Helloween - Master of The Rings (1994)

After two very strange records and a shuffling of the line-up, Helloween emerged in 1994 as a reborn band, seemingly with a goal to completely erase both "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" and "Chameleon" from existence by going back to the band's roots. The title "Master of The Rings" sure has a nice ring to it (pun intended), taking us back to the fantasy realm where close to anything can happen, but who is the master? Maybe it is the video game part of my brain talking, but it cannot be anyone else than that blue blur known as Sonic The Hedgehog. Let us see if he makes an appearance, telling the band "You're too slow, come on, step it up".

It is funny that I talk about Sonic, because we do get a song dedicated to video games called "The Game Is On", talking that it could be a good way to escape reality and have some fun, as long as you do it responsibly. The lyrical themes are otherwise going in all sorts of directions, like doubts in faith inn "Why?", making sweet love in "Secret Alibi", and even giving former singer Michael Kiske a brutal slamming in "Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)". Ouch, that has to hurt.

While we are in the topics of singers, let us discuss Kiske's replacement, Mr. Andi Deris, who was picked up from Pink Cream 69. In terms of pure talent and range, Andi is definitely a down grade for Helloween, he just cannot match what Kiske could do, but he still has a unique tone to him that does fit the heavier side of the band. He is definitely not some average Joe that you are gonna forget, he gives his all, and does so in his way, which is probably why he is still with the band over 20 years later.

Andi does get a good amount of opportunities to shine in this record, because "Master of The Rings" has a bunch of really enjoyable tunes. "Sole Survivor" and "Where The Rain Grows" opens up the record with classic old school power metal, it is powerful, epic, and catchy as all hell. "Perfect Gentleman" shows off a more groovy and less serious side of the band that just feels fun, and "Still We Go" closes the album in an full on HammerFall-like offense. It is a dynamic record that may not have the same fire power as the "Keeper..." albums, but it is still a fun record to listen to.

However, even if the album is dynamic, it has sort of the same problem that "Chameleon" had, and that is that it feels sort of like a collaboration album, with songs that could have been made by other bands. "Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)" could have been a Queensrÿche song, and "In The Middle of A Heartbeat" could have been written by Bon Jovi. Then we have the most bonkers song in the entire record, "Take Me Home". I had to triple check to see if this was not a cover, because this track sounds so much like Van Halen that it just could not be an original track. It has everything that makes Van Halen what they are, the fast paced groove, the confident swagger, and the deciding factor, the guitars. Michael Weikath and Roland Grapow brings out their inner Eddie Van Halen and goes ballistic with insane riffs and solos that Eddie himself would be either proud over, or mad because they they straight out copied his style. I bet both Michael and Roland did a ton of practice on "Eruption" in their youth, and they nailed this one, creating a fun as hell song that is a clear stand out.

Overall, "Master of The Rings" is a clear return to form for Helloween, at least in the eyes of those who enjoyed their first three records, but not the two after those. For me, this is for sure a fun record that displays a band that has once again found harmony, a group that felt with ease in where they were at. It still has its fair share of bumps on the road, so the ride does not come out limousine quality of smoothness, but it is still a fun ride nonetheless. It is not like you are flying on a giant, golden ring in space, more like a four wheeler in the woods.

Songs worthy of recognition: Where The Rain Grows, Take Me Home, Still We Go

Rating: 7,5/10 Perfect Gentlemen

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Walls of Jericho
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Keeper of The Seven Keys: Part 2
Pink Bubbles Go Ape
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The Dark Ride
Rabbit Don't Come Easy
Keeper of The Seven Keys: The Legacy
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Slayer - Divine Intervention (1994)

Whenever a band lose a founding member, or a member that has been with the band for a long time, there is surely going to be changes not only in the line-up, but in the chemistry as well. While it seems like the separation between Dave Lombardo and the rest of Slayer went without any particular hick ups, the first album without him was a clear showing that Slayer had been shaken up to its core.

It is obvious from the beginning that "Divine Intervention" is not a future classic, because the production here is really gritty (and not the good kind). I guess the band and Rick Rubin wanted to create the same sound that they got from "Reign In Blood", but they over thought their design here, spending so much time to perfect it that it just becomes stale. There is no heart behind this production, and it hurts the album a lot.

Deep inside though, it is the classic Slayer that we get treated with. It is evil thrash with rabid riffs and demonic vocals. Still, there is something missing, something vital. I really cannot put my finger on it, but there is something (besides the sub par production) that just makes "Divine Intervention"... mediocre. The band tries their best, pummeling on and on with all their might, but they just cannot seem to get past the wall they try to break.

