CD Odyssey Disc 1972: Einherjer

The dice gods that randomly determine my next review have once again chosen from the Ross Records (a selection of music obtained from my friend Ross when he divested his CD collection).

Also, since we’re now at Disc 1972, let’s continue or whimsical journey of exploring records from the year that matches! Here are three great ones.

• Black Sabbath, “Vol. IV” (Disc 6)
• Gordon Lightfoot, “Don Quixote” (Disc 110)
• Neil Young, “Harvest” (Disc 1877)

Two of those reviews are so old I wasn’t yet doing “What’s Up With the Cover?”

Disc 1972 is…Norwegian Native Art

Artist: Einherjer

Year of Release: 2000

What’s up with the Cover? Of note, my cover for this record is the 2005 re-issue. The original had a picture of the band looking like a bunch of undead creeps. This cover is the same, except it is a different picture of them as undead creeps.

Of course, this could just be depicting the band as actual “einherjer” the warriors that get to go to Valhalla after dying in battle. We always assume that being einherjer means you get to look all youthful in life, probably with your armour all shined up and your best fur cloak. Imagine the disappointment of these guys to find out that bleeding head wound is how you are now.

Or maybe these poor souls are Vikings that died of disease or old age or choking on a chicken bone. In any of those situations you don’t get Valhalla, you instead go abide with Hel down in Niflheim. It’s dreary and grey there, and there’s no central heating like in Odin’s Hall, but on the plus side you don’t have to spend every day of eternity fighting one another. That shit would get old quick.

How I Came To Know It: I obtained a clutch of Einherjer albums from my buddy Ross when he parted with his CD collection and gave me first pick. I ended up with four of their albums, and like them all.

How It Stacks Up: As noted, I have four Einherjer albums. Of those, “Norwegian Native Art” comes in third.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

“Norwegian Native Art” is a dark record, with a whole lot of underworld and suffering. Odin’s spear wound as he seeks the knowledge of runes, a horror filled visit to the aforementioned land of Hel, and even the burning of Yggdrasil, the world tree (prime suspect: fire giant and known arsonist Surtr).

Heavy topics, but fortunately Einherjer are plenty heavy enough to meet these tales with some heaviness of their own, doubling down on thump and crunch that goes with songs about the afterworld, the end of the world, and sometimes both.

Einherjer’s brand of metal is a mix of traditional metal, some black metal and folk structures peppered throughout, as you might expect from the record’s title. They also venture to add no small amount of synthy organ sounds. This should not work, but it does, adding a symphonic element that balances nicely against the crunch of double guitar and the crash of drums.

There are songs where the symphonic elements are a bit heavy handed (notably “Crimson Rain” which can’t seem to match its soar with its plod), but these moments are rare and usually the mix of styles is well apportioned.

Lead vocals on Einherjer go through a few iterations across their career, and on this record we have lost Rune Bjelland but still not fully turned to Frode Glesnes. Lead vocals are listed as Ragnar Vikse, who occupies a strong space between death growl (more of a rasp here than the full growl) and a metal-infused folk vocal. Vikse and Glesnes do a bit of call and answer here and there and the two slightly different, but complementary styles are well matched to the middle ground the album occupies in metal’s many worlds.

The record’s opener, “Wyrd of the Dead” is as good as this style of music gets, with a powerful invocation of Odin in his darkest moments, hanging impaled on a spear seeking wisdom. With its deliberate rhythm and double guitar crunch, the song’s construction would serve well as marching music to a Dwarven army. If Odin’s your thing, then this is your song.

Other songs, like “Hugin’s Eyes” showcase drummer Gerhard Storesund, who has a nice mix of an old school dull thump reminiscent of Bill Ward as well as the more modern approaches like double bass, both blended nicely in a single song as the band bounces from unbounded fury to a more sedate guitar riff suitable for throwing your neck out to in the mosh pit.

Ere the end Einherjer drops a chill out track with “Regicide”, which features a guest duet with fellow Norwegian Hanne Andersen. This tune is a bit phantom of the opera with all the synth for my liking, but Andersen’s vocals (sung not growled) are a well-timed palate cleanser after all the stabbing and burning.

While the front half of “Norwegian Native Art” is better than the back, the whole record is solid and a worthy entry in the discography of a band that – other than being really into Viking folklore – refuses to be defined by genre or external expectation. That’s a good way to approach all art, Norwegian or otherwise.

Best tracks: Wyrd of the Dead, Hugin’s Eyes, Burning Yggdrasil 

CD Odyssey Disc 1971: The Bangles

What about the album before a band breaks big – can that album be good? In the case of this next band, the answer is yes.

But before we get there, as this is review #1971, here are three great records from the year 1971 for those interested in unrelated things that somehow seem related…

• The Who, “Who’s Next” (Disc 204)
• Led Zeppelin, “IV” (Disc 342)
• Alice Cooper, “Love It to Death” (Disc 604)

Disc 1971 is…All Over the Place

Artist: The Bangles

Year of Release: 1984

What’s up with the Cover? The band hangs out in what might charitably be called a “warehouse style apartment” and what might uncharitably be called simply a warehouse.

Whatever the case they’ve taken over, even having brought in what I presume to be one of those couches that lazy people leave on the side of the road.

