Brian May - Back To The Light 1992

Genre:Rock
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: Parlophone Records

01. The Dark

02. Back To The Light

03. Love Token

04. Resurrection

05. Too Much Love Will Kill You

06. Driven By You

07. Nothin' But Blue

08. I'm Scared

09. Last Horizon

10. Let Your Heart Rule Your Head

11. Just One Life

12. Rollin' Over

Back to the Light is the first solo effort of Queen's guitarist Brian May. It was recorded between 1988 and 1992 at the Allerton Hill Studios, mixed at the Metropolis Studios and then released on September 28, 1992 in the UK. The album would be released in the United States and Canada on February 2, 1993 with a different cover.

The album contains the hits "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven By You."

An alternate version of "Too Much Love Will Kill You" was also recorded by Queen and can be found on their Made in Heaven album (1995). Brian May also recorded an instrumental guitar version of the song.

An alternate "explicit" version of "Love Token" was recorded with lyrics which may have been deemed offensive by the record label. The lyric "shit for brains" was replaced by "meat for brains," while the lyrics "well fuck you" were replaced by "that's a shame." The original "explicit" version was never officially released except on a free CD packaged with RCD Magazine, Vol. 4.[1]

Three more versions of "Driven By You" are known. The first was made famous in a Ford advertisement, with slightly altered lyrics. Another one is a rare instrumental remix of the song, called "Driven By You Too." The last was a rock re-mix with a new drum track from Cozy Powell for the US release of Back to the Light as a bonus track.

Rain Fell Within - Refuge 2002

Genre:Gothic Meta
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 2002
Label: Dark Symphonies Dark 16

01. Torn Apart

02. In The Knowing Of You

03. The Child Beneath

04. In My Dreams

05. Save Your Soul

06. Winter's Embrace

07. Into The Tower

08. Sirens

09. Burned Away

10. Passing Time

Rain Fell Within took me by surprise with the quality of "Believe", their debut. "Refuge" is the follow-up, the second and last CD from this superlative and original band. Shortly after recording was completed the band broke up. So RFW are no more, and the members have scattered to a half-dozen other projects, and we are left with only this last recording. Fortunately, it’s an amazing CD.

For the uninitiated, Rain Fell Within play a gothic, atmospheric style of metal with rich keyboard and guitar harmonies mixed with the lush operatic vocals of front-babe Dawn Desiree. This has a lot in common with goth-doom bands like After Forever or even Tristania, but without the death-growls. Rain Fell Within are more melancholy and doomy than other bands in the same vein, and more classically inflected as far as arrangements and vocal melodies. The whole is a beautiful and arresting sound that is much more distinctive than you would expect. This is not tremendously heavy, or what would be called ‘crunchy’, but this is superlative metal nonetheless. There is a great deal of variety in the songwriting, with acoustic parts sequeing into more metallic passages and the keyboards adding to the melancholy atmosphere.

Dawn Desiree has a fantastic voice, more operatic than Flor Janssen or even Tarja, she moans and howls with genuine feeling and almost frightening intensity. She’s easily the centerpiece of the band, but the music backing her up is of consistently high quality. The music on "Refuge" is complex and symphonic, without being in any way reminiscent of power metal or movie soundtracks. Rain Fell Within are refreshingly free of the clichés of their chosen subgenre, and the result is an uncompromisingly artistic album without a single nod to commercialism. Some may find this a hard listen, as there is almost nothing here resembling a standard metal hook or chorus, but repeated listens reward with a complex and involving musical experience unlike almost anything else. "Refuge" is a singular and challenging musical statement.

The CD package is a digipack, but much sturdier than the usual flimsy construct. The art design, as we would expect from Dark Symphonies, is really beautiful and reflects perfectly the moody grace of the music. In the band pics the members look young enough to make me feel really, really old. And did I mention Dawn Desiree is gorgeous? Man oh man.

This is a great CD, really different and with impressive composition and musicianship. If you like gothic stuff that doesn’t wallow in self-pity or metal that is really classically inspired (and not just infested with movie-soundtrack worship). Then you should definitely check this out.

