Artists (W)

Waken Eyes

– Exodus (2015) 4.00 stars

Walfad

– An Unsung Hero, Salty Rains & Him (2014) 4.00 stars

Wallenstein

– Blitzkrieg (1971) 3.50 stars
– Stories, Songs And Symphonies (1975) NOT RATED

Wally

– Wally (1974) 3.50 stars
– Valley Gardens (1975) 4.00 stars
– Montpellier (2010) NOT RATED

Wandering Vagrant

– Get Lost (2018) NOT RATED

War Babies

– War Babies (1992) 3.50 stars

Warder

– Escape Plan (2012) 3.50 stars

Warhorse

– Warhorse (1970) 4.00 stars
– Red Sea (1972) 4.00 stars

Warmachine

– The Beginning of the End (2006) 3.50 stars

Warpicks

– Age of Exploration (2016) 4.00 stars

Warpig

– Warpig (1970) 4.00 stars

Warrant

– Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989) 3.00 stars
– Cherry Pie (1990) 3.00 stars
– Dog Eat Dog (1992) 4.00 stars
– Ultraphobic (1995) 3.50 stars
– Belly to Belly – Volume One (1996) 1.50 stars

Warrior

– Fighting for the Earth (1985) 3.50 stars

W.A.S.P.

– W.A.S.P. (1984) 5.00 stars
– The Last Command (1985) 4.00 stars
– Inside the Electric Circus (1986) 4.00 stars
– The Headless Children (1989) 4.50 stars
– The Crimson Idol (1992) 4.00 stars
– Still Not Black Enough (1995) 3.50 stars
– Helldorado (1999) 4.00 stars
– Unholy Terror (2001) NOT RATED
– Dying for the World (2002) 4.00 stars
– Dominator (2007) 4.00 stars
– Babylon (2009) NOT RATED
– Golgotha (2015) 4.00 stars

Waste Lagoon

– Shadow Chaser (2001) 4.00 stars

The Watch

– (The Night Watch) Twilight (1997) 4.50 stars
– Ghost (2001) 4.50 stars
– Vacuum (2004) 5.00 stars
– Primitive (2007) 4.50 stars
– Live (2008) 4.00 stars
– Planet Earth? (2010) 4.50 stars
– Timeless (2011) 4.50 stars
– Tracks From The Alps (2014) 4.50 stars
– Seven (2017) 4.50 stars

Waterloo

– First Battle (1970) NOT RATED

Wayne

– Metal Church (2001) 3.50 stars

Waysted

– Vices (1983) 2.50 stars
– Save Your Prayers (1986) 4.50 stars

Weather Report

– I Sing The Body Electric (1972) NOT RATED
– Sweetnighter (1973) NOT RATED
– Heavy Weather (1977) 3.50 stars
– Night Passage (1980) NOT RATED
– This Is This (1986) 3.50 stars

The Web

– I Spider (1970) NOT RATED

Weed

– Weed…! (1971) 4.00 stars

Weedpecker

– Weedpecker (2013) NOT RATED
– II (2015) NOT RATED
– III (2018) NOT RATED

Weend’o

– You Need To Know Yourself (2012) NOT RATED
– Time Of Awakening (2018) NOT RATED

Welcome

– Welcome (1976) 3.50 stars

Welcome Inside The Brain

– Welcome Inside The Brain (2015) NOT RATED
– Celebrate The Depression (2017) 4.00 stars

West, Bruce & Laing

– Why Dontcha (1972) 4.00 stars

Westworld

– Westworld (1999) 4.00 stars
– Skin (2000) 4.00 stars

W.E.T.

– W.E.T. (2009) 4.50 stars
– Rise Up (2013) 4.50 stars

Wetton Manzanera

– Wetton Manzanera (1987) 2.50 stars

Whalefeathers

– Declare (1970) NOT RATED
– Whalefeathers (1970) NOT RATED

When Mary

– 7Summers7Winters (2013) NOT RATED

White

– White (2006) 3.50 stars

White Heart

– Vital Signs (1984) 3.00 stars
– Hotline (1985) 3.00 stars
– Don’t Wait for the Movie (1986) 3.50 stars
– Emergency Broadcast (1987) 3.50 stars
– Freedom (1989) 4.00 stars
– Powerhouse (1990) 4.50 stars
– Tales of Wonder (1992) 4.50 stars
– Highlands (1993) 4.50 stars
– Inside (1995) 4.50 stars

