I'm sure most of you have probably seen these on the guys' myspace pages, but when I read them I wanted to have them up here too.
Great Reviews!!
http://www.maytherockbewithyou.com/May_The_Rock_Be_With_You/Reviews/Entries/2009/9/8_WINGER_-_KARMA.html
*Reviewed by:
Troy Culpan
Whoa!!!!
Ok. 10 seconds in to the new Winger album 'Karma' I'm in love. This one is
HEAVY with a capital everything! No lie, I already prefer this album to
their last and I'm only 2 minutes into the first song. In 'Deal With The
Devil', Kip and band say they have traded their souls for Rock & Roll and
I'd say they got a pretty good trade. Sucked in Devil, Winger won out on
that one.
Tracks 2 and 3 in 'Stone Cold Killer' and 'Big World Away' keep the pace
up and now I have a mild case of rock neck - the condition caused by too
much head banging. Only 3 in, I'm worried for the safety of my neck.
See now, the only problem I have with the track 'Come A Little Closer' is
that it's only 2:50mins in length. It's my favourite so far. Let's see if
that changes. Ooh. Hello track 5, what's your name? 'Pull Me Under' well
nice to hear you. Hmm... Seriously. The heavier riffs on this song are
what has been missing from any Winger release for a long time. Ok now Reb
Beach is just showing off. I'm sold. Back to the riffs. I want to say this
album could be the love child of 'Pull' and 'In The Heart Of The Young'
and they named it 'Karma.
I am proud to say that I'm a Winger fan, have been for many years and I
must say that on the last album, the skip button come into play, but 6
tracks in and no chance of that yet... Let's see how it plays out with 4
tracks to go.
Melodically this album is great!! Kip Winger has always had a great voice
and on this album he has a range taking him from almost song talking to
some of those high notes he's so good at. Winger have always been
musically an amazing band and 'Karma' showcases so much of that talent.
The production is big and at times raw and there is so much going on, yet
none of it is lost. The little fills, the guitar squeals and of course the
harmonies.
Hey, where's my power ballad? Always Within Me' has potential...Does it?
Does it go there? Why YES yes it does!! Phew...
Seriously?! This is Winger right?! I still can't get over the
heaviness. This riff on 'Feeding Frenzy' sounds Zombie or even
Manson-esque. It's insane. I don't want it to end. Well that song did and
um, now with 'After All This Time', it's a blues record. Hmm... Did I need
that after being so pumped up? I don't think so. A good song, but weird
placement on the album plus at over 6 minutes it's just too much for where
it is, my first downer. Oh no. Now the last track is 7 minutes. But YAY!
heavy is back. Thankyou 'Witness' you just may be the end to the album I
need. Now I love a guitar solo. But do I love a 3 minute one that fades
the album out?! Probably not. But do I enjoy Reb Beach's playing?! YES
this cat can play. I've been playing guitar for 20 years and I'm not good
enough to even carry his guitar case. It's a pleasure to listen to.
Overall it's a very Welcome comeback to Winger, at only 10 tracks I feel a
couple more could have been added, but selfishly because I wanted more.
And with only 1 skip worthy track that I'm sure will grow on me, I'll be
busting out the Winger shirt tomorrow, so that's the tick of approval from
me.
So they say Karma can be a bitch, well I say this Karma is BITCHIN'
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http://www.themayfairmallzine.com/cdrev/winger09.html
Band: Winger
Title: Karma
Label: Frontiers Records
Karma - (Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine their fate in this life and the next incarnation.
Well that about covers things down to a tee with the new Winger album, as the band have come full circle and blend the glory days of the bands self titled debut with the 'IV' opus, to bring us one of the best Winger albums in years. It's full of monster hooks, great melodies and more modern edge that really suits the band more now than ever before.
With the album opener Deal With The Devil, the band really set their stall out early. This is one hell of an album that just bowls you over from the first chord till the last, Kips vocals remain as true to this day as they did when the band first started out and with Reb Beach on guitar, you're guaranteed big licks and this one is jammed packed full of em.
The hard hitters just keep on coming with the excellent dark vibe of Stone Cold Killer, Beach really brings out the beast in his guitar on this one. There's an essence of Thin Lizzy on here with a modern edginess, great stuff!
