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November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

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Merryweather Stark: Carved In Rock

Heavy Rock

3.5/5.0

Website (Label)
GMR Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 21.02.2018

Merryweather Stark is the band moniker for Canadian bass player and vocalist Neil Merryweather and Swedish guitarist Janne Stark. Both musicians have prolific and impressive careers with various bands, individual appearances, and and personal projects across nearly five decades. Merryweather and Stark met when the former did vocals for several songs on Volume Three for Stark's Mountain Of Power band. The collaboration continued into Merryweather Stark and their first recording Carved In Rock.

Neil Merryweather & Janne Stark

The album title is apropos. Merryweather Stark basically plays heavy rock, with a touch of blues and psychedelic rock. Stark's riffs could be called both thick and brisk, but at times fuzzed out. Perhaps another way to describe his guitar style is raw and aggressive. His riffs and leads are definitely the centerpeice of the Merryweather Stark sound. On the vocals, Merryweather sings melodic and clean yet has a tone that tunes to Stark's guitar lines. Then there's the rhythm section which is also heavy and aggressive. as well, laying down a thick groove. Actually, of all these parts, I was quite impressed with the drumming. Though uncredited in the press release, this fellow lays down some great flourish and groove within Lay Your Body Down, Rockers Lament, and Love And War. After these things, the songs that captured the most interest were the ones where the psychedelic blues groove were stronger. Good examples come with We Got To Own This Thing, Give 'Em Hell, Boy, and What's It Gonna Be. Fundamentally, if you enjoy guitar-forward heavy rock spiced with a psychedelic blues feeling, you will appreciate Merryweather Stark's Carved In Rock.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

If you enjoy guitar-forward heavy rock spiced with a psychedelic blues feeling, you will appreciate Merryweather Stark's Carved In Rock.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]