Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 2012

Pioneer of 80s hard rock super band, Van Halen, just released their so long waited album titled " A Different Kind of Truth". Their last album Van Halen III was dated 1998, that's 14 years ago. Featured in the album is David Lee Roth as vocalist. This is the third time (as I remember) DLR officially sings with Van Halen after his departure. David Lee Roth and Van Halen must realized they love each other, forget other thing and straight making love music! The other update in the line up is bass duty changed from Michael Anthony to Wolfgang Van Halen.

The single Tattoo is straight forward, a little outdated or should be labelled classic Van Halen sound. David Lee Roth going exactly what he was and still sound very nostalgic Van Halen in this century. Second track She's the Woman is almost sings with buggy jeans due to its 80s spirit. You and Your Blues is a classic Eddie's muted chopping riff. The rest of songs beared 1980s spirit.

Started from China Town, the tracks begin to bend into heavier tempo and guitar. The guitar works are blends nicely in bluesy and heavier minor scale, support by double pedal drumming. The songs writing and melody development are creative.

Great surprise comeback album and Van Halen has nothing to lose after 14 years stopping producing album and lose nothing up to now. This album maybe going to straight comparison with Satriani + Sammy Hagar + Michael Anthony in Chickenfoot III.

Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
buy the Album from AMAZON HERE


Music by Van Halen. Lyrics by David Lee Roth.

1."Tattoo"  4:44
2."She's the Woman"  2:56
3."You and Your Blues"  3:43
4."China Town"  3:14
5."Blood and Fire"  4:26
6."Bullethead"  2:30
7."As Is"  4:47
8."Honeybabysweetiedoll"  3:46
9."The Trouble with Never"  3:59
10."Outta Space"  2:53
11."Stay Frosty"  4:07
12."Big River"  3:50
13."Beats Workin'"  5:02
Total length: 49:58

Deluxe Edition DVD

The Downtown Sessions
1. "Panama"  5:30
2. "You and Your Blues"   3:20
3. "Beautiful Girls"   3:42
4."You Really Got Me"

Lamb Of God Resolution (2012)

Another big dog of Groove Thrash Metal , Lamb Of God just released their latest works, Resolution. This is a quietly released by a Virginia's home band who just promote Groove metal into Grammy territory. The album started with a signature growling in Straight for the Sun, a slow tempi followed by groovy drum intro to Desolution (youtube sample URL link). The vocal is still the biggest weapon on the rest of album, very reminiscent to Pantera. I will also recommend To The End, a rather heavy metal riff opening tracks, or a straight forward Cheated. And man, they're so many of them since this is ... a double album to catch.

Buy Lamb of God, a great groovy released early this year. It set a ball high for the rest of year.

Lamb of God - Resolution

Buy at Amazon now

Disc I
01. Straight For The Sun
02. Desolation
03. Ghost Walking
04. Guilty
05. The Undertow
06. The Number Six
07. Barbarosa
08. Invictus
09. Cheated
10. Insurrection
11. Terminally Unique
12. To The End
13. Visitation
14. King Me

Disc II [Wrath - Tour 2009-2010] [Limited pre-order bonus]
01. The Passing
02. In Your Words
03. Set To Fail
04. Walk With Me In Hell
05. Hourglass
06. Now You've Got Something To Die For
07. Ruin
08. As The Palaces Burn
09. Blacken The Cursed Sun
10. Laid To Rest
11. Redneck
12. Black Label


Line-up
David Randall "Randy" Blythe - vocals
William M. "Willie" Adler - rhythm guitar
Mark "Duane" Morton - lead guitar
Christopher James "Chris" Adler - drums
John Steven Campbell - bass

Biohazard 2012 - Reborn in Defiance

Biohazard return to music after years of hiatus. This is hardcore - groove - rap metal pioneer pull out an album "Reborn in Defiance" in 2012 and with much new sound to dig. Founder member Evan Seinfeld come in for an album but later resign from the band.

