Artist: Halford
Label: CMC International
Release Date: 8/8/00
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Title: Resurrection Artist: Halford Label: CMC International Release Date: 8/8/00 |
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Abyss's Review:
O.K. I never even really dug Priest that much, so when I heard my next assignment was Halford's new album, I quickly grabbed my thesaurus to find as many words as I could that were synonyms for "suck." It's not that I deny his importance in the history of metal (or just plain rock n' roll for that matter), I just remember being young and listening to metal, and when I saw a guy dressed up in leather and singing really high, I just thought it was kinda lame. I just plainly thought the cheese factor was way too high, and their music didn't really make up for it like Maiden's did. I mean, let's face it, none of us were shocked when Mr. Halford came out of the closet. (You mean that guy with the bright blond hair that dresses like one of the Village People and sings like he just got kicked in the crotch is gay? Get the fuck out of here!)
"I came into this album with the sole purpose of ripping it to shreds because I'm just not a huge fan of this type of metal." So anyway, I came into this album with the sole purpose of ripping it to shreds because I'm just not a huge fan of this type of metal. And when I first put on the disc it rose to my expectations, but I eventually had to put my thesaurus down because, even though there's a great deal of worthless drivel on this record (remember, I don't really like this type of shit), I found myself tolerating it quite well, and (God, this really hurts to say) I guess I actually kinda like it… is there a support group for shit like this?
Now long time fans of Priest and Fight, etc., don't get too discouraged and think, "Shit, if Abyss likes it, it must be crap!" Take heart because it's still just as cheesy as all of his other work. Hell, just the cover picture of our subject clad in leather, shades, and sitting atop an American motorcycle will attest to that (Who the Hell are they marketing this thing to?) But inside there are some songs that show that Mr. Halford is, while no means (still) a groundbreaker, at least keeping up with the times. Rhythm lines and percussion seem updated to make this more a good retro sound than an anachronistic one. "The One You Love to Hate" is a song that I out and out like. It utilizes a stand-out (but vaguely familiar) riff that can carry the whole song, and another song, "Slow Down" has a hauntingly interesting melody that, even though I don't want to, I can't help but dig. "Silent Screams" is almost a good song, but unfortunately, the first half is a lot of melodramatic pap.
"I actually kinda like it… is there a support group for shit like this?" Don't get me wrong, though. There are quite a few crappy songs on this album too. "Cyberworld" and "Locked and Loaded" are just plain terrible and automatically knock a skull off of this review. So that's basically the gist of it. Some cool songs, some crappy songs, and quite a few in the middle, and while there's no way that this will be bumping Dissection out of my CD player, it was quite an unexpected treat. If I were a fan of this music I'd probably add on another skull.
Death's Review:
I have always been the first to praise the stratospheric vocal capabilities of the Metal God, and when pressed will cite Mr. Halford as the number one, all-time heavy metal vocalist (What the hell, off the top of my head): (1) R. Halford; (2) G. Tate; (3) B. Dickinson; (4) W. Dane; (5) R.J. Dio; (6) Ozzy; (7) B. Blitz; (8) T. Araya; (9) C. Billy; (10) J. Bush. But even I grew tired of latter-era Halford. I liked Turbo (give "Turbo Lover" another try on a good stereo - sit back, crank it loud and just listen to the power the song generates) somewhat, but Ram it Down was pretty weak, although "Blood Red Skies" is a certified Priest classic. Painkiller was good, with the title track and "A Touch of Evil" standing out (I guess I also kinda like "Night Crawler" and "One Shot at Glory"). Anyway, whatever their individual merits, these later albums couldn't touch classic Priest like "Beyond the Realms of Death," "Victim of Changes," "Freewheel Burning" or "The Rage."
"To this day I've never even heard Two. Probably best that way, don't 'ya think?" Not to mention Fight. They were OK, and I was glad to see Halford play live with them in a club (The Chance in Poughkeepsie), but they most definitely were not the same. And for some reason, most likely attributable to this steady Halford decline and the absolutely horrid reviews it received in the metal community, to this day I've never even heard Two. Probably best that way, don't 'ya think?
But boy was I psyched when I heard Halford was coming back to his metal roots. I mean, from what I heard, this was a return to real metal, like Sad Wings / Screaming -style Priest! Add to that the fact that it was being produced by the same genius who "resurrected" Bruce Dickinson's career (Roy Z), and you can understand why I thought this had a shot at album of the year before I even heard it.
"Metal isn't something you cultivate Rob, it's something you are." Resurrection is not album of the year, at least in my opinion. The first cracks in the pavement began to show when I saw Rob on VH1's Rock Show, dressed in all black, with a goatee, telling us over and over how metal he was. It just seemed like he was trying way too hard. Metal isn't something you cultivate Rob, it's something you are.
But OK, at least he wanted to be metal. And then, out of the blue, I was returning from the Ozzfest (7/22) and I heard "Resurrection" on WSOU. Very cool, I thought, but I immediately understood that this would be much more like Painkiller or Fight than Sad Wings of Destiny. And then I really got bummed when I saw the new album cover posted to the Lapland bulletin board: boy does it suck. It just looks all wrong for some reason, again trying way too hard to be tough and just plain looking silly. I was worried.
