Starbynary - Dark Passenger

I am a sucker for a few things: progressive metal and cool album artwork, and this has both. (I will admit, I have bought releases based on cool artwork and have been disappointed, but not so when it comes to Starbynary).

Starbynary is a Progressive Metal trio founded by some of the most talented musicians in the scene. ‘Dark Passenger’ is the band’s debut album, and it is an exciting concept inspired by Jeff Lindsay’s ‘Darkly Dreaming Dexter’ (as the highly successful TV series ‘Dexter’), a musical journey in the vein of classic Progressive bands of the Seventies with a modern touch and outstanding technical abilities displayed throughout the record. ‘Dark Passenger’ was produced by Peter Pahor in Trieste, Italy, and features a very special guest appearance by Mike LePond (Symphony X) on bass. The beautiful artwork was handled by renowned artist Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rage, Secret Sphere)

Nightglow - Orpheus

In past reviews I have mentioned how I often pick up and try bands based on their cool cover artwork. Well, at first, this artwork was not impressive enough to make me give it a look, it just seems kind of remedial, and yet at the same time kind of eerie.The artwork was blah, but the color scheme and content was a bit captivating.

Then I read a little of the band's style and the term "Classic Heavy Metal" appeared, which is one of my fave styles, so I read on.

Nightglow saw the light of the day in 2003 and soon established themselves as a Classic Heavy Metal band devoted to the great English acts of the Eighties. After many years of live performances (also as the official Manowar Italian tribute band), collaborations with many international acts such as Lizzy Borden, Eric Martin, Kiko Loureiro, Fabio Lione, Jack Starr to name a few, and a critically acclaimed debut album, Nightglow are ready to come back with a new effort combining all their past influences and projecting them to the future. ‘Orpheus’, this is the title of the new work, sounds heavy and refreshing, delivering great melodies, powerful guitar riffs and groovy rhythms like there was no tomorrow. The album was recorded at B-Demolition Studios, with mixing and mastering by Tuvo (Shake Well Before) at Try Studios. The artwork was handled by Alessandro Conti (Trick or Treat, Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody). A special guest appearance by Sara Ciucci from folk metal band Artaius has also been announced.

Book Review: Paul Stanley - Face the Music: A Life Exposed

People usually write books about themselves in order to put themselves in a good light, and tear down other around them. Paul's band mates Ace and Peter did that (more so in Peter's case). So I expected that from Paul's side here. Well, there is a little of it, but not near as much as I expected.

When I read the Peter Criss biography, at times I felt sorry for him and the way he was treated by Gene and Paul (at least from his perception of things), but for the bulk of his book I just shook my head thinking what a total loser he was to continue time and time again to screw things up in his self-destructive life. He was an addict and abused drugs, and let it screw up his career. Understanding how his self-destructive lifestyle was in his own words, it has to make you wonder just how much of his "stories" about band abuse are remembered clear enough to be accurate.

Book Review: Peter Criss: Makeup to Breakup

Okay, I am a pretty huge Kiss fan. They were the first band I got into as a young kid of 11 years-old. I discovered the band in 1977 right around the time Kiss Alive II was released, and I heard it at a friend's house. I promptly went out and purchased their latest studio album Love Gun, and became an instant fan. Prior to that, it was music like the Grease soundtrack, and the Bee Gees, and other poppy disco stuff of the time. So, Kiss was my first taste of hard rock, and I consumed all they had.

They were my first concert experience, seeing the Dynasty tour in 1979 and many times after that. The only thing I really knew about the band was what I saw. Not an avid reader, nor a real follower of the latest tabloid/magazine world, I did not spend much time following the behind the scenes publicized dirt. They were super heroes to me - amazing musicians who put on a great show.

Now, 35 years later, I am still a big fan. I have all of their albums, I have a bunch of merchandise too. I follow them religiously to a degree. Obviously I like hundreds of other bands now, but still Kiss ranks up their as a key player in my eye. I have followed the solo stuff, I have followed the former members (Ace & Peter), but still, only paid a small amount of attention to the publicized dirt.

Book Review: Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath - Tony Iommi

Biographies have never really been my reading preference in the past. I have always rather chosen to read books that would broaden my understanding, education, or worldview. However, a couple of years ago I read a biography of someone musical that I was a fan of more or less. At first I was thinking, why read this, it is about the life of someone else, and dealt with things that are not directly affecting me. However, I found it to be really enjoying. As a musician myself, and with so many years being so involved in following the music scene in general, and with such a wide range of musical likes, I guess musical related biographies appeal to me a bit more than other types.

I chose to read this one on Tony Iommi at this time for three main reasons. One, I had heard good things about it from other music fans; two, I have never been much of a fan or follower of his music and wanted to learn more; three, it had just been returned to the library the day I went in looking for a book, so I grabbed it.

Seven Kingdoms - The Fire is Mine

Track list:
01: Beyond the Wall
02: After the Fall
03: Forever Brave
04: Flame of Olympus
05: Symphony of Stars
06: The Fire is Mine
07: Kardia
08: Fragile Minds Collapse
09: In the Twisted Twilight
10: A Debt Paid in Steel
11: The King in the North

Release date: 9 October 2012
Label: Nightmare Records

I discovered this band through their 2010 self-titled release - Seven Kingdoms, which was a solid piece of power metal splendor. I later went back and discovered the first release Brothers of the Night, which was very different due to the male singer and rougher vocal style. I had gotten a small taste of that vocals style on the few songs containing it on the second album, but did not realize their roots were so different. Female vocalist Sabrina Valentine took over the vocals on album number two, driving the band into a different direction with their sound, and for release number three, she remains solely at the helm of this fine-tuned power metal machine.

Burning Point - The Ignitor

01. Eternal Flame
02. In the Fires of Myself - Made Hell
03. In the Night
04. The Ignitor
05. Silent Scream
06. Heaven is Hell
07. Losing Sleep
08. Demon Inside of You
09. Eversleep
10. Lost Tribe
11. Holier than Thou

Release date: 19 June 2012

The band is back, and ready to set the world on fire with album number five - ‘The Ignitor’ - which sets new standards for the band, combining all the best elements of its predecessors and throwing them into Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Heaven!