Welcome to the globalized underground music genre known as Heavy Metal. Here you will find reviews and discussions on Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music and it's bands. Prepare to be Metalized!
The mighty (in so many ways) Zakk Wylde released the sequel to his acoustic album Book
of Shadows. This new album is great! I am a fan of acoustic music and
this album definitely plays into that desire for acoustic music.
Zakk Wylde, being
the great guitar hero that he is, displays
his talent in the solos within these songs. The album is a bit lengthy with
its 14 songs. Wylde is known for his
shredding; listen to the latest Black
Label Society album which demonstrates his prowess. Book of Shadows II allows
him to show his songwriting abilities that which go beyond just metal. Each
song has this very similar tone that is translated throughout the album. This
feeling is not a detriment in the flow of the album and can make it feel as if you
were listening to one long acoustic song. The problem I see in his format style
is that there really is not a lot of differentiation to the untrained ear and
most of the songs don’t stand out from each other.
I would like to note that one of the bonus tracks on the
album contains a version of the song “Sleeping
Dogs” that features Corey Taylor
on vocals. That version of the track gives the song a really cool dynamic sound
as Taylor and Wylde alternate on vocals. So, it’s no wonder that they used that
version in the music video.
Overall, the tone on this album is very mellow and in my
opinion I find Book of Shadows II to be a cool and calm listening experience which
offers quality music. I suggest listening to this album on a nice summer
evening.
Babymetal. Need I
say more? There is a stigma around this group in that are they truly metal?
Really what I think it comes down to is that some people don’t like j-pop with
their metal. For me while I don’t care for j-pop, but I don’t hate it either.
Let’s be honest here, if Rob Halford,
The Metal God, can praise this group, there’s got to be something to them. So
how does their album stack up with other metal that is currently on the market?
Well let’s find out!
Immediately upon listening to this album, the first thing I thought
of was, “this sounds a lot like DragonForce!” and that’s because two of the
members of DragonForce collaborated
on the first song. The following song “KARATE”
which is one of the more memorable songs on the album with a more groove metal feel.
The album turns more of a smorgasbord of songs with some ups and downs. The
album fuses many elements of Heavy Metal and facets of J-Pop.
Babymetal’s
second album Metal Resistance continues on with the fusion of j-pop and
metal genres which was established in their first album. They’re continuing to
incorporate other sub-genres of metal, for example power metal and groove metal
into their music. Overall the album offers some hooks to grab you, but ultimately
not enough for me. The genres that this group is trying to fuse into their music
style, j-pop and metal, may turn some people off so that some people are not
going to give this band a listen. I think those people should listen to this
music first before forming a preconceived opinion.
Fates Warning
released their 12th studio album earlier this year, Theories
of Flight. I am not that familiar with this band, although their album,
Awaken
the Guardian, is one of my favorite progressive metal albums.
This album, Theories
of Flight, as some slower parts which are balanced out by the faster and
heavier songs. Most of the songs on the first half of the album are very
memorable with, “Seven Stars”, being
the song I think about when I want to listen to this album. The second half of
the album is where it starts to drop off and go weird. What I mean is, the
final song which is also the title track, sounds more like a space ship docking
and departing in outer space than an actual song.
If you bought the deluxe edition version of the album you
also received a second disc with six acoustic tracks. Half of these songs are
covers and the other half are different versions of their own songs. Overall
the second disc is a nice addition to the album and enjoyable to listen to if
you dig acoustic.
Fates Warning
crafted an album that they can call all their own and it shows. Theories
of Flight is a pretty good album with some great songs. Personally, I
really like this album much more than Dream
Theater’s new album The Astonishing. This album is
definitely one to check out and for all of you progressive metal and rock fans
this is an album not to miss.
Diamond Head, the
only way you probably would have known of this band back in the day is if you
were a frequent concertgoer, a metalhead and lived in Europe. The 2010 DVD concert
of the Big Four (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica) in which the members
of the Big Four came out and performed Diamond
Head’s song “Am I Evil?” gave Diamond Head worldwide exposure in the
mainstream the metal scene. This year they actually released a new studio album
with new vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen
who joined the band in 2014.
How does Diamond Head’s
new self-titled album stack up with this year’s competition? In my opinion, Diamond
Head is not monumental like other classic albums, but this album has
some great riffs and hooks. They don’t have the big production that more
successful bands do. The band’s sound is refined and un-bloated and their tunes
are pleasant to the ear. Diamond Head
relies on their laurels of good riffs, melody and hooks to create a compelling
listening experience.
Diamond Head is a pretty good metal album that shows that this
band still has relevancy and can write good songs. Definitely give this album a
listen.
The classic thrash metal band, Flotsam and Jetsam, are back with their self-titled 12th
studio album. It has been about 4 years since their last release and 30 years
since their classic debut album. One might ask how does this new material stack
up against their catalogue, is the music still relevant, and how good is this new
album?
From what I’ve read on line from some hardcore fans of Flotsam and Jetsam, this album is a
return to their original style and plays to the strengths of the band. Personally,
I’m only familiar with their debut album Doomsday for theDeceiver
and this album seems like it would have been great if it had been released about
20-25 years ago. Actually, upon release iTunes had the album year of release listed
as 1993 which later was corrected to 2016. I saw the YouTube video of this band’s
single “Iron Maiden” and thus I learned
about the release of their latest album. I don’t think this album will be the
album to break Flotsam and Jetsam
into the mainstream or into the main circles for most metal fans, but I can see
this band going out and getting some good exposure by touring with other well-known
bands.
In my opinion, this album is alright as some of the songs
for me are a bit forgettable. There are some riffs in here that definitely
stand out and it has an old-school thrash metal sound. Most of the album seem
to drown out into the background with blips of interest with some of the songs.
