Hanging in the Balance

Argh!!! But I guess I have myself to blame as I started a little too soon after the cold and fever broke out. But it's hard to be still when I feel good. On the other hand I don't feel very good now. Everything I eat and drink have a touch of snot and just walking to the car is exhausting. I planned this to be a working week, a lot of things done, long days and so. Instead I've been trying to hide as much as I can to avoid talking to anyone unless absolutely necessary. So I've basically been sulking in a corner of the office all week.
It feels good that it's Friday tomorrow though and I can drive back home. I will take the usual stop at Gunnaröds Gård to buy some nice meat and veggies, presumably also some bread. Everything Ecologic of course. The meat is really fantastic, better quality can't be found in any shop and it's not more expensive either.

But to comfort myself this week I've been shopping a bit... First thing that entered the basket was the Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock - Live in Madrid. It should be a goodie, it's 4-CD's and one Blueray... 

And judging how much I enjoyed the shows I saw earlier this year, this is bound to be fantastic. Note to self, I need to buy tickets for Sweden Rock Festival too, at least Saturday. I have to see that one, will be a first occasion for both Robin McCauley and Graham Bonnet. 

Then what? Some pre-orders... The new Cloven Hoof vinyl, Sacral Rage, Blood Ceremony. And some to fill up the collection, Symphony X, Empire, Royal Hunt, Hammeron. And then... Yep, it was quite some batches. That's fun with Discogs on occasion, it's possible to get music cheap. 

I've also started the summer planning a little more in detail. Ok, May is still spring but as it seems right now we're going to see Metal Church. The record is fantastic I think so to see them live ASAP is a must.

We haven't decided on which date to go yet but it's leaning towards Hamburg or Hannover. I would have wanted to go to Switzerland as Riot V is featured on the bill there too but it's not possible to get that one into the schedule.

When seeing the poster for this year's Metal Magic Festival I got really excited. There are some damn cool bands on the bill. It always is but it's more this year. Uli Jon Roth, Manilla Road, Exumer, Iron Angel, Deathriders and perhaps most Denner / Sherman. It's gonna be awesome!!!!

One more thing that I'm really excited about is to see The Skull. I've seen Eric Wagner with Trouble earlier and he's always been fantastic. And The Skull album is awesome so it should be damn good. If we will manage both Copenhagen and Gothenburg we'll see. I'll go to Gothenburg at least... Perhaps I run into Gabbe again also. That has been fun!

The coming weekend Peter will be rehearsing with Goatess again so me and the cats will rule the house. I don't have any problem to keep myself busy. Still have some catching up to do and there's ALWAYS things to clean nowadays. Those fur-monsters sure know how to make a mess... One thing that feels really good is that I start to feel the urge to play again. It hasn't been fun at all lately... So perhaps I'll lock the cats out and myself in with a beer or two in the rehearseroom and try to come up with some cool Heavy riffs.

I know for sure I have some nice records waiting for me when I come home! Peter got the mission to pick up what TPL sent and apparently it was 2 rather Heavy boxes! :O) Also I should have received a few more packs, as if the TPL box wasn't enough... Perhaps that, and to get home will make me feel a little better.

Cheers
E

NP: MOB RULES - Tales from Beyond

 
 
 

Then there was none...

And that goes for the megabit on our fiber broadband connection today... ARGH! Everything has been so slow today it's very frustrating to do anything. Ok, editing pictures of course doesn't require internet access but when I'm sending them in I need it. 
Still feel the buzz from the Symphony X show, damn that was good. I must admit I was a bit disappointed though that there was no photo pit at Pumpehuset. It all turned out ok in the end but it was impossible to get to some of the guys up on stage so the series of pictures isn't as varied as they normally are. Got the report and pics sent in after a lot of curse-words and a some freak-outs.

Next up is one more Exodus / Lost Society show. That will be fun since it was really good in Gothenburg. Of course I need to go to both when I have the opportunity. And there sure are a lot of things coming that I want to go to. 

This one for example, Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse

Winterhawk I missed in Greece, Satan's Host and Leather Leone I've only seen ones. And Leather was with the special show at KIT for Sledge/Leather so it really is a first. It's not that expensive to fly to Chicago either... Just the days off work that's the issue.
I also would like to see Metal Church and Riot V. They both play in Switzerland but that clashes with the above event. Metal Church plays in Hamburg which is very convenient and close... We'll see about that!

Then Muskelrock of course. And I REALLY hope it will be warmer than last year. It wasn't really fun to hang out and wait for Anvil to play the Headline slot on Saturday then...