White Highway

– Hittin’ The Road (2018) NOT RATED

White Sister

– White Sister (1984) 4.00 stars
– Fashion by Passion (1986) 4.00 stars

White Spirit

– White Spirit (1980) 3.00 stars

White Widdow

– Serenade (2011) 4.00 stars

White Willow

– Ignis Fatuus (1995) 3.50 stars
– Ex Tenebris (1998) 3.50 stars
– Sacrament (2000) 3.50 stars
– Signal to Noise (2006) 3.50 stars
– Terminal Twilight (2011) 3.50 stars
– Future Hopes (2017) NOT RATED

White Witch

– White Witch (1972) 3.50 stars
– A Spiritual Greeting (1974) NOT RATED

White Wolf

– Standing Alone (1984) 4.00 stars
– Endangered Species (1986) 4.00 stars

Whitecave

– Impressions (2018) 4.00 stars

Whitecross

– High Gear (1992) 3.00 stars

Whitesnake

– Snakebite (1978) 4.50 stars
– Trouble (1978) 4.00 stars
– Lovehunter (1979) 4.00 stars
– Ready an’ Willing (1980) 4.00 stars
– Live…in the Heart of the City (1980) 3.50 stars
– Come an’ Get It (1981) 4.50 stars
– Saints & Sinners (1982) 4.00 stars
– Slide It In (1984) 4.00 stars
– Whitesnake [aka 1987] (1987) 4.50 stars
– Slip of the Tongue (1989) 4.00 stars
– Restless Heart (1997) 4.50 stars
– Good to Be Bad (2008) 4.00 stars
– Forevermore (2011) 4.00 stars
– The Purple Album (2015) 3.00 stars

Whitewater

– Universal Medium (2017) NOT RATED

The Who

– Who’s Next (1971) 5.00 stars
– Quadrophenia (1973) 4.50 stars
– The Who by Numbers (1975) 4.00 stars
– Thirty Years of Maximum R&B (1994) 4.00 stars

WhoCares

– Out of My Mind / Holy Water (2011) 4.00 stars

Wicked Sensation

– Reflected (2001) NOT RATED
– Exceptional (2004) 4.00 stars
– Crystallized (2010) 4.00 stars

Widowmaker

– Blood and Bullets (1992) 4.00 stars
– Stand by for Pain (1994) 4.50 stars

Widowmaker (UK)

– Widowmaker (1976) 3.00 stars
– Too Late To Cry (1977) NOT RATED

Wiggy Bits

– Wiggy Bits (1976) NOT RATED

Wigwam

– Hard n’ Horny (1969) NOT RATED
– Tombstone Valentine (1970) NOT RATED
– Fairyport (1971) 4.00 stars
– Being (1974) 4.00 stars
– Nuclear Nightclub (1975) 4.00 stars
– Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose (1976) 3.50 stars
– Dark Album (1977) 3.00 stars

Wild Orchid

– Wild Orchid (1997) 4.00 stars

Wild Throne

– Blood Maker (2014) NOT RATED

Wild Turkey

– Battle Hymn (1971) 3.50 stars

Wildlife

– Wildlife (1983) 3.50 stars

Wildpath

– Underneath (2011) 3.00 stars

William Gray

– Silentio (2012) 3.50 stars

Willow Child

– Trip Down Memory Lane (2017) NOT RATED
– Paradise & Nadir (2018) NOT RATED

Wilson And Wakeman

– The Sun Will Dance In Its Twilight Hour (2018) NOT RATED

Wilson Phillips

– Wilson Phillips (1990) 4.50 stars
– Shadows and Light (1992) 4.00 stars
– California (2004) 4.00 stars

I realize, that for a Metal-hearted guy like me, it’s probably not cool to love a band such as Wilson Phillips, but I do, darn it, so there! Fling your insults and ridicule, I don’t care!

