I had always hoped for a sequel to 'Fighting or the Earth'. The masterful debut from Warrior went semi-unnoticed but was brilliant nonetheless. Years later we get 'Ancient Future'. A more updated sound, but a great sequel no doubt. Now, much to my liking, comes an awsome follow-up to the follow-up. This go around we have the amazing Rob Rock on vocals. One might wonder or be skeptical about a different vocalist, but quite frankly, he really gets the job done.
Trying a different layout on this review, I'll give a track by track description. If you like the layout, let me know.
1. Day of Reckoning-Very heavy opener. Roy Z co-wrote this track and it's evident. Still retains the Warrior groove.
2. Kill the Machine-Reminds me of the Rob Rock stuff from 'Rage of Creation'. Very cool guitar rhythm. A definite favorite. Rob sings his butt off.
3. Standing-Stays consistent to the heaviness. Very crunchy vibe. Tons of pound. Very moody track. Works very well. Dig the vocals too.
4. We are one-Very reminiscent of classic Warrior. Rob pulls it off very well. I refer to classic because of the vocal style. Probably my favorite.
5. Open your eyes-Like the guitar playing on this one. Great imagination in songwriting. Laid back but crunchy. Flows very well.
6. Pantheon-Great songwriting! Light instrumental track. Very visual.
7. Code of Life-Gotta check out the nasty sounding tuned down rhythms on this one. Very gritty and powerful.
8. Soul Survivor-Another gritty chunky power rocker. Good headbangin' tune.
9. The endless beginning-More traditional than most of the tracks. Has some trippy background sounds here and there. Kind of haunting. Great vocals!
10. The Fools' Theme-Wild sounding rhythms. Slower chunky tune with mood.
11. Insignificance-Another instrumental that is light and acoustic in nature. The calm before the storm.
12. Retribution-The storm. Very heavy dark sounding tune great way to finish the album.
Warrior fans should dig this one. Do not shy away due to the vocalist change. Rob Rock's contribution is brilliant. I am a huge Warrior fan and actually saw the band live on the opening slot for Iron Maiden in 1985. This is more of that great songwriting that we have come to expect from Joe Floyd and crew. Very highly recommended!
From one of Lion Music's busiest talents, Lars Eric Mattsson, comes a great reissue. Lars Eric Mattsson can really burn up a fretboard not to mention his composition skills. 'Electric Voodoo' was originally released in 1991. It has been remastered and includes one bonus track. Here is the track description.
1. Reflections-Quite a bit going on here. Mid tempo track with interesting keyboard and percussion usage. Semi-heavy. Good technical aspects.
2. Chrome Kills-Lots of scale work here. Emphasis definitely on finger dexterity. Makes my hand tired just listening to it.
3. The Cry of Love-Laid back tempo. Good discipline. Lars doesn't overdo it. Good emotion that flows through the song.
4. Apocalypse-This one reminds me a lot of the power metal scene thru the last few years in Europe. A bit ahead of it's time I'd say. Like the keyboard arrangements on this one.
5. Electric Voodoo-Very cool change ups. I like the acoustic piece in the middle. Very good picking. Mood music.
6. The Exciter-Original title of U.S. version of the album. This tune reminds me a bit of some of the work that Yngwie did early on. Real exercise in discipline.
7. Adagio-Lighter track with good keyboard usage. The keys enhance the guitar work and make this track really stand out.
8. Little Rock-This track is consistent with the other mid tempo tracks on the disc. Guitar driven.
9. Green Cats-A bit groove oriented. Some trippy keyboards throughout. Kind of a visual tune. Fits the title of the tune well.
10. Way Out-Good melody. On the same wavelength as the rest of the track lineup.
11. Sacrifice of Love-The bonus track. Very good addition to the album. Great melodic tune with good balance of instrumentation. One of my favorites. Flows well.
It is worth mentioning that this is an instrumental album in which Lars plays everything. He is a very good guitarist as well as everything he else he plays. He has a passion for composition. This album will appeal to those who like instrumentals as well as the technical aspect of song writing.
