Adrian's Solo Discography Ranked - The Complete List
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
No, yours. You give the grades. An album is perfect when every song has a 10. You find that not every song on the album has the same top level, especially Adrian's songs. Most people find that. Machine Men and Killing Floor are weaker. The last sounds like a copied Psycho Motel song. Not that great at all.
Time to get rid of that The Chemical Wedding bias. It is uneven.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Song by song review from PRR's debut. Made this not long after it came out. First album half in March 2012, tracks 7-9 in April 2012 and the last three songs in July 2012.
1. No Friendly Neighbour
Very energetic and powerful opening track which lends itself to some (not too fast) headbanging. Very strong riffing, and cool timing by Mikee. I love the breakdown in the middle, where you can feel the tension rising again before it continues with Adrian's solo. The drums groove along excellent in the whole track. Nice fade out at the end and I like it that we can hear the bass pretty well (not too many moments on the whole album).
2. No Place Like Home
Most aggressive and heaviest song and interestingly enough: perhaps the most catchy one as well. The couplets are very wound up but the slower chorus is very melodic and in the second Adrian joins with a nice layer of backing vocals. The solo is one of the most classic sounding ones on the album. This part (not per se the solo itself but the section) reminds me of Road to Hell. It was a good decision to keep the song short. If much longer it would be too over the top.
3. I See Lights
Now this song is like a tank rolling over its enemies. Not fast, but deadly, going in a constant pace with utmost security. The riffs are very heavy and the bass playing is doing some cool short intervals. I am less over the moon by the constant wrah, wrah, wrah, wrah (or whatever he's saying there) backing vocals by Mikee. Also I don't really like the first half of Adrian's solo, and the Korn kind of riffs underneath. But there's more, I really like the second half of his solo and Adrian's vocal contributions are even better. Epic lyrics!
The streets are roamed by marching feet and fools
They leave their mark upon this furrowed brow
And there's no silence like a roaring crowd
They pave their way to what they see
First I thought this would be one of the worst tracks, but it's a grower.
4. Bright As A Fire
This one starts very promising with its calm but threatening beginning. Unfortunately the song turns into a repetition fest with (even if you get used to his voice) some annoying singing, especially in the heavy couplets. The chorus I find pretty good but it's repeated too often. One of the tracks I enjoy the least.
5. Savage World
This song also has not the coolest vocals in the couplets but on the other hand it has a nice contrasting, uplifting chorus. The slow midpiece gives it just enough variation to like it more than its predecessor.
6. Tortured Tone
After two lesser songs we're coming to the real thing. The "now we're talking"-moment of the album. This song is different. And it's not subdivision material. It's top material. Might be my favourite song. It's atmospheric, not in the least because of Abi Fry's contribution on the viola. For the rest, this song is very melodic and Mikee sings really good on it. The keyboards in the chorus gives the part a bit of a cheesy feel, but the melancholic melody plus the warm and catchy rhythm guitars carry it along nicely.
The stuff coming before the chorus is the strongest. What a build-up! It has a cool, kinda dark guitar riff, and I don't know how he does it but Mikee delivers every line with more tension than the previous. And that's why I give this guy the benefit of the doubt. He is capable of doing lots of different things and he's able to match with the variety of ideas Adrian is trying to shape. It doesn't always work, but this is really, really good. A prime example of excellent interaction. Yes, the end could be seen as repetitive but unlike in Bright As A Fire, the end of Tortured Tone brings more variation because Adrian is singing along very intensely, like he was the lead vocalist. Also Tarin Kerry (who strangely enough is the only one who can be heard on the record who did not get a "thanks") joins in more audible at the end.
7. White Sheet Robes
Riffing time. One of the better songs from the album. Actually it sounds like an older Fight/Halford song (the couplets with its fat riffs!) but if Adrian would have written this in 1997 or 1998 I am sure it would have landed on a Bruce Dickinson album as well. In the second half, the song begins to drag a bit more. I guess it would have benefited from a shorter length.