Seriously, I can’t help loving the outrageously stellar harmonies the gals offer. The AOR/Pop style is so darned catchy, and the production and musicianship is top flight throughout each album, but it’s the vocals that are unbelievably perfect. No matter which of the three gals is singing lead on any given track, you know her vocals will be pitch-perfect, and the multi-layered harmonies that will dominate each song are nothing short of a thrill and, therefore, unforgettable. To me, Wilson Phillips was a “lite” version of my favorite “three female lead singer” group Tantrum. But so what if the music is considered “wimpy” or “lame”  by many rock fans? I couldn’t give a flying fig! The trio’s talent is unmistakable and truly commendable. It’s no wonder that the debut album dominated the Pop Charts for months and months on end with no less than four hit singles coming directly from the album. Indeed, some of my favorite tracks weren’t even the singles, such as the breathtaking “Eyes Like Twins,” which makes the trio even more special in my eyes. My only wish is that the singers would return with some original material once again, such as what they offered on their first two albums. It’s been way too long.

Wind

– Morning (1972) NOT RATED

Windchase

– Symphinity (1977) NOT RATED

The Windmill

– To Be Continued (2010) NOT RATED
– The Continuation (2013) 4.00 stars

From Norway, The Windmill plays a nice cross between Symphonic Prog Rock and AOR, with strong melodies, dynamic arrangements, and diverse instrumentation, including flute and sax. “The Gamer,” a nearly 25-minute epic on the five-track album The Continuation, is especially enjoyable and worth every penny. I’m hoping the band releases more material in the near future.

Winds

– Reflections of the I (2002) 4.00 stars
– The Imaginary Direction of Time (2004) 4.00 stars
– Prominence and Demise (2007) 4.00 stars

From Norway, the band Winds released three full-length albums of Prog-Metal between 2002 and 2007, with numerous symphonic elements and Neoclassical passages included in its sound/style. The band proved quite ambitious when it came to arranging the various tracks, adding violins, frequent (and often bizarre) grand piano solos, shifting rhythms, experimental and generally impressive guitar fills and riffs, and some unexpected chord progressions to the emotionally intense proceedings. Definitely a unique sounding group in the world of Prog-Metal. A shame the band seems to have disappeared.

The Winery Dogs

– The Winery Dogs (2013) 4.00 stars

Wingdom

– Reality (2005) 4.50 stars

Winger

– Winger (1988) 4.00 stars
– In the Heart of the Young (1990) 3.50 stars
– Pull (1993) 3.50 stars
– Karma (2009) 4.00 stars

Wings

– Red Rose Speedway (1973) 3.00 stars
– Band on the Run (1973) 4.00 stars
– Venus and Mars (1975) 4.00 stars
– Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976) 3.50 stars

Wings of Salvation

– Eternity (2010) 0.50 stars

Completely unlistenable noise with a horrific singer. Avoid!

Wings of Steel

– Face The Truth (1995) 3.50 stars

Winner

– Do You Remember (2009) 3.50 stars

Winterborn

– Cold Reality (2006) 4.00 stars
– Farewell to Saints (2008) 4.00 stars

WinterStrain

– Shifting Sands (2008) 4.00 stars

Wireless

– Positively Human Relatively Sane (1978) 3.00 stars

Wishbone Ash

– Wishbone Ash (1970) 4.00 stars
– Pilgrimage (1971) 4.00 stars
– Argus (1972) 4.50 stars
– Wishbone Four (1973) 3.50 stars
– Live Dates (1973) 5.00 stars
– There’s the Rub (1974) 4.00 stars
– Locked In (1976) 3.50 stars
– New England (1976) 4.00 stars
– Front Page News (1977) 3.00 stars
– No Smoke Without Fire (1978) 3.50 stars
– Just Testing (1980) 4.00 stars
– Number the Brave (1981) 3.00 stars

The Wishing Tree

– Carnival of Souls (1996) NOT RATED

Witchwood

– Litanies From the Woods (2015) 4.50 stars
– Handful of Stars (2016) 4.00 stars

Withem

– The Point of You (2013) 4.50 stars
– The Unforgiving Road (2016) 4.50 stars

Withered Fist

– This Is My Mountain (2019) NOT RATED

Within Temptation

– Enter (1997) 3.50 stars
– Mother Earth (2000) 4.00 stars
– The Silent Force (2004) 4.00 stars
– The Heart of Everything (2007) 4.50 stars
– The Unforgiving (2011) 4.00 stars
– Hydra (2014) 3.50 stars

Withoutending

– Without End (2004) 4.00 stars

Without Face

– Deep Inside (2000) 3.50 stars
– Astronomicon (2002) 3.50 stars

Without Warning

– Making Time (1993) 4.00 stars
– Believe (1995) 4.00 stars
– Step Beyond (1998) 4.00 stars

