Tag: once upon a time

Best Albums of 2020

My Top albums of 2020. Considering the year its been, all bands deserve a massive pat on the back for getting their music out there!

Hi there dear reader, how’s it going? It’s been a bit of a shit year, well since March anyway. Covid, lockdown, mutated covid, more lockdown. Thankfully the new vaccinations will be rolled out before the mutated virus takes hold and we will be back to some form of normalcy, whatever the fuck that’s supped to be like? I just hope that gigs are a part of it because a musicians life is pretty fucked, not only because of Covid, but Brexit could put paid to overseas acts wanting to play the UK, especially as it look like no deal has been done for the performing arts, and its likely that any touring artistes to the UK will have to fork out a shit load of money before they set foot in Blighty. They will pay tax on all merch they bring in, even if they don’t sell much, and will no doubt require visas, jumping through hoops and whatever else the UK government throws at them. Only the most dedicated and higher profile bands might prevail. I just hope it doesn’t kill off the industry once and for all. We all need to support bands moving forward, through album and merch sales directly via the bands so that they see the money, and go and support live music like its never been supported before, like our lives depend on it. Even going to support bands we haven’t wanted to before because they and every band need the support. What I missed in gigs in 2020 I made up through album purchases, and I think waiting for albums to arrive at my door kept me from a downward spiral. I haven’t written much because I found it difficult, so I apologise to all the PR people who sent me stuff, I struggled to get my arse into gear and I promise you a lot more in 2021. 

If you brought out an album in 2020, well done. In the most trying of circumstances, you still did it. Far be it me to slag off an album, because you fucking rocked this year in getting your music out there. Well done guys.

All the albums below are purchases made in 2020. 

Enough of my opinion, let’s get down to what counts the most. Music. 

15. Jim Kirkpatrick – Ballad of a Prodigal Son

We all know Jim can sing, because FM have some of the best harmonies in the business, but the man’s got soul and blues in his voice! He even ropes in fellow villager Steve Overland so you know its in a good place. It’s for fans of Bad Company. Talking of BC, check out  ‘Ain’t Goin’ Down Alone’, its brilliant.

14. Room Experience – Another Time And Place

Solid work again from Firmo and the gang. They certainly like a power ballad and mix it up with some heavier numbers. Its this heavier numbers that whetted my appetite. Check out ‘A Thousand Lies’ and ‘Another Place and Time’

13. Perfect Plan – Time For A Miracle

Heavier than the debut, and its a cracking second album. They evoke bands like Foreigner, Giant and Bon Jovi and in Kent Hills they have one of the finest singers in the business. Check out ‘Nobody’s Fool’

12. The Spectre Beneath – The New Identity Of Sidney Stone

Sophomore album from these guys, who’s debut I loved last year. Paz has followed it up with some brutal riffs, and has unearthed a gem in Lockser. The killer track for me is ‘The Premature Burial’.

11. FM – Synchronized

Probably the second best album of FM Part 2 which started back in 2010 with Metropolis. FM are in a golden period, and are one of the finest British rock acts of this or any other generation. It saw a slightly different approach and showed that they are not resting on their Laurels. In ‘Change for the Better’ and ‘Pray’ the future of FM is there for all to see.

10. Pain Of Salvation – Panther

These guys never do anything by halves and live up to the meaning of ‘progressive’. Its not their most accessible, but after a few listens you truly appreciate the magnitude of the songs on offer. Highlights are ‘Wait’ and the epic ‘Icon’ and magnificent ‘Icon’.

