February 2020 proved to be an interesting month. Some big releases for my listening habits and a reconnection to some forgetting gems released a while back.

World To Burn
Rev Theory

This is an old one, from their “Truth Is Currency” album released in 2005. Its appearing here because the album is on Spotify Australia.

The riff, the vocal melody and the chorus just flow so nicely into each other and it reminds me of an aggressive Three Days Grace merged with Chevelle merged with the melodic Linkin Park.

Guitarist and one of the main songwriters, Julien Jorgensen, got hooked by Angus Young and ACDC growing up. And you can hear in his style, shades of The Edge from U2, Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, Adam Jones from Tool, Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd, Zakk Wylde from his Ozzy work (especially the “No More Tears” album) and Bruce Springsteen.

I still remember the fall out that can’t be erased (and bite my tongue now)

Man, arguments are good for the relationship as it shows people care, but they very rarely end pretty and even all the sorrys in the world can’t change the feeling afterwards. If the relationship stays intact, someone will be biting their tongues and walking on eggshells. And if both sides are doing it, the fall out will be much bigger later on.

This is the world that you burn
This is the life that you waste

One side has ended their commitment and thrown the years of history you had together in the bin. Like it didn’t matter. But to you it matters. That record you both listened to and liked is now unlistenable because of the ties it has to your past.

How does it feel? I still remember the fall out?

F8
Inside Out
Living The Dream
Darkness Settles In
To Be Alone
Scar Tissue
Brighter Shade Of Grey
Five Finger Death Punch

The first two songs, “F8”, a minute and a half instrumental, which slowly percolates until it explodes into “Inside Out” is what music is about. The whole intro is what I call “Euro Metal” full of symphonic elements and drum fills that makes me want to break my desk in half, with my head.

I’m not a dog (I’m not a dog), I’m not a slave (I’m not a slave)
It doesn’t matter how much money I get paid
From “Inside Out”

Getting paid for doing what you love is good. Getting paid for doing a job to get by is probably not so good. Regardless, if we don’t have money, we cannot survive in this world. So we need to do something to get money, and that means we more or less became a slave to the system, until death.

They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions
Why did they never mention what’s real and in between?
From “Living The Dream”

There is a saying that every bad person started off with good intentions. Somehow, along the way, they made decisions which made them stray from the path of good and onto the path of bad. In life, things happen, jobs get lost, you get sick and suddenly you are about to be homeless, because of piling debts.

How does it feel to be alone?
From “To Be Alone”

It feels like shit.

What You Give – Live at Abbey Road
Tesla

I like Tesla.

I hold them up very high, way above the “hair band” term they got labelled with.

And Tesla can play, it’s how they built their reputation. By gigging.

But in order to achieve anything, you need to be able to write and god damn, Tesla can write.

It’s not whatcha got, it’s what you give
It ain’t the life you choose, it’s the life you live

I think this simple message is forgotten in the world today. Possessions for a lot of people are associated with status. My banker friend keeps telling me how much money I’ve spent on vinyl, LP’s, cassettes, DVD’s, BluRays, Books, VHS, concert tix/merch, guitars, amps, strings, cables and so on. Then he keeps telling me how much money I could have had if I invested it. And I tell him, I would rather have my metal and rock and the experiences that come with it.

Aeromantic (the whole album)
The Night Flight Orchestra

The whole album is excellent.

Each song has enough of an influence from a previous song to connect with me and TNFO are excellent players, so the musicianship and song writing is excellent.

If you like your classic Deep Purple, then opening track “Servants Of The Air” will serve you well, kicking off the street opera about shattered dreams, broken illusions and glimmers of hope.

“Divinyls” is full of hooks, nice synths and pulsing bass riffs.

“If Tonight Is Our Only Chance” brings the disco rock melodies, handled masterly by the TNFO guys, with a dose of rock thrown in. And the lyric line of taking that last chance is inspiring and hopeful.

“This Boy’s Last Summer” has a pop punk feel merged with a melodic hard rock. “Curves” is a funk masterpiece in the vein of Steely Dan.

ABBA is all over “Transmissions” in the Chorus and the synth is just driving the song along, which makes me think of driving. The violin solo at the end is brilliant.

“Aeromantic” has a riff which came from their first album (the song “California Morning” comes to mind) which is basically a riff inspired by their love of Kiss, Free and Sweet.

The ballad ‘Golden Swansdown’ has two brilliant guitar solos. “Taurus” sounds like “Gemini” from their previous albums as it rolls along with its addictive chorus and melody. “Carmencita Seven”, “Sister Mercurial” and “Dead Of Winter” close the album, a triple punch combo knock out.  

Set In Stone
Those Damn Crows

Those damn Welsh rockers are back in my life with a heavy rocker from their album.

Circle The Drain
Machine Head

I have already written about this song here.

But god damn, that intro with the chorus vocal melody, gets me pumped every single time, especially when that riff kicks in after Robb Flynn sings, “bring that hammer down”. Its bone crunching mosh pit time.

In the verses, Flynn is freestyling his way through so much melody, and I wish he sings more with his melodic voice, but his snarl is what makes him unique because that voice is his lifestyle, so he does a bit of both.

Change The World
Harem Scarem

They have been in the musical game since 1987, released their debut in 1991 and are still releasing quality material. I don’t know what happened with their label or marketing in the early days, but their first album was still released when rock ruled the charts and it should have done better.

I didn’t know about this band until the early 2000’s when people started sharing their music online.

How good is that guitar lick from Pete Lesperance in the intro?

“You and I, are gonna change the world”, is the war cry, but the world is changing us and we don’t even see it.

In a few years’ time, no one will remember COVID-19, except the ones who lost loved ones to it and the ones who were exposed to it. We move on so fast, we fail to learn the lessons of the past.

We all want to find
Peace and harmony