Royal Hunt - Paper Blood 2005

Genre: Hard Rock, Progressive Metal
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: Frontiers Records

01. Break Your Chains

02. Not My Kind

03. Memory Lane

04. Never Give Up

05. Seven Days

06. SK 983

07. Kiss Of Faith

08. Paper Blood

09. Season’s Change

10. Twice Around The World

Paper Blood celebrates a new era for Royal Hunt and it captures the very essence of the whole concept behind the band: aggressive yet highly melodic, symphonic but still very much in your face. Outstanding song writing combined with excellent musicianship results in a collection of ten highly energetic catchy songs. Royal Hunt have a new lineup: joining keyboard player Andre Andersen and the awesome singer with native American origins, John West are Marcus Jidell (ex Jekyll & Hide, The Ring) on guitar and Kenneth Olsen, the original drummer now back for good in the lineup! Frontiers Records. 2005.

Forcefield - Forcefield 1987

Genre: Hard Rock
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: President Records Ltd.

01. Set Me Free (Ray Davies)

02. Best Shot (Ray Fenwick)

03. Runaway (Del Shannon/Max D.Crook)

04. Sunshine Of Your Love (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown/Eric Clapton)

05. Shine It On Me (Ray Fenwick)

06. Whole Lotta Love (Page/Jones/Plant/Bonham)

07. Black Cat (Denny Laine/Ray Fenwick/Pete Prescott)

08. Whiteroom (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)

09. You Really Got Me (Ray Davies)

10. Fire In The City (Ray Fenwick/Johnny Mars)

11. Keep On Running (Jachie Edwards)

12. Smoke On The Water(Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice)

An Anglo-Dutch project featuring ex-FOCUS man Jan Akkerman, the band would attract an enviable array of experienced Rock talent over a series of albums. FORCEFIELD also comprised ex-FANCY vocalist / guitarist Ray Fenwick. Ray had also been a member of the IAN GILLAN band in 1976 and also cut the bizarrely titled 'Keep America Beautiful Get A Haircut' solo album in 1971 (Decca SKL 5090). The FORCEFIELD debut comprised a clutch of re-worked well known Rock standards such as DEEP PURPLE's 'Smoke On The Water', LED ZEPPELIN's 'Whole Lotta Love', THE KINKS 'Set Me Free' and 'You Really Got Me' and CREAM's 'White Room' and 'Sunshine Of Your Love'. The featured musicians included the WHITESNAKE rhythm section of drummer COZY POWELL and bassist Neil Murray, SERGEANT vocalist PETE PRESCOTT and bass player Mo Foster.
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Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow 1975 (1992 Mastersound SBM EK 53442)

Genre: Jazz-Rock
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1992
Label: Epic

01. You Know What I Mean

02. She's A Woman

03. Constipated Duck

04. Air Blower

05. Scatterbrain

06. Cause We've Ended As Lovers

07. Thelonius

08. Thelonius

09. Diamond Dust

Jeff Beck seems finally to have figured out that his is not going to replace the great Sixties group which bore his name and featured Mickey Waller, Rod Stewart, Nicky Hopkins and Ron Wood. After some trying moments with a couple of abortive bands whose principal purpose was to give him someone to play with, this all-instrumental album points a newer, healthier direction for the man whose playing is more emblematic of the Yardbirds than either Jimmy Page, who followed him, or Eric Clapton, whom he succeeded.
Beck's music here is new only for him. It is closely connected to Stevie Wonder's, Herbie Hancock's and perhaps most of all, to that of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, his current touring partner. The only axe Beck has to grind is his Gibson; there are no statements here, only his usual flurry of notes. His affection for Max Middleton's keyboard playing seems more sensible than it did with the group that made Rough and Ready. Middleton is derivative of Chick Corea and Hancock, but it hardly matters. His principal function is to complement Beck and he does that well. Richard Bailey's percussion is a little freer than it needs to be, often as not, but then, this is not rock & roll.

Aside from "She's a Woman," where Beck's guitar literally sings a verse, there is little here to distinguish one song from another. But the tunes blend together pleasantly and the second side, particularly, contains some hints that Beck may finally have found a mode in which he is once more comfortable. His exhibitionism can find full play within the ensemble instrumental complex, as it never could when it had to worry about being upstaged by a vocalist. And in places, he is even lyrical.

