Iron Maiden - Live at HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro, 28th March 2011

I had a premonition of the events of sunday night - the metal barriers that were used outside to make the queue of people snake (as opposed to a straight line) were pushed and climbed over as over-zealous fans were desperate to get in - security did nothing, of what security there was. The atmosphere was at fever pitch - incredible tension and anticipation, I've rarely seen anything like it.

Clearly the passion of the fans couldn't match the quality of the safety arrangements - halfway through the opening song, the barrier separating the stage and the crowd collapsed. Bruce immediately picked up on this and the band stopped and left the stage. After 20 minutes waiting Bruce came back on stage to announce that the barrier was irreparable and the show would be delayed 'till the followingnight. Cue civil unrest, but the audience left in disbelief and peace. Having spent 10 reais on the bus (3 hour return to my flat in Copacabana) and 25 on expensive beer inside I was pretty cheesed off at the amateur organisation of the concert, but happy that Bruce had the balls to tell the crowd himself as opposed to having some crew member or venue staff do it. Rearranging the concert for 24 hours later was no issue for me, and can you imagine Guns 'n' Roses being so benevolent? Bruce poiniently noted that the Japanese had two Maiden dates cancelled recently for far more serious reasons, which puts things into perspective.

So fastforward to monday night, Iron Maiden take two. The atmosphere was a lot more subdued outside, and there were notably less people than the previous night, but once the intro tape started playing all the calamities of yesterday were forgotten.
A setlist consisting of a healthy number of both old and new, the fervent Brazilian crowd lapped up every note, with "The Trooper" going down especially well, and new numbers such as "Coming Home" fitting into the setlist perfectly. The band still display energy levels to make many metal bands look positively static during performance. The intensity of the crowd was awesome - rarely have I been to a gig when the singing of the audience almost eclipses the band, and I owe the predicted bout of post-gig tinnitus more to the sound of the people around me rather than what was thundering out of the Marshalls. I have only seen Maiden once before, but I wasn't aware that pogo-ing was the dance of choice at their gigs - must be a Brazilian thing, a slightly bizarre change from the usual headbanging and body slamming of your typical metal concert.

This hardly seems like the final frontier for these 50-somethings, even if the quality of the studio material isn't as strong as it used to be, Iron Maiden in the live setting are still an awesome act.

Cavalera Conspiracy - Blunt Force Trauma

The reuniting of the Cavalera brothers after Max's acrimonious split from Sepultura fifteen years ago was greeted with unbridled joy amongst the metal community. Their debut album, "Inflikted" was a decent effort, but for me was overrated. Many critics were effectively reviewing the album before even listening to it, judging it simply on the fact that Brazil's meanest metal duo were back together. Even though there were some genuinely good moments on the first record, such as the title track and "Sanctuary", Soulfly's sixth record, "Conquer" which came out in the same year was arguably Max's best record since "Roots", with stronger, with better songwriting and more diverse material.

Cavalera Conspiracy kind of music is like fast food - it gives you an instant, gratifying, but not very deep hit of metal. The songs are all straight to the point and never meander unneccesarily. Max's lyrics are of the usual banal nonsensical variety which he has become known for, but the man's vitriolic vocals are still as angry as ever. He can never be accused of mincing his words : "Torture, motherfuckin' torture" he screams on the second track, and the rest drip with similar rancour. Marc Rizzo, Max's second guitar player since 2004, and arguably the guy who reignited his career, is once again on fire here. If you were to pick the most memorable moments from the last 7 years of Soulfly/C.C., a great deal of them would be Marc's solos - always tasteful and melodic yet displaying the amazing dexterity of a modern shredder. "Killing Inside" has some rather delightful lead work on it, as does the title track.

Undoubtably the material on here isn't as memorable as the debut album. Songs like "Torture" hardly inspire, but I can imagine that live these songs would be pretty energetic and exciting. I'll be spinning this record for a week or two but I can hardly imagine myself going back to it regularly in the coming years.

6.5/10

Highlights : "Killing Inside", "Warlord".

Album of the Year 2010 : Santeria - Year Of The Knife

This was meant to be completed before Christmas but circumstances intervened....