Some songs does punch a hole or two though, and it makes the album much more bearable than it would have otherwise been. "Dittohead" is one of the most aggressive pieces I have heard from the band, blazing through every part of their register in just over 2 and a half minutes. "SS-3" is a nice song about the German Schutzstaffel, and is also one of few songs where Tom Araya does not sound like he has a sandbox down his throat (he truly sounds hideous in several songs). Finally, the opener "Killing Fields" have some nice bite to it, while "Serenity In Murder" and the title track tries to recapture what the band did in "Seasons In The Abyss", and does so fairly successfully.

Other than those songs, "Divine Intervention" is just an album filled with bland songs that simply does not hold up. It is just one long shoulder shrug after another, and just like I said before, I cannot really put my finger on why it is so.The aggression is there, the fire too, and the lyrics are nice as well, depicting the evil that we see almost every day on the news. Could it really be that the production takes away so much? Nah, it might be more that it just does not match the quality that we are used to hear from the band, not in the musical structures or the memorability factor. It just does not stay put in your mind for any prolonged time.

"Divine Intervention" is a hard album to get your head around. It is still Slayer, and it is aggressive and all, but the  quality is just not there. There is very little in here that stands the test of time, and while it might be a decent album to just mindlessly listen to time and again, it is still far inferior to all of the other Slayer albums that I have covered thus far. Not a bad record per se, but very far from a brilliant one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Dittohead, Killing Fields, Serenity In Murder

Rating: 6/10 Mind Controls

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More reviews of Slayer
Show No Mercy
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Reign In Blood
South of Heaven
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Megadeth - Youthanasia (1994)

With the release of "Youthanasia", Megadeth continued their transforming journey from one of the founders of thrash to something more mainstream, a transformation that saddened the thrash loving side of myself. To see a band that made some of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time making completely different music feels weird. But thanks to "Youthanasia", that weird feeling is now a positive one, instead of negative.

Just like "Countdown To Extinction", I would not count "Youthanasia" as a pure thrash release, but the album still has small hints of thrash in it, which of course makes it easier for the common Megadeth fan to listen to the album, but it is not only the small thrash injections that make "Youthanasia" a good album. The songs in the album feels more well thought through, having nice flowing structures and is a cohesive unit that is standing strong. Hell, even the ballad "A Tout Le Monde" (French for "To All The World") sounds good even if you are not used to hear such a slow and beautiful Megadeth song. This album really shows how much Mustaine has grown as a song writer.

For those of you who are only in it for the old school Megadeth sound, let me lead you to the solo in "The Killing Road", the heavy drive in "Reckoning Day", and the sweet groove in "Victory" that is obviously borrowed from "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?". However, I do advice that you also check out the other tracks in the album since most of them are fine heavy metal pieces that together builds a sturdy record with a very interesting artwork (even if it misses good ol' Vic).

As usual when it comes to works made by Mustaine, it comes with a pinch of controversial lyrics in it. "A Tout Le Monde" could easily be mistaken as a song about suicide, something that made MTV ban its music video from airing and has been connected to the Dawson College shooting in 2006. I find the lyrics in it beautiful, but I had to admit that I also thought it was about suicide, but it is still a fantastic song. I also like the lyrics in "Blood of Heroes", which acts as a response to those who believed that the band was sell outs, and the title track's lyrics about the lost generation is pretty nice as well.

Even if this album was created by the desire of that number one spot on the selling lists, it still feels like a album that comes from the heart. Mustaine shows a lot of maturity in "Youthanasia", something he did not show in "Countdown To Extinction". It is a nice little album that may easily get dismissed, just because it is another catchy and melodic effort by the thrash legends. So do not miss out on this album, because I do not want this album to end up to the album equivalent of Youthanasia and let it be forgotten among Megadeth's discography. Also, it is true, that heroes never dies, they just fade away from time to time.

Songs worthy of recognition: A Tout Le Monde, Reckoning Day, Blood of Heroes

Rating: 8/10 Family Trees

Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes (1994)

The reunion of the "Mob Rules" line up was short and sweet for Black Sabbath, because after the tour that followed the release of "Dehumanizer", Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice left the band, and was replaced by another new old singer (Tony Martin Harford) and a former Rainbow drummer (Bobby Rondinelli). Since Harford was back, I sort of hoped that the band would go back to what they had build up during the time he was the front man.

And sure enough, "Cross Purposes" does have a lot in common with the other records in the Harford era ("The Eternal Idol", "Headless Cross", "Tyr"). It is a dark album that does have its share of 80's rock music, but enough good riffing and brute force to make it feel like a Sabbath record. So yeah, you could say that "Cross Purposes" is just like its ancestors. I could definitely see songs like "I Witness", "Cross of Thorns" and "Immaculate Deception" in any of the other Harford records.

