Year : 1993 (Japan Edition)
Style : Melodic Heavy Metal , Melodic Hard Rock
Country : Denmark
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 122 mb
Bio:
Not to be confused with outrageous American hard rockers Jackyl.Jackal from Denmark formed in 1987, they put out a demo cassette the same year, then recorded three great melodic HM albums: 1990's "Rise" (on major EMI), 1993's "Vague Visions" and 1994's "A Safe Look In Mirrors".Guitarist and lead songwriter Benny Petersen "The Riffmeister" was actually a member of some of the finest bands from that country, such as Pretty Maids, Artillery and Mercyful Fate during their demo stages, so we’re talking about someone who had a ton of experience when Jackal released their first three albums in the early 90s. Line-Up was completed with Brian Rich on vocals (who also recorded vocals for the band Narita on their 1992 self titled album), Per Fisker on drums and Claus Weiergang on bass replaced in 1993 by Søren Hee Johansen. There was immediate european and japanese success already with the release of their first album. In 1995 after releasing "A Safe Look In Mirrors" they toured with Mike Tramp's (Ex-White Lion) band Freak Of Nature. The group played just one gig of the tour before a tragedy struck. Their tour bus crashed and frontman Brian Rich received a serious head injury; he was hospitalized for five days and spent more than a year and a half in treatment recovering from the injury.Rising Sun, the group's label at the time, gave the band some to to recover from the accident, but simply couldn't wait any longer for the group to become active again, so left the band and Jackal soon split. Jackal return with "IV" album in 1999 but featuring only Brian Rich from the original line-up. Brian had passed away on 4th April 20123, these reprints are a homage and tribute to his talent.
Album:
Second full-length album.Japan edition from 1993 issued in a standard jewel case with 17-page booklet including English release information and lyrics, Japanese lyrics and commentary, also includes an obi."Vague Visions" is a hard rock/heavy metal second album album recording by JACKAL released in 1993 on CD.They play an style of "Euro-hard rock/metal" and distinguish themselves from their competitors thanks to the exceptional lead guitar work of Peterson, and the powerful -inspired voice of Rich.Jackal had immediate European and Japanese success with the release of their first album on EMI.There are albums that remain undervalued throughout their lives.Works that are known and appreciated, but never really accorded the respect that their musical class evokes.‘Vague Visions’, the second album by the Danes JACKAL, is just such an album, released in 1993 - one of the hardest years for classic metal due to the Seattle movement with all its (sometimes grandiose) anthems of despair and weariness.Born in difficult times and admittedly rather tastelessly packaged, this album is by no means a classic 10-point album full of immortal hits, but the mere fact that the second JACKAL can still be listened to with pleasure sixteen years later without discovering any real weaknesses should be enough proof of its quality to place it in the ranks of the classics.Some say ‘Vague Visions’ was the best IRON MAIDEN disc since ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son’. Some claim that JACKAL were the true heirs to the epic artistry of a god band like ARTCH. I can live with both approaches, see the parallels to both super bands today more clearly than ever and say quite clearly that ‘Vague Visions’, as well as the successor ‘A Safe Look In Mirrors’ (which shows clear borrowings from greats like QUEENSRYCHE and METAL CHURCH) is one of the best European metal albums of the 90s and can still please traditional bangers today as well as prog fans and friends of solid hard rock sounds. Melodic power metal with a penchant for hard rock, a love of proggy structures and a deep bow to the NwoBhm is what makes up songs like the brisk title track, the gentle ‘No Sign Of Heaven’ or ‘There By The Tress’, emphasising JACKAL's fresh and unspent touch and making the combination of great guitar work and superb vocals with transparent production over the full playing time an indispensable pleasure far removed from all clichés and obtrusive ingratiation.In the land of smiles, JACKAL were superstars! In our part of the world, they were an insider tip for all those metal fans who, despite the grunge wave, sought their salvation far away from woollen jumpers and discarded second-hand jeans. JACKAL are probably still an insider's tip today and anyone who doesn't know this band and who is just as fond of the above-mentioned acts as younger bands like DESTILLERY, WOLF or JACOB'S DREAM is advised to get hold of this album, which is no longer so easily available, at the next available opportunity.
Line Up:
Brian Rich - Vocals - See also: ex-Shermann Soldiers, ex-Narita, ex-Evil Prayer (R.I.P. 2013)
Benny Petersen - Guitars - See also: ex-Encore, Benny Petersen, ex-Artillery, ex-Mercyful Fate, ex-Pretty Maids, ex-Evil, ex-Devil's Symphony, ex-Harlot, ex-Trash
Søren Hee Johansen - Bass - See also: ex-Konkhra
Per Fisker - Drums - See also: ex-Encore, Grumpynators
Production:
Manufactured By – Toshiba EMI Ltd
Produced For – Grip Musik
Recorded At – Wave Digital Studios
Mixed At – Wave Digital Studios
Cover, Artwork [Cover Artwork], Design – Patrick Leis
Engineer [Additional] – Alan Pangelinan, Brian Griffin, Scott Nelson, Tonny Eriksen
Liner Notes – 西田光宏*, 西影憲介
Liner Notes [対訳] – ゼロ・コーポレーション
Photography By – Steen Fogh-Nielsen
Producer – Eric "Griffy" Sølvbjerg, Jackal
Recorded By, Mixed By – Griffy, Jackal, John Kronholm
Tracklist:
01. Vague Visions 04:08
02. Only a Crime Away 05:03
03. Still Not Gone 04:53
04. Being Alone 04:29
05. No Sign of Heaven 03:16
06. Virgin in Black 04:58
07. Breakin' Time 05:18
08. Our Love Is My Religion 04:51
09. There by the Trees 04:01
10. 2001 03:48 instrumental
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