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Last In Line, A Day In The Life (earMUSIC 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Last In Line offer up an EP treat for their fans, A Day In The Life.

Last In Line is a band formed by former members of Ronnie James Dio’s band. Initially, the idea was to reminisce about the Dio days, but soon they started creating new music. They kept the name (which is the title of Dio’s second album) and moved forward with their own ideas in the classic heavy metal vein. The band today is Vinny Appice (drums), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Andrew Freeman (vocals), and Phil Soussan (bass).

The new EP has an original song, a cover, and two live tracks. Let’s start with the cover, “A Day in The Life,” where the record gets its name. This Beatles song is one of their biggest hits (but there were a lot of those, weren’t there). What you get on the Last In Line version is a metaled-up take that preserves, mostly faithfully, the melodic vocals. It is a rousing rendition, and no mistake.

The new song is “Hurricane Orlagh,” and it is a look into what the next album might sound like. It is an up-tempo bit with hard-pushing riffs and runs, and classic-styled metal vocals. There is a tasty lead guitar break as well, and that seals the deal. If the rest of the future album sounds like this song, I am all in.

The live tracks are “Devil In Me” and “Give Up The Ghost” (live), one each from the band’s two studio albums. The performances are good, as are the recordings, so this is a nice preview of their live show. Speaking of which, Last In Line is on the road now. If you like the sound of these live renditions, then head out to the club and see them in person.

A Day In The Life is out on Friday, November 11th in a limited edition vinyl release through earMUSIC. You had best jump on those if you want one. If you miss out on the physical, there is always the digital.

Links.

Last In Line website, http://www.lastinlineofficial.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/LastInLine

earMUSIC Records, https://ear-music.shop/product/104496

© Wayne Edwards

Last In Line, A Day In The Life (earMUSIC 2022)

Alice Cooper, Detroit Stories (earMUSIC 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Rock and Roll icon Alice Cooper takes a nostalgic strut through the historic musical verity of Detroit.

I don’t have to tell you who Alice Cooper is, right? I have written many times about how his music, together with Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, and Nazareth, were the first sounds I heard that turned me toward the heavy. He did have a period of metal music, but that is not the way he started out and most of his work is in the hard rock lane with plenty of pop rock/metal orientation. Oh, and Shock Rock. Yeah. He did that first.

Cooper was born in 1943 and so he is now 73 years old. How is that affecting his musical composition and performance? Not in any apparent negative way, I can tell you that. I saw him at the Greek Theater in LA a couple summers ago and the show was amazing. The performance was just as energetic and exciting as it was decades ago. I don’t know how he still does it, but he definitely still does.

If you look at his recent studio albums, they are up to a high standard as well. The most recent one was Paranormal in 2017, and it is filled to the brim with rockers and bangers, crisp and cracking. He continues to cover a lot of the same subjects as he has in the past, and if anything he his music has become less gimmicky, leaning more towards a straight-forward rock approach.

There are fifteen tracks on the new album. Cooper’s voice is strong and familiar. And unique. The music is guitar driven hard rock, running radio length. There are a couple songs that are a little longer, but they are all designed to be digestible. There are a couple of stylistic homages in there, but mainly these songs are bangers that cook and move in all the right ways to get you on your feet and going. Songs that have a slower pace tend toward blues or mysteriousness. No ballads at all. The album is exactly what I was hoping for, and it is the perfect follow-up to Paranormal, showing that the quality of that album was no fluke.

When big live shows come back the first thing I am going to do is buy a ticket for wherever Alice Cooper is playing and go see him live again. I didn’t really need any additional motivation to make this oath, but Detroit Stories is nevertheless an extra push. Highly recommended.

You can get Detroit Stories starting now. There are many bundles and versions. The one I liked best is a basic one – the CD and DVD combo that includes A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris. That was a great concert and if you didn’t pick it up already when it came out then here is a great chance to get the add-on.

Links.

Website, https://alicecooper.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AliceCooper/

Alice Cooper, Detroit Stories (earMUSIC 2021)