This review of Anthrax’s Persistence Of Time started out differently to what you are about to read. Earlier this week, I was listening to Persistence in the car. The thrash-fest of Got The Time had just ended and H8 RED had begun. H8 RED = HATRED. “All this hatred, I can’t take it,” sings Joey Belladonna on the track. So, how long did it take me to figure out that H8 RED was actually ‘hatred’? Only 15 years! I’ve been listening to this album on and off since it was released in 1990 and only today did I make the connection! There is no excuse.

Initially, I was still impressed with Persistence. It was only when I started to think about the album for this review that I realised something: It’s nothing special.

The first few days of listening to Persistence was reliving it. I loved this album when it came out. I could sing along to the lyrics, wail along to a few of the guitar solos and generally rock along to Charlie Benante’s drumming. Maybe I’m slightly more discerning these days, but now it sounds a bit samey.

The Good Bits

Well, the major standout track on this album is Got The Time. Anthrax play this one punky, fast and don’t outstay their welcome - I think the song is less than three minutes long!

For me, the other standout tracks are Intro Into Reality/Belly Of The Beast, In My World and Keep It In The Family. There’s no real reason, just that I like these a bit more than the other tracks.

Where did it all go wrong?

Persistence Of Time was Joey Belladonna’s last ‘proper’ album with Anthrax (not mentioning Attack Of The Killer B’s). Maybe I’m tuned into this at the moment, but Belladonna’s voice on Persistence Of Time is very irritating! Many of the tracks are mediocre and have no real hooks.

This next point is purely personal, and probably comes from me living in a rural area, but the guitar sound on some of the tracks is like a tractor engine. When I was listening to this in the car, I found myself looking to see where the farmer was!

It didn’t help that I had burned a couple of early Anthrax tracks to the same CD: I Am The Law and Antisocial. The old classics sound much better by comparison, although I’d have to dig out State Of Euphoria and Among The Living to confirm this.

The Bottom Line?

Persistence isn’t the worst album ever realeased, but it doesn’t break new ground, won’t hold your attention and certainly won’t change your life. By a bizarre co-incidence, I happened to hit the Anthrax website while researching this and discovered that Belladonna is back in the band along with Dan Spitz (I didn’t know he’d even left!). There’s much consternation about this one the web - seems people actually liked John Bush! Time will tell how this one goes, but I’d go to the show if they ever land in Northern Ireland!

This review was kindly donated by The Levee Breaks blog.

Point of fact: I love to rock. I can be seen most days shooting in and out of Belfast playing air drums to whatever music is travelling with me. Second point of fact: Growing up, I never once thought Iron Maiden were cool. I always pegged them as a one-trick, denim-rock band along the lines of Status Quo.

I picked up Maiden’s greatest hits package, Edward The Great about 18 months ago from Tower Records in London, listened to it a couple of times and abandoned for a while. The disc found its way out to the car again about a week ago and isn’t showing any signs of leaving!

Spine Tinglers

Edward The Great has the unique privilege of providing two spine tingling moments, which is more than most albums! The first is definately track two, The Number Of The Beast with it’s almost whispered first verse building up into that scream, bringing the rest of Maiden thundering in. It’s hard to believe this song is 23 years old!

The second spine-tingler is the live version of Fear Of The Dark from Rock In Rio. I don’t think it’s the tightest performance ever, but the atmosphere, especially with the crowd almost drowning out vocalist Bruce Dickinson is sooooo electric! It’s an amazing performance and a great end to the album.

But what about the in-between bits?

All excellent. To be honest, I really only took a second look at Iron Maiden when bands like Sum 41 started to cite them as influences. Shallow? Probably. Anyway, most of the songs on there were familiar to me - I might not have liked them back in the day, but I couldn’t completely avoid them. With the benefit of hindsight and a touch of nostalgia, I really enjoyed the whole album. Like a reviewer on the Amazon website, I wondered why there were so many songs on there from the Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son album, but didn’t dwell too much. The album rocks, that’s all you need to know!

The Worst Bits

I almost always skip the two tracks by Dickinson’s replacement, Blaze Bayley (why?). While Man On The Edge and Futureal are both competent tracks, I just don’t want to know! Even The Wicker Man is a bit of a stretch for me. I suppose none of them are ‘classic’ Maiden.

On the whole, though, I’d say this is a 9 out of 10! If I was compiling the album, I’d cut out Man On The Edge, Futureal and Wicker Man and replace them with stuff like Phantom Of The Opera, which is notably missing.