8. As Tears Come Falling from the Sky
Interesting poetic intermezzo. I am not that impressed by the selection of the words but the way Mikee Goodman does all this is pretty cool. Quite original.
9. Awoken Broken
In the beginning I liked this song a bit more than now. Strange, but I guess it's that ridiculous vocal that irritates me a bit more now. Screamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. It sounds a bit dumb, very low and fake. Way too dominant.
The "scream into the night" part is pretty good though. And the instrumental part as well (again we hear the bass very well) but compared to the rest this part is unfortunately a little short. Or it's the other way around: the rest sounds too long and quite repetitive. Too bad the song is so one dimensional, I prefer the stuff with more variation, depth or melody.
10. Search for Bliss
Dynamic song with a stimulating bass. The song's sound and dynamics remind me of Inside the Machine (from Brucey's Skunkworks album). Adrian does co-lead vocals in the chorus and he brings 2 solos. First a "modern" one and the second is a "classic" one that I like in particular.
11. Snake Ladders
One of the lesser songs. Kinda dragging and I constantly must suppress the urge for change.
I definitely not like the chorus (monotone and repeated too often). What's interesting though, is that Adrian does the high bluesy vocals. He's really a good singer.
From 2.30 the song gets a bit more interesting with its sliding interlude and after the "crazy" and fast vocals.
But as soon as the chorus returns, it's "ah not again".
12. Mirror and the Moon
Beautiful album closer. First I was afraid we'd get some Journeyman kind of song (light song without any tension) but I was pleasantly surprised by the chorus which is pretty different with its darker colour.
1. No Friendly Neighbour
Very energetic and powerful opening track which lends itself to some (not too fast) headbanging. Very strong riffing, and cool timing by Mikee. I love the breakdown in the middle, where you can feel the tension rising again before it continues with Adrian's solo. The drums groove along excellent in the whole track. Nice fade out at the end and I like it that we can hear the bass pretty well (not too many moments on the whole album).
2. No Place Like Home
Most aggressive and heaviest song and interestingly enough: perhaps the most catchy one as well. The couplets are very wound up but the slower chorus is very melodic and in the second Adrian joins with a nice layer of backing vocals. The solo is one of the most classic sounding ones on the album. This part (not per se the solo itself but the section) reminds me of Road to Hell. It was a good decision to keep the song short. If much longer it would be too over the top.
3. I See Lights
Now this song is like a tank rolling over its enemies. Not fast, but deadly, going in a constant pace with utmost security. The riffs are very heavy and the bass playing is doing some cool short intervals. I am less over the moon by the constant wrah, wrah, wrah, wrah (or whatever he's saying there) backing vocals by Mikee. Also I don't really like the first half of Adrian's solo, and the Korn kind of riffs underneath. But there's more, I really like the second half of his solo and Adrian's vocal contributions are even better. Epic lyrics!
The streets are roamed by marching feet and fools
They leave their mark upon this furrowed brow
And there's no silence like a roaring crowd
They pave their way to what they see
First I thought this would be one of the worst tracks, but it's a grower.
4. Bright As A Fire
This one starts very promising with its calm but threatening beginning. Unfortunately the song turns into a repetition fest with (even if you get used to his voice) some annoying singing, especially in the heavy couplets. The chorus I find pretty good but it's repeated too often. One of the tracks I enjoy the least.
5. Savage World
This song also has not the coolest vocals in the couplets but on the other hand it has a nice contrasting, uplifting chorus. The slow midpiece gives it just enough variation to like it more than its predecessor.
6. Tortured Tone
After two lesser songs we're coming to the real thing. The "now we're talking"-moment of the album. This song is different. And it's not subdivision material. It's top material. Might be my favourite song. It's atmospheric, not in the least because of Abi Fry's contribution on the viola. For the rest, this song is very melodic and Mikee sings really good on it. The keyboards in the chorus gives the part a bit of a cheesy feel, but the melancholic melody plus the warm and catchy rhythm guitars carry it along nicely.