What I find strange over this album is that it seems like the band has several grunge influences in this record. Take the track "Virtual Death" for example, where Harford sounds exactly like the Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley and the main riff is just as slow and gloomy as a grunge riff should be. One of my favourite things with Black Sabbath is that they are not afraid to take the music to new, strange places, but the band have had some miss fires over the years. This is just one of them.

The overall set list is good, but nothing mind blowing. Only a few songs, like the hard rocking "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and the groovy "Evil Eye" (whom includes a guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen), sticks nicely to your mind. There is one song however that just sweeps in and crushes the opposition. "Cardinal Sin" is a classic Sabbath song that starts off dark and slow, but evolves the further it goes. The tempo steps up, the intensity rises, and you just cannot do anything else besides just rocking out. Could be the best song Sabbath has done during this era

There is no denying that the quality is mighty fine in this album. Not as good as it was on "Tyr" or "Headless Cross", but still pretty darn nice. "Cross Purposes" does have a couple of songs that derails into some weird territory, making it the worst out of the Black Sabbath albums that includes Tony Martin Harford. It is still an enjoyable album that should not be over looked, a album that stands good in the Sabbath discography.

Songs worthy of recognition: Cardinal Sin, Cross of Thorns, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Rating: 7/10 Psychophobias

Dream Theater - Awake (1994)

Writing an album that is the successor of a bands big commercial success and breakthrough is one of the hardest things any big band have to face. If you fail your band may always be remembered as the band that made that one great record. But if you succeed your band will most likely be lifted to the skies as the next big thing. So it was pretty much make or break time as Dream Theater was ready to release their third studio album titled "Awake". The expectations for this album was huge since "Images And Words" was such a giant success. But unlike most "flings", Dream Theater chose not to reinvent their last album. Instead, they tried to write something new and different. A tactic that later proved to be very successful.

Anyhow, "Awake" is maybe not mega different from "Images And Words" but it shows another side of the band that the world had not seen in that time. This album is more versatile than its predecessor. And even though the band was pressured by their record company to write a song that would bring as much success on the radio as "Pull Me Under", Dream Theater did manage to put in more elegant and not so radio friendly music here on "Awake". The first single that tried to reach the same heights as "Pull Me Under" was "Lie", a heavy and catchy song with a pretty quiet and numb verse but also a great epic chorus. Perfect for those who likes to sing-a-long. And even though it failed to reach commercial success I really enjoy "Lie" for its chorus and heavy riffs. Two other songs from "Awake" made it as singles. Those songs was "Caught In A Web" and "The Silent Man". Both great songs but they both do not have something that will make a song rememberable. An "it-factor". But I do like the symfonic chorus on "Caught In A Web".

How about the other songs then? Well, every song shows great creativity and muscisianship. Everything from the heavy "The Mirror" to the symphonic and psychadelic "6:00" is just a blast to listen to. There is ony one weak spot on this high quality record. I think the instrumental "Erotomania" could have been better if the band had put in more effort in this piece. Let us make a comparision. "Ytse Jam", from their debute album "When Dream And Day Unite", is crazy and has a great passion put in to every riff, beat and fill while "Erotomania" is more of a delicate instrumental. It is not challenging the muscisans, something I almost always want to see in a instrumental. Sure, an instrumental can be slow and does not need crazy ass riffs but if it must be that way then it must be perfect. Not a single mistake can be made in that kind of an instrumental. Something "Erotomania" failed to manage.

There is only one song on this album that reaches over the 10 minute mark and that song is "Scarred". A pretty hard epic that has its moments but it is not one of the bands finest mastodon songs. It is still a great song but I bellieve it could have been a bit better. But I have to admit gets better as the songs goes. Something that all great epics have in common.

Yeah, so this album failed to reach a commercial success but I still believe that this is one of the finest albums Dream Theater has made in their carrier. A great pack of songs that has great musicality and versatility. But just like in "Images And Words" there is some power missing for this album to reach the highest of peaks. But who cares when you get to experience a fantastic masterpiece by some of the greatest progresive musicians of all time.

Songs worthy of recognition: Lie, The Mirror, 6:00

Rating: 9/10 Voices

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More reviews of Dream Theater
When Dream And Day Unite
Images And Words
Falling Into Infinity
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
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Systematic Chaos
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
A Dramatic Turn of Events
S/T
The Astonishing

Distance Over Time