Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider (1991)

Iced Earth's second album has, thankfully, a new vocalist in John Greely, as well as drummer Rick Secchiari (both of whom would be gone after this), although band leader Jon Schaffer trades vocals with Greely throughout.
It's a concept piece about a man who is tempted by dark forces to do evil, which he gives into, before realising he is doomed to Hell and cannot go back. That's a brief overview of it, anyway. Like their 1990 self-titled debut, it's really in the speed metal vain, and I like the galloping rhythms found here, but the lack of much in the way of melodies makes it rather humdrum for me, even though the choral touches in the opening "Angels Holocaust" are nice.
It would be four more years before this American band brought out their next album; I'm afraid Iced Earth isn't doing a lot for me so far.

**

Gamma Ray - Sigh No More (1991)

Gamma Ray's second album is rather disappointing after their excellent debut HEADING FOR TOMORROW.  It's steadier, certainly less in the power metal veign, as it covers more serious topics like the Gulf War at the time. Not that there's anything wrong with this, but the material, while serviceable, just isn't all that great, and there isn't a song I can remember off hand. I have "Heaven Can Wait" running through my head at the moment, and when one sits down to listen to an album, and comes away thinking of a song from another album of that band, then there's probably something wrong.

**1/2

Helloween - Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)

Ah, the infamous "Pink Bubbles Go Ape". Reviewing albums (or movies) with bad reputations can be as daunting as reviewing ones with good.  And since I gave Helloween's previous "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II" just three stars, how can I go and justify giving this one the same rating?
I can see why a lot of people would have disliked the record at the time of its release, thanks in part to its title and cover (songs being called things like "Heavy Metal Hamsters" wouldn't have helped either), and also because the music veers from their established speed formula (apart from "Someone's Crying") to more steady hard rock. And the little opening, title ditty sounds like it would be more at home in a serious moment of "Play School."
But some of the music is quite good, like "Number One", "Goin' Home" and "The Chance", and I suggest the album would have been received better if it was the debut of an up and coming group.
So, in short, yes, a bit disappointing for fans of Helloween, but taken on its own, "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" is still quite a good listen.

***



Rage - Reflections Of A Shadow (1990)

Rage's fifth album is one of their best to date, being catchy and enjoyable, with rather personal lyrics.  "Flowers That Fade In My Hand" is Peter Wagner's tribute to his father, who had died not long before, while "Wild Seed" focuses on offspring who are neglected as children, and then get into a life of crime.
Best songs for me include "Reflections Of A Shadow" and "Nobody Knows" (even though the latter is not much more than a song about sex).

***1/2



Iced Earth - Iced Earth (1990)

American band Iced Earth started as something of a speed (although it's not that consistently fast) metal band with some progressive touches, and I admit this debut doesn't do a lot for me.  Gene Adam's rather strangulated vocals are something of an acquired taste, and there is not a lot of melodious interest, but the opening "Iced Earth" isn't bad, and I like the haunting bells in "Life And Death." The lyrics are full of Hell and death and... you know, suchlike. Not really occultic, just gloomy.  There are also two instrumentals.

**

Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World (1990)

Oh wow. This  is what I've been waiting for.
This is power metal.  It's fast. Fast is exciting. And exhilarating.
And it's melodious.  The roaring vocals just sweep me away, and the guitar work is terrific. "Traveler In Time" (based on "Dune") sets the standard for what is to follow, with such highlights as "Lost In The Twilight Hall" and "The Last Candle" (inspired by the Dragon Lance books, three of which I've read), while also shining is "Goodbye My Friend" which is, rather bizarrely, about E.T. It's as far away from John Williams' classical score that one could imagine, and it is quite impossible to see it being played while Elliot is shedding tears, but it's still a fine song.
Other pieces include the only slow track here, "Lord Of The Rings" based on, well, "The Lord Of The Rings", and "Tommyknockers" takes its cue from the Stephen King story.
And, see, this is another thing I like. Not "I love you, oohh aah" or "Satan is my Lord". Interesting subjects to accompany breathtaking music.
I like Blind Guardian. I like them a lot.
Keep them coming.

****1/2

Axxis - II (1990)

Axxis' second album is more pleasingly melodious rock, if rather perfunctionary, although I still can't go for Bernhard Weiß's vocals. The positive "Touch The Rainbow" is good, if a bit too light for "true" metal, and "Hold You" is a reasonable ballad.
There were three years before this German band's next studio album, THE BIG THRILL, so it will be interesting to see if there's any progress made by then.

***

Gamma Ray - Heading For Tomorrow (1990)

After Kai Hansen left Helloween and dabbled briefly in Blind Guardian, he started his own band, Gamma Ray, and hit bullseye straight away with this sometimes terrific debut.

The gang choruses of the two early songs, "Lust For Life" and "Heaven Can Wait", help make them excellent, catchy starters, and while quality varies a bit afterwards, with the likes of "Money" being a curio, but still pretty good, and "Free Time", with it's I-don't-want-to-have-to-work-at-all-I-want-to-party-all-the-time message being absolutely lame, but still oddly likeable, but things finish well with the 14+ minute title song and a cover of Uriah Heep's "Look At Yourself", which conclude what is quite an exhilarating listen.
Vocalist Ralph Scheepers is pretty good, sounding quite a bit like Bruce Dickenson, though a bit wobbly for my tastes, while Hansen himself rips into his guitar with gusto.
Look, I admit I feel a bit pretentious commenting on guitar work/solos. I couldn't play one to save myself, and screaming, whining solos often just pass me by, while others listen to them in awe. I suppose this makes my whole blog pretentious. :) Heavy metal and don't really care for guitar solos?? I didn't say that, but it just seems to take a lot to really grab me as far as they are concerned.

In any event, I already find Gamma Ray preferable to what Helloween had already released by the end of the eighties with this very enjoyable album.

****

Rage - Secrets In A Weird World (1989)

I confess I haven't listened to this album all that closely, partly because I was distracted by the cricket on the television at the time of last listening to it. I normally don't like doing that, so naughty me, but ah well...
What I did note I actually liked, with some good speed metal going on, although "Talk To Grandpa", about a medium contacting some old coot from the dead.  Hmmm...
I don't really go for the look-inside-yourself stuff of "The Inner Search" either. But, from what I can tell, it's a good album altogether, and maybe if I become more engrossed in Rage as time goes on, I'll come back to give this another chance.

***