Def Leppard - Euphoria
Review by Martin Roger

Mercury - 1999
Buy this Cd

It's really good to have Def Leppard back the way they are supposed to sound after the disaster called "Slang". The sound this time is pure Def Leppard, but with a few hints of more modern sounds which gives the listener the impression that the band are moving forward a little bit. The songs are very good, but they are not of the kind which you get into immediately. "Euphoria" is guitarbased in a way we haven't experienced with this band since "Pyromania", and the choruses leaves no doubt about which band you are listening to. OK, so this is not a new "Hysteria", but songs like "Demolition Man", "Promises", "Goodbye" and "Guilty" are really good. There's a bit of funk in "All Night", and this shows a new side to Def Leppard, and it works well.

4/5

Grapow, Roland - Kaleidoscope
Review by Martin Roger

Steamhammer - 1999
Buy this Cd

Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow is back with his second solo album, and I have to say that this is quite good. OK, I had to hear this CD lots of times before I really got into it, and I haven't really been sure about how good it is until now. This time Roland isn't singing himself, instead he have hired Michael Vescera to do the singing, and that wasn't a stupid choice to do. Roland himself are doing lots of classical inspired guitar stuff which reminds a bit Malmsteen, so he's not really doing anything surprising. The songs are good, but a couple of them are better than the rest, and I do really have to recommend "Under The Same Sun".

4/5

Helloween - Metal Jukebox
Review by Martin Roger

Raw Power - 1999
Buy this Cd

In the line of cover records you can now add Helloween, and the guys are doing a fine job. It’s interesting that the band have been faithful to the original on some tracks, and other tracks they are really making their own. The highlight is without any doubts David Bowie’s "Space Oddity", and here the band is very close to the original. And it’s really best to do it that way, because you don’t mess around with such a gem. The Beatles’ "All My Loving" and Abba’s "Lay Your Love On Me" have got their Helloween touches, but they are still great. It’s very interesting with Faith No More’s "From Out Of Nowhere" which have got the Helloween sound, but there is still no doubt about it being a Faith No More song.

4.5/5

Overkill - Coverkill
Review by Martin Roger

Steamhammer - 1999
Buy this Cd

Coveralbums are a cool thing, and after fifteen years plus in the biz, it’s New Jersey’s Overkill turn to deliver us their spare-time goodies. Some great tunes collected over the years, some that are more interesting than good, and a horrible version of Purple’s "Space Truckin`". Three Sabbath-covers, and "Changes" has been transformed into a classic coverversion thanks to Ellsworth`s vocals and Verni`s godlike bassplaying. Of course, Motörhead`s "Overkill" is here in splendid condition, and they also pay homage to Jethro Tull, Sex Pistols, Ramones and Manowar, to mention a few. If you’re a fan, of course you should get it. If you’re not familiar with the best band in the world, get 1985`s "Feel The Fire" and work your way all up to this year’s "Necroshine". You won’t regret it.

4/5

Testament - The Gathering
Review by Martin Roger

Spitfire - 1999
Buy this Cd

This album takes off like a rocket! At first a short calm intro with harmonies typical for black metal, then 100% thrash metal. It has songs similar to the style of both "Legacy" ("Legions Of The Dead" and "Riding The Snake"), "New order" ("Down For Life") and "Low" ("Careful What You Wish For" and "Allegiance"). Dave Lombardo (Grip Inc., Slayer) and James Murphy (Death, Obituary and earlier incarna-tions of Testament) fill out the drummer and guitarist roles, respectively. The album’s power riffs alone are fiery enough to make you sponta-neously combust. Add Chuck Billy’s brutal, inflamed vocals and it’s time to stop, drop and roll -- or just bang your head.

5/5