The stuff coming before the chorus is the strongest. What a build-up! It has a cool, kinda dark guitar riff, and I don't know how he does it but Mikee delivers every line with more tension than the previous. And that's why I give this guy the benefit of the doubt. He is capable of doing lots of different things and he's able to match with the variety of ideas Adrian is trying to shape. It doesn't always work, but this is really, really good. A prime example of excellent interaction. Yes, the end could be seen as repetitive but unlike in Bright As A Fire, the end of Tortured Tone brings more variation because Adrian is singing along very intensely, like he was the lead vocalist. Also Tarin Kerry (who strangely enough is the only one who can be heard on the record who did not get a "thanks") joins in more audible at the end.
7. White Sheet Robes
Riffing time. One of the better songs from the album. Actually it sounds like an older Fight/Halford song (the couplets with its fat riffs!) but if Adrian would have written this in 1997 or 1998 I am sure it would have landed on a Bruce Dickinson album as well. In the second half, the song begins to drag a bit more. I guess it would have benefited from a shorter length.
8. As Tears Come Falling from the Sky
Interesting poetic intermezzo. I am not that impressed by the selection of the words but the way Mikee Goodman does all this is pretty cool. Quite original.
9. Awoken Broken
In the beginning I liked this song a bit more than now. Strange, but I guess it's that ridiculous vocal that irritates me a bit more now. Screamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. It sounds a bit dumb, very low and fake. Way too dominant.
The "scream into the night" part is pretty good though. And the instrumental part as well (again we hear the bass very well) but compared to the rest this part is unfortunately a little short. Or it's the other way around: the rest sounds too long and quite repetitive. Too bad the song is so one dimensional, I prefer the stuff with more variation, depth or melody.
10. Search for Bliss
Dynamic song with a stimulating bass. The song's sound and dynamics remind me of Inside the Machine (from Brucey's Skunkworks album). Adrian does co-lead vocals in the chorus and he brings 2 solos. First a "modern" one and the second is a "classic" one that I like in particular.
11. Snake Ladders
One of the lesser songs. Kinda dragging and I constantly must suppress the urge for change.
I definitely not like the chorus (monotone and repeated too often). What's interesting though, is that Adrian does the high bluesy vocals. He's really a good singer.
From 2.30 the song gets a bit more interesting with its sliding interlude and after the "crazy" and fast vocals.
But as soon as the chorus returns, it's "ah not again".
12. Mirror and the Moon
Beautiful album closer. First I was afraid we'd get some Journeyman kind of song (light song without any tension) but I was pleasantly surprised by the chorus which is pretty different with its darker colour.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Sorry, what? The Chemical Wedding is perfect, everything is a 10. BUT I'm focusing on what Adrian's doing, so, as I said, I'll give the songs where he's the leader and not Bruce higher marks.
If we were talking purely musicality, then yes, "Killing Floor" and "Machine Men" would receive 10s. If @Jer really wants complete honesty then I'll give them 10s. But otherwise I'm voting a little differently for these rankings than in others.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
It is confusing when you vote differently. It serves no purpose. We do not know how much you like songs from two different sets when you give them different criteria. Use the same and then we know how much you like them, where they are placed, how they are really ranked.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I guess it's only fair to say that I can simply guess that a 10 (or any high grade for that matter) in an Adrian's solo discography ranking does not mean you like it as much as a 10 from a Chemical Wedding song. A guess can be wrong, I can also say I have no clue how two high songs from different "lists" are related to each other and to your taste. I do not know your real quality judgement/like factor. I rather not guess, I rather know for sure how you favour the music, and the only way to get to that point is using one and the same set of criteria. Compare songs, decide how much you like them, give them a grade. Just like a metal magazine gives grades to different albums. If you do not have it now, at some point in time you develop a feeling for knowing what deserves an 8 or a 6 (Iron Maiden song, Britney Spears or Miles Davis, anything). It always is measured against what a song does to you. The feeling (and level) of enthousiasm, excitement, any other emotion or result. These same factors can be applied to different lists.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
I'd say to rate the songs honestly and not try to manipulate the vote. If you think that "Machine Men" and "Killing Floor" are 10/10 songs, then give them a 10/10. They're on the list because Adrian co-wrote them, but they should be judged on their own merits based on all the elements of the song, including the awesome singer.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Wow, I didn't even realize that was him because Solli's raspy voice covers up everything except the end of the vocal. I assumed that was Solli doubling himself, but now that you mention it, it sure does sound like Adrian...
