Album Review: Apocalyptic Lovers- Redemption, Volume 1

 One day you will be

Wrapped inside me...

But for right now,

I just changed frequency!

 And, you will too, once you hear this band! They need to be on EVERY frequency!

I've been slacking again. For that, I apologize. Damn real life issues! But, I've been jamming this album good and loud ever since the band sent it to me. We had the band on the show a while back, and they were among the best guests we've ever had, and their music kicks ass. 

Originally from Youngstown, OH, Apocalyptic Lovers formed in 1991 and gained success playing regionally, but they also took a trip out to the City of Angels. That earned them a writeup in Entertainment Weekly, which led to overseas distribution of their music. Now, the band has reformed and plans on releasing a 10 volume collection of EPs featuring new material and updated classics. The first will be released on April 16, 2016. Its a bold move, but they have assembled a crew of heavy hitters in order to put this venture together and have it be as big and bold sounding as the move itself. The 8 tracks on Volume 1, Redemption was produced by legendary producer, Michael Wagener. You might remember him from his work with Ozzy, Megadeth, Metallica, Dokken, Extreme, Motley Crue and more. 

And, it shows. The album explodes to start, kicking you in the face with Better Days. A heavy technical onslaught that shows influence from classic Ozzy albums among others. You are greeted by brutal guitar and powerful backup vocals right off the bat. It takes you back to the days when the music was not only fun to listen to, but it was also made you feel good, and musical talent was respected and expected. Another song that puts things into perspective is the slow and heavy groove, Who The Hell Are You. Something I'd like to ask the record executives that didn't sign these guys in the 90's. They are so much better than the cookie cutter glam bands that were forced on us at the tail end of the glam metal era. We won't even talk about grunge. Unfortunately, the band and the fans who would have loved them were Left in the Cold, (Another badass song) by these idiot record companies.

The musical skill on display here is top notch. Each member is a master at their instruments. Singer, Robert Kane has a very powerful and broad vocal range. Guitarist, Sean Magee is an axe slinger who could duel with anyone. Drummer, Dave Hope has the strength of Thor in his arms and legs. But the most unique thing about Apocalyptic Lovers is that they have TWO bass players. Mike Nagy and George Allen both play bass, and rhythm guitar, and they alternate on stage. And, all 5 members of the band can sing. 5 part harmonies are constantly on display on the album.

Like I said, all of the talent is showcased on all the songs, but one is particularly showcased. A song with a brutal groove, called simply The Groove. The band has commercial appeal too, and even in today's dark ages of rock and metal. 

If you like good metal from an extremely talented band, you owe it to yourself to pick up this album when its released. This band would have dominated the arenas and stadiums in the 80's, and they can do it again. You'll want to pay attention to them. 

Buy the album!

Follow them here:

Twitter

The band's website

ITunes: Buy the album. Now!

Facebook

Reverbnation 

And, don't forget the band's appearance on our radio show!

They even have a very good looking video for their song Change of Frequency. Click here for the YouTube page. 

I'm going back to listen to the album again. It ROCKS!

Mike Nagy, Bass/Guitar/Vocals- George Allen, Bass/Guitar, Vocals- Rob Kane, Lead Vocals- Dave Hope, Drums/Vocals- Sean Magee, Guitars/Vocals

Megadeth Vs Metallica: The Punishment Due

You will do what I say; 

when I say...

...If there's a new way, 

I'll be the first in line!

This post is something that I've been thinking about posting for a couple years now. I finally decided to do it after reviewing the new Megadeth album, Dystopia. I haven't reviewed any Metallica albums because they haven't released a new one since before I started blogging. Hard to believe they haven't released anything new since 2008, isn't it? Although, I did review their movie Through the Never. Anyway, let's answer that  'who's better' question, and go Into the Arena. 

If you've been living under a rock for 30+ years, or aren't that big of a metal fan, you might not know that Dave Mustaine of Megadeth was the Metallica guitarist prior to Kirk Hammett's arrival. He was kicked out of the band prior to their debut album, Kill Em All. Mustaine then met bassist, Dave Ellefson and Megadeth was born. Shortly after that, their debut album, Killing is My Business, and Business is Good was released. And, a war between the two rival thrash metal bands began, and its still going. If you want to know more about the back story, Google it. 

First of all, Dave Mustaine was co-writer of 4 songs on Kill Em All, as well as 2 tracks (including the title track) of Ride The Lightning. Both albums were released before Killing is My Business was released. So, regardless of how much of the songs were actually written by Mustaine, Megadeth had to start from scratch. And, they had a long way to go...

