Album Of The Week - Archive 2023

 Album Of The Week

Album Of The Week - 05/07/2025 - Track 4

My penultimate selection this week is another Stranglers track that like yesterdays song that has long instrumental sections, another example of how they never really stuck to a typical punk sound and approach.

Originally released in 1977, Down In The Sewer remains a live favourite.

Album Of The Week - 05/07/2025 - Track 3

Today's selection from Live At The Apollo is arguably the best cover The Stranglers have done to date.

Their version of the classic Walk On By was actually structured in the same way as the Doors Light My Fire with extended keyboard and guitar solo's taking up a large part of the song.

This recording gives us a chance to see the late, great, Dave Greenfield at his very best.

Album Of The Week - 05/07/2025 - Track 2

Going slightly off topic with today's selection with a song I mentioned in my write up for the Live At The Apollo.

The song Retro Rockets was included in the DVD release but for some reason did not make the CD edit but as a new Stranglers song at the time I felt it needed including for this week's summary.

Album Of The Week - 05/07/2025

Live At The Apollo – The Stranglers

 

This week we have the seventh of my 56 Stranglers albums to be selected and the fourth live album to feature as an album of the week.

Live At The Apollo was recorded and released in 2010 and the CD release was alongside a concert DVD which featured the whole gig. The CD is a 17 track edit of the 23 song set list but surprisingly was not released separately in its own right, I feel a trick was missed there by the record company.

The London Apollo gig was the penultimate show in a 16 date Spring tour in 2010 on the back of the Decades Apart release, a 35 track compilation covering the full range of Stranglers releases at the time, from Rattus Norvegicus in 1977 to the Suite XI album in 2006.

By 2010 the Stranglers had reverted to a 4 piece line-up following the departure of Paul Roberts and with 10 years in the band Baz Warne took over vocal duties alongside Jean Jaques Burnel. It was felt by many followers that this line-up had reinvigorated and returned the band to a more classic look and approach.

This was certainly the case with the 2010 tour which had the look of a band in top form hitting the new material and classics with equal vigour and enthusiasm.

For the Decades Apart release the band recorded two new songs, one of which, Retro Rockets was released as a single and included in the setlist for the tour and although the song featured in the DVD recording it did not make the album edit.

I have seen the Stranglers many times over the years and its on stage and its in this setting that one can see how they have honed their craft over thousands of gigs. There is a sense of intensity at a Stranglers gig with the powerful bass, swirling keyboards and tight rhythms with the band getting into long runs of belting, driving songs.

This live album release gives a good impression of the above and for me highlights what a superb frontman Baz Warne became trying to fill what, for some, were the big shoes of Hugh Cornwell.

My first selection from the set is opener, Time To Die, a largely instrumental track with a spoken section based on the iconic closing scene from Blade Runner.

 

Enjoy

Album Of The Week - 28/06/2025 - Track 5

My final selection from Wish is the appropriately named End.

From an album awash with riches this is a very strong end to the album. A song drenched in self doubt with a hypnotic and repetive guitar line and a tribal drum rythm End is a powerful yet melodic finale to what can only be described as a classic Cure album.

Album Of The Week - 28/06/2025 - Track 4

Songs of unrequited love have often been the basis of great songs especially within the realms of gothic rock and today’s selection from Wish is a beautiful example of this.

A Letter To Elise was the third and final single released from Wish and it was my favourite of the three.

Album Of The Week - 28/06/2025 - Track 3

Although The Cure please on many fronts, its the slow, melancholic songs that often resonate most with me and to that end today's choice from Wish is one of my favourite Cure songs.

Apart is a deeply intimate and touching song delivered with a superbly haunting track and delicate vocal.

Album Of The Week - 28/06/2025 - Track 2

My second selection from Wish is the lead single, High.

Although a lighter offering, the clever use of the bass still gives this breezy song a root in the quietly melancholic, a gorgeous song.

Album Of The Week - 28/06/2025

Wish – The Cure

 

This week’s album takes back to 1992 with the 9^th studio album from The Cure, the fifth of my 16 Cure albums to be selected as my album of the week.

Many of my Cure albums were bought some time after release as I never followed their releases as enthusiastically as some other bands, for me they have never been “must buy on day of release”. As is the case with Wish, it was some time before I added this fine album to my collection.

By the time Wish was released in 1992 The Cure had established themselves as a major band, especially within the realms of alternative and gothic rock but their commercial success indicated a far broader appeal. I think this is largely down to the variety the band offered over the albums and a string of successful singles to back up the albums. The Cure had firmly been labelled as a “goth” band and although I have always been drawn to their more melancholic offerings they are capable of producing more lighter moments and no more is that seen than on Wish.

The previous album, Disintegration, released in 1989 has been regarded by many as one of The Cure’s best albums and it was rooted in gloomy goth they had been labelled with, in a way a kick back against the commercial success the band were enjoying so it was important that Wish did not become a carbon copy of Disintegration. With the mix of styles and approaches on the album and subsequent fact that Wish became The Cure’s first number 1 album in the UK proves that this album was pitched perfectly.