George Martin produced, but without orchestral charts to arrange, he seems to have had very little to do, other than balance the mixes. Chances are that Beck will make better records, if he chooses to continue to work within the framework established here. The important thing about Blow By Blow, however, is that Beck seems finally to have found something to do with his talent other than waste it.
- Dave Marsh, Rolling Stone, 6/5/75.

Joe Satriani - Super Colossal 2006

Genre: Guitar virtuoso, Rock,
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 2006
Label: EPIC

01. Super Colossal

02. Just Like Lightnin'

03. It's So Good

04. Redshift Riders

05. Ten Words

06. A Cool New Way

07. One Robot's Dream

08. The Meaning of Love

09. Made of Tears

10. Theme for a Strange World
11. Movin' On

12. A Love Eternal

13. Crowd Chant

2006's SUPER COLOSSAL is the 12th studio album from guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani. The master shredder still traffics inarena-sized hard rock instrumentals that provide plenty of room for his melodic, technically dazzling solos. But Satch mixes things up, too, with sunny, country-tinged riffs ("It's So Good"), atmospheric jams ("Ten Words"), and bittersweetlove songs ("Made of Tears").
While a record of guitar rock instrumentals might seem in imminent danger of growing stale,
Satriani manages to keep things interesting, not only by varying his stylistic approach but by
utilizing a wide vocabulary of guitar sounds and effects. And, naturally, guitar players and
aficionados of six-string wizardry will find plenty to admire on nearly every track here.

Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash The Fury (2005)

Genre: Guitar virtuoso, Instrumental music
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: Spitfire

01. Locked And Loaded

02. Revolution

03. Crackin’ The Whip

04. Winds of War (Invasion)

05. Crown Of Thorns

06. BogeyMan

07. Beauty And A Beast

08. Fuguetta (Instrumental)

09. Cherokee Warrior

10. Guardian Angel (Instrumental)
11. Let The Good Times Roll
12. Revelation (Drinking With The Devil)
13. Magic And Mayhem (Instrumental)
14. Exile
15. The Hunt
16. Russian Roulette
17. Unleash The Fury
18. Paraphrase (Instrumental)

Neo-classical rock guitar legend Yngwie J. Malmsteen returns with Rising Force with Unleash The Fury, a guitar shredder’s dream album! From the opening riff of "Locked & Loaded" to the 4
instrumental numbers, Malmsteen and Rising Force (Dougie White - Vocals, Patrick Johansson - Drums, Joakim Svalberg - Keyboards), produce an album that excels in every facet of musicianship. Two of the instrumentals ("Fuguetta" and "Paraphrase") are both variations of
themes composed by Bach, while "Cherokee Warrior" allows Malmsteen to show off his vocal
talents as well.
A former member of Steeler and Alcatrazz, Yngwie J. Malmsteen turned the music world on its
heads when his Rising Force album was released in 1984. The album hit #60 on the Billboard
charts and earned him a Grammy® nomination. His next album Trilogy would continue to showcase Malmsteen’s high standard of excellence, which continues to this day. Yngwie J. Malmsteen is one of rock’s greatest guitar heroes. He continues to be a featured draw in every guitar-oriented magazine on the planet. With a mix of technical playing, appreciation for classical composers, and hard rock edginess, Malmsteen is one of the most respected players around. He performed in the G3 tour in 2003 with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

Ark - Ark 1999

Genre: Progressive Metal
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1999
Label: SENSORY

01. Burning Down

02. Where the Winds Blow

03. Hunchback of Notre Dame

04. Singers at the World's Dawn

05. Mother Love

06. Center Avenue

07. Can't Let Go

"Burrn!" magazine

John Macaluso, who is known as the drummer for TNT, RIOT and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN etc, Tore Ostby who is the guitarist of DC COOPER and was a member of CONCEPTION, Jorn Lande was the singer of THE SNAKES and is now working with ULI JOHN ROTH.

John, Tore and Jorn have formed the new band "ARK" and released their 1st album. Their basical music style is progressive, technical and North Europian HM style and a little like CONCEPTION.

Some songs on the album have a Latin flavour or the bluesy parts with Jorn's voice like David Coverdale. Their new songs have various music tastes. This new album is a tour de force!!

