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German rockers Fair Warning are known for their consistency in releasing ultra melodic, hook-filled albums and, once again, they deliver their promise. When you get a new Fair Warning album, you know what to expect: big melodies, soaring vocals, out-of-this-world guitar solos, a few hard rockers, a few mid-paced anthems and at least a couple of heart-felt ballads. Sure enough, all these elements are found in 4. Although not as immediately catchy as their previous album, Go!, 4 is certain proof that this band will stay true to themselves and their fans. Sticking to their impeccable style, Fair Warning has not compromised their sound to fit in with the current musical trends. Highlights on this album include the pounding, guitar-driven "Heart on the Run" - the notes and tones this guy gets out of his guitar have to be heard to be appreciated. Very much like "Angels of Heaven" from Go! At the more mid-paced moments of the album, "Eyes of Love" and the immediate classics "I Fight" and "Find My Way" are among the best songs Fair Warning have composed in years. As for ballads, you get a fair share of them: the bombastic "Break Free," the tormented "Tell Me I'm Wrong," the soothing "Night Falls" and the operatic, choir-backed "For the Young." All in all, Fair Warning doesn't pull any surprises, the new songs don't stray too far from the mold they have created for themselves. Still, the whole album flows smoothly better than their previous ones. The pace is faster than Go! which had a few too many ballads. This is a must-have album that defines Fair Warning as a definite contender for the "best band currently on the scene" award. ----- Released in 2000 by Frontiers Music | Tracklist: Heart on the Run, Through the Fire, Break Free, Forever, Tell Me I'm Wrong, Dream, I Fight, Time Will Tell, Eyes of Love, Find My Way, Night Falls, Wait, For the Young
Now here's an odd release if I've ever heard one. Back in the late 80's metal gods Helloween established themselves as the frontrunners of the power metal genre. Throughout the 90's they battled against new bands that were in fact cloning the classic Helloween sound, reigning victorious, if a bit tired. The beginning of this year 2000 sees them paying tribute to the bands they grew up with and influenced in their own subtle way the Helloween sound. Most of the songs are not played note-by-note, as is the case of many tribute records these days. Instead, the songs remain quite true to the originals but are heavily injected with Helloween-isms. The effect is awesome, as this record definitely sounds like a Helloween album. The Scorpions' "He's a Woman - She's a Man" has been sped up and given a terrific edge that makes the song sound sharper and more focused than the original. Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath" is a bit dragging. This band has never been one of my favorites and this song is uninventive and dull. Now, when I first heard they were doing an ABBA song I thought "oh god." Yet, I've always thought that ABBA had many great songs that could be skillfully translated into hard rock numbers. Well, Helloween have proved my point. "Lay All Your Love on Me" is incredibly well-done. The melodies lend themselves to a powerful arrangement and Helloween have taken it and molded it into their own. "Space Oddity" is a very faithful remake of the David Bowie classic. Not straying too far from the original it still sounds fresh and new. Next up is Faith No More's "From Out of Nowhere." I would have preferred a remake of "Epic" or "Falling to Pieces," but this one works fine too. The most melodic songs wok the best on this album as is the case with the fantastic version of The Beatles' "All My Loving." Fast, a la classic Helloween style - complete with the dual guitar attack - this short ditty shines as one of the most original covers ever and is the unmistakable best song on this album. "Hocus Pocus," originally done by Focus is good - but not remarkable. Following the awesome "All My Loving," is no easy feat and Andi's yodels are not very attractive sounding. :) But it's certainly an original and fun song where the band lets loose and enjoys playing it. I have not heard Alex Harvey's original version of "Faith Healer," so I can't make an accurate comparison. However, it's an interesting song where Helloween is a bit more relaxed than their usual fast-paced mayhem. They pick the pace up again for Frank Marino's "Juggernaut" which is very reminiscent of any of the mid-paced songs on the band's more recent albums. One of the most interesting and successful covers here is of Cream's "White Room." Featuring great use of chunky guitar tones interspersed with the more melodic interludes - this is one of the best spots on an already good album. Closing the album is another song unknown to me, Babe Ruth's "Mexican." It's fast and melodic with a very attractive-sounding guitar solo. Good way to close the album. This is a keeper (no pun intended). It avoids the pitfalls that many other tribute albums have in the past by being faithful to the original songs while updating them and giving them a definite sense of originality. There is no doubt at any point that you are indeed listening to a Helloween album. Highly recommended for Helloween fans. Go to Page 2 |
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