For me, I think it’s a superb collection, driven by Robert Smiths song writing and impassioned vocals and with a good mix of moods to offer a beautifully balanced album. There are tracks on this album such as Open, From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea and Letters To Elise that show me why I first started taking an interest in The Cure in the early 1980’s.

Ironically, Wish also features one of the Cure songs that does very little for me. Although Friday I’m In Love offers us a more whimsical and lighter perspective on the album and as a single it was very successful its one that I cannot say I am keen on. The previous song on the album, Doing The Unstuck, although a lighter offering is in my opinion a far better song but in terms of the balance it does lead well in Friday.

Anyway, the Wish album, as previously stated reached number 1 in the UK albums charts as well as producing two top 10 singles, Friday I’m In Love and the lead single High.

My first selection from the album is the opening track, Open, a superb track that in just under 7 minutes gives us a beautifully, layered goth rock lead into Wish.

 

 

Enjoy

Album Of The Week  - Update

I have been on my travels this week so have been unable to dedicate the time to an album but it shall resume on Saturday 28th June.

Album Of The Week - 14/06/2025 - Track 5

My final selection from Battlecry is the last fully orchestrated and vocal track on the album, the magnificent Star Sky.

Album Of The Week - 14/06/2025 - Track 4

My penultimate selection from Battlecry is Across Blood Water. Another epic piece but with the drama given an ethereal slant with the sole female vocal.

Album Of The Week - 14/06/2025 - Track 3

My latest offering from Battlecry is a piece that has Pirates Of The Caribbean stamped all over it.

Cannon in D Minor is an upbeat and enthusiastically energetic anthem of percussive symphonic splendour.

Album Of The Week - 14/06/2025 - Track 2

My second selection from Battlecry is a piece that epitomises the thematic style of Two Steps From Hell.

Victory builds from a repetitive  melody with heavy percussion and triumphant choirs, a truly stirring piece of music. At over 5 minutes this is one of the longer pieces on offer on Battlecry.

Album Of The Week - 14/06/2025

Battlecry – Two Steps From Hell

 

This week we delve into my soundtrack collection with one of my 4 four albums by composing duo who operated under the name of Two Steps From Hell.

Two Steps From Hell were an American based music production outfit that consisted of Norwegian composer Thomas Bergersen and English composer Nick Pheonix.

In 2006 they joined forces and wrote demo music for film trailers which was then licensed for use across the film industry and over time they wrote thousands of pieces for this purpose. Their music featured in trailers for big budget films such as Harry Potter, Star Trek and Pirates Of The Caribbean, pieces that were often highly dramatic with full orchestration and choirs.

In 2010, after building quite a cult following they made a collection of their demo’s available for public release with their debut album Invincible, a release that attracted much interest and even charted in the Belgian classical album charts.

In 2012 Two Steps From Hell released the album Skyworld which comprised of brand new material specifically for public release and the album we are featuring this week, Battlecry, released in 2015 was their 2^nd album written purely for public release.

I first became aware of Two Steps From Hell when I started becoming interested in film score and choral music, especially the dramatic side which is where this project fits perfectly and especially with the Battlecry collection.

Battlecry consists of 26 pieces which have a common thread of the styles described above which delivers over 90 minutes of high impact orchestral and choral music, packed with anthemic, rhythmical segments mixed with more introspective moments for balance.

Although purists would dismiss this as being in any way related to classical music, as some do with film scores in general, Battlecry reached number 1 in the US and Belgian classical music album charts as well as number 44 in the UK independent album chart. This commercial success highlights the accessibility of the music, think of classical music for a rock audience.

In 2017 Two Steps From Hell released Battlecry Anthology, a 2 and a half hour instrumental and orchestral reworking of the original album. For the purposes of this review though I will concentrate on the original 2015 release.

In April of last year Nick Parker and Thomas Bergersen announced they would be pursuing their own solo projects effectively winding up Two Steps From Hell.

My opening selection from the album is the opening track, None Shall Live.

 

 

 

Enjoy

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025 - Track 6

My final selection from Without The Aid Of A Safety Net is another song from The Buffalo Skinners album and its another full on rock anthem. 

The Long Way Home again shows Big Country in the full on rock approach and its on song like this that we get full dual guitar delights of Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson.

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025 - Track 5

As this week's featured album was recorded on the The Buffalo Skinners tour its only fitting that my last two selections are tracks Big Country played from that album.

Today's selection therefore is the rocker All Go Together, another superb example of the direction they were going at this time.

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025 - Track 4

No Big Country gig would be complete without a rousing and extended version of In A Big Country, a song that captures the spirit and energy of the band.

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025 - Track 3

My latest selection from this week's album is taken from the electric set of Without The Aid Of A Safety Net. One of six songs played from The Buffola Skinners, What Are Working For highlights the lyric bard and rock approach of that fine album and the subsequent tour.

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025 - Track 2

My second selection from Without The Aid Of A Safety Net is a song that was not included in the original edited release.