Most such furniture just end up on a landfill, but this couch caught the attention of the Bangles. So too did a steel chair, which seems to have attracted the affection of singer and guitarist Susanna Hoffs, who is – literally - sitting pretty.

Particularly observant readers will note that, like Gaston, the Bangles use antlers in all of their decorating.

How I Came To Know It: I discovered the Bangles the way most of the world did, through their 1986 album “Different Light”. This was me digging backwards in their collection years later.

How It Stacks Up: I have two of the Bangles five albums. They are both solid and equal but different. However, this section is not designed for equivocators, so I’ll reluctantly take a stand and put “All Over the Place” in second place.

Ratings: 3 stars

Before they walked like an Egyptian, and before they lamented Mondays, the Bangles were an obscure American pop band trying to make it big. “All Over the Place” never hit top 40 in North America, but that’s more of an indictment of the fickle nature of hit making in pop music, than anything negative about the record. In fact, this record is sneaky good, and my only regret is that teenage me had to wait several decades to discover it.

A band’s first record can sometimes be disjointed as they explore just what ‘sound’ they are going to settle on. While it’s true that “All Over the Place” is a bit, well, all over the place, that’s part of its charm. The record blends eighties radio pop with New Wave and several earlier influences that felt like fifties and sixties pop somewhere between Buddy Holly and the Shangri-Las, with maybe a bit of late sixties psychedelia thrown in for good measure.

The New Wave element reveals itself in songs that jump the beat and infuse the record with a restless energy. Notable in this regard is “James,” which has a lively guitar lick and Hoffs’ vocals at their most playful.

While Hoffs is the person we think of as the Bangles lead singer, there are actually several talented singers in the band, and on their first record they each get their turn. Alongside Hoffs we have sisters Vicki (lead guitar) and Debbi (drums) Peterson taking their turns. Bands with even one strong vocalist aren’t easy to find, and the Bangles have three that can hold their own. This also allows a lot of great harmonies. The variety helps give the record range, although Hoffs vocals are the most distinctive and duskiest.

“Dover Beach” is Hoffs at her best, lilting her way through a late sixties inspired trip, accompanied by Vicki Peterson channeling her inner George Harrison on guitar. The influences on “All Over the Place” aren’t hard to place, but they are applied joyfully and with skill.

The band also has a unique ability to find just the right cover songs for their sound. On this record there are two, the best of which is “Going Down to Liverpool.” Is this version better than the Katrina &the Waves original? Reader it is not, but it is ever bit its equal, and that’s saying something.

The record is full of furiously played three-minute ditties, and is all over in just thirty minutes, well before it ever has a chance to settle down into itself. This is a positive, however, as that restless joyful energy is a big part of the Bangles’ allure. While there are places where the collection of songs lacks an overall focus at the “album” scale, that also kind of fits the overall vibe, making it easy to forgive.

Best tracks: Hero Takes a Fall, James, Dover Beach, Going Down to Liverpool

CD Odyssey Disc 1967: The Tragically Hip

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey. Before we get to Disc 1967, here are a few records I heartily recommend from the year 1967:

• Jimi Hendrix, “Are You Experienced?” (Disc 1928)
• Leonard Cohen, “Songs” (Disc 522)
• Albert King, “Born Under a Bad Sign” (Disc 1862)

OK – on with the album review…

Disc 1967 is…We Are the Same

Artist: The Tragically Hip

Year of Release: 2009

What’s up with the Cover? Some fellas (presumably the band) stand around an outdoor fire. At least I hope it is outdoors, because the sparks coming out of that chimney will definitely damage the ceiling.

How I Came To Know It: I heard the song “Coffee Girl”. This was years after this album was released and I wasn’t really focused on the Tragically Hip at the time, but I liked the song and was intrigued by what the Hip had been up to all these years.

While not my favourite Hip record, it did return me to them and caused a second round of exploring their discography from the other end of their career, so that was cool.

How It Stacks Up: I have eight of the Tragically Hip’s thirteen studio albums, which is a goodly amount, but not at the level of super fan this band tends to attract. Of those eight, “We Are the Same” comes in at a #7, which sounds bad, but it isn’t – it is just a tough field.

Ratings: 3 stars

For the most part, I am an “early Hip” fan, and all my other records span from their eponymous EP debut in 1987 through to “Phantom Power” in 1998. “We Are the Same” is the exception to that rule, a full decade later returning me to a band and making me ashamed that I had left so soon.

“We Are the Same” is a slightly softer, gentler record overall in its arrangements, but the key ingredients to the Tragically Hip are all there. The superior musicianship - more orchestra of sound than individual showboating, and melodies that draw you inward to a beauty that emerges more fully only after repeated listens. Along with all of that, the thoughtful Gord Downie lyrics, masterfully phrased out into the song.

Downie’s vocals on “We Are the Same” are less aggressive on this record, but just as emotive. His voice has a natural hurt in it, and on “We Are the Same” it surprised me with just how soothing hurt can be, when done right.

This is most notable on the lilting beauty of “Coffee Girl” which paints the perfect picture of the neighbourhood barista, recasting that person you see for five minutes a day as a three-dimensional human. Downie’s artistry is showcasing the “why” of the character, with half-painted scenes that honour the character while reminding the listener that no, you don’t really know this person like you think you do.

