And 2015 is over...

Yes, apparently another year passed and I don't know where time went. It feels like the two last years is a big blur and I have hard remembering what happened when. But it's been a quite cool year, a lot of different activities which of course have made others suffer a bit. Playing live with Void Moon in Ireland, Romania and Malta has of course been very good points, as well as it was to play with Cult of the Fox too. 
The hours spent working on guitars for Void Moon's second album "Deathwatch" was very hard but also very rewarding as it turned out really nice. I'm sooo looking forward to get a real copy in my hands. 
And as usual there's been traveling too, both in work and for my own pleasure. Worth mentioning is the visits to Jordan, Ethiopia and Sudan. To get to see the sun when it's dark and gloomy in Sweden is of course a plus. But to get to feel the Dead Sea, eat real Ethiopian Injera and just hang out in Khartoum has been fantastic. 
There has also been a few trips down to Germany and Holland for shows but not as many as it normally is. Sometimes things became a bit crazy as I locked one bag in the safety lockers at the airport to first go to a concert just to pick up the bag and go for a jobtrip, out through security, get the bag and check in again. I know Kastrup Airport by heart now I promise you.
Also, the addition of the cats to the Wallberg family. They make a mess of most everything but they are adorable and so very sweet. But it's just to forget that thing with having a moment alone in the bathroom, sleep long in the morning and so on... But the good is so much more than the annoying (shutting down my computer, stealing cheese from sandwiches, chewing on strings and shoelaces, digging under the couch for the Christmas nuts, waking up with a paw in your mouth...)

There has been very good music coming in 2015 also, classic bands releasing super albums, like Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Slayer to mention a few. But I've also missed a lot since I haven't had time to read as much as I used to. I realize this reading other peoples top-lists for 2015. It's impossible to keep up with everything I know but it bugs me a little bit that some releases just passed me by unnoticed. 

Anyway, here's my list for 2015;

01. SAXON

"Battering Ram"

It's always fun to get real good albums to review, SAXON was one of those. It's also very hard to write these reviews since the ambition to write as perfect as the album is tend to happen and the reviews can be rather extensive. But the album struck hard and survived from first second. Good to see SAXON in top shape these dark days.
Favorite track: Queen of Hearts

02. SATAN 

"Atom By Atom"

SATAN was another one I got for review. It really blew me away from start but then it dipped a bit after a few spins and I started to wonder if it was the excitement of a new release that was the case. But it caught up again and turned out as no 2 on my list. I love the speedy riffs and great melodies. 
Favorite track: Ahriman 

03. QUEENSRŸCHE 

"Condition Hüman"

This was actually a hard one to get into. I didn't think it was as good as the last one for a really long time, until I started thinking about how many times I listened to that before it got stuck. Giving it a rest for a few months and then picking it up again sure did the thing and hell yes, it's another masterpiece. Todd LaTorre rules.
Favorite track: Guardian

04. DARK QUARTERER 

"Ithaca"

To start with I didn't think that this one was as good as the old ones. But as always with the best albums they need 10-15-20 spins to land. I don't know how many times I listened to it before I could write the review but when I finally did it was again as it was when I first stumbled over DARK QUARTERER, I couldn't stop.
Favorite Track: Mind Torture

05. SATAN'S HOST

"Pre-dating God" (Parts 1 & 2)

 I'm cheating a bit here but as much as I struggled with the list I can't remove anything else from it. So instead if picking one of them, both records ended up under the same post. Fantastic release again from SATAN'S HOST, these albums they've done since Harry Conklin came back are absolutely awesome.
Favorite Track: Lady n' the Snake

06. MOTÖRHEAD 

"Bad Magic"

 It feels good that the last album MOTÖRHEAD ever released was a very strong one. Not that they ever have released a bad album but I'd say that this last one is my favorite since "Snake Bite Love". It's strong, powerful and catchy. But who could ever imagine it would be the last. It feels terrible to never be able to buy another MOTÖRHEAD ticket. I've lost count on how many times I've seen MOTÖRHEAD over the years but it's well over 30 at least. Always kick-ass!
Favorite Track: The Devil

 

07. IRON MAIDEN 

"The Book Of Souls"

That IRON MAIDEN would release something good was expected but I really really like this new one. It feels more inspired than in a long time. Not that they've ever done anything bad. But the vocal lines are more diverse and I really like the epic stuff.
Favorite Track: Tears of a Clown

 

08. SYMPHONY X 

"Underworld"

I've tried over the years to get into SYMPHONY X but never hard enough it seems, until now. Ok, I really dig the "Paradise Lost" album as well but that I didn't come around to the same year it was released and so it has been ever since. A little bit behind all the time. But I learn and picked this one up as soon as it was out and damn it's good.
Favorite Track: Run with the Devil 

09. MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK

"Spirit On A Mission"

The god, guitar god... Mr Schenker together with Tony Iommi has been the biggest inspirations for me playing guitar. There has been others too of course but Michael's melodic style of playing not many come close to. I was a bit disappointed with Spirit on a Mission initially. It was good of course but not as strong as "Bridge the Gap" I thought. But giving it some time, in the player as well as in the shelf it came around and it rocks as hard as its predecessor.
Favorite Track: Something of the Night

 

10. TRIBULATION 

"The Children Of The Night"