Well, I got the promo last week, and after badmouthing the album all weekend at Metalfest I have listened enough now to realize that Resurrection is a good album with substantial merit. First and foremost, Halford's voice is dead on. Superb. Outstanding. Exactly what you want it to be. The second time he screams "Resurrection" at the beginning of the CD (just as the guitar riff kicks in) in a high-pitched voice, a mere ten seconds into the record, you realize that Rob's voice is as great as it always was. The problem, if there is one, is in the mediocre and often generic songwriting, and cliched musical performances from the otherwise proficient backup band.
"Halford's voice is dead on. Superb. Outstanding." The song "Resurrection" sounds like "Painkiller" part 2, only with lyrics about how Rob realized the error of his ways in straying from metal and is back with a vengeance. My favorite track is "Silent Screams," track five. This tune smokes, and while starting out like a mellow ballad (great bed for Rob's voice), it morphs into multiple dynamic parts and ultimately stretches into a classic thrasher. This is what I had been hoping for from Rob. It is brilliant, and I hope he plays it in concert this coming Saturday night.
"The One You Love to Hate" also stands out, and features additional vocals from none other than Bruce Dickinson. Unfortunately, Roy Z has not delivered the Halfordian equivalent of Dickinson's Accident of Birth or the Chemical Wedding. All in all, a solid release, but not earth shattering. "Silent Screams" is a five skull song, but as a whole this record is nothing better than a four. Is that a bad score? No way, I like the record a lot, just like I like everything else I've given a four to. But this is not one of the top ten albums of the year, and that in and of itself is incredibly disappointing. Here's hoping I am set straight by the live show.
"All in all, a solid release, but not earth shattering." Recommendation: Big Priest / Halford fan? If you liked Painkiller or Fight, absolutely get this record. If you did not, but must reach back to Defenders to find something you're interested in, you might think twice about this one, although what the fuck, it is Rob Halford returning to metal, right? If you were never a fan, this can't possibly be good enough to stand alone on its own merits as a must-buy album (unless the reason you're not a fan is because you're too young to know the genius of the almighty Priest). Anyway, if you're any kind of self-respecting American metalhead at all, you're going to see Rob on tour this summer with Maiden and Queensryche. Maybe you should check that out and decide for yourself. Me? I'm gonna listen to this one a little more, hope for a great concert, and otherwise shelve this and wait for the inevitable reunion with Judas Priest.
Hel's Review:
There is one thing that Rob Halford wants all metalheads to know - he has come back to metal. The lyrical subject matter of Resurrection is, for the most part, all about this. Additionally, a few weeks ago I saw him on VH1's Rock Show, and he couldn't say the word "met-al" (imagine his accent) enough. I've never seen anyone try so hard to impress a concept. He really wants us all to believe that he is "met-al" again.
"There is one thing that Rob Halford wants all metalheads to know - he has come back to metal." It's clear he realizes he lost fans when he left Priest, and then lost any that were still left when he did Two. But what he still needs to realize is that he didn't lose fans because he did something besides metal, he lost them because he did it INSTEAD of metal. If he had done his side project without abandoning the genre of metal altogether, the backlash would not have been so severe. I believe feelings of abandonment are at the root of most long time fan's displeasure.
Regardless, Rob made a very strong point in his VH1 appearance that, after listening to the album, I think was very valid. He stated that his voice was the same as ever, and that does appear to be the case. So you can rest assured, if the only thing of interest to you on this album is the sound of his voice, you will not be disappointed. He can hit all the notes he used to with the same strength and authority as always.
"I think the biggest weakness of the album is its lack of musical cohesiveness." Halford, the band, will never be Judas Priest - I doubt anyone will argue with that. The musical styles employed on this album span nearly the entire spectrum of sounds included under the banner "metal". There is even a song that can only be described as a power ballad. And there is even evidence of the more modern European guitar sound to be found in spots.
But I think the biggest weakness of the album is its lack of musical cohesiveness. It comes across much more as a conglomeration of songs, than as a planned-out album. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But what troubles me most is the way the songs seem to waffle within themselves, without seeming to follow a coherent path like a solid song should. I walk away with the impression that he's just trying way too hard.
The ultimate sheer triteness of the lyrics doesn't improve things. Check out "Locked and Loaded" for a great example of what I'm talking about. Sure, his personal struggle with returning to metal sounds like interesting material. The trouble is that the inane repetitiveness comes across far stronger than any intended sincerity.
"All in all, it is a completely listen-able album and I'm already looking forward to his next studio effort." So this inanity in combination with the wishy-washy musical whole leaves me unconvinced. Not of Rob's sincerity, but of the direction of his musical ambition (beyond trying to win back fans). The musicians in his band seem quite talented, but the songs themselves don't keep my attention very well. All in all, it is a completely listen-able album and I'm already looking forward to his next studio effort.
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