This release by violinist Renaud Capuçon is of the sort that comes with a disclaimer: although he enjoyed film music, Capuçon says, and even owned two albums of the stuff by Itzhak Perlman, he had "reservations" about recording it as a classical musician. The point of such displays of reluctance is not clear; few these days would contest the value of good film music, French as well as American. Capuçon touches on both, as well as some famous Italian pieces by Ennio Morricone and others. Despite his reluctance, he goes into full crossover mode and does it competently, extracting the maximum amount of sentiment before breaking the mood with more dramatic material and with one vocal interlude from Nolwenn Leroy. He pushes his basic lyrical tone into heavy-vibrato territory, but never goes over the edge, and both the violinist's basic fans and those in search of a French-flavored collection of film music (sample the unusual "Camille" from Jean-Luc Godard's Le Mépris) are likely to find the results satisfying. Capuçon gets strong support from the Brussels Philharmonic under Stéphane Denève. Highly recommended.© James Manheim /TiVo

Time to whip out your history books. Saxon was formed back in 1970, and the band changed its name four times before it settled on its final name in 1978. Its founding members, Paul Quinn (guitar) and Biff Byford (vocals), are now 70 and 71 years old respectively, and Carpe Diem is their 24th studio album. So, what springs to mind after reading this summary which is almost exclusively based on numbers and figures? Maybe you picture a group of seniors who are still hell-bent on reliving their glory days. Maybe you think of a bunch of ashen faces that should really consider throwing in the towel, but still manage to garner some respect simply due to their past service to heavy metal. Fortunately, neither of these could be further from the truth.With Carpe Diem, Saxon proves they’re still at the top of their game. Of course, this English band has never released a bad album, so this isn’t surprising. While some of their less-than-stellar efforts are arguably somewhat more forgettable, Saxon has never been tarnished by the total flop of a record, nor have they ever fallen into the trap of releasing one album too many. Even so, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that this 2022 release could never make the same impact as the band’s previous much-loved albums, such as Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law and Denim and Leather. Carpe Diem is here to remind us to never make assumptions, because this new release firmly reinstates the Yorkshire quintet as master riffers. Who can resist the title track that opens this debate? Who doesn’t nod their head along to the exemplary sequencing of the first six tracks? From the majestic The Pilgrimage, to the hit Remember the Fallen (dedicated to victims of the pandemic), through to the dynamic Age of Steam and Dambusters, each song is a testament to Saxon’s exceptional musical ability. And what about Super Nova and Living On The Limit (what a riff!)? These tracks almost seem to transcend the limits of heavy metal to rub noses with speed metal. It’s mind-blowing! Lady in Gray is arguably the underbelly of the album, but considering the absolute firecrackers that surround it, we can’t be too fussy. Biff Byford’s vocal are faultless, expressing unwavering conviction and determination. Nigel Glocker (drums) is on top form throughout, and the guitar solos shared by the irreplaceable Paul Quinn and his partner Doug Scarratt have a lot to say. It’s a far cry from automatic writing and free-wheeling, and Andy Sneap’s (Judas Priest) perfect production is both traditional and adapted to current norms. There’s nothing worthy of criticism.We often hear the words “everything was better before.” The heroes of the day have clearly decided to challenge this famous phrase which is all too often seen as a universal truth. Carpe Diem makes its point with unrivalled panache: Saxon’s still got it. Have a listen to this album and see for yourself. © Charlélie Arnaud/Qobuz

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A Change of Seasons is a strange disc. There are only five tracks but with a total time that approaches an hour anyway. The first track, the 23-minute, seven-part epic "A Change of Seasons," is one of the most impressive pieces of music ever written in the progressive metal vein. With the same heavy sound that marked Awake, but with many other styles mixed in, the track features incredible playing, dramatic, complex instrumental arrangements, and soaring vocals. New keyboardist Derek Sherinian (formerly of Kiss and Alice Cooper) adds his own stamp to the Dream Theater sound as if he'd always been with them. The remainder of the tracks are live cover tunes, recorded from the band's "Uncovered" gig at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club; the material varies widely and includes Elton John's "Love Lies Bleeding" and Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers." The final track, "The Big Medley," has to be heard to be believed; Dream Theater shift musical styles on a dime to cover Pink Floyd, Kansas, Queen, Journey, the Dixie Dregs, and Genesis all in ten minutes.© Phil Carter /TiVo

Green Day's new millennium elevation to Very Important Band is so complete that when they decided to return to their frivolous punk roots they couldn't do it in a small way. They started to knock out a bunch of garage punk tunes and wound up with not one but three collections of punk-pop: a trilogy entitled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!, each released within a couple months of one another. For as many passing references to the Clash as there are on ¡Uno! -- musical and lyrical, with the opening "Nuclear Family" alluding to the riff of "Safe European Home" and "Rusty James" talking about the "last gang in town" -- this is no Sandinista!, as it finds Green Day shrinking their world, not expanding it. This is all power pop and three-chord rockers, the tempo insistent and the hooks spiky and sharp; the only time things let up is at the end with "Oh Love," an arena filler so indebted to the Who that Billie Joe Armstrong winds up referencing "Love Reign O'er Me." Even then, the sound is big, crisp, and clean, as it is throughout ¡Uno!, and that clarity undercuts some of the punkiness of Green Day's intentions. Compared to their busman's holiday Foxboro Hot Tubs, ¡Uno! seems well-pressed and tidy, every note and every rhythm in its right place, and while that inspired recklessness is missed, this brisk, cheerful collection of pop is a relief after the operatic ambitions of 21st Century Breakdown. The hooks fly furiously, the attack is precise -- so precise that the mock dance-rock of "Kill the DJ" almost plays like a Xerox of Franz Ferdinand (it also is the one explicitly political song here, as if the trio members wanted to hide their intentions) -- and the hooks, in both the melodies and riffs, are so huge, they gleefully bludgeon doubters into blissful submission. It's the work not of punks but of road warriors eager to have a new batch of crowd-pleasers out on tour.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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