I didn’t love all the lyrics on the record as much as “Coffee Girl” but that’s a feature of a Tragically Hip record, where often you’re not sure what Downie is singing about fully, catching his poetry like phrases of passing conversation, or gusts of wind blowing leaves. Evocative in the moment, but fleeting, and a bit mysterious.

Musically, my favourite is “The Last Recluse” which has Downie delivering a sublime set of high notes that lifts your spirits while simultaneously leaving you uncertain just where you are being lifted to. Best line:

“When the wind comes up and the surface of the water scuffs

-      Enough! Enough! – the ferry whistle cried.”

“The Depression Suite” holds down the end of Side One with a deep exploration of depression. The theme is that even when we are down and feel alone, someone else is feeling just as depressed as you are: the Hip’s answer to R.E.M’s “Everybody Hurts”. Observant readers will note later that despite this praise it does not feature in the “best tracks” summary. That’s only because the song is over nine minutes long and could probably accomplish the same magic in five or six.

The record has a pastoral quality to it. The first song features the still imagery of an overly quiet early morning with “Morning Moon” and the final track bookends it nicely with “Country Day”. In both cases, the quietness around him has Downie thinking Deep Thoughts (this is a common state for him).

The songs still manage to rock out in places, but they feel rounded around the edges in the production, and you get the sense of a veteran band that has settled into their sound and are comfortable letting it unfurl without having to press. Still thoughtful, still creative, but all with a greater sense of calm. Is it better or worse than the groove-filled rock of their earlier work? It’s neither. It’s just the exploration of a different facet of the band’s sound, and while not my favourite, still a worthwhile entry into their impressive catalogue.

Best tracks: The Last Recluse, Coffee Girl, Queen of the Furrows, Country Day

CD Odyssey Disc 1965: Lera Lynn

This next album review doesn’t have a concert component, but I did see this artist live eleven years ago in Nashville. You can read all about it back at Disc 792.

Disc 1965 is…Resistor

Artist: Lera Lynn

Year of Release: 2016

What’s up with the Cover? Angles and shapes, yo! Also Lera’s disembodied head in a circle.

I’m not sure what this cover is going for, but apart from an exploration of rudimentary geometry, it does not land it.

How I Came To Know It: By 2016 I was already three albums deep with Lera, so this was just me buying her latest release and hoping for the best.

How It Stacks Up: I have seven Lera Lynn albums, which I feel is a lot. Of those, I put “Resistor” in at #4, so right in the middle.

Ratings: 3 stars

“Resistor” finds Lera Lynn doubling down on the same “mood music to be murdered to” kind of vibe that worked for her so well on her 2014 record “The Avenues” as well as her contributions to the second season of “True Detective”. It’s a warm and sultry soak in cigarette smoke and whiskey neat.

Sounds alluring – but it doesn’t come easy. “Resistor” is a headphones album – better when you can immerse yourself in it without distraction. As driving albums go it is a forgettable bit of background hum, but if you give it your full attention without the roar of the engine competing with the low notes and it is instantly so much better.

These songs are lounge personified, and while there is a wall of sound quality to it, Lynn’s vocals have an ability to travel through without ever breaking the broader mood.

The opening track, “Shape Shifter” is a bit of a banger, up tempo and with the snap of a snare drum and syncopation that won’t show itself much for the rest of the record. This song is the one tune that throws its hip into the street and invites you to give the rest of the record a chance. It’s a wise opening choice, but don’t expect more of the same, as the remainder of the record will instead retreat into the deeper swells of sound.

These are songs that take their time, and if you’re in a hurry it is going to irritate you. Lynn’s purpose is not to show you vocal gymnastics, nor to hop from one musical concept to another. She’s here for the slow burn, the late-night confessions that come only after the second bottle of wine gets opened.

Lynn’s early records are much more country in style, and through the mist and mystery of her more urbanized self you can still pick out a western twang, particularly on songs like “For the Last Time” and “Slow Motion Countdown”.

The subtle reverberation of “Slow Motion Countdown” features the many and varied dangers of the night: the rattlesnake in the midnight desert out back, and the distant stare from a lover in the booth across from you, both cold-blooded and dangerous. It’s a song about fading love, but more than that, it is a song about the untethered danger of what comes next.

There are places where the whole thing is so atmospheric it almost collapses under the weight of its own coolness, and not every song has the bones to hold the groove on its own. Just a touch more balance toward that earlier twang would have been welcome, but Lynn won’t go back to simpler times any more than the complex and alluring characters she sings about.

In the end “Resistor” is a slow dance of a record that can go a couple of different ways. Awkward and a bit distant if you are only willing to put your hands on its hips and avoid eye contact; evocative and tactile when you embrace it close against you, and surrender to its perilous charms.

Best tracks: Shape Shifter, Cut + Burn, Run the Night, For the Last Time, Slow Motion Countdown

CD Odyssey Disc 1964: Sabaton

There is a special rule in the CD Odyssey that when I go see a band live in concert I can directly select their album, provided it is the album they are touring. That’s what’s happening here. So today it isn’t random, but don’t get used to it. We’ll be back to not knowing where our musical journey takes us in no time.

Also, if you like a bit of live concert review with your studio experience, I’ve provided exactly that following this review. Just keep scrollin’!

Disc 1964 is…Legends

Artist: Sabaton

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? Artwork that depicts the various characters you are going to encounter on the album. Looks like that rascal from the 12^th Dynasty Senusret III is getting centre stage on this one. Not my favourite song on the album but he does have a handsome visage and a resplendent headdress, so it’s an understandable choice.