Metallica's first 3 albums, Kill Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets are thrash metal icons. Master of Puppets is the greatest thrash album of all time. However, they lost a step when they released their fourth album, And Justice For All. Many metal fans, myself included felt that album was a let down after Master of Puppets. After all, topping that album has proven to be a hard feat to accomplish. Nobody (Including Metallica) has been able to top it. 

Megadeth's first 3 releases, Killing is my Business, Peace Sells but Who's Buying, and So Far So Good, So What were also wildly accepted by thrash metal fans as well, with each album getting better and better. But Megadeth's fourth and fifth albums, Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction destroyed Metallica's fourth and fifth albums. Metallica's first ever video for their song, One introduced millions of new fans to the band, and their fifth 'Black Album' was a golden goose, where Metallica went mainstream with the radio hits, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, and the ballad, Nothing Else Matters. But Megadeth also got noticed by the masses, and even scored a couple radio hits of their own. Rust in Peace had Holy Wars..The Punishment Due on the radio while the iconic video and musical skill of Hangar 18 dominated MTV. Countdown to Extinction had the radio hit, Symphony of Destruction and MTV hit, Sweating Bullets. Both bands were taking similar paths, but Metallica had the backing of the masses. But, with the release of Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction, people started noticing what Megadeth fans had known all along: Megadeth's music was better. The songs were better written, the guitar work was better, and over all, Megadeth was a more talented band. Solos sounded different. The songs flowed better. Most of this was due to the arrival of guitar god, Marty Friedman and drummer, Nick Menza, although if you listen to the first three albums, the skill of the guitarists has always been superior to James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett's efforts. Not to mention, original drummer, Gar Samuelson (RIP) was far superior to Lars Ulrich. 

Gar Samuelson. I hung out with him once.

Next came grunge. <gag> Metallica released Load and Reload. Megadeth released Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings, and Risk. (And, you can probably include The World Needs A Hero in this group) All these albums were departures from their thrash roots, but were part of the band's evolution. Some diehard thrash metal fans hate those albums, but I don't. Both bands did what they needed to do to survive. Although, Metallica only put out one more album before Death Magnetic in 2008, which was St. Anger in 2003, which we won't talk about by name anymore, Megadeth released the ones I mentioned and two more before 2008. But while Metallica was writing simplistic radio hits, Megadeth was growing as a band musically, and had several radio hits of their own like Trust, Secret Place, Almost Honest, Use The Man, Breadline, and more. Did these songs blow up the bank account like Metallica's? No, but once again, musically, the Megadeth songs were superior. Some of the best guitar work I've ever heard is on the albums that lots of people overlook. In fact, one of my all time favorite songs, A Tout le Monde is on Youthanasia. Megadeth re recorded that song as a duet with Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, introducing the band to an even broader base of new fans.  

Mustaine and Scabbia

Still, Megadeth didn't stop. While Metallica was touring all over creation, and not releasing a new album in 8 years and counting, Megadeth kept releasing albums. Since Metallica's last album, Megadeth has released four albums. And, while some of the albums may not be as good as their best ones, their latest album, Dystopia as I mentioned in my review is the best since Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. After Metallica's debacle 2003 album (the one we aren't mentioning by name) everyone was begging for a 'return to form' album from them. The result was Death Magnetic. An album where they attempted to make a good thrash album, but it proved they had forgotten how. The songs are unnecessarily long, and guitar riffs are just thrown together. Plus, honestly, James Hetfield just doesn't have the aggression in his voice anymore. Dave Mustaine, however does. In fact, his voice sounds better than ever. To be fair, the fans were wanting a 'return to form' album from Megadeth too. Megadeth delivered. Several times, with The System Has Failed, United Abominations, Endgame, TH1RT3EN, and of course, the new juggernaut, Dystopia.

One of the main criticisms about Megadeth I've heard is that the lineup has changed so many times. Your point? Have you heard Metallica's stuff? Maybe its time for them to change up. Mustaine has said that he will only bring in a guitarist that is better than he is. Those are some pretty heavy shoes to fill, but he's brought in greats such as Marty Friedman, Al Pitrelli, and newcomer, Kiko Loureiro, among others. Kirk Hammett wouldn't make it into Megadeth, and that's a fact. I can't think of a better way to challenge yourself to improve. And, this new album proves it. Actually, if you go back and listen to 2 songs from each album back to back and in order, you'll see how each album features something new, different, and better than before. You can't say that about Metallica. 

The age old adage: "When the history books are written, ______."  applies here. Because while Metallica reigned supreme being the greatest marketing band in the history of the world other than Kiss, Megadeth kept putting out good albums, with great songs. Ask any metal musician which is the better band, you will get Megadeth 9 out of 10 times. History has been written, and slowly but surely, more and more people are realizing it. Megadeth gets the last laugh, and is the superior band. Still doubt me? Ask the Metal God Himself, Rob Halford: 

 Click Here for Rob's answer.

