Τετάρτη 27 Αυγούστου 2008

TRADE MARK- Fatal blues (1992) (Reuploaded 2019)


Another greek album (actually ep) and another great release for your collection! Trademark played melodic hard rock with some metal elements especially in the amazing guitar work. Every song is a real gem. Too late is a great opener, Burn the sky is the AOR moment of the album, Cold love is an incredible hard rock hit comparable to stuff from the first Bon Jovi album, Fatal blues is a wonderful emotional ballad with a great accoustic intro and In the prison cell closes with a blend of heavy riffing and melodic lines. The vocals are very good, though there's a slightly exotic accent. Guitarist Sotiris Feggitis would be a guitar hero if he had escaped the small local scene. The ep has been rereleased on cd wih some bonus tracks which are quite crappy so I didn't bother ripping them, they simply don't do any justice to this great band.


Black Knight- Master of disaster (1985/reissue 2005) (Reuploaded 2019)


Hailing from Canada this legendary (at least for obscure metal enthousiasts) band offers great 80's heavy metal. Active during the 80's the band failed to get signed by any major label so they disbanded having released only a 5-song ep that was rereleased many years later with some great bonus tracks. Most of the tracks featured vocals by Lori Wilde, a gutsy metal lady that could get the recognition other female singers (Leather Leone, Doro etc) enjoyed if she had continued her rerording carreer. Another trademark of their sound is the duelling guitars that deliver fantastic leads throughtout the album. A pitty they didn't make it any further, but still this album is enough for us to appreciate another great band of lost metal heroes. The rerelease is still available for purchase (and it's a great work with lots of info, bio lyrics, new cover etc), so don't hesitate!

UPDATE: There's also a 2016 reissue from Cult Metal Classics with 4 more bonus tracks (16 tracks in total) and a multicolored album cover, if you like the band go grab a copy!

ENJOY!!!

Τρίτη 26 Αυγούστου 2008

TRIUMPH- Best of Compilation by JRD (Reuploaded 2019)


My love for this band goes beyond words. The magic in their music is difficult to describe anyway. One thing I like about their discography is that it embraces most of the music styles I enjoy most. From lengthy atmospheric prog rock to great hard rock, then to some early heavy metal and back to AOR. These guys could do it all brilliantly. Though being just a trio most of the years they were gifted with two exceptional singers. Guitarist Rik Emmett may be more spotlighted as the singer of most of their songs, but drummer Gil Moore had some really impressive pipes too. The melodies is another thing. Just unrivalled lyricism. Their talent for anthemic rockers is breathtaking. I included at least one song from every studio album they did between 1976 and 1992, so you get the whole picture. Do your self a favour and explore their music. I could easily upload their whole discography.But I wanted people who hadn't payed enough attention to them to listen to some of their best stuff carefully, instead of just downloading a bunch of albums that would get lost along with all the other stuff they came across on the net. I never cared about icluding hits or not, unfortunately many so called hits were the worst album songs, just more accesible for music consumers (contrary to music lovers).

Tracklist:
01. Blinding light show/Moonchild (Triumph- 1976)
02. The city (Rock & roll machine- 1977)
03. Lay it on the line (Just a game- 1979)
04. Young enough to cry (Just a game- 1979)
05. Just a game (Just a game- 1979)
06. In the night (Progression of power- 1980)
07. Hard road (Progression of power- 1980)
08. Fight the good fight (Allied Forces-1981)
09. Ordinary man (Allied Forces-1981)
10. A world of fantasy (Never surrender- 1983)
11. Never surrender (Never surrender- 1983)
12. Time goes by (Thunder seven- 1984)
13. Killing time (Thunder seven- 1984)
14. Tears in the rain (Sport of kings- 1986)
15. If only (Sport of kings- 1986)
16. Play with fire (Sport of kings- 1986)
17. In the middle of the night (Sport of kings- 1986)
18. Never say never (Surveillance- 1987)
19. Headed for nowhere (Surveillance- 1987)
20. Running in the night (Surveillance- 1987)
21. It's over (Edge of excess- 1992)
22. Turn my back on love (Edge of excess- 1992)

ENJOY!!!
Pt 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/hm877e1d4uoahy2/Best+of+Triumph+by+JRD+pt1.rar
Pt 2:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/260ncdd8dlx5z2c/Best+of+Triumph+by+JRD+pt2.rar

Δευτέρα 25 Αυγούστου 2008

Compilations coming up...

I had this idea...to compile songs of some of my favorite bands, one band at a time, so you get a folder full of...well...just real diamonds, lol! Hope you will like it!
The first band will be the legendary Canadian hard rockers Triumph, I'm sure you will love the selections!

