House of Lords
Precious Metal
Frontiers Records
2014
James Christian, faced quite recently a cancer scare from which he appears that he has emerged victorious, since he’s back into the touring circuit and all, thank God, since he’s a rather benevolent human being, from the little dealings I had had in the past with him, always, kind and thoughtful and considerate, apart from one hell of a singer of course.
Last year and while still only having just possibly just gotten a clean bill of health he released a very cool solo album, which was really good and this year, he returns once more, with the “Lords” and the ninth, I believe album, in their career, which might as well be one of the stronger entries after the “reunion” and possibly the closest, thing to the glorious early days of the band, featuring some of the best songwriting and performances the band has managed in a while. That’s not to lessen, the quality of previous albums but to underline just how good “Precious Metal” is as a collection of songs.
“Battle” is the epic and fastidious opener, that just would have felt, very proper in “Sahara” and is probably one of the heaviest songs House of Lords have done in a while, bordering in a while, flirting with heavy metal, it’s very heavy and epic hard rock, with a very rousing chorus, that plays every card right… and just gets a full house! (of Lords, Queens, Kings, Jacks! The whole deck really!) Jack Pot baby! A true get in the Crown!
“I’m Breaking Free” is quite different, a far more chillaxed tune, about, getting rid of a woman (or man) that’s been causing much heartache and trouble and it’s sort of bold and full of riffs and loud and brassy... it’s a typical 80s sort of number, that’s not bad by any means, it just feels a little weird tucked right after “Battle”...
The rather epic, ehm “Epic” might have felt a little bit better placed on number 2 actually. It’s typical, HOL fare, epic, melodic, pompous, with all the trademarks that you would expect them to display, but it sort of takes the middle road between epic hard rocker and commercial sort of track so it seems to try to satisfy both the hard rock fandom and the more LA rock sort of akin fans... obviously most of the fans are into “everything” really... but really for some people that are just that picky this one just seems to satisfy both “sides”... without leaving anyone complaining.
“Live Every Day (Like It’s the Last)” probably hits, too close @ home for comfort and is a softer song, with really personal lyrics.. and I am guessing it’s wife, Robin Beck, doing the beautiful and passionate backing vocals... a real diamond this one! Amazing chorus!
“Permission to Die” is thankfully not another song wallowing in self-pity but more of a weird number about how intersex relations work and how they affect people’s lives…
“Precious Metal” is a ballad, dedicated to Robin obviously, with some really amazing lyrics... and it’s a wonderful song. Another magnificent performance by Christian.
“Swimmin’ with the Sharks” ups the tempo again, after all the slower songs and does so in a cool way, it’s a smooth melodic number but it progressively gets louder and nastier, like a fist in a velvet glove! It might probably have to do something about the “underworld” or such, who knows, but it’s really, right on the money, here, getting the attention of the listener back and saving the album from plodding.
“Raw” is a more, ahem... for a lack of a better of a better word “raw”, a simpler, rocker, that, probably is the least satisfying song on “Precious Metal”, without being a complete mess of course.
“Enemy Mine” is a more melodic tune that bases itself a lot on keyboard melodies, rather than on guitars and even features, some proper Robin Beck leads... it’s interesting, without being able to monopolize the interest, probably because of its mid-tempo. However it manages to overall win the impressions because of its nice melodies and chorus...
“Action” had me scratching my head, weather it would be a “Sweet” cover, but, from the first couple of bars I could tell that it was not... and from the first minute or so, I could also say that it wasn’t also gonna be really “fast” one either, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad track. This groovy mid-pacer, is a rather, sexy and sleek rocker that has a nice biting riff, that reminded me a bit of those that made some Gotthard, tracks, “big successes” (as Borat would say) but then JC just baptizes, the choruses with his amazing delivery and they become miraculously cool! “A really good one”!
“Turn Back the Tide” is another great number, which has somewhat epic undertones and would even seem to have some male guest vocals (but I’m not sure who it is, it’s only a short verse anyway) the solos on this one are pretty amazing and once again, Christian’s vocals are diamondesque... I mean he really, shines all over this album, singing like there’s no tomorrow!
“You Might Just Save My Life” is yet another number with a quite “personal” title, which happens to be a battling duet between Christian and his wife Robin Beck… and what can I say, it’s quite fun... overall without being the best song on the album, but I suppose it’s a good one.