To say Im blown away by this album is an understatement, it just gets better and better with every listen. Things continue along the hard rock path with the anthemic Big World Away and the superb Come A Little Closer, again a darker edge to this one.
The heavier vibe of the band really pushes the band to great heights and Beach is more suited to these kind of guitar playing anyone who got a hold of his solo album will know this, and one track where the six string maestro excels is on the thumping rocker Pull Me Under.
The pace does slow down a touch as we get a touch of eastern promise on Supernova, coming in a 6 mins 18 secs the longest track on the album so far, breaks up the album nicely and gives you time to ingest the first five tracks properly. It also gives you time to get your breath back after that bombastic first half of the album.
But those who think that the album mellows out second half well the next one Always Within Me would let you believe so, as it opens gently. Before this mid tempo slice of hard rock eases you in and takes you by surprise as the song gets going. This is yet another of my favourite tracks off this superb album.
It's back to the rockier stuff with what is my outright favourite track off the album Feeding Frenzy, a gritty rocker that just blows you away from the off with its huge guitar sound from Beach featured once again. This is a song where Kip really puts his heart and soul into it vocally.
There is a couple of mellow moments as the album comes to a close. The first comes by the name of After All This Time, a power-ballad by any other name, before the album comes to close with probably one of the finest songs from Winger for a long time Witness. This one is for all the fans of the bands debut album as the band have come full circle with this real tour de force. Let's just hope some UK dates come around soon because Id love to hear these songs live.
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Karma Review - Metal Integral
Metal Integral
by Remifm
An album can earn the highest grade?
Yes, that's my opinion and I share for this new WINGER !
Go, replongeons now in the 80s' to remember that we have here is one of the best bands of that era.
In 1987, the adventure starts for Kip WINGER, Reb BEACHand bass singer, guitarist, both past ALICE COOPER, as at Paul TAYLOR, guitarist and keyboardist. Paul MORGENSTEIN, drummer in DIXIE DREGS (a guarantee of competence) will complement the line-up.
These 4 musicians are coming out in 1988 a stunning debut album and a second which is just as in 1990 (In The Heart Of The Young), produced by the brilliant Beau HILL.
Two "must" (to taste even now) in a style that Hard-US to charts with the top bands like WINGER, RATT, WARRANT, WHITE LION, WHITESNAKE, FIREHOUSE, POISON, EXTREME, CINDERELLA, KISS, AEROSMITH, VAN HALEN etc..
short, the golden age of the current Major Hard Rock!
After the first two masterpieces, WINGER out Pull in 1993, and two changes, with line-up leaving Paul TAYLOR, and the musical direction over "heavy" will be fatal to the group. still listen this album, in fact more powerful, which I retain the extraordinary Spell I'm Under.
After the tour Pull, split group and each part dealing with his various musical stories.
Kip WINGER embarks on his solo career and so far they are only successful and exciting album!
Reb BEACH found ALICE COOPER, reached DOKKEN, THE MOB and the form is now guitarist WHITESNAKE.
We find Rod, also a professor in the RUDESS / MORGENSTEIN.
I summarizes course!
in 2001, WINGER musicians gather to record a track (On The Inside) to Best Of in 2001 and toured in 2002. in 2006, the group proposes a new opus, entitled IV that I do not know.
And now the divine Karma tumbling on my plate and combines everything that WINGER does best, combining the power of Pull and IV by adding the melodies of the first two albums and "solo" of Kip.
Everything is huge here, the sound mix through writing (songs that go straight to the essential and therefore all short (5 10)), a slow bluesy (After All This Time (6 minutes)) to crying in the cottages at the end of follow-up album by Witness (7 minutes) Dante sumptuous final guitars!
Supernova (6 minutes) leads us in the footsteps of LED ZEPPLIN...
Reb BEACH is still evident qualities of music and proves it is still at his peak.
John ROTH, the second guitarist is no exception! and Rod MORGENSTEIN is our top!
Kip has not forgotten its low mixing and some titles flirt with style ... stonerCa
deposit but the melodies envelop all that, the guitar solos are superb, Kip sings like a God and refrains you catch the brain.
The production is huge and WINGER rooted in the 2000s with an album modern, elegant and melodic.
What more?