And, don't come away from this thinking I don't like Metallica. I do. I love Master of Puppets and Ride The Lightning. I like Kill Em All. Black, Load, and Reload are okay. The rest, not so much.

Album Review, Megadeth: Dystopia

...If you don't like where we're going

Then you won't like what's coming next....

That's absolutely correct...But as far as Megadeth's new album, Dystopia goes, I like where the band is going I'm pumped to see what's coming next.

Dave Mustaine has changed Megadeth lineups yet again, and he's been making comments through the recording process about how this lineup is the best he's had, and may be the best ever. We expected him to say that, of course. But better than Marty Friedman and Nick Menza? Surely you jest, right?

Dave Mustaine never jests...
And, don't call him Shirley.

He may very well have something here, because the lineup in addition to Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson, new guitarist and drummer Kiko Loureiro and Chris Adler have put together the best Megadeth album since Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. Dystopia is indeed a thrash metal masterpiece. 

Now, those are some pretty big shoes to fill. But, in an interview, Mustaine said that part of his criteria for hiring a guitarist is that the new guy has to be a better guitarist than Mustaine. Whoa! Dave is already among the elite guitarists, and considering the fact that every guitarist gets better as time goes on, he may have to give Steve Vai a call at some point. Maybe, but not today. Because Kiko Loureiro is freaking amazing. 

All of the crazy scales that Friedman did on Rust and Countdown are back. Its blistering. Its amazing. Its one thing to be able to play them, but its another to be able to write them. There is critical chemistry between Mustaine and Loureiro, and it is apparent throughout the album. 

Dystopia is a themed album about the impending demise of our country, brought about by tyrants corrupted by power. It brings out the question, what is the point of power if all you rule is a wasteland? But, that's all that will be left if we can't take the power back. These points are forcefully illustrated in the tracks Post American World and The Emperor.

The album starts with The Threat is Real, which begins with a Middle Eastern female vocal arrangement, then blasts you with a blistering guitar lick. The intro solo is also a Middle Eastern scale on guitar. The guitar work throughout is spectacular. Its about the "refugees" coming through our non existent borders, and how the Muslim terrorists pose a very real threat. Its all true, and I wish more people would realize that. They are starting to in Europe though.

The title track is a nod back to the skill and technique in Hangar 18. Although the songs don't sound anything alike, there are similarities, mainly in the arrangement and feel of the tune. The guitar solos on Dystopia are incredible. There is an epic instrumental called Conquer or Die that starts off with amazing classical guitar. Not sure which guitarist played it though. It slams into a heavy assault on the senses with harmony guitar solos and shred-bliss. Bullet to the Brain also starts with some minor key acoustic licks. They even do a cover of Foreign Policy by Fear. Its an interesting thrash metal take on a punk song, a little more mature than Anarchy in the UK. Fatal Illusion is a hard and heavy chunk fest that features some bass guitar shredding by David Ellefson, followed by dual guitar harmony shredding. Look Who's Talking, a bonus track has a Sweating Bullets feeling to it, with a little more shred and guitar work. A little less choppy too.

Dave's vocals here are among the best I've ever heard from him. He has developed a mean low end in his voice that wasn't there before, and it adds a dimension that really clicks with this direction of the band. Chris Adler has a different style than previous drummers, and he goes funky from time to time particularly in Fatal Illusion. This album as a whole is great. It takes influence from the greatest Megadeth albums and songs, while going on its own direction. Most notably Dystopia has the most blistering/ shredtastic guitar solos since Rust in Peace, which is saying A LOT.

Chris Adler, Kiko Loureiro, Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson

So, what am I saying? BUY THIS ALBUM! Megadeth has truly returned to form! Think of the last couple albums as a football team with a backup quarterback, who is just there; not really doing much. Then, the starting QB comes back and annihilates. Remember when Joe Montana came back against the Vikings years ago? Or Dan Marino's first game back after his Achilles injury? Something like that.

Nugent/Mustaine 2016!

Dave Mustaine Blasted by Wussies at Metal Injection

Dave Mustaine of Megadeth is a very outspoken person in everything he does. Its part of his personality, and its something you'd expect from the writer of songs like Peace Sells, but Who's Buying. And, one of the things he is most vocal about is politics. And for that, he is a target for anyone who disagrees with what he says. In this case, its the liberal left loonies who couldn't tell you a single line in the constitution.

On a podcast called, Hangar 19, Mustaine went on a rant about the current state of the country. His points were more or less that the country is in the worst shape that it has ever been in, and that anyone with their eyes open could see that. But, leave it to Metal Injection to spin his comments into something that they were not.