Witness

– Witness (1988) 4.50 stars

Witsend

– Cosmos and Chaos (1993) NOT RATED

Wizard’s Convention

– Wizard’s Convention (1976) 3.00 stars

Wizards

– The Kingdom (2002) 4.00 stars

Wobbler

– Hinterland (2005) 4.00 stars
– Afterglow (2009) 4.00 stars
– Rites at Dawn (2011) 4.00 stars
– From Silence To Somewhere (2017) 4.00 stars

Wolf People

– Ruins (2016) NOT RATED

Wolfmother

– Wolfmother (2005) 3.50 stars

Wolfsbane

– Live Fast, Die Fast (1989) 2.50 stars

WolfSpring

– WolfSpring (2010) NOT RATED

Wolverine

– Fervent Dream (1999) 2.00 stars
– The Window Purpose (2001) 3.50 stars
– Cold Light of Monday (2003) 3.50 stars
– Still (2006) 3.50 stars
– Communication Lost (2011) 3.50 stars

The Wood Demons

– The Lost Domain (2017) NOT RATED

Work of Art

– Artwork (2008) 4.50 stars
– In Progress (2011) 4.50 stars
– Framework (2014) 4.50 stars

World of Silence

– Window of Heaven (1996) 4.00 stars
– Mindscapes (1998) 4.00 stars

World Trade

– World Trade (1989) 4.50 stars
– Euphoria (1995) 4.00 stars
– Unify (2017) NOT RATED

Worrall

– Worrall (1991) 3.50 stars

Wrabit

– Wrough & Wready (1981) 4.50 stars
– Tracks (1982) 4.00 stars
– West Side Kid (1983) 3.50 stars

Wrathchild

– Stakk Attakk (1984) 2.50 stars

Writing On The Wall

– The Power Of The Picts (1969) NOT RATED

Wucan

– Vikarma (2014) 4.50 stars
– Sow The Wind (2015) 4.50 stars
– Reap The Storm (2017) 4.50 stars

In my opinion, Wucan is an outstanding “new” band from Germany playing “old-style” Hard Rock and Heavy Psych with Progressive Rock leanings. Imagine, if you will, a modern-day version of the UK’s female-fronted Babe Ruth with a heavy Retro and Stoner Rock sound that merges aspects of outfits such as Budgie, Three Man Army, May Blitz, Ten Years After, Krokodil, Birth Control, and Epitaph, plus early Golden Earring or Jethro Tull (thanks to the liberal inclusion of flute) and even a bit of Black Sabbath (but devoid of the “metallic doom” atmosphere) into its comprehensive sound/style, and that’s what Wucan brings to the sonic table.

Vocalist (and the band’s flautist) Francis Tobolsky—in all respects aside from the major “gruffness” factor—has a powerful and emotive voice in a similar vein as Babe Ruth’s Jenne Haan, Frumpy’s Inga Rumpf, Janis Joplin, Sass Jordan, Joanna Dean, and Alannah Myles—but again, stripped of about 90% of the raspiness. Therefore, on the band’s single EP—2014’s Vikarma—and two full-length platters—2015’s Sow The Wind and 2017’s Reap The Storm—this gal belts out the (mostly English and occasionally German) lyrics with the best of ’em. Holy cr*p, this woman can sing!

Even aside from the lead vocals, Wucan’s music is mighty impressive overall, and after savoring each of the band’s releases numerous times, I enthusiastically found myself rating every single one of them with 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Indeed, there is not one “filler track” on any of the platters, and each tune proves itself worthy of inclusion. So for those music fans who crave mostly driving Blues-based Hard Rock or Heavy Psych material with a touch of Progressive Rock in the Retro style of the early ’70s, and with a mixture of shorter and mid-length tracks and several extended “epics” of a more experimental nature, plus with some acoustic guitars and lighter moments amidst the electric onslaught and mayhem, Wucan should be right up your alley.

Wuthering Heights

– Within (1999) 4.00 stars
– To Travel for Evermore (2002) 3.50 stars
– Far From the Madding Crowd (2004) 3.50 stars
– The Shadow Cabinet (2006) 3.50 stars
– Salt (2010) 3.50 stars

Wytch Hazel

– Prelude (2016) NOT RATED