Vendetta – Black as Coal (Massacre Records)

 

Vendetta is a veteran speed metal band from Germany, although the only remaining member from the old days is the bass player, Klaus Ullrich.  The rest of the members joined the band within the last 20 years or so.  Black as Coal delivers the goods in a big way, and it totally feels like Vendetta.

This is a very dark and heavy album.  It does have a feel of the 1980s thrash, but it also has a modern flavor, and a top-notch production.  It’s a great album all the way through, each track attacks you with a punch.  Solid riffing, and plenty of twists and turns.

Black as Coal continues a great legacy that began back in the 1980s.  The current version of Vendetta wrote some heavy tunes and delivered an outstanding album.  Make no mistake about getting this album, and playing it repeatedly.

Mark Kadzielawa

Meddle Reimagined: A Tribute to Pink Floyd (Cleopatra)

 

At first the idea seemed little weird, but the final effect is more than impressive!  Nearly 30 artists were put together to have a go at Pink Floyd’s Meddle album.  Not the most known album, but certainly a great one.  What we have here are different tracks performed by different musicians, all adding their own stamp on the songs, and often taking it somewhere else. 

There is a sense of adventure here, and it’s what makes this album exciting, and not another boring tribute.  Some of these guys completely removed from the world of Pink Floyd.  Some examples that come to mind is Graham Bonnet of Rainbow fame, David J of Bauhaus, or Captain Sensible from The Damned. 

This project is really all about taking risks, not following the obvious, but not losing the sense of it all.  Each listen is a surprising one, there’s something special about this record.  Even after repeated listens it’s difficult to pinpoint as to what that is.  Pink Floyd fans may actually be taken with what was achieved here.  You will hear Meddle unlike any other time before for sure!

Mark Kadzielawa

Firewind – Still Raging (AFM Records)

 

Still Raging is a 20th anniversary live record!  Firewind celebrates two decades of music in this very special show.  Presented here in audio and video versions, and it’s all in one package.  That right there is a great deal!

This is a pure heavy metal show, the band is in great shape, and the audience responds accordingly.  Great exchange of the energy throughout the entire show.  Firewind brings the best it has to offer, and this celebration is grandiose.  Even watching this in action builds up some sweat!

Gus G may be known as the guitar player who once played with Ozzy, but this is old news.  This set is all things Firewind.  Gus G is definitely navigating the mothership on his own, and his vision is quite clear as to what he wants to achieve. 

Still Raging will invite you into a Firewind show, and in no time, you will feel like you were there.  Whether you listen, or watch, the effect is the same.  This set is beautifully put together, and a real treat for the fans.  Perhaps a good point of entry for a new fan who wants to find out what Firewind is all about.  Excellent overview of the last 20 years!!!

Mark Kadzielawa

Jack Starr's Burning Starr - Metal Generation 1985-2017 (Global Rock)

 

Jack Starr is one of the more distinguished heavy metal personalities in the United States.  The guitarist got his start in Virgin Steele, but then continued on his own, eventually starting his longest running project, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr.  The band released Rock the America Way back in 1985, and they are still doing just that.  Over the years, there were many configurations of Burning Starr, all of them very distinct and unique sounding.  This set is a fantastic overview of a very long and impressive career.

Metal Generation 1985-2017 includes seven CDs filled with Burning Starr albums, side projects, rarities, and live recordings.  The albums in this set include: Rock the American Way, No Turning Back, Blaze of Glory, Burning Starr, Under a Savage Sky, Land of The Dead, Stand Your Ground, and Keep The Metal Burning: Live in Germany.  In addition to these records, there are recordings of the Strider Project from 1991, and a disc or rarities, From the Vault.  Many of the records included here are out of print, or difficult to track down.  Keep The Metal Burning: Live in Germany was only available digitally up until now.  One of the biggest surprises is Under a Savage Sky.  Originally it was released back in 2003, as Jack Starr’s Guardians of The Flame.  It was a band, Starr had with the late singer, Shmoulik Avigal, of Picture fame.  It was an incredible album that never got properly recognized.  Here’s your chance to hear it, although it now presented as a Burning Starr record.  Technically speaking, besides Defiance from 2009, and the most recent, Souls of The Innocent, this set includes everything Burning Starr ever did.

Burning Starr plays a very traditional metal, in fact Jack Starr is one of the pioneers of the genre on this side of the Atlantic.  While the band wasn’t always the flavor of the month, they always delivered uncompromising albums that stood on its own.  Even after so many years later, these albums still rock and feel fresh.  The production wasn’t always top notch, but the spirit was always there.  Listening to this set is a trip down the memory lane.  Not only do you hear the music, but see events that were taking place as this music was being released.  In many ways one may realize how significant these songs were.

Metal Generation 1985-2017 is a great set of heavy metal history.  The discs are accompanied by a very informative booklet.  The whole story is very nicely explained with many great details, and some interesting trivia.  It makes this box a whole.  If you never heard of Burning Starr, this is a great place to start, if you already a fan, you want this for the rarities and completion purposes.  It’s definitely a must have either way!

Mark Kadzielawa

The Mission, The Chameleons, Theatre of Hate - Thalia Hall, Chicago 10/6/23

 

What an amazing evening of alternative new wave music from the British Isles.  The three bands that performed tonight are very specific in their respective subgenres, and incredibly influential in the world of new wave music.  You simply couldn’t dream of better pairing that could speak to the audience on so many different levels.