Other notables you’ll see include Hannibal, Napoleon and Miyamoto Musashi. And others! Collect all your historical favourites here on…Legends!

How I Came To Know It: This was just me buying the latest release from Sabaton – a band I have been following for about seven years now. This is not remotely from the beginning, so I claim no street cred, but I have been making up for lost time.

How It Stacks Up: I have ten Sabaton albums. “Legends” is a good record, but I must reluctantly rank it at #9.

Ratings: 3 stars

Sabaton is one of those bands that I call “ACDC bands”. Not because they sound like ACDC (they don’t) but because like ACDC their songs all sound very similar to one another. If you like the sound, you tend to like their albums and if you don’t then you really need to go find a new interest, because this is their thing, and the lads aren’t for turning.

That thing is a mix of power metal, folk metal, and New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTM – yes, it’s a term, IYKYK), a galloping beat, power chords and the bombastic vocals of frontman Joakim Broden.

Despite 25 years in the bombast game, Broden hasn’t lost a step and his vocals still cut through the fog of war (and on a Sabaton record there is a lot of that) and tells tales of various characters and battles through the course of human history.

I’ve mentioned this on previous reviews but it bears repeating: Sabaton are a band that sings about historical events, almost exclusively of the military variety. Much like their style of music, if this appeals to you, you will tend to view their records favourably and if this does not appeal to you then it is going to be a very long and fitful 45-55 minutes, indeed.

“Legends” is no exception to both the musical and thematic rules of the band, and because I land nicely at that intersection of bias, I had no complaints on that front. In fact, there are a few standouts on the album.

The first of these is “Templars”, a classic full-tilt Sabaton galloper about the Knights Templar that has a first-rate guitar riff hooking your ears. Broden is particularly good here, as the song lends itself to his range well and as usual, makes everything the height of DRAMA. This despite lyrics that are literal to the highest degree (another Sabaton standard). Don’t look for a lot of metaphor on a Sabaton record – they are here to share some history they found interesting, and they’re sticking to the facts, ma’am.

Another winner is “Crossing the Rubicon” about the fateful decision made by Julius Caesar to bring his legions back to Italy and contest for the leadership of Rome. Again, the heavy riffs and the unison singing on the chorus encourage singing along and create a surge of energy. Sabaton captures the dread import of decision like the crossing of the Rubicon and transports those momentous events across time and space so a modern audience can feel the urgency. It ain’t exactly time travel, but it’s a cousin.

My last of three favourites is “Lightning at the Gates” the story of Hannibal surprising the Roman legions by invading Italy across the alps. A bold maneuver that didn’t ultimately win him the war, but an inspiring bit of generalship all the same. Also, this song has one of the better melodic structures on the record, capturing the shifts in elevation, the determined march of an army and even a bit of optimistic whimsy in the guitar solo, as befits such an unorthodox bit of strategy.

So why only ranked 9th? Because apart from these three songs a lot of “Legends” is just not up to the same standard of earlier Sabaton records. When you do the same thing a lot, you walk a thin line to avoid becoming an imitation of yourself, and there are songs on “Legends” that feel a little like they are trying to squeeze water out of a stone. Also, while I don’t expect Shakespearean prose, songs like “I, Emperor” (Napoleon) and “Maid of Steel” (Joan of Arc) land awkwardly in both lyrics and phrasing. “I, Emperor” in particular is a plodder.

But even with a couple of clunkers this is still a Sabaton record, and all the ingredients you like (if you like this sort of thing) are there. While I didn’t get the full rush of some of their truly great records, I still had a good time and unlike most of the stuff they sing about, no one got hurt in the process.

Best tracks: Templars, Crossing the Rubicon, Lightning at the Gates

The Concert: October 8, 2026 at the PNE Forum, Vancouver, BC

This concert was originally scheduled for April but one of the members of the band had a medical issue and the show had to be delayed. I decided to stick it out, and with the companionship of my buddy Spence, I took it in with several thousand other screaming metalheads.

The Venue:

If you haven’t been to the PNE Forum, it is pretty great to see a show. It is essentially a mid-sized hockey rink built in the early thirties with a big central floor for moshing/fist-pumping types with good backs and bleachers on either side for those with backs that are a bit dodgier. No good for moshing, but still plenty of room to pump a fist or two. My companion and I, being of the dodgy-back persuasion, chose this option.

Wings of Steel

The first of two opening acts was Wings of Steel, a traditional heavy metal band that went full in for the eighties metal vibe. The line between homage and imitation in this genre can be admittedly fuzzy, so I’ll just say Wings of Steel did not offer anything new. The singer had good vocals and the songs were well structured, if a bit obvious. The guitar player played fast, but his solos felt disconnected from the song. It wasn’t to my taste, but I will say that on aggregate, these five guys had the BEST metal hair I have seen in many a decade.

Pop Evil

The second opener was Pop Evil, which was a very different kind of metal entirely. More thrashy/nu-metal crossover with a bit of nineties alternative mixed in there. These guys had good thump, but this isn’t a style that I personally find enjoyable, and I admit I started to get fidgety in anticipation of the main act.

Sabaton

At last, the band we’d been waiting for took the stage. I turned with breathless excitement to my friend and warned him that I might “fanboy out a bit”. This did happen.