Biohazard - Reborn in Defiance
buy at Amazon HERE

1 - 9:IIIX6.941 0:54
2 - Vengeance Is Mine 3:24
3 - Decay 4:24
4 - Reborn 4:52
5 - Killing Me 4:49
6 - Countdown Doom 4:56
7 - Come Alive 3:48
8 - Vows Of Redemption 4:56
9 - Waste Away 4:24
10- You Were Wrong 6:04
11- Skullcrusher 4:14
12- Never Give In 3:57
13- Season The Sky 4:14

Alternate cover graphic design for Biohazard.

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline 2012

Finally, Italian Gothic Symphonic Metal band, Lacuna Coil released their long waited 2012 album, Dark Adrenaline. The album marked the sixth studio album and produced by Don Gilmore (Linkin' Park, Bullet for My Valentine). On Don Gilmore involvemnet, Lacuna Coil is switching their sound into even more different from before.

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline 2012
buy the CD legally here at Amazon

 1. "Trip the Darkness"   3:12
 2. "Against You"   3:51
 3. "Kill the Light"   3:26
 4. "Give Me Something More"   3:56
 5. "Upsidedown"   3:04
 6. "End of Time"   3:53
 7. "I Don't Believe in Tomorrow"   4:12
 8. "Intoxicated"   3:48
 9. "The Army Inside"   3:12
 10. "Losing My Religion (R.E.M. cover)"   3:42
 11. "Fire"   2:55 12. "My Spirit"   5:50
 13. "Soul Inmate"

excellent cover graphic design of Lacuna Coil Dark Adrenaline album

Iron Maiden - En Vivo 2012 Announced

It's been three years since the last Iron Maiden (official) Live album released (and one and half year from the album Final Frontier) but do you miss Iron Maiden yet?

If so, you definitely won't suffered much since they are going to release the new all brand new live album, so called En Vivo!, surprise, surprise the album released exactly on March 27, 2012.

Iron Maiden En Vivo Cover Graphic Design

Pre-Order from Amazon here

Track list:

DVD DISC ONE "LIVE AT ESTADIO NACIONAL, SANTIAGO" 
(approx running time 120 mins)
1. Satellite 15
2. The Final Frontier
3. El Dorado
4. 2 Minutes To Midnight
5. The Talisman
6. Coming Home
7. Dance Of Death
8. The Trooper
9. The Wicker Man
10.Blood Brothers
11.When The Wild Wind Blows
12.The Evil That Men Do
13.Fear Of The Dark
14.Iron Maiden
15. The Number Of The Beast
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name
17. Running Free


BONUS DISC - DVD DISC TWO "BEHIND THE BEAST" (approx running time 102 mins)
1.Behind The Beast documentary
2.Satellite 15...The Final Frontier promo video (director's cut)
3.The Making of Satellite 15...The Final Frontier promo
4.The Final Frontier World Tour Show Intro

Blind Guardian - Memories of A Time To Come 2012

Germany's metal band, Blind Guardian just released new album titled, Memories of A Time To Come. This is the second compilation album after the 1996's The Forgotten Tales. But unlike in Forgotten Tales where it was mixed with song cover, this time all the tracks are Blind Guardian best songs so far. And to make this album even important to get is they remixed all the tracks, so this is a 2011 remixed version.

Get it now, Memories of A Time To Come, 3 CDs, you can buy it at Amazon here.

