Classic British Heavy Metal

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Reviews Rock Something www.rocksomething.com Every once in a while you need an album like this - the kind of record that joyfully ignores all the current trends (so that will include eyeliner and inaudible screaming then) and just rocks on in exactly the way it wishes to. Ok, so you probably won't be bumping into anybody that's wearing a Stairway hoodie any time soon - but "The Other Side of Midnight" is a charming listen all the same. At times sounding very similar to Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath, with a clump of the Iron Maiden gallop thrown in for kicks, if kids had this on their iPods rather than the typical wayward bullshit, then they'd probably smile every now and again.   Lords Of Metal www.lordsofmetal.nl Even though Stairway has been around since 1993, this is my first acquaintance with this British band. After hearing this fourth album, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised. That's because Stairway's music is strongly influenced by the heavy metal from the eighties, which is exactly what I like. Stairway's music strongly reminds me of the later Black Sabbath albums in the time of Dio, but especially Tony Martin. The first two songs are NWOBHM-songs in the vein of Saxon with a slight touch of AOR. But from the third song 'Burn' on, the name Black Sabbath and Tony Martin constantly pop into my head. That's partly because the voice of singer/guitarist Graeme Leslie comes rather close to Martin's from time to time. The heavy metal that Stairway produces on this album is of the kind we don't hear that often anymore. The melodic heavy metal with powerful guitar riffs and tons of solos sees to a beautiful, almost nostalgic atmosphere. These gentlemen have managed to approach the atmosphere and the feeling of ancient heroes like Black Sabbath, Saxon, Iron Maiden and Malmsteen very well. With 'Burn', 'Lead Us', 'Taste The Blood' and 'Pray For The Children', this cd contains a few strong songs. The rest of the songs are almost of the same high quality and with 'My Life Goes On&ldots;' Stairway proves that hard rock and metal bands write the best ballads. 'The Other Side Of Midnight' is, partly due to the powerful and clear production, a pleasant album to hear. Fans of old-school melodic heavy metal should give this album a listen.   Snakepit Magazine Fourth record from this U.K. based Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal act, no less! STAIRWAY is undoubtedly a hard working band considering that they've been around since 1992 and unlike many other acts, they never gave up on playing traditional Hard Rock! It's obvious that they have a lot of experience behind them when you listen to stuff such as "Sea Of Fools", "Taste The Blood" (my personal fave), "Soldiers Of Heaven" etc&ldots; Their brand of semi accessible Heavy Rock is definitively highly convincing and effective for the most part&ldots; the majority of the stuff here is very very good -if you like your stuff with a good dose of melody (without sounding happy at all!) ala early DIO, RAINBOW etc&ldots; Singer Graeme Leslie reminds me of Doug Adams (ACCEUM, WITCHKILLER, RECKLESS) sometimes, pretty good job. The sound is rather good, there's some flaws here and there like is often the case with self financed efforts but hell that's about as much as you can do with a restrictive budget. This band simply deserves way more support than the likes of the resurfaced CLOVEN HOOF and the likes, no doubt.   Mario's Metal Mania www.mariosmetalmania.com This is honest, simple heavy metal. No difficult turnings, no trying to impress by playing power. No! Saxon and Tony Martin style Black Sabbath, straight forward music. The big difference is the vocals. They are very much in AOR style, melodic and multiple where possible. That makes me think of old Axe and Balance, only heavier. There are not a lot of bands that I know who do it this way. That might be in favour of Stairway. Why? Because that line up of Black Sabbath doesn't exist anymore. And, because these guys do know how to write a good tune, and how to make it sound good. Like with Midnight Storm I wonder why the record companies are ignoring this band in favour of those crappy ones. Time to make amends!   Hard Rock Haven www.hardrockhaven.net Stairway comes from Britain with its fourth full length release entitled The Other Side of Midnight. For those unfamiliar, their brand of music is British power metal. The band members though are devoted Christians that approach evil topics from the opposite side of the fence, quite a refreshing idea nowadays. Some refer to this emerging genre as White Metal. The ingredients are simple: there are hard charging catchy riffs, a gruff classic vocal delivery and the occasional aggressive guitar lead or solo. Most of the time, this is done very well like the first track “No Mercy,” where Graeme Leslie sings well and the solo is strong and full of zest. When asked about the meaning of the album title, Graeme stated in an interview with Metal Coven Fanzine “The title and cover represents Heaven as an open door through which we all can pass, provided we keep our eyes on the eternal and not on the temporal; This side of midnight – where we are now, is the temporal, The Other Side Of Midnight is the eternal. Midnight, or death, is the point between the one and the other.” Don’t be mistaken though. These guys get down and dirty, as the music is eerie and dark at times representing evil in its purest forms with the slow riffs, hook and vocals of old. The best example is “Burn,” a song that could hold its own versus the best of the NWOBHM bands of old. The style of the song is almost like Heaven and Hell Black Sabbath days or even Rainbow; both eras heavily influenced by Ronnie James Dio. Half the way through the band lets loose on an almost Saxon like ride that makes the song so special. Leslie’s vocals are the best of the whole record here, as he is forced to change speeds faster then a road course racer. The solo is quick and ferocious but layered nicely for maximum effect. Other great solos are the two in “Taste the Blood” where these guys really let loose and show their true axe mettle. Folks this album is nearly an hour long and is chock full of meaningful kick butt power metal. If you want some spirituality for a change without losing any of the quality of old Priest or Saxon, pick this up and experiment with the light side.   No Life Til Metal www.nolifetilmetal.com Refusing to give into trends, Stairway return with their fourth studio release of unashamedly, pure and simple British Heavy Metal. Stairway continue to combine elements of straightforward hard rock and heavy metal without a trace of concern for trendy modern power metal or modern rock. In other words, you won't hear any stop/start riffs or down tuned guitars here. Instead, this band proudly fly their classic metal flag high. Stairway are nothing if not consistent. To some this might sound like a bad thing, but to any long time Stairway fan, or fan of quality classic heavy metal, this is exactly what we want from this band. Despite words like consistent and simple, however, "The Other Side of Midnight" is not boring or mediocre. Rather, Stairway offer up plenty of diversity from track to track. "Burn" starts off as a slow brooding number with a Dio-era Black Sabbath feel to it and builds up to a more upbeat number. "No Mercy" and "Soldiers Of Heaven" are upbeat, heavy rockers, "Taste The Blood" is a slightly more epic number, "She Calls" has a bluesy feel to it, and "Cantabile" is a moody, melodic instrumental. with a bit of a Michael Schenker flare to it. Vocalist Graeme Leslie has improved with each new CD. Here he adds a bit more grit to his usual, mid-toned, clean vocal style. The lyrics from this band remain positive and spiritually focused. Overall, "The Other Side of Midnight" is Stairway's best release thus far and should please any fan of early 80's NWOBHM style.