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Alright, cool, I’ll edit my Bruce ratings slightly when I vote.I'd say to rate the songs honestly and not try to manipulate the vote. If you think that "Machine Men" and "Killing Floor" are 10/10 songs, then give them a 10/10. They're on the list because Adrian co-wrote them, but they should be judged on their own merits based on all the elements of the song, including the awesome singer.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Collaborations with Bruce Dickinson
Collaborations with Michael Kiske & Kai Hansen
There was a lot of potential in this pairing, and I think Kai's fast, harmonized, hyper-melodious style plays well against Adrian's bluesier finesse. I would have liked to see them do more together.
- Road To Hell - Nice uptempo melodic riff. Bruce sounds great as usual. I like the vocal distortion (not sure why they removed it on The Best Of...?). Good verse, great pre-chorus, solid chorus. The opening to the solo is a knowing nod to "The Prisoner", and the solo itself is quite strong. I think people tend to overrate this song a bit -- I'd put it at a solid 7/10.
- Welcome To The Pit - A greasy, slower riff leads into a strong verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. Nice guitar accents during the chorus. A ringing melodic break leads into a greasy, wah-laden solo with an unusual chord progression. A cool little bridge leads back into the chorus before ending on one hell of a long vocal note. A lot of people slag on this track, but I really like it. It's like Bruce singing a Psycho Motel song. 8/10.
- The @GhostofCain - A soaring melodic lead gives way to an odd-rhythm verse riff. Strong verse, a stronger pre-chorus, and a pretty catchy chorus. Nice guitar accents throughout. A softer bridge leads into a pretty cool guitar solo and a completely unnecessary but still enjoyable drum interlude before finishing up with some soaring vocals. This was a B-side in the U.K. but an album track in the U.S., and I think it deserved its spot on the album. Great stuff. 8/10.
- Killing Floor - A crushing odd-rhythm opening riff leads into another odd-rhythm verse riff. Cool greasy verse, a nice gentler pre-chorus, but a merely OK chorus. A neat, but very "outside" pair of solos. Awesome baroque interlude with harpsichord and plenty of "woah-ohs" before rolling back into the chorus. Nice bluesy outro. This is another track that sounds a lot like Psycho Motel. Lots of great material here, but the weaker chorus (SA-TAN!!) holds it back. 7/10.
- Machine Men - A descending melodic lead gives way to a pulsing verse riff. Strong verse. Cool guitar-only pre-chorus with distorted mumbling under the music. Strong, catchy chorus. Another verse, and this time the pre-chorus has singing! After the chorus we get a pretty cool solo and a preview of the outro with more distorted mumbling, then another sweet melodic solo. More rounds of chorus, and then we get a great, crushing outro. Lots of people aren't keen on this song, but I think it's great. 8/10.
- Return Of The King - Cool ascending melodic riff with a soaring lead. Great verse, great pre-chorus, and a pretty strong chorus. A very nice pair of solos, including some cool harmonized bits. There seems to be some clicking in the track, or something weird about the way the drums were recorded -- maybe that's why it was ultimately a B-side. Still, I think this is a really strong track. 8/10.
