Reviews roundup – Daniel Trigger vs. Chastity Brown vs. Andrew Chapman aka JoJo vs. Inner Axis
DANIEL TRIGGER
Time of the Titans
independent
It’s hard to know where Trigger the band stops and Daniel Trigger the solo performer begins.
With his band he’s put out a good number of albums over the years all of which straddle the line between eighties hard rock and metal. Whereas this solo album staddles the line between eighties hard rock and metal. To be fair it is a proper solo album with Daniel taking care of everything apart from guest appearances from erstwhile Trigger colleagues Sally Trigger and David D’Andrade!
Thing is, it’s a good album. Mr Trigger has added in a few nineties influences from the likes of Nickelback and Alter Bridge to the sound, especially on the guitars. Ally that to some excellent songs and his strong, melodic vocals and it makes for fine listening experience. He’s one of those blokes who obviously never got the right breaks at the right times because on the evidence of songs like ‘Welcome To The Real World’, ‘Ready To Fly’ and ‘Rain’ there is no reason why he shouldn’t be playing 1000 seaters instead of self releasing records.
Even if you’re humming and hawing all proceeds are being split between Marie Curie Cancer Care, Dementia UK and the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign. As my wife died in a hospice a couple of weeks back I know the inestimable value they provide, so do the right thing.
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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton
http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
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CHASTITY BROWN
Silhouette of Sirens
Red House
I suppose it’s just as well I couldn’t beany more depressed because this album is hardly reeking in sweetness and life.
It’s been punted as a folk album but Ms Brown spends just as much time working across soul, Americana and pop as she does anything else. What she does do, regardless of style, is write some right downbeat lyrics. MInd you, being a b-racial, self professed queer who was brought up on a trailer park will certainly give you some feelings to work out.
So these are songs about love and about loss and about heartbreak. Tell me about it. She’s certainly got a good voice even if some of the music doesn’t catch hold of me as much as I wanted it to. But when the music, words and performance merge properly, as it does on most of the record, then songs such as ‘Wake Up’, ‘Whisper’ and ‘How Could I FOrget’ will stay with you for a long time.
ANDREW CHAPMAN aka JoJo
Well, It’s About Time!
UpIsland Records
As everyone and his mother will have pointed out, it’s an appropriate album title seeing as how it’s taken forty odd years for Andrew Chapman aka JoJo to get round to recording a solo album.
Back in the day (the sixties) he was a manager before forming a band called The Bloontz All Stars. They made an album, toured with Johnny Nash, then folded as so many bands did. Mr Chapman then walked away from the music business for forty years before he got in touch with former Bloontz All Stars bandmate Terry Wilson, who had become a producer and engineer. He made some calls and the likes of John “Rabbit” Bundrick (The Who, Free etc) and Tony Braunagel (Back Street Crawler, Bonnie Raitt etc) all chipped in with their contributions.
And they’ve ended up with a really enjoyable roots album which mixes up blues, country rock and all points inbetween. It’s straight out of the mid seventies which is fine by me. Of course some of the songs go a ways back as well which helps explain the vibe. Songs like ‘That Takes Some Balls’, the pedal steel driven ‘You’ve Got A Lover’ and the vintage soul of ‘Talk To Me’ all make for a splendid listen. If you’re of a certain vintage then this is a record you should be listening to.
INNER AXIS
We Live By The Steel
Fastball
Some metal to end the day. And if you want metal nowadays then Germany is the place to be.
And this second album, following on from “Into The Storm” a couple of years back, shows just how much Inner Axis really, really like Manowar and their many children. Although you probably guessed that from the cover and the fact that it’s called “We Live By The Steel”.
Yes, this is proper old fashioned heavy metal which powers along on solid riffs and songs about killing people, mutilating people and maiming people. Preferably with a sword or an axe. But it’s great, cartoon like fun and if you were brought up on eighties true metal when bands signed contracts in their own blood, then you won’t go wrong with songs like ‘Blades Of Death’, ‘Storm Lords’ and ‘The Call Of Steel’.
It’s heavy, heavy metal.
The Rocker 