Metal Injection, a site where only liberals need apply constantly bashes Ted Nugent, calling him a racist bigot, etc. The usual. While Sweaty Teddy may be a loudmouth, his views on the country are in line with the constitution. As are Dave Mustaine's, and that is what this piece is about. From now on, I will be referring to Metal Injection as simply MI.

On Hangar 19, Mustaine said the following:

"Anybody that watches the news nowadays… I watch the news, I read voraciously, I am a New York Times best-selling author, so obviously I know a little bit about writing and reading, and when you think about what's going on in our world as we know it, especially our nation here, it has totally changed, and it's not the same country that it used to be. It's really a drag, and the gutless people in Congress won't do anything about it. You see what's going on with our borders."

Metal Injection has this picture on their site. Mustaine is
more of a patriot than ANYONE at that rag.

To that, MI rips into him, slamming him for using ghostwriters on his book...something that MANY people do, and I never hear any griping about anyone else using them. In a paragraph that is almost twice as long as what   Mustaine says, all MI does is rip on him personally. They take his spoken FACTS (and yes, they are facts.) and make fun of them similar to the way a child retorts when told something they don't want to hear. Newsflash..There are murderers, thieves, and rapists crossing the border daily, and they are being bused on taxpayer funds to cities all over the US where they are given welfare, etc. That is what Mustaine was talking about on the border. It had nothing to do with Mustaine whining about the government. It was a FACT, and if you researched it, rather than being spoon fed what CNN and MSNBC wants you to believe, you might know it.

MI then moves onto what Mustaine said next, and once again, rather than address what he actually said, MI tears into him for daring to speak against 0bama. Here's Mustaine's quote:

"I live in San Diego, and I can get along peacefully with any nationality and anything like that, because I'm an international rock star, but when it comes down to destroying a country for pandering to lobbyists and stuff like that?! Hum-um. The Supreme Court rules 9-0 against the President overusing his powers? Hello?! In 2008, I said that [President Obama] was gonna be the most divisive president ever, and I was right. He's got the lowest approval ratings in the history of America.

Dave Mustaine said something mean
about 0bamaaaaa!!! WAAAHHH!!!

On that paragraph, MI focuses on the line where he says that in 2008, he said that 0bama would be the most divisive president, and ask if we are supposed to think that he was a Nostradamus or seer. They then babble about Lincoln being more divisive. First of all, MANY people predicted that 0bama would be the most divisive president ever. It wasn't that hard of a thing to call. One line MI ignores is when Mustaine says that the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 against the president overusing his power. Guess what...They DID. TWENTY times so far!! And even overturned a couple of laws that the president enacted unilaterally, bypassing Congress. But, no comment from the peanut gallery MI there.

The final paragraph that MI whines about is this:

"I had the surgery on my neck and I was going to get a doctor's appointment yesterday to get a CT scan, 'cause I've got a pinched nerve, and they said, 'Well, we've gotta apply to see if you can get approval for a CT scan.' And I said, 'You know what?! I'm a freakin' millionaire, and for me to have to go in there and ask somebody to get an X-ray? Shame on you, guys. 'Cause if you're doing this to me, what are you doing to the middle-class, what are you doing to the lower-class people?' I was a poor kid, but that stuff pisses me off. And that's gonna come out in the [next Megadeth] record, trust me!"

And once again, MI ignores Mustaine's point, and tries to smear him personally, saying that he is ranting against the crappy health care system put in by politicians that HE voted for. Seriously, I doubt that Mustaine voted for any politician who was in favor of 0bamacare. But, even if he did, that's not the point. I voted for George W Bush, but I was against his bloated spending, expansion of government, (both of which have been rendered insignificant by the spending and government expansion under 0bama) and the Patriot Act.

Metal Injection gots nuttin to say bout me.

Just because you vote for someone doesn't mean you are mandated to agree with everything they say or do. Mustaine's POINT was that even though he was financially able to pay for any procedure he might need, some government hack was telling him that he had to get permission to get a CT scan. This is something that would have been unheard of 5+ years ago, but now that we have 0bamacare, that is a reality for everyone. Basically, healthcare is screwed. But, MI just twisted his words, making it seem like all Mustaine was doing was flaunting his money. Newsflash, its RAPPERS who do that, but I don't see any condemnation of them for doing it. Why? Most of them are 0bamabots as well, and 0bamabots never call out 0bamabots for anything. 0bamabots that can't name one single accomplishment he has other than getting bin laden, or 0bamacare, which all they say is "free healthcare for the poor!" Ask them for any detail, they get a confused look on their face, then call you a racist.

