Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (Blu-Ray)

Easily the most illuminating story of one of the most amazing and innovative vocalists ever to helm a rock band.Born in Zanzibar, Farrokh Bulsara quickly learned to live his own way while keeping most people in his life at arm's length, for fear of the heartache of non-acceptance.  It wasn't until he was in his mid twenties, having developed a singular voice, that he joined a band with Roger Taylor and Brian May, changed its name to Queen and his own to Freddie Mercury. The rest of course is history, but Freddie's own shyness and reticence in talking about himself has made him one of the more enigmatic figures in rock music.  And that is the subject that Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender seeks to expatiate over the course of its 107 minutes.

With personal interviews and archival footage, Eagle Rock Entertainment has put together a revealing portrait of one of the most innovative and elusive rock stars in the history of the genre. With a thankfully brief nod to his formative years, the bulk of the time in this thoughtful documentary is spent on the man behind the persona of Freddie Mercury. Far from a melancholy biography, there is much that is celebrated about Freddie's career, as told by his friends and comrades - including insight from none other than Matt Lucas (Little Britain). Personally, I was too young at the time to realize what was going on with Freddie. I didn't know what a homosexual was, much less able to read between any lines that may have been present in any of Queen's body of work. And as you watch this documentary, you see why. There was much more to Freddie Mercury than just who he had sex with. He was a talented but restless musician who sought inspiration wherever he could find it - even as fulfilling, personal relationships eluded him. I had no idea of his connection to Spanish soprano, Dame Montserrat Caballé, and the daring collaboration (Barcelona, 1987) that was quite innovative for its time (though was later adopted by a former critic, Pavorotti), but also its own touching love story of sorts. In a way, his life was not too different from some of the operas he listened to; full of villians like [confidante] Paul Prenter, friends like Roger Taylor, Brian May, and [manager] Jim "Miami" Beach, and shining heroines like Montserrat Caballé.

The Bottom Line: I found it quite inspirational, and my respect for Freddie has grown appreciably - especially where it concerns the last few years of his life, while quietly dealing with AIDS, when his output increased in sophistication and grace. This is a must have documentary for anyone who's a big fan of Queen and the mysterious, talented man who fronted the band, but not necessarily on Blu-Ray, as most of the footage is before the age of high definition video.

- Genghis admits he got a little choked up watching this...

Gypsyhawk - Revelry and Resilience

Damn, them Gypsyhawk boys know how to rock. It's like Motörhead, Thin Lizzy, and KISS all got drunk and did it.I don't know what it is, but I've totally changed my mind on the whole "retro" thing. I know it's nothing new, (and that many artists may be offended at what seems like dismissive pigenholing) but I used to get all bent out of shape about people making music, movies, or whatever kind of media/art that was an obvious homage to - or, in some cases, outright ripoffs of - what has come before. But I was wrong - or at least painting with a broad brush.

There's a distinct difference between someone aping another's art in a desparate cash grab, and those that simply wear their influences proudly on their sleeves. Which isn't to say the latter people don't bring something original to the mix. In fact, that's what really makes it work best. Case in point, Pasadena rockers Gypsyhawk hit the mark with an album of nothing less than classic rock and roll brilliance. Revelry and Resilience, the band's second studio effort, may evoke the sound of bands like [early] KISS and Thin Lizzy, but the music somehow manages to be loose and ballsy while also sounding mature and comfortable in its place; it's all the whiskey-soaked fun of old school rockin' with the tight, technical approach of modern metal. The best example of their abilities is the awesome song Frostwyrm that's got the melodic warmth of something like Badfinger's No Matter What with an Iron Maiden-esque harmonized guitar solo section midway through (courtesy of Andrew Packer & Erik Kluiber) that's like finding bacon in a chocolate bar. Brilliant.

The Bottom Line: Don't make the mistake of dismissing Gypsyhawk as another retro band recycling what's already been done. This is a quartet with an old school sensibility that knows what makes good rock and roll inside and out. So grab a beer, spark up, and crank that fucking music.

Tracks to Make You Throw Away Your Skinny Jeans: Overloaded, Frostwyrm, 1345 & State Lines

- Genghis is working on growing a giant moustache...