Σάββατο 23 Αυγούστου 2008

DARE- Calm before the storm (1998)



This may look as a surprise to many...Dare have released a couple of more hard rocking albums previous to''Calm before the storm''. This album has a whole different mood. Don't get fooled by the title. The storm never comes. Calm is the key word. All ten songs are moody melodic rock, some more uplifting, some totally on the blue side. There's a melancholic vibe throughout the album. What distinguishes this album from their following efforts, is that everything seems to have gone the right way. Darren Wharton has always been a great singer but here he sounds just magic. A heartfelt delivery that stands out for sure. The lyrics seem to play a very important role for that delivery. Thoughtful, beautiful, painful, redeeming lines...The album is full of accoustic guitars and melodic solos that serve the songs perfectly. Every vocal melody brings forth beautiful images, some of sunny days, some of rainy, all aiming straight to the listeners heart. Some songs stretch way over 5 or 6 minutes yet in such a beautiful way that you wish they lasted even longer. There's not a single song in there that's not great. Yet I still prefer to listen to the whole album every time instead of certain selections, cause it's all about the atmosphere the album creates in it's entirety. The closing cover of Thin Lizzy's Still in love with you is ideal. It's like this great song was waiting all those years for an album that would suite it!All in all another album you have to lay back to enjoy. Prefferably with a view to the sea and a glass of wine in hand.

ENJOY!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/?fbrvm6cc3dz24v6

Κυριακή 10 Αυγούστου 2008

TEAZE- One night stands (1978) (REUPLOADED 2019)


This band comes from Canada and the reason I put this album on my blog is the guys recorded two of the best songs in 70's heavy metal history, or to be more accurate, in heavy metal history in general. I'm not implying the rest of the album is just fillers, but I've always been focused on tracking down extraordinaire songs. And well, some songs are better than others, period! Heartless world is the song that got me hooked to the band. Once again you have to listen for yourself to believe! We are talking about an absolute masterpiece, simple as that. A song full of surprises. A semi-ballad hard n' heavy monster...Touch the wind, the other anthemic highlight will get you raising your fist and screaming the lyrics of the chorus for sure...At the end of day, having listened to countless albums you can find over the net you will realize those two songs are something to remember! Just for the record the guys recorded 4 albums between 1976 and 1980 and then disbanded. Words are Brian Danter, their singer/bassist (and rock n' roll hero for writing Touch the wind) is ready to release an album anytime soon.
ENJOY!!!

Dedicated to ''deaf'' people

I really don't want to make this blog a place for sharing my oppinions about music, but still I have to make this post...Yesterday I was playing music in a rock-metal bar along with a good friend. It was late, almost everyone had gone and we were enjoying some great AOR tunes waiting for the last ones to leave. And there come's a chick (one of two remaining costumers at that point) asking for some System of a Down song...And the girl serving the drinks asking for Disturbed. I had no problem doing them the favour since we were about to close. But I really can't understand how someone can like this shit...The songs were absolute shit! How on earth can someone get bored listening to wonderful songs and then bang his head with nonsense ''music''? Guess I will never find out....Sorry for the short confession, I'll make it up with some good albums and hopefully it will never happen again, lol!

Σάββατο 9 Αυγούστου 2008

IRISH COFFEE- Irish coffee (1971) (NEW LINK 2019)


This really obscure 70's band from Belgium never got what it deserved...And boy did they write some great tunes...Irish Coffee released this self titled album in 1971. They got near to a breakthrough, but it wasn't meant to be. What they offer us is heavy rock with some prog/psych elements. Passionate vocals shifting from raw to smooth depending on the songs vibe and inspired guitar solos and ever present fills are their basic elements. Songs like When winter comes, Hear me or A day like today are a pure joy to the ear. But the real masterpiece here is I'm lost. Songs like that -no matter how unknown- are a proud part of rock history. Exaggerating? Not at all my friends! Just take a listen for yourselves...This song could have appeared on a Wishbone Ash or Ten Years After album matching the best of what those great and famous bands could offer. Actually the band did several reunions giving some concerts from time to time and even recorded a new album some years ago. You can get the complete history of the band at http://www.belgianmetalhistory.be/, the bio is far beyond extended and with lots of interesting info. Just be aware that if you are not into 70's rock you might not be able to appreciate the bands work.
Still you have to do yourself a favor and listen to I'm Lost...

ENJOY!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ljkfsm36gglb4y5/Irish+Coffee-+Irish+Coffee+%281972%29.rar

Σάββατο 2 Αυγούστου 2008

NORTHWIND- Mythology (1987) (Reuploaded 2019!!!)


I've been away for a while but I'm back so there's no need for excuses, hehe!
So how about some great music from Greece? Though Greece had produced quite few outstanding albums you just can't ignore such gems! Nortwind recorded only 2 albums in the 80's. It is said that the first one is not something worth tracking down, but this one will leave you astonished! The year is 1987 and Northwind record an album with songs inspired by the great ancient greek mythology. Songs like Medea or Prometheus the man are breathtaking, a mixture of hard rock and epic metal with colourful melodies, great vocals and soulfull guitar solos. Really a shame they didn't keep up recording stuff like that...If you have listened to Socrates and liked them, I must tell you Northwind are simply better! I got the album from a greek blogspot a while ago, unfortunately it was shut down so I will try to put up the best of the albums from this practically unexplored scene...

2019 UPDATE: I've added a second link with 4 tracks the band recorded in 1992 while in London trying to get a break. These songs are more in a Whitesnake style but very good anyway. Also the guys have reunited with some new members and are ready to release a new album possibly in 2019!