0bama said that if you like your plan, you can keep your plan. That was a lie. I liked my plan, but when 0bamacare was implemented, the cost of it doubled, and I could no longer afford it, so I had to drop it, making myself not only uncovered, but also a criminal under 0bama's laws because its illegal to not have health insurance! I liked my plan just fine, and I was not allowed to keep it...and since I dropped my coverage, I have had 2 spots of skin cancer form on me, and I can't get them treated. Thanks, 0bama. I really wish you'd explain to my face how your shitty law is so great!

Anyway, my point is to illustrate how MI operates. They are in the tank for all things 0bama, and they know nothing about what he is doing. Yet, when someone like Dave Mustaine comes around who DOES know what is going on, they twist his words, call him names, etc rather than listening to what he is saying. And, I predict that even though this is a small blog, if someone at MI reads it, they would be ready to defame me, and trash me in one of their articles....until they get to this paragraph when they realize that I predicted exactly what they wanted to do. Basically, I have just guaranteed that I won't be quoted in their little 0bama cheerleader forum. Whatever.

Basically, I agree with everything Mustaine said. And, the way MI is whining certainly is not metal. Its more like what you would expect to see on some Hollywood rag where all they do is salivate with excitement over which coddled celebrity is marrying which coddled celebrity, or which celebrity is pregnant and worshiping the couple like making babies is something that only celebrities can do. The only thing those rags do other than worship celebrities these days is worship the 0bamas.

...It gives me a migraine headache
Stooping down to Metal Injection's level...

So, Dave Mustaine, keep on kicking ass. Very much looking forward to that next album. Metal Injection, Your Countdown to Extinction is well underway. You want to report metal news, do it. Fire your writers who might as well be writing for an MSNBC blog, and report METAL! Whining about what someone said that you disagree with and calling them names is not metal. Right now, you're acting more like pussies than metalheads. If this is what you want to write about, go cover pop. I'm sure Justin Bieber will give you plenty to cover.

Top 11 Best Metal Anthems of All Time!

I've gotten away from music a little too much this month, so to make it up to my readers, its time for the baddest and the loudest list you'll ever see, and you'll be cranking it, I promise. Grab a beer, and get ready to rock!

Now, I have a criteria. This is strictly metal anthems. There will be no death metal, and no nu metal or grunge. There will only be glam if the song or band is considered metal. For example, Slayer used to be glam, but they were always metal. There will also be no classic rock bands like Foreigner or Led Zeppelin. Its just METAL! Also, only one entry per band. Makes it more difficult, and more entertaining to list.

So, here we go with the top 11 (HAD to be 11, and you know why!) songs that make us want to break out the air guitar, and rip out some air solos, while throwing the horns, and just all out jamming!

So, crank it to 11, sit back, and get ready to head bang! Ready? Too bad! We're starting!!!

Number 11: Death to All but Metal by Steel Panther Sure, I've mentioned them before, but this song HAS to be included. You can't get much more metal than calling for the death of lame acts in a song with a brutally tough guitar lick, blistering solo and piercing screams. Say what you want, but Steel Panther is partially responsible for the resurgence that metal is seeing right now.









Number 10: Bang Your Head (Metal Health) by Quiet Riot You can't have a metal countdown without this song somewhere. The press hated this band, but they didn't care, and the fans loved them. Plus, it spawned 2 legends on guitar and bass. Of course, I'm talking about Randy Rhoads, and Rudy Sarzo.

Number 9: Caught in a Mosh by Anthrax This one brought the mosh pit into the spotlight, and made parents from coast to coast consider insuring their kids before they went to an Anthrax concert.

Number 8: Soldiers Under Command by Stryper
Some of you guys are going to give me grief on this one, I know it. But this song has it all. Twin axe attack, blistering high notes, powerful rhythm section, huge chorus, and one of the most legendary opening riffs there is. Funny...I never knew they made a video for this song.







Number 7: Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth I know Megadeth has lots of better songs than this, but this one fits with the anthem format, since that's what we are going with here. Hangar 18 just doesn't have the chorus that you would want to sing along with. Sure, Peace Sells could be on here too, but I can only pick one, and everybody picks Peace Sells. We like to be different and not cliche. Wait..Wrong band. Anyway, CRANK IT UP!!!

Number 6: Master of Puppets by Metallica How could we not include this one? If this is #6, what could possibly be #1??? Be patient, my friends. This song defined a genre. This was the song that put thrash metal on the map, and blew everyone's doors off. I still remember being afraid of this album when I first heard it. Master of Puppets was my first thrash album.








Number 5: Mister Crowley by Ozzy Some of the finest guitar work ever done, and it is unmatched to this day. If I were to do an air guitar list, this song would likely be #1. I think this song also has some of Ozzy's best vocals too.