Cloudscape - New Era

These Southern Swedes know how to juice up the ubiquitous genre of progmetal with some cockrock style.Just when you think that you've settled into a genre, some wise guy comes along and shakes it up a little. In this case, we've got Cloudscape. This outfit out of Southern Sweden takes the standard progmetal formula and softens it with a little hard rock looseness while adding back in some death metal vocals for spice to make a potent musical recipe that goes down easy on their latest album, New Era.

And I have to say this formula kicks ass. You get the dynamics of your prog regulars like Dream Theater or Symphony X with their wailing guitar lines and powerful verse sections that builds things nicely. But then the choruses kick in with a melodic hard rock catchiness that I really like similiar to bands like Ark. And just when you're grooving on that, you hear the occasional death metal vocals floating around in the mix, reminiscient of In Flames or Scar Symmetry, that add an extra kick. Oh, and on top of all that, there's a really cool use of more industrial elements wisely made all the more effective by their judicious use. All of these elements blend perfectly into an overall sound that really sounds fresh yet familiar at the same time.

The Bottom Line: I know what I like in the way of metal music, but it's nice to have a band come around every now and then to ease you out of your comfort zone. In the hands of less talented musicians, the ambitious formula of Cloudscape would be a recipe for disaster. Hats off to these guys for making it work so well.

Tracks To Make You Wonder "Where Do They Get These Song Titles?": Silver Ending, Share Your Energy, Kingdom of Sand

- Genghis cannot stop rocking to this CD...

Witchcraft - The Alchemist

If you want old school - as in "has anybody seen the zig-zags?" - then this is the rock band for you.Seems like everywhere you turn there's a band that's hearkening back to that triple OG sound of bands from that tipping point in musical history when rock turned into metal. Some of them actually do a good job of giving you an old school sensibility with a modern sound. But few are so committed they record with all analog equipment like Witchcraft. These Swedes know how to tap into that old sound and make it sound new, and their 2007 album is being released here in America through Metal Blade Records.

The Bottom Line: This is a really authentic sounding record, but you have to go into it expecting that you're gonna hear some raw rock n' roll as if you just stepped through a time warp into the smokey 1970s. I've heard them compared to early Sabbath, but they're really more like The Doors if you ask me. All in all, if you're looking for competent, old school rock (keeping in mind this is old school), you'll prolly enjoy Witchcraft's nostalgiac extravaganza.

Tracks To Make You Want To Grow Your Sideburns Low: Walk Between The Lines, If Crimson Was Your Colour & Hey Doctor

- Genghis is wondering 'who bogarted the lighter, man?'

Ihsahn - Emertia

Norwegian-born Ihsahn is already something of a musical prodigy thanks to his band Emperor. His solo stuff is worth a look.Admittedly, I know nothing about the man behind Ihsahn's latest, Emertia. This sort of thing comes up in the music review game from time to time, where you may be reviewing artists that are totally new to you, risking the ire of long time fans that probably roll their eyes at each ignorant mention of "this band seems more progressive than technical metal". "Duh, they've been in the genre for years, man!" [Apparently, in his native country, he's been nominated for lots of awards, and helped to revitalize the metal genre with his band Emperor - which he started at the age of thirteen] So, please forgive me if I don't realize that Ihsahn is some sort of genius that I've never heard of. Cool?

With that said, I'm coming to an album with no expectations whatsoever here and what I hear is compelling. For the most part, we're dealing with modern metal with a thrashy bent (The Paranoid, 1:22), replete with heavy guitars, screaming vocals, blast beats, ripping solos, etc. But just when you think you've got it figured out, you come to a monkey wrench like the nearly 9 minute The Eagle and the Snake with its jazzy horn section and Devin Townsend-esque vocals, and you're forced to reevaluate - in a good way, mind you. As I mentioned in the beginning, fans of Ihsahn's work may be saying to themselves "Dude, the horn stuff is classic Ihsahn, jeez!", which I can understand. Just know that I like what I'm hearing.

The Bottom Line: I like it when artists can add something to a genre without being so different that it disregards its convention all together. To me, that's real genius. And when it's done this well, ending up with something very listenable like Emertia, fans of that genre can be truly excited knowing that the genre is all the richer for this experimentation and the validation that it belies.

Tracks to Get Band Nerds Turned Metalheads Excited: The Paranoid, The Eagle and the Snake, Catharsis & The Grave

- Genghis feels like he might've apologized too much on this review...