First of all, Sabaton have a great stage setup. As you can see from the photo, it features a full-scale model of a First World War tank that the drummer perches on. There’s also a model piece of artillery to the side. With such initial promise, would this show feature explosions and smoke? Reader, it did, and plenty of it.

The band played tight and energetically and had a very knowledgeable and willing crowd eating out of their hands throughout the show. We sang along, we pumped our fists on demand and joyously participated as Sabaton rocked out.

The band has been doing this for a couple of decades now and their resulting mastery of the stage was on full display. They played off each other (often kidding each other with sight gags during songs and self-deprecating banter between them). Broden is a natural showman and brings levity and excitement to songs that are sometimes about heavy topics.

Unison singing is a big part of many Sabaton songs, and everyone brought their A game. There was even a trio of sexy (and talented) backup singers lending some higher range to the tunes.

In terms of setlist, I got almost everything I wanted, with two of my three favourites from “Legends” (see above) being played. Sadly, they also played, “I, Emperor” but even though I still didn’t like this song, it was markedly better live.

Other standouts for me included rousing renditions of “Bismarck”, “Fields of Verdun”, and “Night Witches”. The only one I really wanted to hear that didn’t make the setlist was “Winged Hussars” but hey, you can’t have everything.

Weirdly, there was no encore but that was OK with the show naturally wrapping up with a crescendo of bangers and a very theatrical series of bows (the band, Broden alone, the band with the backup singers, etc.) followed by the very welcome tossing of drumsticks, guitar picks and even the setlist sheet into the crowd.

I am always a little leery of stadium shows with “older” bands, but there were no concerns here with either sound quality or energy levels, and it was a rollicking, fist-pumping good time. Well worth the trip.

CD Odyssey Disc 1963: Ted Nugent

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey where I randomly select and review every album in my collection. Since we’re not done yet, let’s sail on to the next port of call.

Disc 1963 is…Weekend Warriors

Artist: Ted Nugent

Year of Release: 1978

What’s up with the Cover? You’ve heard of the key-tar? The double-necked guitar where one neck is a bass? Well Ted does this one better with a guitar that doubles as a shotgun.

Apparently the ‘gun-tar’ is fired when Ted plays a particularly killer riff, as Ted demonstrates here. Any concert where this thing gets played probably needs an extra rider on the insurance.

How I Came To Know It: This was another of the “Ross Records” collection that I got from my buddy Ross when he was divesting himself of CDs. I was already a fan of Nugent so this was an easy selection. Thanks again, Ross!

How It Stacks Up: I have four Ted Nugent albums, two with the Amboy Dukes and two solo. I like them all, but competition is fierce and “Weekend Warriors” lands in fourth – but a respectable fourth.

Ratings: 3 stars

The world can sometimes be a confusing place but there is one thing you can count on: put an electric guitar in the hands of Ted Nugent and magic happens. On his fourth solo record since parting ways with the Amboy Dukes, Nugent once again displays his mastery on the axe.

That is the main thing that draws most people to a Ted Nugent record, and on “Weekend Warriors” I was not disappointed. The style is solidly hard rock, with heavy influences of rock’s next-door neighbour, the blues.

The blues vibes on “Weekend Warrior” are strongest on “One Woman” and manifest in the chord progression and classic blues riffs. However, the way the song is played is crunch-forward with a metallic aftertaste that lets you know that hard rock is the driver on this record, even if blues helps with the initial recipe.

I’m a big fan of the epic sonic explorations on Nugent’s early work with the Amboy Dukes, and while there is less of that on this record, there is still plenty to get behind. The best song for those who also love that early sprawl is “Venom Soup”. The album’s longest song by well over a minute and a half, “Venom Soup” is a throwback to that earlier sound. It takes a little time to get going but once it does you are rewarded with a deep soak in Nugent’s guitar brilliance.

To varying degrees, Nugent’s guitar work is a star on every song on the record, but on the majority of tracks the vocals are handled by bandmate Charlie Huhn. Huhn takes singing duties on six of the ten tracks, but his tone and Nugent’s are so similar that I didn’t really notice who was on the mic and had to look it up several times to confirm. If anything, Huhn’s voice is the stronger of the two, but Ted’s got that patented Nugent grime to it which lets you forgive a lot.

My favourite of the Nugent-led tunes is “Good Friends and a Bottle of Wine” which is a classic Nugent song in the “party on” vibe that his music inspires. The solo work in “Good Friends…” sits back a bit in the mix compared to some tracks, but when it hits it grabs your attention and does not let you up for air.

It is hard to describe what makes Nugent’s guitar solos so singular and impressive. So many other guitarists in the hard rock/metal world will fall into a fit of excess, showcasing how fast they can play or how “balls-out” they can sound. Nugent writes solos that serve the song’s underlying melody but that also take you on a journey through a different facet of that melody, just like a good solo should. Yes, he can play fast, but only when the moment calls for it, and he never sounds hurried.

I didn’t learn a lot about life, the universe, and everything while listening to “Weekend Warriors’ nor was there a plethora of new musical ideas to choose from. But that’s not what you come to a Ted Nugent album looking for. You come looking for songs about good times and bad times, played with virtuosity by one of rock and roll’s greatest.

On that front this record delivers and then some.