Collaborations with Michael Kiske & Kai Hansen
- The Calling - A cool back & forth intro between guitar and bass. Great main riff, great verse. Kiske sounds strong. Weaker pre-chorus, and the chorus is OK, but a bit of a letdown. A brief aggressive bridge leads into a series of great solos before returning to the chorus. Parts of this song are really excellent, but the weaker parts drag it down a bit. 7/10.
- New Horizons - A great atmospheric intro gives way to a cool, aggressive verse. Strong pre-chorus and chorus. Excellent solos, great bridge. The pedestrian drums on the chorus start to grate after a few repetitions, but this song is still more consistent than the previous one. I'll round it up to an 8/10.
There was a lot of potential in this pairing, and I think Kai's fast, harmonized, hyper-melodious style plays well against Adrian's bluesier finesse. I would have liked to see them do more together.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Not a lot yet. 5 for Silver And Gold, 1 for the limited release stuff, and 3 for everything else. But it's still early, and I haven't even finished all of my own submissions yet. There's plenty of time to get a good set of votes. And if we don't reach critical mass by the end of July, I can always keep the voting open longer until we do.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Limited releases with Urchin
This was a neat history lesson, but I doubt I'll get the itch to listen to Urchin on a regular basis.
Limited releases with The Untouchables
The video for this song was also interesting, seeing Adrian play the harmonica and sing without a guitar strapped to him...
- Black Leather Fantasy - Very much a product of its time. A decently catchy riff leads into an OK verse and a "meh" chorus. I think this is still David Hall doing the vocals here. After the second chorus there's a really long interlude with some decent harmonized guitar and a vocal "ah-ah-ah" section before returning to the verse and chorus. Some cheesy voiceover action and then a more aggressive outro. Did I mention all the motorcycle sound effects? There are a handful of brighter spots, but this is mostly overlong mediocre cheese. 5/10.
- Rock 'N' Roll Woman - Clichéd, by-the-numbers hard rock, but decently catchy. There's an odd harmonica interlude and a pretty flaccid tradeoff solo where the two guitars play the exact same thing over and over. Big rock ending. I'll be kind and round this up to a 6/10.
- She's A Roller - Now Adrian's on lead vocals. Strong verse, decent pre-chorus and chorus, good solo. Moderately catchy. 6/10.
- Long Time No Woman - A slower number with a decent verse and a good pre-chorus and chorus. Pretty good solo. This one's catchy enough to round up to a 7/10.
- Keeping It Mellow - A simple but appealing riff leads into a solid verse, an OK pre-chorus, and a chorus that mirrors the verse. Decent bridge, cool solo. Another round of verse through chorus and the song ends on a pretty great extended solo. I was on the fence, but that final solo is making me round this up to a 7/10.
- Life In The City - This one has a strong Allman Brothers feeling at the start. Nice uptempo feel, but some of the vocals are kinda weak. (Hey, wait a minute, this is "Sheriff Of Huddersfield"! Hmm.) OK verse, better pre-chorus, so-so chorus. Pretty sweet solo, including a couple of very Allmanesque harmonized sections. Too much repetition of the blah chorus at the end, and the final guitar tradeoff part isn't as cool as they think it is. 6/10.
- Watch Me Walk Away - A pulsing beat leads into some nice melodic accents and an appealing synth-supported verse. Decent pre-chorus, pretty good chorus. Adrian's vocals are a bit uneven. A nice harmonized guitar break leads into a pretty good solo. Another round through and we get some welcome repetition of the chorus. Good stuff. 7/10.
- Countdown - A soft, moody intro leads into a nice verse, then kicks up the heaviness. (Hmm, it sounds like Adrian reused parts of this in "22 Acacia Avenue"!) Good verse, OK chorus. Decent harmonized guitar break followed by a very good solo. The song closes out with some nice soloing under the chorus. 7/10.
- Countdown (Alternate Version) - Largely the same, but the sound quality is worse, the opening isn't as soft, and the ending is abbreviated and a bit different. The solo is a bit more fiery in this one. Enough deficits to bump it down to 6/10.