Number 4: Holy Diver by Dio Never before has there been a bigger voice from such a little guy. He is one of the 4 singers that when you hear their name, you think METAL. The other 3 are also on this list too. This song put Ronnie James Dio on the map as a solo artist. And by the way...He didn't die. He was killed by a dragon. I am convinced of this.

Number 3 Hallowed be thy Name by Iron Maiden So many to choose from Iron Maiden. I chose this one because of the guitar work, however its vocals are raw power, especially when the song kicks into full speed. Out of Iron Maiden's many masterpieces, I would rank this one definitely top 5. You can't go wrong here, and if my memory serves, this was the song that got me into Iron Maiden.

Number 2: Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath I had a very hard time choosing this one. It was between 4 songs. This, Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and NIB. I finally went with this because it would have required choosing between 3 Ozzy songs, and I couldn't do it. Plus, Heaven and Hell has that anthem sing along feel to it on top of the dark overtones. Plus, what would it hurt to have a second tribute to RJD?

Number 1: Painkiller by Judas Priest And, now here we are at number one. This song is so badass that it KNOWS it is #1 It even has its own drumroll to intro the song to the number one slot. Sure, Priest has lots of songs that are more anthem like than Painkiller like Metal Gods, Breaking The Law, Another Think Coming, Electric Eye, and the list goes on and on. But, this song is their most heavy hitting, and is the epitome of what a metal anthem should be. Plus, the number one song shouldn't be in my opinion a radio hit. So, get ready to blast it, and get the air guitars blazing because Painkiller is bad. Think there's a better song than Painkiller to be number one? Well, you got another think coming!




So, there you have it. The top 11 Metal Anthems of all time. I hope you enjoyed it. I sure as hell did. As always, I welcome comments. And as always, if its not METAL, TURN IT OFF!!!

2013: Beginning of a Heavy Metal Renaissance?

Metal, and I mean REAL good ol' heavy metal that dominated the 80's has been dead since the end of the 80's. It seems to have gone by the wayside, with the bands breaking up, and the ones that don't break up decided to change with the times and neuter their music. It was a shame. Metal fans from all over the globe wondered what the hell happened to their music and bands, and were demanding real bands back. But, the record companies had decided that metal was dead, and flannel was the new leather. Crappy 3 chord progressions with bad mixdowns, and a monotone whiners calling themselves singers replaced the incredible virtuoso guitarists, excellent vocals by guys who actually sang, and the recordings were produced by professionals.

But, hope was not lost. In 2008,  a group of visionaries came forth, and put together a band that would make people realize just how much of a good thing was gone. They were not afraid to once again don the leather, makeup, and mega talented song writing abilities. Steel Panther took the stage, and asked the important question:

Where is Def Leppard? Where is Mötley Crüe?Why do all my lyrics sound like Dr. Seuss?

Also, leading the battle cry against all things modern corporate music machine with a powerful incantation, they pierced the stratosphere, screaming 'DEATH TO ALL BUT METAL!!!!!'

At first, the band was labeled as a gimmick that wouldn't last long. But, as the crowds and venues they played got larger, combined with exposed boobies and cigarette lighters returning to concerts, people began realizing that REAL metal had been underground for far too long...And that it was time bring it back! Heavy Metal faithful rejoice!

Critics weren't the only people to recognize the truth. Slowly but surely, the metal bands of the 1980's began reforming and writing new 'return to form' types of albums. A handful of musicians grouped up to form supergroups. And it was a breath of fresh air to every metal fan who grew up in Metal's Golden Age. But, new fans were getting in on it too. Look at the ages of people on these bands Facebook pages...I've seen many teenagers on pages for bands like Queensryche or even Fates Warning saying that they were new fans, and they love that type of music. Its very refreshing. You can also see it at these bands concerts. Especially Steel Panther. Its not just 40+ year old women flashing their boobies. ;)

reforming and writing new 'return to form' types of albums. A handful of musicians grouped up to form supergroups. And it was a breath of fresh air to every metal fan who grew up in

In 2013, twenty four classic metal bands/ artists released new studio albums. Most of them were 'return to form' type albums, and they all have one thing in common...They are SELLING. I'm going to list my top 10 in no particular order here:

If you look up 'return to form album' in the dictionary, you will see this album. After many years of disappointing albums, Queensryche, along with Todd LaTorre on vocals released their self titled effort, which easily fits in the category of Queensryche's great albums along with Operation: Mindcrime, Rage for Order, and Promised Land. Its first month outsold BOTH of their previous albums in their first months combined.

Another 'Return to form' album, Stryper proudly releases 'No More Hell to Pay' which fits in between their greatest albums, Soldiers Under Command and To Hell With The Devil. Michael Sweet still has the range he did in the 80's. If anything, his voice is even more powerful.