Diamond Head, KAT, Neon Rose, Rock Goddess, Vardis (since they rocked hard at UTH), Tysondog and maybe most Salem. So it's a quite good year now also... Need to book the hotel though because there's no chance in hell I'll be camping ever again at that Festival.

And when Sweden Rock Festival announced that Michael Schenker will do a special show including 3 vocalist and one of them being Robin McCauley I have to go, or go somewhere else that thing happens. 
But for the big major Festivals it is Copenhell that's the deal. Takes about an hour to drive one way which it's worth instead of tryint to get on one of the busses back to city. Just have to see Black Sabbath once at least and the rest isn't bad either.

Metal Magic is tradition and it's damn much fun to hang out there. Also, the line-up is very good. There're some really good artists. Uli Jon Roth, Manilla Road...

In the same way Headbangers Open Air is tradition but I hope we won't end up neighbors with the Modern Talking fans again this year. Why go to a Metal Festival and play 80's pop hits all night???

Alcatraz Metal festival is always fun then... And, and, and.. Helloween is playing in Knislinge this year so I guess it will be another visit to that festival, at least on the day they're playing. 
And for the fall...

One I would really like to go to is the Frost & Fire Festival. It's a damn good line-up.

Malta Doom, Old Grave Fest... We'll see what happens with those based on all other things happening. I love going to both but it's the line-up that matters.

And the line-up of this one is purely fantastic... Sure need to get that one into the schedule also;

So I guess the last one is a must! And it shouldn't collide with any other Festival at least... But I'm sure there are other concerts and shows that will mess up the schedule. Vicious Rumors should get their new album out soon and that I have to go and see if they come for some gigs...

So many bands and so little time! What to do, what to do?

Cheers
E

NP: Symphony X - Paradise Lost

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Operation Mindcrime

Even if it's nice to visit mom it's still really good to get back home to Peter and the Cats after a few days up north. Ok, Peter's actually away rehearsing with Goatess this weekend so me and the cats are having a party by ourselves in the Void Mansion. I miss him of course but it's good to get some time at home and not having to be social and just to clear out the Metal Kaoz stuff so I won't build another back-log. I still have a few things to complete but the progress is good.

It's always fun to do it also, and with the batch of records I have for review right now it's all just fun. And I actually didn't think so but I must say I really enjoyed the Soulfly, King Parrot & Incite gig in the beginning of the week. Picture editing for that tonight.

Right now I have Mightiest, Salem, Savage Master, The Temple, Anthrax, Ereb Altor and Mob Rules to dig into. It's quite many but the hardest is actually to sort out which one to listen to next. All really appeal to me so it's a pleasurable problem I have... I think Salem is the one that struck the hardest though.

But, it seems like it will be a very good record year this year too. Sarasin and Sleepy Hollow struck very hard when I got them, and now Salem. Then Metal Church, Martyr...
I've pre-ordered both in some nice bundles and hopefully they'll show up the coming weeks. I didn't take the pack from Rat Pak Records where Mike Howe is calling but the second biggest with an additional T-shirt for Peter and one Mike Howe shirt for me.

I'm also checking if it will be possible to see them at one or so of the dates in May. Z7 in Switzerland is very tempting since Riot V is on the bill there as well. Not the best day though since it's a mid-week show.

Then the Martyr pack. I really wish I could have gone to the release party but I guess I need to realize I can't do everything I want. There's just not enough time for it.

I also ordered the deluxe version of the Baltimoore collection. I have far to few of the releases but I do like the ones I have and on the rare occasion I've actually seen them or Björn Solo live it's been absolutely amazing. What a voice, what a feeling.

And then of course the Saxon 9-LP box. That one will be awesome. I think it's the fattest LP box I have... Perhaps Iron Maiden "First 10 Years" with 10 2x12"'s is bigger. But it sure is cool! 

So I for sure have a lot of incoming goodies now the last two weeks of march or so. 

And there's more to come... I've already mentioned Salem and to stay in the same genre I have to say I'm looking forward to the new Cloven Hoof. 

 

 And then of course Assassins Blade (ok ok, yes I've had access to this one for some time for obvious reasons but it's still cool when it's done and it's an actual product)

So it looks like the goodies will keep coming. 
Also when we're talking about concerts it will be a good year. Upcoming is Exodus, Symphony X, one more Dirkschneider / Anvil show, Overkill, Spiritual Beggars and some more. 
I bought a ticket for the Queensryche Stockholm gig today. I'm quite sure that Klubben will be sold out so even if I don't know I can make it I would like to have the opportunity at least.

