Reviews roundup – Ross The Boss vs. Fernando Perdomo vs. For The Wolf

Reviews roundup – Ross The Boss vs. Fernando Perdomo vs. For The Wolf

ROSS THE BOSS
By Blood Sworn
AFM

Well if anyone is allowed to make an album that sounds exactly like Manowar, then it’s Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman. After all he was co-founder and songwriter of Manowar before leaving nigh on 20 years ago.

But he returned to hail and kill once again in 2008 and this is the third release following on from “New Metal Leader” and “Hailstorm”. He also released a couple of records with Death Dealer so he has well and truly got his metal back on. The studio band of Marc Lopes on vocals and keys, Mike LePond on bass, and Lance Barnewold on drums make a fair fist of recreating the sounds of old, no more so than on the digipak edition which includes three re-recorded Manowar classics.

The new material stands up well with the title track, ‘Faith Of The Fallen’ and ‘Fistful Of Hate’ as good as any true metal songs I’ve heard this year. It sounds great as well as the production is clear as a bell, something Manowar never achieved in their golden age. Granted, no-one could touch Eric Adams at his vocal peak but then not even Eric Adams can do that nowadays. The re-recordings are interesting rather than essential although you can never have too many versions of ‘Hail And Kill’. An essential metal release for fans of true heavy metal.

FERNANDO PERDOMO
Out To Sea
Forward Motion

A new name to me but that serves me right for not reading the small print on the last Dave Kerzner release. Because that is where Fernando Perdomo mainly plays his guitar.

But he’s sallied out on his own now with an instrumental prog release which will make fans of classic seventies prog go a wee bit moist around the edges. It’s a proper solo album as bar one track, he plays all the instruments (guitars, bass, keys, and drums). Show off. Especially when he’s this good. As some of the titles show, he’s using this not only to showcase his musical ability but also taking it as a chance to show where his influences as a musician lie.

So that’ ‘The Architect (Tribute to Peter Banks)’, ‘De Boerderij (Tribute to Focus)’, ‘The Future According to Roye (Tribute to Roye Albrighton and Nektar)’, ‘Sonja (Tribute to Sonja Kristina and Curved Air)’ and ‘Starless (Tribute to John Wetton)’ taken care off. And yes it is that ‘Starless’. ‘De Boerderij’, in particular, is just amazing. It out Focuses Focus and I say that as a major Focus fan. It’s not just the music either as he’s had the album artwork done by Paul Whitehead who is probably best known for his early Genesis covers. Despite the fact there is no tribute to Genesis track here, a lot of the music does seem to nod to their early art rock albums which is a good thing.

He is a remarkable musician and this couldn’t come more highly recommended.

FOR THE WOLF
Keld
Firecrest

Apparently this lot are being billed as avant-folk. Which is odd because to my ears they couldn’t be more folk folk if they tried.

Maybe it’s the sound of PR folk trying to sell them to a young, hipster audience. Depending on who you believe ‘keld’ is an old Northern English world meaning ‘the deep, still, smooth part of a river’ or it’s from the Viking word Kelda meaning a spring. Don’t tell anyone but it’s actually the latter as the village in Swaledale will attest. Either works, though, as this follow up to “Hawk To The Hunting Gone” from Kerry Andrew is all about water.

She’w working with a core band of multi-instrumentalist Sam Hall and percussionist Peter Ashwell, with the clear voice of Ms Andrew always front and centre. For sure there a few modern sounding loops and effects but they’re in the background. So it’s folk to the fore with songs about rivers, nymphs, kelpies and naiads. It’s an engaging and encompassing piece of contemporary folk that really does draw you in. ‘Witch of the Westmerlands’ and ‘The Weeper really stood out for me but this is an actual album that deserves to be listened to as an entity. Definitely recommended.

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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton