I went right to Iron Maiden because I had to see whether there were going to be lyrical references to the band, or if it was just about medieval torture. (since the font they used in the booklet is completely illegible, I couldn't just read the lyrics to see what the songs are about) It was bugging me that the music and vocal melody sounded somewhat familiar...until midway through the second verse I found myself involuntarily humming the vocal melody from The Trooper over the riff. 
Anyway, cool little song. Definitely a nod to Maiden, but not quite in the way I expected.
It's actually quite clever. I love the dual guitar solo/melody. It's done in total Maiden style.
As far as the rest of the album, again, I like what I am hearing so far. I like that it sounds like classic thrash, but also sounds modernized and not dated. And I do hear some sonic similarities with Drift, but I guess that may largely be attributable to Michael Gilbert being back in the band. Tim, does he write much? I don't know anything about the writing and dynamics of the band. I know Eric is the only member that has stayed on continuously since the beginning, so I am guessing he is heavily involved in the writing. But I don't know to what extent other contribute.
That's a great question about Gilbert. F&J have always credited the whole band when it comes to writing credits. I will say that the 4 albums that do not have Gilbert (and original drummer Kelly Smith) have a totally different feel than the first 6 albums. Sure original guitarist Ed Carlson was there, but they just feel different. I found those first 6 albums had a certain personality.
And even then, the first three (Doomsday, No Place, & Storm) were much thrashier and speedy than the second three (Cuatro, Drift, & High). The new album feels much closer to those first three for me.
I was very excited for Ugly Noise, the previous one to the latest one, as it marked the return of Gilbert and Kelly Smith. I was a bit disappointed as I was hoping for something like this one, but it was very close to High in terms of quality. Not that it's a bad thing, but you know, expectations..
Then this one comes out of nowhere and BAM!
What I also like is that Jason Bittner plays this in a very similar style to Kelly Smith.
Obviously Newsted was the original bassist, but I always thought Troy Gregory had a big influence on the next two albums. Because when he left, it felt like there was a huge shift in style with Cuatro. Bassist Jason Ward was a longtime member from Cuatro right up through Ugly Noise.
But new/current bassist Michael Spencer goes way back with the band though, as he did the Doomsday tour after Newsted left.
I'll also say this about Michael Gilbert. he was always one of the coolest dudes I've ever seen on stage. He was such a little guy, but he was the most intense headbanger I've ever seen.
Topic: The Official Hard Rock / Classic Metal Music Discussion and Memorabilia Thread! (Read 909642 times)