Best tracks: Venom Soup, Good Friends and a Bottle of Wine

CD Odyssey Disc 1960: Bleached

Today we explore the bittersweet experience of what is likely a band’s last album. Technically this band is still active, but it has been seven years since their last full LP so hope is getting slim. Nevertheless, let’s live in the moment, where that moment is 2019.

Disc 1960 is…Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough

Artist: Bleached

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? The ladies of Bleached looking sassy and dangerous. Likely ready for a party, although as this record explores, partying doesn’t always end well…

How I Came To Know It: I was already a Bleached fan through their first two albums. This was just me exploring their latest offering.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Bleached albums, which is all of them. Of those, “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough” comes in at #2, with a surprise nudging of “Ride Your Heart” in the process.

And since this is the final album in my collection here’s a recap:

1. Welcome the Worms: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1218)
2. Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough: 3 stars (reviewed right here)
3. Ride Your Heart: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 971)

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough” sees sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin departing from their earlier fuzzy pop/punk sound toward a cleaner more pop-forward production. It isn’t bad, it’s just evolution. Bands are allowed to do that. If you miss the grittier sound of their previous two records, I have good news for you – both remain available and recorded.

The new sound has them much more aligned to Canadian band the Beaches. Like the Beaches’ Jordan Miller, Jennifer Clavin has a natural rock vocal, not as rich and deep as Miller, but featuring the same combination of rock star and playful pop icon. It had me thinking that the two bands would make a very good 1-2 punch on tour.

Bleached retains their traditional base of garage punk and Go-Gos/Shangri-Las fun on “Don’t You Think…” but also branch out into new territory. On previous reviews I noted their obvious love for Blondie, and that is again evident here, but it is more the later disco-adjacent Blondie. “Hard to Kill” in particular had me thinking of “Heart of Glass”. It isn’t a copy, just an homage, and they take the basic rolling disco rhythm in new directions that results in one of the better songs on the record.

Like a lot of the songs on “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough”, “Hard to Kill” explores unhealthy choices and struggles with sobriety in a way that feels on the surface like a party song, but on a closer listen reveals a darkness. There’s a price to be paid when you party this hard, and the record is a retrospective of excess and – not infrequently – regret.

We get a lot more of this as the record progresses, with most of the typical outcomes from an unhealthy relationship with drugs and/or alcohol: bad relationships, betrayed friends, calls to 911, and the inevitable apologies that are part of recovery. It’s been done many times by many rock and rollers before, but that doesn’t take anything away from Bleached, who approach the topic with unabashed honesty and a healthy dose of uncertainty of what comes next.

The album features plenty of pop record tricks, like hand claps and whistles all of which have been deployed on various records throughout the years for one reason: it works. True to form, these little flourishes add colour and texture to songs that aren’t complicated in construction and lend themselves to different treatments. There were a couple of places where one too many tricks and instrumental shifts had me feeling fidgety, but mostly I liked it even when it went too far.

Bleached have a natural ability to write a pop hook, and I admire that they add in elements of doo wop, disco and punk wherever they damned well feel to make it more interesting. There was a part of me that kept thinking other Bleached fans might balk at the adjustments, but I had no problem with the evolution of their sound. It didn’t make their sound any more innovative –likely it made it less so – but it generated a lot of novel approaches to songs that, in their bones, are just solid pop hits that deserve to show off a little.

Best tracks: Hard to Kill, I Get What I Need, Somebody Dial 911, Rebound City, Valley to LA

CD Odyssey Disc 1957: The Hives

When you’re a kid you might say “let’s pretend” to get your playmates to buy in to some imagined world. As a teenager it morphs to “let’s say” and as adults we try to pull off the sophistry of “I think we can all agree” without anyone noticing.

Here on the CD Odyssey we don’t do any of that. It’s just one person’s musical observations (mine) and you can agree as much or as little as you like.

Disc 1957 is…The Hives Forever Forever the Hives

Artist: The Hives

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? The Hives dressed up as a quintette of kings (which would be a good name for a band).

When I was younger I belonged to a medieval re-enactment group. I was a 15^th century pirate with a penchant for purple, which some of the more ardent re-creationists felt was an affront to the king.

It was good fun and I was mostly left unaccosted unless I crossed too close in front of the throne (occupied or not) and made it even more of a thing.

If the Hives tried to cosplay these particular outfits there would definitely be some accosting. Of the fun kind, though. Less fun if they were actually trying to pull this off in the actual 15^th century, where it would have led to five very serious and immediate beheadings.

How I Came To Know It: I read a review and overcame that common bias we experience when we know a band has been around for a while and assume that if we were going to like them it would’ve happened by now. Instead I gave it a go and…here we are.

How It Stacks Up: The Hives have a bunch of records but so far this is my only one, so it can’t stack up.

Ratings: 3 stars

Sometimes when you see a bunch of soccer hooligans marching toward a stadium and chanting I think to myself “what do these guys listen to pre-game to get themselves into a good lather?” “The Hives Forever Forever the Hives” feels like a strong contender. More on this later.

“The Hives Forever, etc.” are what I would call “straight rock and roll, no chaser”. This is the pure stuff. Not particularly creative, nor innovative but just good old fashioned guitar riffs and up-tempo bangers. Good for driving fast, toasting your buddies, or maybe fisticuffs. I like the first two of those things (n.b. not at the same time) and that generally supportive but not all-in approach is how I’d characterize my reaction to this record.