This post was kindly donated by The Levee Breaks blog.

As with all my album reviews, this review of Chris Cornell’s Euphoria Morning is much belated. I am not trying to review current music, but things I have listended to previously and rediscovered, or albums I may have missed out on first time around. Being very much a mainstream rocker, I was aware of the Seattle scene, but didn’t love it. Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam were the highlights for me. I didn’t really get Nirvana, and although I listened I couldn’t stand Chris Cornell’s screaming on Soundgarden songs! So recently, I picked up a copy of Euphoria Morning, Cornell’s solo album, released two years after Soundgarden split up in 1997. I hadn’t read any reviews. I didn’t have any expectations.

First Impressions
Euphoria Morning initially was hard work. One of those albums you really have to make yourself listen to. Once you break through the ‘pain’ barrier, the songs begin to get stuck inside your head. The standout tracks for me were Preaching The End Of The World, Can’t Change Me and Follow My Way. Can’t Change Me starts the album off, with a guitar riff reminiscent of early Killer-era Alice Cooper (don’t let that put you off). This is followed by the very poppy, upbeat Fluttergirl which I didn’t expect from the Soundgarden screamer, but definately grows on you. Preaching The End Of The World, for me is the best track on the album. Cornell sings this one with quiet resignation, building up over the chorus. I’m tempted to say it’s like a modern take on Bowie’s Five Years. Whatever, I can’t get the song out of my head. Even Mrs Levee knows the words now!

Songs To Skip Over
In general, the later parts of the album start to blur a bit, but it’s still enjoyable to listen to. The real hooks are mostly in the first half. When I’m Down is probably the only song I can’t stand. It’s Cornell’s take on the blues, but to me sounds unconvincing - a bit like some of the tracks on Jimmy Page’s Outrider album.

Overall?
Overall, the album is a hit with me. It’s fair to say that the album lacks continuity stylistically. However, there are some very strong tracks to listen to - Follow My Way deserves a mention here! I was listening to Euphoria Morning in the car with Mrs Levee the other day and she refused to call it a rock album. Euphoria Morning is a surprise in that way. It carries Cornell’s trademark vocals, but replaces the harder rock of Soundgarden with a more laid back, earthy feel in the instrumentation. Cornell’s voice croons more on this album, but still soars over the more emotional lyrics. It’s not an attempt to continue the Soundgarden legacy (thank God).

This review was kindly provided by The Levee Breaks blog

Over the past month, there’s only one CD that’s travelled with me, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (or F.U.C.K.) by Van Halen. I first heard some of the songs when the album originally came out in 1992, but wasn’t into VH enough back then to buy the album.

Recently, I got a copy and took it out for a drive. What did I discover? A hard rockin’ album with real teeth, that’s what! VH purists knock F.U.C.K. as being one of their worst albums, but I was blown away by the sheer power and consistency of the album - you can just feel the energy on every track.

The Singles
Easing you into and out of the album are the two big singles, starter Poundcake and closing track Top Of The World. It’s hard to believe the video for Poundcake was made nearly thirteen years ago. It had the stock busty girls, but it’s best bit was every time Sammy Hagar sang loud, the microphone seemed to swell and throb which was just brilliant! I always thought Top Of The World was the weaker track, but after a few weeks, that intro riff really gets into your head and the lead break is fantastic. It’s a really heavy pop/rock track that grabs you from start to finish.

Best Bits
Needless to say, the two singles are amazing tracks. The rest of the album is excellent, particularly Judgement Day, Runaround, The Dream Is Over and Right Now. If you think about it in context, this album came out during the emergence of the ‘Seattle scene’. Although it went multi-platinium, it doesn’t get much recognition these days. But FUCK is a pounding heavy rock album which keeps the energy up throughout, by a powerful, tight and talented group who seem to be really enjoying themselves.

Songs To Skip Over
You need to be warned about the (only) two weak tracks here: Spanked and Man On A Mission. Neither do much for me and interrupt the flow of the album. Spanked, in particular, is terrible. AC/DC or Aerosmith could do a mean sex song, but it’s not Van Halen’s strongest area! 316 is the customary bit of guitar noodling from Eddie. It would normally annoy me, but serves as an extended intro to Top Of The World, so it escapes my wrath!

All in all, though, this thirteen year old record (I can’t believe it’s been that long!!) is truely excellent. If you’re revisiting your youth or simply want something to bop along to in your car, get FUCKed!

This review was kindly donated by The Levee Breaks blog.