Wow, well overall, a very good offering from House of Lords, with some really good songwriting and James Christian (with a little help from the wife) singing like he hasn’t sung in a long long time and actually nailing it! Phew! Really good stuff! Me likey, Me gonna buy, take my money now!
Last year and while still only having just possibly just gotten a clean bill of health he released a very cool solo album, which was really good and this year, he returns once more, with the “Lords” and the ninth, I believe album, in their career, which might as well be one of the stronger entries after the “reunion” and possibly the closest, thing to the glorious early days of the band, featuring some of the best songwriting and performances the band has managed in a while. That’s not to lessen, the quality of previous albums but to underline just how good “Precious Metal” is as a collection of songs.
“Battle” is the epic and fastidious opener, that just would have felt, very proper in “Sahara” and is probably one of the heaviest songs House of Lords have done in a while, bordering in a while, flirting with heavy metal, it’s very heavy and epic hard rock, with a very rousing chorus, that plays every card right… and just gets a full house! (of Lords, Queens, Kings, Jacks! The whole deck really!) Jack Pot baby! A true get in the Crown!
“I’m Breaking Free” is quite different, a far more chillaxed tune, about, getting rid of a woman (or man) that’s been causing much heartache and trouble and it’s sort of bold and full of riffs and loud and brassy... it’s a typical 80s sort of number, that’s not bad by any means, it just feels a little weird tucked right after “Battle”...
The rather epic, ehm “Epic” might have felt a little bit better placed on number 2 actually. It’s typical, HOL fare, epic, melodic, pompous, with all the trademarks that you would expect them to display, but it sort of takes the middle road between epic hard rocker and commercial sort of track so it seems to try to satisfy both the hard rock fandom and the more LA rock sort of akin fans... obviously most of the fans are into “everything” really... but really for some people that are just that picky this one just seems to satisfy both “sides”... without leaving anyone complaining.
“Live Every Day (Like It’s the Last)” probably hits, too close @ home for comfort and is a softer song, with really personal lyrics.. and I am guessing it’s wife, Robin Beck, doing the beautiful and passionate backing vocals... a real diamond this one! Amazing chorus!
“Permission to Die” is thankfully not another song wallowing in self-pity but more of a weird number about how intersex relations work and how they affect people’s lives…
“Precious Metal” is a ballad, dedicated to Robin obviously, with some really amazing lyrics... and it’s a wonderful song. Another magnificent performance by Christian.
“Swimmin’ with the Sharks” ups the tempo again, after all the slower songs and does so in a cool way, it’s a smooth melodic number but it progressively gets louder and nastier, like a fist in a velvet glove! It might probably have to do something about the “underworld” or such, who knows, but it’s really, right on the money, here, getting the attention of the listener back and saving the album from plodding.
“Raw” is a more, ahem... for a lack of a better of a better word “raw”, a simpler, rocker, that, probably is the least satisfying song on “Precious Metal”, without being a complete mess of course.
“Enemy Mine” is a more melodic tune that bases itself a lot on keyboard melodies, rather than on guitars and even features, some proper Robin Beck leads... it’s interesting, without being able to monopolize the interest, probably because of its mid-tempo. However it manages to overall win the impressions because of its nice melodies and chorus...
“Action” had me scratching my head, weather it would be a “Sweet” cover, but, from the first couple of bars I could tell that it was not... and from the first minute or so, I could also say that it wasn’t also gonna be really “fast” one either, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad track. This groovy mid-pacer, is a rather, sexy and sleek rocker that has a nice biting riff, that reminded me a bit of those that made some Gotthard, tracks, “big successes” (as Borat would say) but then JC just baptizes, the choruses with his amazing delivery and they become miraculously cool! “A really good one”!
“Turn Back the Tide” is another great number, which has somewhat epic undertones and would even seem to have some male guest vocals (but I’m not sure who it is, it’s only a short verse anyway) the solos on this one are pretty amazing and once again, Christian’s vocals are diamondesque... I mean he really, shines all over this album, singing like there’s no tomorrow!
“You Might Just Save My Life” is yet another number with a quite “personal” title, which happens to be a battling duet between Christian and his wife Robin Beck… and what can I say, it’s quite fun... overall without being the best song on the album, but I suppose it’s a good one.
Wow, well overall, a very good offering from House of Lords, with some really good songwriting and James Christian (with a little help from the wife) singing like he hasn’t sung in a long long time and actually nailing it! Phew! Really good stuff! Me likey, Me gonna buy, take my money now!