The Hives have a throwback British punk scene sound, with beats that lean forward and guitar chords that crash with frenetic energy. I was surprised to learn they are actually from Sweden. Not exactly a Stefan Edberg “talented but genteel” vibe here.

Where they are Edberg-like is in the precision of their playing, which is top notch. These guys are tight in a way most bands dream about. It is all very fast and furious, but their skills give these songs a polish that most pop songs would envy.

The result is a lot of radio bangers that aren’t exceptionally creative but are a lot of fun. Not a complicated road course here, but they lean tight and fast into what corners there are. As for the riffs, at their best they are timeless perfection and at their worst they are “pretty sure I’ve heard this one before – but still like it”.

In terms of the lyrics, I found myself returning to the aforenoted hooligans (I told you we’d return). I would say that the Hives mostly sing about what can best be characterized as mindless rebellion; middle finger raised to the world (or two fingers in England) combined with recurring announcements exhorting you to party. I love to party, but the parties depicted here feel like the kind that start with friendly toasts and end with someone getting head-butted over something they said about Arsenal.

The opening lines of “Enough is Enough” are:

“Everyone's a little f**kin' bitch
And I am getting sick and tired of it
Went to the doctor 'cause I was sick
Sick of everybody's bulls**t”

And if that doesn’t sufficiently paint a picture, try the chorus from “Paint a Picture”:

“Oh, let me paint a picture
I ain't no f**king slob
Oh, let me paint a picture
More like a f**king god to you”

The chorus from “Paint a Picture” is delivered in unison barroom style that was tailor-made to be a soccer chant someday, if it isn’t already. It’s fun to sing along but it doesn’t exactly provide compelling metaphors or convincing oratory. Then again, it isn’t supposed to. It is supposed be mindless fun, and “The Hives Forever, etc…” is exactly that. Not in any way thought-provoking but a high-energy good time whether driving fast, partying hard, or just getting energized – ideally with no one getting punched.

Best tracks: Enough is Enough, Bad Call, Paint a Picture, Path of Most Resistance

CD Odyssey Disc 1953: The Brothers Comatose

A friend remarked to me last night that I tend to review a lot of obscure albums. That may be true, but I’ve got nothing against mainstream artists and have many in my collection. On the other hand, my tastes are wide and varied, and the fickle dice I roll to determine what I’ll explore next care not for the considerations of fame nor notoriety.

Today, the dice gods have decided to stick with the obscure.

Disc 1953 is…Turning Up the Ground

Artist: The Brothers Comatose

Year of Release: 2022

What’s up with the Cover? It’s a funky graphic that – like the album title – explores two kinds of ground, one musical and one agricultural.

I like some of the specific choices depicted here. Snail shell or moth? Banjo case full of mushrooms or guitar case full of flowers?

Best of all, you can choose between a shovel with a vine wrapped around it or a shovel with a snake wrapped around it? On first blush, I think vine-over-snake is the obvious and safer bet, but if you’re shoveling snow out of a driveway, you’re really going to need the flat blade on that snake shovel. Just, you know, wear thick gloves.

How I Came To Know It: Another album I found through an album review.

How It Stacks Up: I went on to explore the Brothers Comatose’s discography (they have seven albums) but so far this is the only one that’s landed in my collection, so it can’t stack up.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

After a few days with prog rock band Moon Tooth my ear was ready for something free and easy, and the Dice Gods obliged with the folk/bluegrass stylings of the Brothers Comatose.

If you are expecting creative time signatures and outré chord progressions I would refer you back to Moon Tooth (or better still, just listen to Rush or Tool) but if you enjoy songs you can slap your knee to and harmonies that you can sing along to in confidence after the first couple of verses, this is the band for you.

For some, this simple approach to music might be misinterpreted as meaning the band isn’t good, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The simpler the arrangements to a song, the more important it is the band plays with coordinated skill. That alchemy of quiet individual confidence, and a constant ear to where your bandmates are sitting in the pocket, is what separates good bands from mediocre ones.

On this front, the Brothers Comatose have their artistry down pat. Their songs have a softness to them that relies heavily on casting their spell of relaxation on the listener. Playing light and a bit slow is often much harder than just forcing in as many flourishes as can be squeezed between notes.

That isn’t to say the Brothers Comatose just play by the numbers. “Turning Up the Ground” has just the right amount of small touches of fiddle, mandolin and guitar in space. These aren’t there for technical excellence, but more like a light ripple of wind across tall grass – almost unnoticed but critical to drawing you closer to the natural movement of the whole.

Many of the songs on “Turning Up the Ground” have a transitional feel to them, with explorations of shifting from one thing to another. Sometimes choosing your art over a day job (“Working for Somebody Else”) sometimes the end of a relationship (“That Shit Ain’t Funny”), or maybe just a plea for connection in a time of uncertainty (“When It All Falls Apart”). These songs tend to bring out the best in the band, creative tension being one of the keys to great songwriting.

The tracks are well-ordered, and the best song comes midway with the break-up tune, “That Shit Ain’t Funny”. The song relies heavily on the restless rise and fall of the melody, and while a lot of the chorus climbs through the scale the first thing you hear is a low guitar walk down. This lets the listen know you’re starting from somewhere low, also evidenced by the song’s first line, “I can see through you like paper”. Yeah – things ain’t going well here…

The song also has some first-rate decisions in the arrangement category, starting sparsely with just guitar strum and then slowly building as we add in each member of the band, culminating in a lovely call-and-answer between fiddle and guitar at the bridge. The whole effect captures that sense of determination when you’re at the “pack the car” stage of a break-up, both resolute and also filled with regret.