Theatre of Hate got on stage first, and quickly established a very good rapport with the audience.  The band was well rehearsed and flowing, and there was a bit of mystery about the way they played.  This legendary outfit goes back all the way to 1980, and represents the post punk underground at its absolute best.  Vocalist/guitarist, Kirk Brandon, was commanding the show, and setting the tone song after song.  Bassist, Stan Stammers, added a lot of feel with his very colorful rhythms.  His interaction with drummer, Chris Bell, was extremely impressive.  Saxophonist, Clive Osbourne, was the key element here.  While not completely up front, it was Osbourne’s saxophone parts that brought each song to life. 

There was amazing musical interaction between the four members of Theatre of Hate.  They even played, Grapes of Wrath, a song by Spear of Destiny, which another legendary band that Kirk Brandon is part of.  It was great to hear that song, as much as Judgement Hymn, or Do You Believe in West World.  It’s odd how these songs take on a different meaning decades after they were written.  Theatre of Hate proved they are a timeless band, and should definitely enjoy more than a cult status on this side of the Atlantic.

The Chameleons were next, and it yet another legend to grace the Thalia Hall stage in the same evening.  They came on strong with A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days, and this couldn’t be more-true when you’re in the middle of Chicago.  From the first song onward, The Chameleons had the crowd captivated and engaged.  Each song took the band to a new high, and the audience was there right along with them.

Bassist/vocalist, Mark Burgess, was very charismatic, and delivered a very good show.  There was a bit of trauma, as Burgess’s mother passed away only few days before this performance.  He carried through, and added a lot of sorrow and spirituality into his delivery.  The Chameleons worked well as a unit, left the crowd more than satisfied with their brand of post punk rock.

The Mission were the main attraction of the evening, and they hist the stage with Beyond the Pale, setting the right mood for the rest of the evening.  There was a very natural flow in how The Mission acted, and played the songs.  There was nothing forced about their show, just a band having fun, and making their audience happy.  Even though the nature of many of their songs may be melancholic, or even outright morbid, there was a lot of humor in how vocalist/guitarist, Wayne Hussey, handled himself.  At 65, Hussey, sounded great, and seemed just as vital as he was back in 1988 at the Metro.  Hussey himself may argue the point, but the fans were happy to see him again playing those great songs.

Besides Hussey, the band featured Craig Adams on bass, and Simon Hinkler on guitar from the original line up of the band.  Alex Baum, was playing drums for The Mission, and he did a mighty good job with those songs, even scoring a short drum solo.  These players knew each other inside out, you could feel the good vibes coming from the stage, and a perfect execution of the songs that followed. 

The Mission played a very varied set.  There was a combination of classic tracks like Wasteland, Severina, Deliverance, or Butterfly on a Wheel which brought the house down with each chord.  The band played several deeper cuts from the middle part of their career.  Songs like Met-Amor-Phosis, or Afterglow, which also worked great, and got great reactions from the audience.  The band closed their most ultimate classic of all, which is Tower of Strength, and that was a great way to conclude the show.

There was a very relaxed atmosphere throughout the show.  The bands were great, and you could sense of community of commitment within the ranks of the fans.  Everyone was having a great time, hearing some great tunes, and seeing legendary bands bringing back some of the best memories from the past.  But let’s not stay too deep in the past, all three groups are very much forward thinking, and they still write and release new music, which deserves your attention, and support.  Amazing evening of three very special and unique bands.  Catch them if they come through your town.

Mark Kadzielawa

GALLERY

THE MISSION

THE CHAMELEONS

THEATRE OF HATE

Mercurius – The Anatomy of Depression (self-release)

 

This record is simply incredible!  Mercurius is probably the most refreshing progressive metal band to come onto the scene.  They are a very young group, and they hail from Tarnow, Poland.  From the first sounds, there is a level of suspense in their music, and it pretty much stays that way throughout the entire album.  It’s an incredibly mature sounding album, and all the players are their early 20s. 

The Anatomy of Depression is a very much a guitar driven album, and both players, Mateusz and Adrian Kuchyt, brothers in real life, create one of a kind atmosphere.  The album is filled with very tasty licks, and ideas that give each song a purpose and a solution.  Both players concentrate on what each song needs, and perfectly execute.  The soloing is very creative, and at time minimal to great effects.  Vocalist, Mateusz Mazanek, is more like another instrument.  His voice adds the color to already rich sounds.  Mazanek’s delivery is very emotional, and the lyrics portray a deeper sensitivity.  Add the very reliable rhythm section, Patryk Pogan (b.) and Jakub Piotrowski (dr.), and the picture is complete.

The music on this record is very spiritual.  The beauty of it all is that the group takes the listener along on a journey, and displays the feelings they are trying to show.  This aspect makes you want to listen to this album over and over again.  The songs have very clever melodies, some are very obvious, others come out at you as you experience the record.  Also, as mentioned before, lyrically, this is a psychology session in progress.  Mercurius deals with very grown-up issues, and often questions the idea of the existence.  Things can get very personal here if you let it.

Musically, Mercurius, clearly stands out on its own.  They are original, and incredibly skillful.  There are some traces of what Dream Theater is doing, or latter-day Fates Warning, in their music, but generally speaking, Mercurious lives and breathes in its own aura.  The Anatomy of Depression is by far one of the finest albums of the year, and one can only wonder how they will follow it.  Brilliant in every way possible!

Mark Kadzielawa

Kamelot - Vic Theatre, Chicago 8/24/23 (visual review - all images by Mark Kadzielawa)