9. Deep Purple – Whoosh

Who would have though that two of the best albums of 2020 are by bands that were founded many, many decades ago! First up from the oldies is Purple with probably their best album since Perfect Strangers. Ian Gillan still sounds great, Morse is superb, and when you have Airey, Glover and the master (Paice) making up the band, they can play anything. Now in their SEVENTH decade, long may they continue. Check out ‘No Need To Shout’ 

8. Stryper – Even The Devil Believes

Since the last decade began Stryper have been on a metal journey, with every one of their albums being ‘more metal’ than the previous one and I for one am loving it. I just wonder what kind of band they would be had they taken this current path some forty odd years ago. They still remain a novelty band to some, but to me they are one of the finest metal bands on the planet. Thats metal, not Christian. Check out ‘For God and Rock ’n’ Roll’ and ‘Make Love Great Again’ and ‘This I Pray’

7. Cryptex – Once Upon A Time

Think Queen crossed with Meatloaf, Jethro Tull, Tim Burton and the Brothers Grimm and you might have an idea of their music. Its all the brain child Simon Moskon, but they are one of the best 3 pieces this side of a DFS sale. ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘Bloodmoon’ are fantastic

6. H.E.A.T. – II

Heat have been good with Gronwall, bordering on great. They have tried to grab the audience kicking and screaming by the lapels to listen to their very infectious brand of music. They have had the tunes, the personality and the determination to succeed, but ut hasn’t quite happened. Gronwall recently bailed and original singer Lekremo is back in the fold. The next album needs to be a belter. Check out ‘One by One’ and ‘Rock Your Body’

5. Lionheart – The Reality Of Miracles

Another veteran band to make the list. Their last album was my fave of the year back in 2017. As soon as Lee Smalls sings ‘Rock and roll is gonna save ya!’ You know the stall is well and truly set out. Great harmonies, great songs. Only Vega in the melodic rock genre did it better this year. Check out the title track ‘The Reality of Miracles’ and ‘High Plains Drifter’

4. Larkin Poe – Self Made Man

I was introduced to these two gems by my son. They have been building their reputation in the UK with each album, and ‘SMM’ is no exception. Probably the best Blues outfit you haven’t heard yet! Check out ‘She’s A Self Made Man’ and ‘Back Down South’. Wonderful!

3. Vega – Grit Your Teeth

Vega went big with “GYT’ with a capital B.I.G! And it worked. Easily their best album to date. Huge anthems, harmonies to die for and Workman is in top form. These guys should be big by now and I don’t know why. Im hoping that 2021 will be their year. Check out ‘Blind’ and ‘Grit Your Teeth’

2. Ayreon – Transitus

Mr Lucassen never lets me down. He came back with a cast of old and new and ripped up the rule book for symphonic, bombastic storytelling. He even roped in the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker! Check out ‘Listen To My Story’ and ‘Talk Of The Town’. Deserves to be made into a Broadway show!

1. AC/DC – Power Up

I’ve never been a massive DC fan and have dipped in and out over the years, mainly because amongst all the truly great stuff, there has been some bog standard stuff along the way. I’ve got to the point in my life where a 65 year old in a school uniform just looks fucking freaky! A couple of years back I thought they would slip away gracefully especially after losing lynchpin Malcolm Young, and then seemed to kick Johnson into the Shady Acres Metal Singers Retirement Home. I had no desire to listen to an Axl fronted DC, so when the PR started appearing everywhere across the web, I was intrigued to see if they could still cut it without Malcolm Young, and boy did they deliver. Obviously there is nothing new here, but that’s AC/DC in a nutshell. But when they get it right, they are brilliant. Check out ‘Shot In The Dark’, ‘Demon Fire’ and ‘Realize’.

Cryptex – ‘Once Upon A Time’ Album Review

Third time is the charm. If Jethro Tull had a threesome with Queen and Jim Steinman whilst singing the collective works of The Brothers Grimm, then you might be close to knowing what I mean. Great stuff indeed.

You know that feeling you get when you go and see a band, but have no idea who the support act is, then get completely blown away by said support band. Well Cryptex was one such surprise back in 2012. A very nice surprise, in fact. I was reviewing and interviewing Pain Of Salvation for another site, and thankfully made it just in time to see Cryptex perform. There was nothing ‘normal’ about these three guys, and it made for one the best gigs of the year.

To describe them is like trying to decide which one of your two children is the favourite! As a bit of a broad example, think Meat Loaf, crossed with Jethro Tull and they made up the threesome with Queen, or Coheed and you might be getting somewhere close. They also look as if they might be the offspring of Fraggle Rock and a Tim Burton movie. Even with all this comparing, there’s still no one quite like Cryptex.

