Reviews roundup – Ten Years After vs. Exit Eden vs. Church of the Cosmic Skull vs. Erin Enderlin

Reviews roundup – Ten Years After vs. Exit Eden vs. Church of the Cosmic Skull vs. Erin Enderlin

 

TEN YEARS AFTER
The Albums 1967 – 1974
Chrysalis

I’m far too young to have seen TYA back in the day. And I don’t get to say that often. However, I did see Alvin Lee live at some point in the early eighties when he was basically playing glorified pubs. Hard to believe then that they’d been a breakout act at Woodstock.

It’s also quite enlivening to recall a time when successful musicians were still expected to crank out two albums a year as this 50th Anniversary 10 CD Box Set attests. Well it’s actually nine albums in seven years plus a disc of unreleased material, but close enough. THis pulls together all their albums from 1967 – 1974 as originally released on Chrysalis and Deram and adds five songs called ‘The Cap Ferrat Sessions’ which was discovered by Alvin Lee’s wife in the vaults of the studio in their house they shared in Spain. They originate from the ‘Rock N Roll Music To The World’ album sessions, which were recorded at a seaside villa in Cap Ferrat, South of France and Olympic Studios in London. Chris Kimsey, who recorded and engineered the original sessions, was then brought in 45 years later to mix these tracks for the first time.

Naturally, with this being a very expensive box set, limited to 1,500 copies worldwide, I’ve been sent a 10 track promo but I’m familiar enough with the original albums to remember how hit and miss they were. There was some fantastic music in those grooves although I’ve always been a heretic and preferred the aforementioned ‘Rock N Roll Music To The World’ and ‘Positive Vibrations’ to the earlier, more lauded, recordings. Their psychedelic blues rock is very much of its time but that doesn’t stop the likes of me cranking out TYA, Savoy Brown and Foghat albums at the drop of a hat.

Regardless, this looks as though it will be a real treat for Ten Years After fans as it comes in a luxury hardback format with slipcase and an accompanying book which includes a newly commissioned, in-depth 10,000 word sleeve notes written by former Melody Maker journalist Chris Welch. There are extensive interviews with the remaining band members plus members of Alvin Lee’s family, and additional recording notes by Chris Kimsey. It’s available through Pledge Music.

https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/ten-years-after-box-set

 

 

EXIT EDEN
Rhapsodies In Black
Napalm Records

I do like me some female fronted symphonic metal. I’ve got far too many Nightwish, Tarja and Leaves’ Eyes albums lying about the place than is good for me.

So there wasn’t much chance of this passing me by. A Napalm Records curated project (rather then the band they’re pretending to be) the main quartet comprises global vocalists Clémentine Delauney (Visions of Atlantis, Serenity) from France, Germany’s Anna Brunner, Brazil’s Marina La Torraca (Avantasia, Phantom Elite), and the USA’s Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trillium, Kiske/Somerville). And what they’ve done is taken a bunch of pop songs from the likes of Depeche Mode, Madonna, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, Bryan Adams, Bonnie Tyler and more, re-imagining them in symphonic metal style.

And it largely works. They’ve even brought in Epica’s Simone Simons for some additional vocal firepower on Madonna’s “Frozen” and Adele’s Bond theme, “Skyfall”, although nothing can save the latter dirge. Masterplan vocalist Rick Altzi provides a manly touch on “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, although that’s a song that was so over the top to begin with that they didn’t have to tamper too much bar firing up some metal riffs. In fact the whole project involves throwing as many kitchen sinks as possible into the mix which is why I have taken it to my heart with gusto.

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CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL
Is Satan Real?
Bilocation Records

The band describe themselves a church, a religious movement who ‘seek to free mankind from their material possessions and unify all living beings into a singular cosmic whole…’ So far so Polyphonic Spree. But by jingo the music is wonderful.

They set off into the seventies when beards were bushy, flares were wide and the music was far reaching and adventurous. So they take in rock, psych, prog, fusion and all points inbetween. With added cello. From the opening “Mountain Heart” they grab you right where it hurts and drag you through their expansive musical experience. For sure, there are times when the voice of Bill Fisher seems a bit too nineties indie for what’s going on behind him but pound for pound this is probably the best rock (ish) debut I’ve heard this year.

The rest of the band provide a powerful presence and it’s an album that builds and builds towards closing monsterpiece “Evil in Your Eye” where they slowly set out over eleven minutes everything that’s gone before into one momentous epic. Anyone with the slightest interest in seventies rock should be hunting this down immediately. You won’t regret it.

https://churchofthecosmicskull.bandcamp.com/releases

 

 

ERIN ENDERLIN
Whiskeytown Crier
Blue State Records

It’s a strange old world, the record business. You’d think if Nashville stumbled across a great singer who has had songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Randy Travis, and Terri Clark they’d be falling over themselves to snap her up. You’d be wrong.

Which is why Erin Enderlin seems to have ended up in that best kept secret category. Or maybe her songs are just too real and too country for the modern world. Either way if you’ve missed out on her then you really need to get that rectified sharpish. At least she’s got some friends in high places as this record sees her linking up with Jamey Johnson to bring her latest set of songs to the world. And the songs are just fabulous. Granted, the heartbreakers are a bit too much for me right now, what with me being a walking, open wound, but those less damaged will be drawn right into her world.

It’s a country concept album of sorts as Ms Enderlin tells the tales of the women who live in Whiskeytown and she really brings their lives to life. She’s found some sympathetic musicians who manage to keep things country. Now I don’t know about you but the arguments as to what is and isn’t country really irritates me. You know when something is country, you don’t need to think about it. And there is no doubt that this is country. The songs sound like tunes you’ve grown up with as the melodies are instant and memorable, so you barely notice when she takes a turn into “Hickory Wind” or the Tammy Wynette number “Til I Can Make It On My Own”.

It’s the best country album of the year so don’t hang about. And once you’ve done that make sure to pick up her 2013 release “I Let Her Talk”.

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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton
http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
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