festival was very well organized, and attended.  Club Garibaldi's is a midsize venue where you can experience a show in a very intimate setting.  Promoter, Randy Kastner, organized the whole event, he was the ringleader.

The festival had a very nice feel.  The security was literally invisible, and there wasn’t a simple situation where security would be needed.  It was a like-minded event for the bands and the fans.  Everyone was sharing one common experience, the love for the music.  The fans were friendly, and very easy going.  On numerous occasions this writer recalls striking friendly conversation with complete strangers.  It felt good, and the was a good vibe all over the place.

Such festivals often bring bands that are not regularly touring, or not at all in some cases.  It was a great chance to see such groups, experience them live, or simply check them off the bucket list.  Plenty of up-and-coming acts too, and of course many cool surprises.  There were many instances where a newer bands would play, truly deliver on stage, and later attract many fans to their merchandise table.  It was great to see many younger acts gaining new fans.  The main core of the audience was here to see the well-established bands, or the legendary bands with only cult following.  Whatever it was you were looking for, Blades of Steel festival delivered it.

Every band that played over the three days span delivered the goods.  Each band was great in their own way, and amazing to see.  Every musician present rose up to the occasion, and made their time on stage very special.  The fans certainly had their favorites, and that was absolutely great.  There was harmony, undisputed love of music, and great conversations.  The metal community certainly came as one.

In addition, there were plenty of vendors selling, CDs, vinyl, t-shirts.  You could definitely empty your piggy bank for all the goodies available.  This writer certainly walked away with some rarities to be enjoyed.  The place had a very fan friendly policy.  You could go outside, have a smoke, or just hang out.  There were cool food places, and other bars in the neighborhood.  Club Garibaldi's also had a great kitchen where you could dine, but there were other options near-by.  Plenty of parking place on the local streets, free of charge.  And if you needed to clear your mind, you could walk and relax by Lake Michigan for a few minutes.  It was a short walking distance away from the club.

The Blades of Steel festival was a one of a kind experience.  Many thanks to promoter, Randy Kastner, who masterminded the whole event, and the line-up.  Kastner credits his crew and the fans who in his opinion were the real champions of the event, and he is right.  Many fans are certainly looking forward to next edition of this awesome festival.

Mark Kadzielawa

THE VISUAL REVIEWS

DAY 1

SQUIDHAMMER

WOLFTOOTH

BLOODLETTER

MOLDER

SKELETAL REMAINS

WHIPLASH

DAY 2

FSA

TANTIVY

SAVAGE MASTER

MORDRED

DEFIANCE

REALM

D.R.I.

DAY 3

BLACK KNIFE

INNER DECAY

BRAY ROAD

WRAITH

IRONFLAME

MORTUARY

DAMIEN

NUN SLAUGHTER

TOXIK