To call Cryptex a rock band is like calling Queen a bit ‘glam’. Like Queen, there’s a lot more going on with Cryptex than a run of the mill band. Sure, there are couple of downright heavy songs in ‘Reptiles‘ and ‘The Promise Keeper‘, where Mertens lets rip with some serious riffage. Most if not all of the ideas come from Simon Moskon. And it’s his vocals, and piano playing that come right to the fore.  It’s a big smorgasbord of ideas all clashing and colliding like the CERN particle accelerator, sometimes in just one song. How he puts it all down into a song only he knows, but the songs range from progressive (but not in a snotty prog rock way), but in pushing the envelope, to theatrical, to pomp. It took me about four songs to realise that there is hardly a guitar solo in sight, I was swept up in the storytelling and emotion to care about a traditional guitar solo. That’s what I like about Cryptex. Theres no ‘ tradition’, theres no formula. Rules, formulas and tradition are ripped up and spat out, and are all broken.

‘Once Upon A Time’ is a belting opener, with a pulsating bridge, before a gospel/choral choir style chorus. ‘Because The Reason Is You’ is folky at the off before expanding outwards into porosity and grandeur. ‘Bloodmoon’ is one of my favourites. One of the few 5min plus songs it really shows Cryptex at their finest moments, Moskon builds the tempo from his piano, with some wonderful harmonies and a great riff from Mertens. Also I feel that Simon Schroders drumming is carefully placed, and intricate. It is fair to say that Cryptex throw in the kitchen sink with regularity, but in this instance, it’s the sink, fridge, washing machine, and the mix coming out the other end is lovely. Mid ‘Body Language’ we get a bit of Moskon’s narrative, and it’s not on the side of parody, but Tenacious D almost came to mind.

‘Two Horned Crown’ errs on the side of bands like Epica, Avantasia and Nightwish, again with some great layered vocals and harmonies. Greta Leona Hasenberg adds contrast to Moskon’s vocals on the middle eastern sounding ‘Haunted’. ‘Reptiles’ is the other long number, and it opens with a Tremonti style riff. It also highlights why the Cryptex harmonies are so good as also taking on lead vocals is Mertens, a pretty useful singer in his own right. Andrejkovits weighing in with BV prove Cryptex are not to be messed with. It is probably the closest to the term ‘prog’ as they come. I tell a lie, its the one song with a guitar solo, a song where you don’t know where exactly it is going, but that make it part of the fun. ‘I Don’t Know Why’ is where musical theatre meets Jethro Tull, with a nice electric piano refrain, and is another example of their diversity in a single song. ‘The Promise Keeper’ is an out and out rock song for the guys, and prove they can rock it out when the desire takes them. 

‘I See It In Your Eyes’ is mainly Moskon and his piano. Its a reflective, and sombre piece. It even ends with whistling, which in itself is haunting and poignant. Who’s have thought it? ‘Leaving’ is the final track, and it’s a spoken word that Simon Moskon narrates with dramatic effect. It builds into a crescendo over the second half, and is quite atmospheric. Then ends. Suddenly. It leaves you wanting more, so I’ll add the bonus track which isn’t on my vinyl, ‘Closer’ which is definitely in the realm of bands like Porcupine Tree and Pain Of Salvation. It would have been a highlight of a (excuse the pun)….’Closer’ had it been included.

‘Once Upon A Time’ isn’t the most accessible album you will hear this year, but if you open your ears and your mind to these guys then a world of delights await you. I promise you. Cryptex are my favourite three piece this side of Rush.

Score 9/10

Review by Paul Chesworth

Cryptex are –

Simon Moskon – Lead Vocals / Piano & Keys

André Jean Henri Mertens – Guitars and Background Vocals

Marc Andrejkovits – Bass & Background Vocals

Simon Schröder – Drums & Percussion

Tracklisting –

Once Upon A time

Because The reason Is You

Bloodmoon

Body Language

Two Horned Crown

Haunted

Reptiles

I Don’t Know Why

The Promise Keeper

I See It In Your Eyes

A Mo(u)rning

Leaving

Bonus track – Closer