In keeping with the 'return to form' model here, Skid Row released the album that should have come after Slave to the Grind, United World Rebellion: Part One. Seems like everyone still has 'GOT' it!

Fates Warning, after a long hiatus got back together, and released Darkness in a Different Light, and it

seemed like they never even went away in the first place.

Alice in Chains, is back with a new singer. They released The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, one of their best albums to date. I am not aware of any Alice in Chains albums that weren't good, so there's no surprise here. I know they came after the 80's, but they were really the only band that was worth a damn in the grunge era. That's because they weren't a grunge band. They were a metal band that happened to come from Seattle.

Megadeth and Super Collider. Need I say more? Dave Mustaine and Megadeth are one of the only 80's bands that never went through an 'album selling' phase by wearing makeup and making stripped down music to try to fit in with what was popular in the 90's. Their sound did change, but not in an effort to fit in. It was to do something a little different for a change. Say what you want about Megadeth. At least they never released an album with no guitar solos.

Another 'return to form' album, Black Sabbath returned to their deep, creepy, doom and gloom, apocalyptic sound that put them on the map in the first place with 13.  It was strange hearing 'Is God Dead?' being played on the radio right after some crappy band named after a position in football.

Motorhead and Aftershock. Nothing else necessary to say other than 'LEMMY!'

Got it? Good.

Pamela Moore's album, Resurrect Me is iconic. It is her first heavy metal album, and it is just as much of a heavy hitter as any of these others. In fact, most of the songs on this album make just about anything on rock radio stations these days seem like bubblegum...or maybe they are bubblegum? Who cares? This album kicks ass!

What a good way to round out the list than with Dream Theater. They have yet another self titled effort, and its my favorite since their first two albums, Images and Words, and Awake. 

Honorable mention to The Winery Dogs for their self titled release. Consisting of Billy Sheehan, Ritchie Kotzen, and Mike Portnoy, they have released one of the best 'supergroup' albums ever done.

Check out the other 14 classics who have all released great albums this year:

Jason Newsted's 'Newsted' and 'Heavy Metal Music'
Helloween: Straight out of Hell
Saxon: Sacrifice
Krokus: Dirty Dynamite
Anthrax: Anthems
Warlord: the Holy Empire
Suicidal Tendencies: 13
Deep Purple: Now What?
Vicious Rumors: Electric Punishment
Kingdom come: Outlier
UDO: Steelhammer
Anvil: Hope in Hell
GWAR: Battle Maximus

I'm sure I missed a few. There were also several bands like Judas Priest and Manowar who released live albums.

Honestly, can you think of a better year for metal albums than 2013 in the past 20 years or so? I can't. And, I'm hoping that 2014 will be even better with more 'return to form' albums, and overall great albums. These releases are better than any of the current 'modern' metal bands on their BEST days. There are several exceptions. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, etc are great bands, but we aren't talking about modern bands now, are we?

So, go out and buy these albums! Support the bands when they come in concert, bug the crap out of your local rock radio stations, and maybe...Just maybe Heavy Metal will return to its glory years in a spandex and leather Metal Renaissance!

Metallica is Dead. Sad But True!

 Oh, I'm going to take some shots for this one...Before we get started, let me give you a summary of my view of Metallica. I think that with the albums Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, the band peaked. While And Justice For All is a good album, it was a serious letdown to be the followup to Master of Puppets. Although topping Master of Puppets is a pretty tall order, considering that album is one of the top 5 greatest metal albums of all time. I'm not even going to get into the bass guitar or lack thereof on And Justice For All.

Anyway, Metallica released the Black album next, and while it had to grow on me, I eventually accepted it as their third best album. It was certainly their best sounding album as far as production goes. After that, Load and Reload were released. They did grow on me to the point that if it were done by a band NOT called Metallica, they would be great albums. Both albums are good and solid metal albums. Then came St. Anger. WTF were they thinking? No guitar solos? Lars Ulrich's drums sound like he is beating on a garbage can, and the guitar sound is like nails on a chalkboard. By far, the WORST Metallica album to date.

In late 2007, we started hearing rumors coming out of the studio that Metallica was working on a juggernaut of a metal album, and that the answers to all of the fans prayers would be released later the next year. We all waited in anticipation. Finally, Death Magnetic was released, and we all bought it...only to be let down once again. The songs are unnecessarily long, with extra musical bits that don't really fit with the song, seemingly just to make the song longer. And, James Hetfield confirms what we all suspected after hearing St. Anger. He does not have the voice anymore. And, if you saw them live, you would agree. Lars is slower, and that is to be expected. He's 50 something years old, and the drum parts in the first 4 albums were among the fastest recorded at the time.

