JUSTIN’S ROCK REVIWS W/C
JOURNEY / REVELATIONS
I have been a fan of Journey since the end of the 70’s when
I heard the track “Anyway You Want It” (a re-recording of which is on the bonus
disc) featured in the film Caddy Shack, the band have had more than their fair
share of ups and downs since then, losing Steve Perry, finding and losing Steve
Augeri, and Jeff Scott Soto but thankfully the new guy
is working out really well.
So what do Journey sound in 2008 with another new singer,
well I have to say as much as I liked Steve Augeri the
new guy is just as good and the band have written some of their best songs for
nearly 2 decades, this CD finds the band in good form and firing on all
cylinders, with Neil and Jonathan writing some new classics. There is the usual mix of up tempo rock
songs like “Change For The Better”, “Wildest Dream”, where Neil Schon lets fly with some brilliant melodic guitar work or
“Never Walk Away” and the power ballads that they are synonymous with, “Turn
Down The Night” and “After All These Years” being prime examples. There is not one bad song on here but
then this is Journey we’re talking about, the only surprise is a re-working of
“Faith In The Heartland” off the Generations
album.
Journey fans will be pleased to hear this is a fine return
to form and the future is looking bright again, you will be singing in no time
flat, as an added bonus the band have re-recorded 11 Journey classics with the
new singer so you can see how he does them, you needn’t worry though the guy was
in a Journey tribute band, how clever is that! If you like Melodic rock you will love
this.
WEBSITE http://www.journey.com/
TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 71 mins + 12
GLORIOUS TRACKS
KATAKLYSM / PREVAIL
Canada isn’t know as a burgeoning hotbed of Black Metal
talent, if you were asked to name half a dozen Canadian bands you might come up
with, Triumph, Rush, 3 Inches Of Blood, Voivod or
Anvil, non of which fit the tag, so Kataklysm
therefore are the exception rather than the rule but that does make them
different, which is good.
They have been around for quite a while and put out about 6
good albums over the past decade and they have steadily built up a strong
following and this looks as if it is about to pay off. Musically they have the usual influences
but like the other Canadian bands I have mentioned they have their own identity,
they have plenty of dynamics in their songs from the fast paced, “Prevail” or
“The Chains Of Power” to the slower, more grinding songs like “As Death
Lingers”. The riffs on tracks like
“Tear Down The Kingdom” and “To The Throne Of Sorrow” are second to none and the
drums are as tight as can be and the vocals are the usual gruff type but done
with passion and verve.
I don’t see how this band can go unnoticed much longer with
quality material like this and as their 2nd track say they will be
“Taking The World By Storm”, if you like Black Metal
you can’t go wrong with Kataklysm and you find
yourself wanting to explore their superb back catalogue, an excellent
album.
WEBSIRTE
http://www.kataklysmrrocks.com/ &
http://www.nuclearblast.de/
TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 45 + 10
TRACKS