Winter Sky is a more obscure Big Country song that was originally released a b-side to the 1984 Wonderland single.

This is a predominantly acoustic song that fitted perfectly into the acoustic opening set of this gig.

Album Of The Week - 07/06/2025

Without The Aid Of A Safety Net (Live) – Big Country

 

This we week we dip into the 6^th Big Country album to be selected from my collection of 24 with the 1994 release, Without The Aid Of Safety Net, their first live album.

After what they stated as two “sludgy” albums, Big Country roared back in 1993 with their album, The Buffalo Skinners and it was a full on guitar driven rock album with power and the typical anthemic songs that they were known for. For me, even to this day it ranks as one of my favourite Big Country albums and one I never to tire of hearing.

To support the album Big Country toured the album extensively in what were a series of gigs that saw the band back to their very best and it’s the live setting that one really gets a true feel for the dynamic of Big Country. I can certainly say that in my time of following them I have always come away from one their gig feeling that they have given literally everything.

Released at the end of the UK dates, Without The Aid Of A Safety Net, is a 14 song edit of the set recorded at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow in December 93 and this original release opens with 5 acoustic songs before it moves into the full electric set. The combination highlights the actually quality of the songs and the enthusiasm from the stage is matched by the very lively crowd.

In 2005 the recording of the full Barrowland gig was released as a double album which features 24 songs in full including the 10 song acoustic “support” section.

This full set album was a very welcome addition to my collection as I consider this live album captures the true essence of Big Country including Stuart Adamson’s easy banter with the crowd. The full set contains 6 songs from The Buffalo Skinners album and the live setting highlights the power of the album tracks.

As well as the album releases there was also a DVD release of the same Barrowland show to offer a complete package to summarise The Buffalo Skinners tour.

The original release of Without The Aid Of A Safety Net reached number 35 in the UK album charts, a good performance for a live band and especially as by now Big Country had passed the peak of their commercial success if not their creative achievement.

The album had mixed reviews with the overall feeling that this was one for the fans only but given they were seen as past their best there seemed to be of little of value from such reviews.

My first selection is the set opener, the acoustic version of Harvest Home.

 

  

 

Enjoy

Album Of Week - 31/05/2025 - Track 5

To bring this week's album to a close we have the final track on the album, the song Never Dawn.

This was one the 5 singles released from album and continues the theme of inner turmoil and resilliance. 

A lyric video was made to accompany this cracking end to another fine Lacuna Coil album.

Album Of Week - 31/05/2025 - Track 4

My penultimate selection from Sleepless Empire is probably my favourite track on the album but I see this album very much as a complete work.

The song In Nomine Patris (In The Name Of The Father) again focusses on the dual vocal with a superb track and a powerful lyric delivered in Englaish and Italian.

Album Of Week - 31/05/2025 - Track 3

My third selection from this week's is another track released as a single, the 5th to be taken from Sleepless Empire.

With Gravity, as per a lot of the album the verses are delivered with the death male vocals with choruses with the melodic female vocal. 

There is another impressive video to acompany the track.

Album Of Week - 31/05/2025 - Track 2

My seceond selection from Sleepless Empire is the third single taken from the album. 

Oxygen is song of personal struggle and torment, a powerful song that highlights the tone and direction of the album.

Album Of Week - 31/05/2025

Sleepless Empire – Lacuna Coil

 

This week we go back into my metal collection with the third of my nine albums to be selected by Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil with their latest offering Sleepless Empire.

Released in February of this year, Sleepless Empire ended a gap of 6 years between albums following their 2019 release Black Anima, ironically my previous Lacuna Coil album of the week from August 2024.

As I stated the first time I did a Lacuna Coil piece, it took me a while to take to the band back when I was delving into metal but their dual vocals and strong melodies pulled me in and I have kept current with their releases ever since.

It would be fair to say that since the 2009 album Shallow Life, (album of the week in March 2022) the band have been adopting a harder more direct approach and although not ditching gothic metal certainly incorporating other styles. The aggression in the vocal approach of Andrea Ferro has been notable giving a death metal tint alongside the balancing harmonious vocals of Cristina Scabbia.

However, its not just about the vocals, musically Lacuna Coil can pack some punch with the dual guitars adding real power to the strong melodies and its certainly a feature on Sleepless Empire.

From the opening song, The Siege to the close of Never Dawn, it’s a pretty relentless album but with plenty of strong riffs to hang upon and lots of guitar blasts to pummel the senses. Layers of well placed keyboards and ethereal backing vocals add depth and balance as well as the classic “beauty and beast” approach.

Lacuna Coil paint with a broad brush so at no point do the albums get boring and that is their real strength and that is the case with Sleepless Empire. By the bands own admission they were looking for a darker, heavier sound with this album and for me it sounds like a natural progression from Black Anima and 2016’s Delirium.

Sleepless Empire failed to chart in the UK which surprises me but the album did well in their native Italy as well as across Europe.

My first selection from the album is the opener, The Siege, which is excellent song and signposts the album perfectly.

 

 

Enjoy