I've digested upwards of a hundred albums this year, so to pick a top one is quite the challenge. Although I listened to some incredible Neil Young and Dax Riggs records for the first time this year, as well as some nefandous extreme metal in the name of Neurosis and Goatwhore, the accolade has to go to "Year of the Knife" by Santeria, a little known band from the Deep South who blend hard rock, psychadelica and gentle but sometimes ragged acoustic to awesome effect.

It was thanks to Dax Riggs that I was able to discover this band - they were heavily featured on his now defunct website, theskeletalcircus. Having given a few of their songs a spin on myspace, I got myself a copy of the band's latest works, "Year Of The Knife".

For me, it perfectly combines the gritty edge of 80's GNR with Southern rock stylings, whilst simultaneously amalgamating psychadelic and world music influences. The record positively oozes hedonism and a lust for life, and is ideal for lifting you from the day to day monotony of everyday life. The band manage to give so much life to simple power chords that end up aching with emotion and might. "Nowhere To Go" might as well be the title song for Bukowski's Factorum, the novel I was reading at the time when I first gave this record a spin. The stop-start rhythm of "Haunted Heart" and the gorgeous Les Paul leads of Primo, topped off with Dege's inpassioned and permeating vocals make this an instant classic.

Aside from these pulsating rock moments, the band change the gears to mellower tunes. Check out the beautiful, graceful "Mexico", Dege paints a vivid picture of the ghostly backwaters of the U.S.´s southern neighbour. And if you think you´ve sussed the band out you´re in for a surprise for every subsequent song on the album - the variety on offer is impressive.

This is far more than a collection of songs - this is an album lovers album, one that ebbs and flows and demands to be listened to as a whole, an odyssey of awesomeness. A prominant feature is the use of different,eclectic instruments - the orchestration on the title track is incredible, and perhaps a direct artistic tribute to "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd, although only the band would be able to answer that question. The band never come across as ostentatious i.e. "lets cram as many instruments in as possible to look cool" - it´s always tasteful and creative.

This album is a kick in the teeth to anyone who thinks good music, rock music, is on the wane - Santeria have just thrown another huge log on the proverbial fire of rock.

Album Of The Week : The Howling Wind - Into The Cryosphere

The Howling Wind are the brainchild of Unearthly Trance's frontman Ryan Lipynsky, and Into The Cryosphere,released last year, is the act's second album, following on from the promising but patchy debut Pestilence and Peril. ITC is a vast improvement.

The awesome opening track, "The Seething Wrath Of A Frigid Soul" , sets the tone for the rest of the record, full of hyperborean atmospherics and sything black metal riffage. There's enough variety to keep the listener interested through the whole record - the instrumental "Impossible Eternity" is melodic and graceful, while the middle riff from "Will Is The Only Fire Under An Avalanche" is probably the most chillingly epic one on the whole album. Props to Lipynsky - the man not only displays marvelous fretboard pyrotechnics (with some tasteful yet dexterous soloing), he handles the bass and vocals, which for me are one of the highlights of this band. You may have noticed the epic nature of the songtitles - this is complimented by the majestic, if a little clichéd album artwork.

Highly recommended if you like your metal to be like a soundtrack to being lost in the icy tundra with little hope of salvation.

7.5/10

Highlights : "The Seething Wrath Of A Frigid Soul", "Will Is The Only Fire Under An Avalanche"

See also - Emperor, Mayhem, Bathory, Darkthrone, Unearthly Trance

Album Of The Week : Oxbow - The Narcotic Story

Oxbow have been going a while, and 2007's "The Narcotic Story" is their 6th and latest album.

Vocalist Eugene Robinson manages to channel the avant-garde insanity of Mike Patton, the howling depravity of Eyehategod's Mike Williams and the claustraphobic demonic nature of The Jesus Lizard's David Yow, to awesome effect. "It never rains...it fuckin' pours" he lugubriously yowls in "A Winner Every Time", but "She's A Find" has him almost crooning along, accompanied by soothing but subtly unnerving violins. It's pretty unsettling and at times draining listening, but the kind of album that unravells itself after multiple listens.

Despite the singer mumbling and stumbling his way through the album, the instrumental side of Oxbow is formidable - there are some big riffs to be found here, as well as some tripped out clean guitar lines almost reminiscent of 70's/ post rock.

7.5/10

Highlights : "Down A Stair Backward", "She´s A Find"

See also - Mr Bungle, The Jesus Lizard, Eyehategod