LILLIAN AXE - review added 25th June 2009
Album Review: Sad Day On Planet Earth (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and pleasant surprises... and long albums
Lillian Axe are another of those bands I've heard mentioned intermittently over the years but never got round to listening to. Between you and me (and hopefully no one is eves-dropping) I came to the conclusion they were a power metal outfit... probably because the have the word axe in their title. Seems logical...
Anyway, for those of you not in the know their sound, nowadays at least, is a mixture of glam, metal and classic soft rock. They average out as a hard rock band, but they cover a lot of bases. As you'll read further on, their influences come from all over the show - the 50's, through prog and trance to pop, to funk and very heavy metal. It means the album doesn't suffer from a feeling of sameness at any point. Not even close.
The present iteration of Lillian Axe is Derrick LeFevre (lead vocals), Steve Blaze (lead guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) Sam Poitevent (guitar and backing vocals), Eric Morris (bass) and Ken Koudelka (drums). The keyboards on 'Within Your Reach' were provided by Michael T. Ross. Steve Blaze, the only original member still in the line-up, also wrote and produced all the songs.
The opening track 'Cocoon' is a mellow instrumental that leads into the aggressive and sleazy 'MegaSlowFade', a great grown-up take on the trashier end of the 80's rock sound. The lead riff is as simplistic as Forrest Gump's less intelligent cousin, but it climbs inside your head and wraps itself around your frontal lobe. 'Jesus Wept' is heavy on the bass with a retro singing style. It's a really cool track, especially the chorus, and comes across like a late 60's hippie track pumped through a carnivorous amp.
'Ignite' is as straight to the point as it's title suggests. It's a punk-infused number and very definitive in it's mission statement. Where 'The Grand Scale Of Finality' never really seems to get anywhere, 'Sad Day On Planet Earth' heads in the opposite direction and ends up one of the finest tracks on the album. Whilst It is a sad ballad it's much more than a basic love song. It's very poignant and beautiful in a rugged sort of way.
'Hibernate' is another rocking 60's style song with hints of Pornograffitti-era Extreme, especially in the vocals. The roots of 'Within Your Reach' head even further back in time. There's an air of 50's diner music (rocked up to modern spec) in the verses. The chorus is so laid back it's almost facing backwards. The vocal interactions, in fact the whole song, have a superb novelty value and you'll be humming it to yourself for weeks.
'Down Below The Ocean' has a throbbing slow rhythm with an almost Arabian feel. It's another chilled track which rocks, but in a subdued way. It's all very memorable though and has a great vibe. The cheerily titled 'Blood Raining Down On Her Wings' does what it says on the tin. The music itself sounds fine, but you really want to ignore the lyrics. This is a song which needs to go to the Samaritans and have a good cry.
'Cold Day In Hell' is genius. It's slightly punk, slightly 50's, a touch sleazy and massively rocking. The build-up through the verses is fantastic. The chorus, whilst not bombastic or overtly contagious, is simply perfect. 'Nocturnal Symphony' is a cracking slower track with a dream-like structure. The chorus section sounds uncannily like late 80's Marillion. Think of Fish conducting an orchestra in Fantasia and you won't be far off.
'Kill Me Again' starts with hints of 70's Journey but soon speeds up into a harder number. It varies pace throughout keeping you guessing where it's going next. The final track is a 13 minute sub-continent of a track. It's okay, actually quite good in places, but doesn't necessarily do enough to justify it's length.
This is a looooong review for an even loooooooooonger album. Stretching for well over 70 minutes, Sad Day On Planet Earth nearly carries on to the other side of the CD! What Lillian Axe have produced here, apart from splendid value for money, is a cool album that offers something genuinely different from most of the material on the market.
Check out... The variety. No matter what you like, it's probably here somewhere!
Track List:
1. Cocoon
2. MegaSlowFade
3. Jesus Wept
4. Ignite
5. The Grand Scale Of Finality
6. Sad Day On Planet Earth
7. Hibernate
8. Within Your Reach
9. Down Below The Ocean
10. Blood Raining Down On Her Wings
11. Cold Day In Hell
12. Nocturnal Symphony
13. Divine
14. Kill Me Again
15. Fire, Blood, The Earth And Sea
Label: Blistering Records
Band websites: Lillian Axe , MySpace