I was about to get tickets for the gig at Amager Bio in Copenhagen as well but then I got a hint from a friend another damn cool gig the same day so I really need to decide what to do... We'll see what happens. One thing's sure, it will be a good concert year. It has already started off very strong with Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock, Manowar, Dirkschneider and Up The Hammers.

Another train ride to come to an end very soon!

Cheers
E

NP: Salem - Dark Days

 
 

Power of the Night

There are occasions when I really start to wonder why one band is so appealing while I'm hardly interested at all in the next. What it is that makes me like music one time but on the other, just fade to infinity and remain in memory as something that sounded ok but not more. What is it I'm looking for in a record? It's very hard to pin-point these things and it's almost impossible to explain and even harder to understand when people don't feel the same about the things I like.

Peter bought a batch of records a while back which showed up by the end of last week so Friday was spent going through those and of course mixing it up with some Michael Schenker. I'm really excited about the concerts. Mr Schenker is one of my all time favorites, one of my guitar heroes. I've been hooked since first time I heard him. I bought Perfect Timing sometime in -87 or maybe -88. And the concert season has been very dry for me since beginning of December also which makes these shows even more exciting. 
But back to the bunch of records, one in the bunch really stood out. Canadian DAYS OF YORE, a rather complex concept album touching upon FATES WARNING, KING DIAMOND or so, type Progressive Heavy Metal. Of course with those references it's bound to be good. Given references are not always true though and it needs more than to just copy an act. But there was something really special with the record. From a production perspective it sounded ok, nothing special and not a catastrophe.   

And then, the next band that I've been nagging everyone about for some weeks now. Also a Canadian band, SARASIN who will release an album through Pure Steel in a few weeks. Everyone I've played it for has actually liked it so they're good. But for me, I just couldn't stop listening to the record. Time after time after time and for each spin it crept more and more under my skin and for every time the emotion it developed got stronger and stronger. It still is spinning and I'm really looking forward to get the real album in my hands!

And then I can be really pissed off over bands, even if they sound really good feel to forced into sounding like this or that. Perhaps not ripping off straight away but copying a bit too much. The really annoying thing is that these band normally get good response, so much cred and kudos while band that has a very original sound don't get anything at all.
I got STARBLIND's latest for review, and by all means, the record is decent. But if I want IRON MAIDEN, I listen to IRON MAIDEN. And for me it doesn't do much to get a band that sounds this much as something else.

As another music related topic a friend asked me if there was any bands left for me to see live. If I had something I really, really was urging to see that I haven't seen. Also, something that's realistic to happen as a twist to the discussion. Else, LED ZEPPELIN but that's not going to happen, SABBATH with Dio... But real things that can happen. One of the first that struck me was HELLION, I've only seen Ann Boleyn with DETENTE at Headbangers, she ruled and I love DETENTE also but HELLION was also one of the really early ones I found all by myself. On many occasions class mates or other friends recorded stuff for me on tape, but this one I bought and it kept spinning. The first EP that is, next HELLION I bought was "The Black Book" and this I hold as a favorite to this day. One more thing that I'm really looking forward to see is METAL CHURCH with Mike Howe. I liked Ronny Munroe as well but he didn't seem as inspired the last tour. Fan pack (regular one) pre-ordered of the coming album with an additional Mike Howe shirt! 

And now, since the dry season is over I'm looking forward to a very nice February.
First up is Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock, times 2. Both Stockholm and Malmö. I was aiming for Copenhagen as well (take back for lost times) but couldn't get the logistics to work around it.

And that's followed by Manowar, a quick visit to Stockholm.

And a few days break before Helloween hits Gothenburg.

And then there's actually a break before the last batch, which is good since I'll have some time to write and get the reports posted also.

Dirkschneider and Anvil makes it a short night and up in the early morning light to catch a flight to Greece Friday morning. Means I will miss the Warm-Up this year but I get to see all the goodies at the Festival.

And then February turns to March and winter should be over and it's time to look forward to the Festival season for real! Yey!

And CDON sent the package with the Michael Schenker record I didn't have already. Really disappointed with myself that I've missed the release completely. But ok, I think I took it for a collection as it's titled "Tales of Rock'n'Roll" and have a bikini-girl with a guitar on the front. Not that I have the time to listen to it before the first show though but at least I have them all after this!

Cheers
E

NP: Michael Schenkers Temple of Rock - Spirit on a Mission