Blind Guardian - Memories of A Time To Come
released January 2012

Disc I
01. Imaginations From The Other Side [2011 remix]
02. Nightfall [2011 remix]
03. Ride Into Obsession [2011 remix]
04. Somewhere Far Beyond [2011 remix]
05. Majesty [2011 remix]
06. Traveler In Time [2011 remix]
07. Follow The Blind [2011 remix]
08. The Last Candle [2011 remix]

Disc II
01. Sacred Worlds
02. This Will Never End [2011 remix]
03. Valhalla [2011 version]
04. Bright Eyes [2011 remix]
05. Mirror Mirror [2011 remix]
06. The Bard's Song (In The Forest) [2011 remix]
07. The Bard's Song (The Hobbit) [re-recorded version]
08. And Then There Was Silence [re-recorded version]

Disc III [deluxe limited edition] [bonus]
01. Brian [2011 version]
02. Halloween (The Wizard's Crown) [2011 version]
03. Lucifer's Heritage [2011 version]
04. Symphonies Of Doom [2011 version]
05. Dead Of The Night [2011 version]
06. Majesty
07. Trial By The Archon
08. Battalions Of Fear
09. Run For The Night
10. Lost In The Twilight Hall
11. Tommyknockers
12. Ashes To Ashes
13. Time What Is Time
14. A Past And Future Secret
15. The Script For My Requiem

 

Blind Guardian typical fantasy art cover design

Favorite Shred Instrumental Album of 2011

Here a list of awesome shredding guitar and keyboard instrumental albums of year 2011. There are hundreds of instrumental music created by less known musician (but they are awesome too), but I will not able to covered all of them. So, basically this is a major releases by major musicians.

1. Christian Muenzner - Timewarp - buy from Amazon

Obscura guitarist put in a berserk progressive metal guitar shredding albums!

2. Stephan Forte - The Shadow Compendium - buy from Amazon

Long await solo album from Adagio's guitarist. Full review here.

3. Adrian Weiss - Big Time - buy from Amazon

Adrian Weiss is a bit less known, he is guitarist in progressive metal band Forces At Work. But this little gems is comprises of lot of hard work and very enjoyable shredding album, in more diverse metal and hard rock genre.

4. Derek Sherinian - Oceana - buy from Amazon

Back to business, Derek Sherinian of former Dream Theater and Yngwie Malmsteen fame, put into a solid keyboard + guitar instrumental album. The guitarists in play are a great list: Steve Stevens, Steve Lukather, Tony MacAlpine, Joe Bonamassa, and Doug Aldrich. Drummer by Simon Phillips and bass Jimmy Johnson. That's enough to get you hastily get the album!

5. Tony MacAlpine - Tony MacAlpine - buy from Amazon

The 7th solo album by Tony, and this one marked a progressive metal orientated album. Drum by Virgil Donati and Marco Minnemann. 

6. Glen Drover - Metalusion - buy from Amazon

Formerly duet partner with Dave Mustaine's Megadeth. Glen Drover crafted his owned solo album debut this year. Guest guitarist is with Jeff Loomis, Vinnie Moore, Chris Poland etc. Very different from what you heard on his day on Megadeth, Metalusion is very exotic works.

7. Francesco Artusato - Chaos and the Primordial - buy from Amazon

Ten instrumental tracks from the guitarist of All Shall Perish, Francesco is also Berklee music graduated. For those who love more progressive work this is a must listen one.

8. Theodore Ziras - Monster 5 - buy from Amazon

Theodore Ziras is longtime Greek virtuoso. His name remained less known outside the guitar playing community is a bit trivial because his shredding skill is in parallel to Michael Angelo Batio, Impelliterri and other neo classical metal shredders.

9. Tony Smotherman  - Universal Melody buy from Amazon
Tony is just 22 year old, having jam with some re known shred guitarist. I first encountered him in a jamming track with Francesco Fareri. This album Universal Melody is not just about shred, more about creative work than range from metal to world music and funk. Eclectic works in the vibe of Steve Vai and Steve Lukather.

10. Yoger Mucci - The Guitangears: Triangulum Chapter 1 buy from Amazon
This is a fun and highly eye raising instrumental work by unknown Yoger Mucci. He gathered several high profile in the business, Michael Angelo Batio, Joe Stump, David Shankle, Marco Minemann, Theodore Ziras and many. The platform is progressive metal.