   

 
Ok, I admit, sometimes I download music before I buy it. I'm too curious and impatient to wait on occasion. I'd seen the cover of this album and loved it but I'm always a bit hesitant to Swedish Metal Bands. Many are good of course but few are unique. To my surprise this one struck like a hammer and it spun round after round. Next record order I had the fat box version of the release listed and it keeps spinning.
Favorite Track: In the Dreams of the Dead 

And the sone that ended up just outside the list either because other was better or I didn't give them enough time;
Cage - Ancient Evil
Circle II Circle - Reign of Darkness
Damien Thorne - Soul Stealer
Enforcer - From Beyond
Helloween - My God-given Right
Iron Kingdom - Ride for Glory
Jameson Raid - Uninvited Guests
Jorn Lande & Trond Holter - Dracula
Masters Of Metal
Night Viper - Night Viper
Paradise Lost - The Plague Within
Parallel Minds - Headlong Disaster
Ram - Svbversvm
Scanner - The Judgement
Slayer - Repentless
Sorcerer - In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross
Tad Morose - St. Demonius
Tank - Valley of Tears
Transsiberian Orchestra - Letters from the Labyrinth
WASP - Golgotha

But, there are always something missed, some records that came in too late or for some other reason didn't make it, even if, looking at it now they probably should have. One of them;
Helloween - My Godgiven Right. 

I reviewed it and loved it, left it to rest for a while and it didn't feel as good. And now, when preparing for the concert it's been spinning again and damn it's good... If I'd picked it up earlier it should have been on the Top 10.

And then, Iron Kingdom - Ride for Glory

 It's not Power Metal, Not Prog Metal, Not Heavy Metal but at the same time all of it. These Canadians are also fantastic musicians and have managed to release one hell of an album again. Got it in just after Christmas though, bad planning from me.

So, I've probably forgotten a lot of records but this is the conclusion for now. It will probably look different in a few weeks.

Cheers
E

NP: Sarasin - Sarasin

 

Gearing up

For Caturday... Since then it's time for Lillof and Maddox to move in. They're 12 weeks some time this week. No one really knows since Lillof and his siblings was found in the engine space of a tractor and Maddox sat all alone, a couple of weeks old and blind (with an eye infection) on the hard shoulder of the freeway. Just lucky he was spotted, picked up and handed in to the Cat Shelter. But yes, now they're well and full of energy. The responsible at the Cat Shelter PROMISED us they've both grown up to real gamines. So, most likely the weekend that passed was the last in a few years we could sleep until waking up, have a lazy morning and so on...

So, we took the chance to go shopping this weekend, some sand for the litterbox, food and a lot of toys.

But it will be so much fun to get them home! Need some life in the Void Mansion! Let's see if we say the same thing in a few weeks! :O)

The Cat Shelter (Höörs Hemlösa Katter) posted a picture of Maddox in one of their entries. It was a few weeks when we were there to meet him for the first time and in this short time he seems to have grown quite a lot. But it seems like they've gotten even more kittens in this year than normal. Tiny abandoned little creatures... It's a shame that so many cats suffer these days. 

But he sure is adorable Maddox! If they will keep their Cat Shelter names we need to see! Guess the coming weekend will show a bit of their personality and then it will be easier to name them! (Else Tipton and Byford are strong candidates)

But this past weekend, as well as the one before has been spent cleaning, fixing and kitty-proofing the house. Removing anything that can be flipped over and broken when hitting the floor and trying to lock the space on top of the vinyl-shelf. 

Of course, get the records sorted out was one mission too! It's hard work I tell you. I start to get the hang of how to do the re-shuffling the vinyls now but it still takes time and brought on a huge muscle pain. I've been very stiff today. Legs, arms, shoulders... But it turned out great in the end and we can probably fit about a year more of vinyl purchases into it before it's packed!

Of course, checking my mail Sunday evening I was notified that TPL has sent another rather huge package. I requested it since I wanted to clean out as much as possible from my want list before it's time for the Slayer "Repentless" 7 pound Eagle box.

So, anyday now I'll get the Solstice "Blood Fire Doom" vinyl box, deluxe box of Tribulation's "The Children of the Night", a bunch of Flotsam & Jetsam vinyls and some more stuff. So now I need to figure out a smart and cat proof way to store new vinyls without having them to scratched and clawed. Especially since I'm out of plastic covers... Need to get another 100-pack to be safe I suppose! Then I won't run out in a couple of months at least.

And now everything is kind of back to normal at work which mean a trip to Kista this week and the first real meeting with my new manager. It's all a bit nervous of course but I'm looking forward to it also. 

And on Wednesday it's concert time. Snowy Shaw at Trägårn, Gothenburg.

And then Friday, it's the 2 Heavy 4 You warm-up show. I was really looking forward to see 220 Volt again but that didn't happen. Then Axewitch was announced which was really nice as well. But that didn't happen either so now Alien, the Swedish 80's band that had a few hits, which feels like a quite odd booking with consideration to the rest of the billing, but what do I know, it might work. And it's gonna be fun to see Peter playing with Stonegriff also!

 


So, it sure will be a busy week and presumably not much sleep during the weekend if the cats are as playful as they say!

Cheers
E

NP: SACRILEGE - Six6Six