"Young Guitar" magazine

Tore Ostby, who was the guitarist of CONCEPTION, started this new project. This new album is on a basis of the hard rock style, but inluding the inquisitive mind as an artist, it also has an experimental style of sound. Examples of this are; track#2 jazz up solo part and track#3 which has the phrase of Spanish taste.Also, these tracks have the variations of the rhythm. They gave the album various expressions. This is the one of their unique characteristics!

On the other hand, I feel this work is the progressive rock from a point of view of having several musical elements. But it is not the difficult music beyond words. Just simply listen to their music from the artist side and you will get to the core of this album!

SCREAM magazine, Norway
Score: 5/6

Some of you have been waiting a very long time for this release. It is a pleasure to tell you that Tore Шstby, Jшrn Lande and John Macaluso have made a very strong record, although those of you who thought, and hoped, Tore would continue where he left with Conception, might get a little disappointed. Ark has very little in common with the former band of the excellent guitarist.

The Coverdale/Lynnot-sounding voice of Lande injects some influences from the seventies in the music, while the playing of Шstby, and the quite technical drumming of Mr. Macaluso makes it progressive.

This combination is very hard to beat. There are a lot of strong songs here, especially "Burning Down", "Where The Winds Blow" and "Singers At The Worlds Dawn".

 

Cozy Powell - Especially For You (1998)

Genre: Hard Rock
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1998
Label: POLYDOR

01. Man With A Mission

02. Ivory Towers

03. Why Does Love Hurt

04. Haunted By The Devil

05. Doing The Natural Thing

06. All I Wanted Was Your Love

07. Call Me Mayhem

08. The Light

09. High Time To Fly

10. Make You A Man

11. Power In The Wrong Hands

12. You're All I Believe In

Cozy's last solo studio performance before his premature death is a must have in your collection. The bonus is that the album is
full of GREAT MUSIC!! The song "High Time To Fly" should have been a hit single. This album is a gem that you will love.

 

Yngwie Malmsteen - Angels of love 2009

Genre: Guitar virtuoso
Format: Wv + cue + log + test
Released: 2009
Label: Rising Force

01. Forever One

02. Like an Angel

03. Crying

04. Brothers

05. Memories

06. Save Our Love

07. Ocean Sonata

08. Miracle of Life

09. Sorrow

10. Prelude to April

Yngwie’s core fans will be pleased anyway, even if lightning arpeggios are rarely seen (don’t bet...) in this compilation CD. The Swedish virtuoso’s rivals will have another arrow in their quiver, not to forget, even if now it’s not the time for accusing the man of infinite shredding. Who’s left then? Well, fans willing to taste alternate versions of the originals plus fans of mild music is a case study,. After listening to "Angels Of Love" for a dozen of times in a row (gazing at the attractive lady in the cover frequently, to recapture the muse tendered) it’s no wonder I’d take a glimpse again shortly.

What’s the scenario here: the ’neoclassical’ shredder compiled this album with (nearly) acoustic versions of some of his ballads all these years. Using acoustic guitars - with a slice of electricity scattered for some climax to be uncapped - and keys arrangements, Yngwie lets his inner self loose in service of the resulting equilibrium and tranquillity. Some of the songlist does not fly away from the original versions, mainly due to the inflexible composing pattern while enough songs do gain a fair new-fangled point in terms of letting loose ’parallel’ emotions once buried under the nonstop virtuosity of this mentor.

I think (did not count, it’s a general impression) the takes recorded here do not - in a whole - depict 100% of the duration of the originals; let’s just say that each tune here carries the main theme (or a set of themes) correlating to the preliminary composition. In addition, I cannot recall any existent song named "Ocean Sonata" in Malmsteen’s so far catalogue, not being a die-hard follower though...Anyway, some last notion obtained is that - due to his performance or the new arrangements or whatever - the final upshot approaches more the Uli Jon Roth blend rather than the Ritchie Blackmore pen (if only these two choices ever existed in Yngwie’s mind, haha).

Sum it up? Yeap, this is the road the Swedish maestro walks on the last quarter of a century. Nothing new in terms of style, still listening to this album while driving in the countryside, seeing beautiful landscapes, reading on a winter’s night or just sitting by the fire is some kind of a nice companion soundtrack. "Angels Of Love" is perfect as a present too, let’s propose.

On second thought: if Yngwie Malmsteen also wanted to deliver a certain message to his critics, he possibly did it... Reviewed by Grigoris

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