Members of multi-platinum selling rock group Staind, who have been on hiatus since 2012, reunited last night at Aaron Lewis’ charity benefit show. The show which also included Corey Taylor (Stone Sour/Slipknot) and Sully Erna (Godsmack) and had tributes to both recently deceased artists Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington. Continue reading
Former Staind frontman Aaron Lewis will host his 6th Annual Aaron Lewis Invitational Charity Golf Tournament And Concert this weekend at Crumpin-Fox Golf Course in Bernardston, Massachusetts. Lewis will be joined in concert by his friends such as Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor and Saint Asonia (ex-Three Days Grace) singer Adam Gontier. Full lineup and details below. Continue reading
Some elements of life naturally appeal to our various senses; like the aroma of bacon in our nostrils or like a striking sunset in our vision, so Michael Kiske’s warm, velvety optimistic tones are an aural hot chocolate to our ears. It’s hard to hear his voice, whether it be over a racing Metal speedster or a lush acoustic ballad, and not feel some kind of affirming action has taken place. If Kiske and Devin Townsend were to record together, negativity as we know it would be evacuated from this ball of rock.
Kiske/Somerville is a bit of an unusual but oh-so-grin inducing proposition that is rock, Jim, but not as we know it, with its origins almost Simon Cowellesque. Basically Frontier Records have employed Mat Sinner (Sinner, natch, and Primal Fear) to write a bunch of songs for two people who are quite capable of writing their own, and who have been paired up to record together for the second time (Sinner also penning the self-titled debut of 2010).
Since his banishment from Helloween Kiske, the greatest and most distinctive voice in Euro Metal, has nomadically wandered from project to project, including various solo albums, a reoccurring lead cast role in the theatre of Avantasia and (finally) his own heavier project Unisonic. Meanwhile Amanda Somerville has appeared with the glitterati of the Power Metal world in Kamelot, Edguy, Avantasia, and After Forever.
And, perhaps due to the oddity of the nature of its creation, in the main, it works. Most enjoyably, too. While the majority of the music beneath is uptempo Hard Rock (of the tinged by Power and Classic Metal variety), above the surface soar unconstrained, with unrefined joy clearly displayed, the twin voices of our protagonists, usually by means of call and answer; a verse for he, a verse for she, and a chorus where they meet to continue their tales of love.
While the backing music may, like the dodgiest of petrol gauges, swing from average to bloody good, and it all sits very comfortably in the type of garden we are well acquainted with, surprises are, well, nil. City Of Heroes, though, does what too few albums do and, like boobs in the hands, makes us feel good about ourselves.
7.0/10
Kiske / Somerville on Facebook
STEVE TOVEY