On my first couple of listens I told myself that this record was nothing special, but on repeat listens its soft and gentle beauty sunk into my bones. My only complaint is that I had intended to just have a “one and done” relationship with this band, and now I realize I’m going to have to explore their entire discography. If the other records are as good as this, I’ll be well-contented, which is exactly the headspace “Turning Up the Ground” will put you in if you give it a chance.

Best tracks: Working for Somebody Else, Soft and Blue, That Shit Ain’t Funny, When it All Falls Apart

CD Odyssey Disc 1949: M(h)aol

A rare Friday review resulting from my being at home today waiting for some building infrastructure to be installed. Rather than feeling trapped, I’m going to take the opportunity to get some tasks done around the house that I’ve been putting off.

Before that, though, let’s procrastinate with a music review! The sixth of the last eight of an album released in 2025, so that trend continues…

Disc 1949 is…Something Soft

Artist: M(h)aol

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? Kitty on a balcony! I give this cover an enthusiastic 5 out of 5, as any day where you spot a kitty on a balcony is a good day.

Also, cats are my #1 favourite thing in the “something soft” category.

How I Came To Know It: The boring way. I read a review of this album somewhere (I think Paste Magazine) and decided to check them out.

How It Stacks Up: I have two M(h)aol albums. “Something Soft” comes in at #2, making it good for the silver medal or last, depending on what kind of day you are having. I hope it is the first kind.

Ratings: 3 stars

“Loud noises!” yells weatherman Brick Tamland in a scene from Anchorman, not sure what is happening but overcome by all the cacophony. The sexist Channel 4 Newsroom would have a similarly tough time with the feminist stylings of Irish post-punk band M(h)aol, who deploy a broad swathe of jarring bangs and thumps while delivering their message.

It’s creative, thoughtful music that is sneaky smart in the way it pulls together noise and fury in a way that seems random when the wave first hits you, but that you quickly realize is done with clear intent. The better question for me wasn’t “is it good?” - it is - but rather, “did I enjoy it?”

Eventually, yes.

To tuck in a bit on this mixed reaction, it’s important to acknowledge my bias for some chord progressions and resolution in my music. I like my death metal melodic, not technical. And when it comes to post-punk, the bias spills in there as well.

So my first reaction was, admittedly, to the loud noises, and M(h)aol find and deploy a lot of them. The record is very heavy on syncopation, with drum and bass forward in the mix, crashing about like an unbolted piston in an engine room bouncing off the walls – unpredictable and dangerous. Even the guitars are mostly short repeating chords designed to add more thump.

Constance Keane takes over singing duties from departed band member Roisin Nic Ghearailt, delivering most songs in a low spoken-word rhythmic monotone. It is similar to Wet Leg but with less playfulness and more dread. In that style phrasing and timing are critical elements, and Keane (who is also the band’s drummer) hits her spots nicely.

Most of the songs fail to develop beyond their initial theme. They often get louder and more crowded with sounds but it is mostly about establishing a single musical theme, encircling that theme like a python, and squeezing it with ever-increasing intensity.

There was the ever-present threat of boredom from my melodically-biased aesthetic, but the band never lets the song go on long enough for me to get fidgety. Most are over in under three minutes.

The lyrics tag up with the musical approach, often being a phrase or two repeated over and over. Themes tend to be dark: abandonment, fear of partner violence, the death of a pet (n.b. it is a dog, despite the record’s cover, which I found both misleading and disappointing).

There is a lot of ‘tells’ here that point me to not liking this record. No melodic resolution? No narrative in the lyrics? Coming off a record full of folk and Celtic folk I was primed and ready to be unhappy.

Thing is, M(h)aol is just too good at what they do. The more I listened, the more I caught the magic of what they were doing.

Musically, the noise has focus and intent, and it drives deep in the marrow the more you listen. There are layers to it (better heard on headphones FYI) that pull you into an almost trance-like state. And because the songs are short, I could just appreciate the moment rather than getting caught up in what came next.

Despite limited lyrical content, the phrases M(h)aol choose land with maximum impact. For the dead dog, a simple and insistent repeat of “you should be here”. A gut punch for any loss of a loved one, which often rolls over and over in your mind as you grieve, just like the song.

On IBS, Keane sings/speaks, “Roll over/3 A.M. You’re Still Here/And I Ask Myself “Will You Hurt Me?” We don’t know the kind of hurt involved – physical, emotional, or just someone getting up and leaving before the dawn. We do know the universal anxiety and vulnerability of opening up to someone and wondering what’s next. And just like anxiety wonders such things over and over in a loop, so does the song.

When you do something well, you can overcome a lot. “Something Soft” was not in my musical wheelhouse. It wasn’t even on the ships I tend to sail. Rather, it was more of a ship passing by, purposefully pounding its way through the chop; a bit ungainly for my tastes, but you have to admire the sturdiness of the hull and the skill of the captain.

Best tracks: Pursuit, You Are Temporary But the Internet is Forever, IBS, 1-800-Call-Me-Back