So, we are still waiting for that breakthrough return to form album. You might say that it isn't possible. You would be wrong. Earlier this year, an amazing return to form or reboot album was released by another band. Click here to find out who it is.

But, all this is not even why I am saying the band is dead. Death Magnetic did not suck, and Metallica still puts on a hell of a show live, even though it isn't as fast as it was. I'm saying they are dead because of things they have said and done in interviews, and behind the scenes.

It all started with S&M...Although I thought that was a pretty cool thing to do, lots of people thought Metallica playing with an orchestra was a major non metal moment. In fact, VH1 listed that as the #23 non metal moment of all time. Some songs sounded like a train wreck, like One. Others sounded great like For Whom The Bell Tolls. The Scorpions and Deep Purple did it too.

 But, in my opinion, it started to go downhill with them in the Some Kind of Monster movie, where they showed scenes with Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine having a heart to heart. I thought they were going to hug and start crying. Later in the movie, James Hetfield was airing out his feelings like an after school special. Yep. That was the beginning of the end. In fact, here is a blog post written by a MAN no less, explaining why non metalheads will like the Monster movie. (the quote is also a link)

The user-friendly film focuses on the band's therapy sessions over a three-year period. It lets you see how the members react to their time with therapist and personal-enhancement coach Phil Towle and to each other, as expressed to the ever-present cameras

Next came VH1's #38 least metal moment. Avril Lavigne playing Fuel at Metallica's Icon dedication. Once again, I thought that was pretty cool. I know I'm not doing myself any favors or lending myself any credibility by saying that I think that these are pretty cool in a blog post where I am trying to make the case that Metallica is dead. Believe me. You will understand when I am finished. You know, Avril Lavigne is a rocker chick. She writes her own songs, and can actually play guitar well. I am not a fan of hers but based on the few songs I heard of hers back in 2003, I would rather hear her music than 90% of the crap that is on the radio today. I've never understood what VH1 had against her doing Fuel for that show.

Speaking of VH1's list of nonmetal moments, what I am leading up to would surely make number one on an updated list. This is worse than the current number one which is 1. Vince Neil Leads Giant Chicken Dance. 

Then came Lulu. Metallica releases an album with the late great Lou Reed. The burning question on everyone's mind was "WHY???" As the follow up to Death Magnetic, which was a letdown, this does not send a message of hope to the fans that somewhere underneath was the band that released Puppets and Lightning. One review states:

In qualitative terms, this album makes St Anger look like Master Of Puppets.

Nothing Else Matters crosses a line in my opinion. And, while Metallica can't control who covers their music, this whole mess could have been avoided if maybe...I don't know...METALLICA HAD NEVER WRITTEN THAT DAMN SONG IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Now, the band obviously can't control who covers their songs, but Macy Gray covering 

While that is bad, brace yourselves. This is the story that signals the demise of Metallica. No one should ever take them seriously again after this. What could be so horrible?

From TMZ: Metallica -- yes, Metallica -- just professed their love and admiration for all things Justin Bieber… and they weren’t kidding … like not even a little bit.

The band was giving an interview with a rock magazine about Bieber's recent take on their mega-hit "Fade to Black," when lead singer James Hetfield admitted, "Are we Beliebers? Yes."

Drummer Lars Ulrich backed James up ... saying, "I think the kid's really talented and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindf**k. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber.”Bassist Robert Trujillo added "As long as he stays out of trouble, I'll be a Belieber.”  

Now, this whole story was started because of the picture above with Justin Bieber wearing the Metallica shirt, and a 20 second video clip of Beiber vocalizing the lead intro to Fade to Black. I don't see what is so special about that, but TMZ of course had to ask the band what they thought of it. Now, the METAL thing to say would have been along the lines of "Hey, its cool. We love all our fans, but if Bieber really is a Metallica fan, we'd love to hear some influence in his music." 

Instead, the band gave Bieber yet another ego stroking by enabling him to say "Even Metallica are Beliebers!" Its SAD BUT TRUE, and what's even worse is the possibility of yet another collaboration album. 

The thing that should not be...

So, RIP Metallica. Its been real. But unfortunately, the ONLY thing that can redeem you from this would be to release an album that ranks as the number 3 Metallica album behind Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. We won't hold our breath.

Rob Halford had it right on That Metal Show, when he said this: 

Although that was before Metallica came out as Justin Bieber fans. Had it been afterwards, he might have had something more to say other than what he did.

We'll miss you, Metallica, but we will still crank the good albums up to 11 and remember the good times. As for new music, we still have Megadeth. 

Listen to my radio show, The Will and Thunder Show as we discuss this topic. Click here.