- Lifetime - I wish I could say it "Feels Like The First Time" I've heard this intro, but that would be a lie. Good verse, pretty good pre-chorus, but kind of a flaccid chorus. Pretty good bridge, decent interlude with a pretty good harmonized section. Blatant plagiarism and a weak chorus drop this to a 6/10.
- The Late Show - A laid back harmonized intro leads into an OK verse. The pre-chorus and chorus are both pretty lame. The melodic synth break is alright, and the solo is pretty decent. The harmonized guitar bit that follows isn't very interesting. More lame chorus and we get this over with. 5/10.
- My Lady - A laid back arpeggiated intro gives way to a bluesy lead. Decent verse, good pre-chorus...hey, wait a minute, I guess that was the chorus? That's odd. Another verse, an actual pre-chorus this time, and then that odd chorus again. An OK harmonized section leads into a nice extended bluesy solo, and then another round of verse to chorus takes us into an extended jammy outro with guitar and vocals. If the chorus were better I would have gone higher, but as it is, it's a 6/10.
- Animals - An upbeat groove drives a decent verse. The pre-chorus is OK, but the chorus is lame. There's an odd wah-laden break that speeds up the tempo, then rolls it back for a decent harmonized part and a cool extended tradeoff solo section. A better variant of the chorus finishes things off. The good parts round this up to a 6/10.
- Madman - An uptempo Priest-style riff leads into a less interesting verse. The pre-chorus and chorus are OK at best. A nice pair of speedy solos bring us back to the less interesting meat of the song. Unfortunately, a few good elements can't drag this one out of mediocrity. 5/10.
- Need Somebody - A bright, uptempo strummer leads into a decent verse but a pretty lame chorus. A nice softer bridge builds through an interlude into a strong solo before closing out the song with another round of verse and chorus. I can't quite bring myself to go higher than 5/10.
- Get Up And Get Out - An appealing bluesy riff leads into a pretty good verse and pre-chorus, but a merely OK chorus. Nice bridge bracketed by strong solos. 6/10.
- Little Girl - Nice tradeoffs between a sleazy riff and a gentler verse. Another weak chorus. OK bridge, OK solo, kind of an awkward harmonized section. Meh. 5/10.
- Don't Ask Me - This is more like it. A peppy riff with rhythm section accents drives a catchy verse. The pre-chorus reminds me of The Beatles and Megadeth at the same time. Decent chorus. Pretty good solo with a nice harmonized bit, and a solid bridge late in the song. I'll round this up to a 7/10.
- Suicide - A descending riff alternates with harmonized leads, giving way to a calmer, atmospheric verse. The chorus is heavier, but unfortunately kind of lame. The first harmonized section is both interesting and awkward, but the second one reprises the intro before going into a pretty good solo. There's enough good stuff here to merit a 6/10.
This was a neat history lesson, but I doubt I'll get the itch to listen to Urchin on a regular basis.
Limited releases with The Untouchables
- City Of Dreams - A peppy opening riff with harmonica accompaniment breaks into a harmonized lead that sounds a little too much like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"(!). Great verse, great chorus. Adrian's voice sounds great too. Do I hear a hint of "Thunderstruck" in here? Great uptempo bluesy solo, great bridge. Nice extended outro. Great stuff! 8/10.
The video for this song was also interesting, seeing Adrian play the harmonica and sing without a guitar strapped to him...
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Jer, don't you find that these Urchin songs stick out for their melodic quality?
Animals
Countdown
My Lady
I find your ratings low for those.
Also, I'm surprised you had not listened to Urchin before. For someone who is so long into Adrian. Why is that? The stuff has been on YouTube for years.
Animals
Countdown
My Lady
I find your ratings low for those.
Also, I'm surprised you had not listened to Urchin before. For someone who is so long into Adrian. Why is that? The stuff has been on YouTube for years.
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