Revelations - Grip of DarknessRocking like it's 1979. And that's a good thing.
Funneling the passion and riff-mastery of the best of the NWOBHM through the pantheon of rock that has come since. "Strange Dreams" charges with the urgency of early "Running Free" Iron Maiden with the melodic sensibility of some US 70's hard rockers like Legs Diamond. A totally Maiden bass line kicks it off before the killer dual guitars come raging in. Vocals are clean and nuanced enough to rock with a classic 70's vengeance and avoid any MOR mediocrity. An absolute classic metal cut.
"Under the Gun" brings on the passion of early Rainbow or Heaven and Hell-era Sabbath complete with big, thick, ballsy riffs. Break out the brass knuckles, Revelations got a bar fight to go to and I'm jumping into the fray. "Grip of Darkness" really channels the Dio. Think of some early metal bands like "Sin after Sin" era Priest joining a street gang with obscurities like Dirty Tricks with Dio presiding over the street war and you'll get the idea. Fiery, straight ahead burning rock and roll. Just keeps getting better the more I listen to it.
One of my top releases of the year.
The Rising Sun Experience - Beyond the Obvious AbyssFlying acid rock taking off in a purple haze of Hendrix-ian wail and feedback. Toss in some massive Hammond organ and heart full of soul and we got ourselves a full on cooker! So steeped in the '70's it should be unlawful to play these jams without elephant bell bottoms and flowing lava lamps. But then why would you want to. The whole intent here is to tear off a piece of the paper and let the freak flag fly. And I suggest you do. Crank up the speakers and tune into "Wasted Dreams of Red Flowers" (all six versions of it!!) with the lava lamp and black lights burning. Prepare to lose your mind in the swirl. Great stuff.
Rog & Pip - Our RevolutionWow. I have no idea where this one came from. A long lost band that I'd never heard of, but I'd recently been on a massive Slade and old school glam kick, wondering what happened to the good old days of velvet pant glam. Then, suddenly, like a bolt of flowery shirt lightning, Rog & Pip pops up on my iPod with their stately Slade-esque glam anthem "Why Won't You Do What I Want?" and my all of my questions were answered. Rocking a voice borrowed from Noddy Holder's larynx, full of gargle and flair, Rog & Pip picked up the Slade banner and charged right to the front line. "My Revolution" leads the charge in their assault on bland, formulaic, producer-driven drivel rock. Fuzzy and garagey and . . . well . . . .Slade-y, nothing was going stop Rog & Pip in their intent to jam glam right down the world's ear pipes. "Rock with Me" brings in a Mott vs T. Rex wavefront to keep the armies of glam energized.
So, if you're like me and miss the glory days of flared corduroys and pirate shirts, feel free to enlist in the Rog & Pip long lost revolution. The enemy is bland rock and I gotta feel that Rog & Pip are the winning side in this war.
--Racer