For hardcore Flotsam and Jetsam fans
this will be your bread and butter. If you want to hear what old-school thrash
sounds like, then definitely check out this album. Otherwise, it has a few
standout songs to take a listen to.
The current lineup from left to right: Rob Cavestany, Damien Sisson, Mark Osegueda, Will Carroll & Ted Aguilar
So far, this year I have done many mainstays of Heavy Metal music.
Starting with Iron Maiden and most recently
Metallica. Now,I would like to talk
about a band that isn’t as well known. In the Thrash Metal genre, these guys
are one of the best and unfortunately get overshadowed by the Big 4 of Thrash
Metal.
Death Angel is
band that was founded in 1982 and started to pick up steam in 1985 with their Kill
As One demo. Since that time and up to today they’ve released 8 albums,
have toured around the world, and had broken up for about 10 years from 1991 to
2001; in 2001 they reformed for a benefit concert. Aside from their earlier accomplishments,
I feel that Death Angel has created their
best album to date with their most recent album The Evil Divide being one
of my favorites.
Death Angel is
from the San Francisco Bay area. This was one of the epicenters of Thrash Metal
known as Bay Area Thrash. Many bands including Exodus and Testament still
call it home. So, with the large amount of Thrash Metal being produced, Death Angel is tried and true to their
surroundings and carry that torch. A couple things to be known about Death Angel are that when the band was
formed the members were very young with most of them being in their early to
mid-teens and also that members of the original lineup of Mark Osegueda, Rob Cavestany,
Dennis Pepa, Gus Pepa and Andy Galeon
were all related.
What really makes Death
Angel unique, more than those little fun facts, is that they play Thrash Metal
with melody in their music. This differentiated them from other thrash bands
that were going faster and heavier. One thing I will say is that due to their
break-up, Death Angel never when
through that phase of going more commercial or changing their style to match the
times.
I found out about this band in 2014 when I was listening to S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death) and Exodus. At that time, I was already
loving the speed and heaviness of Thrash Metal, but Death Angel brought some color into my palate of music. With the melodic
elements, it gave me a renewed scene of love for melody in my Metal music. Then
I went and got into King Diamond,
but that is another story.
Dream Theater has
been the leading band to push the genre of Progressive Metal to new heights. The Astonishing was released on January 29th, 2016 and is Dream Theater’s 13th studio album. This album is
actually a concept album and follows a man through a dystopian future. The
album has a total of 34 songs and clocks in at around 2 hours and 10 minutes.
This is their longest album to date.
Personally, I am a fan of Dream Theater’s heavier albums like Train of Thought and Awake.
For this album, The Astonishing took me 10 months to make this review. Just
kidding, but this review was a large undertaking for me to do.
The Music:
I’m not going to explain the meaning of each lyric, because
this is a concept album and each song tells a part of the story. If you want to
check out the cool concepts and the overarching story being told through each
song, go click on this page on Dream
Theater’s official website, where it details what transpires during the
story and provides the lyrics for the songs. Instead, I will be discussing the music and how it relates to the theme and overall story.
Disc 1:
Part 1 [Tracks 1-5]
The first couple of songs, especially “Dystopian Overture”, really set the mood for the album. By having
this epic and dark tone for the dystopian future concept portrayed through the
music, each song sets the stage for the story, giving the audience an
understanding of what is happening or what has already happened for the
characters and world. The following songs present the perspective of the
narrator, ‘the chosen one’ Gabriel and his older brother Arhys. The way that the songs on this album are
presented is similar to that of a musical or an opera.
Personally, I love the beginning of “The Gift of Music” because of its upbeat sound and catchy
progression. I also like the part when the song does down to this serene beat
and changes the perspective from the narrator to Arhys. The vocals are very
clear which helps us understand the message of the song. Shortly after the song
builds up from the serene part of the song, some of the lyrics have a chorus added
behind the vocals.
“The Answer” is
more of a serene song that still is able to give the emotion of insecurity of
the character Gabriel. The song “A
Better life” has this great marching sound at the beginning of the song that
sets a darker mood. Another part of that song I like is the were he says the
lyrics “I shall give him a better life, I swore this vow to my dying wife” and all
the subsequent lines after that. I also liked the part where a line would be
said then the name ‘Evangeline’ would be said after.
Part 2 [Tracks 6-10]
The first song “Lord
Nafaryus” gives the audience a foreboding feeling as well as the
motivations behind the actions of the character. The next song ,“A Savior in the Square”, begins with a melodic,
serene, acoustic sounding piece that starts off the track. Then as does in the
story, the song transitions to a tone that is reminiscent of heralding the
arrival of someone important. I love the progression of this song as it changes
tones throughout as situations unfold in the story.
In the next song, “When Your Time Has Come”, it has an
awesome wailing guitar solo. The following track, “Act of Faythe”, goes into the feelings one of the characters. It
starts with a beautiful orchestrated piece then changes to a lone piano and
vocals. The track progresses as more instruments are added into the mix, ending
with something reminiscent to the song “Lord
Nafaryus”. The riff for the song “Three
Days” is really rhythmic and catchy. The vocal melody aligns closely with
the riff. I really like the part where the vocals are sung above the riff as it
slows down, giving the character that is based on those lines a chance to
really stand out. I also like the chaotic ending of this song.
Part 3 [Tracks 11-15]
After a short mechanical instrumental from the NOMACS, “Brother, Can You Hear Me?” starts with
this militant sounding music piece that sounds like it could be in an old
military propaganda film. The first part of the lyrics sounds like a chant from
a group rather than from a singular character. After the music dies down, it
starts up again with a serene riff that builds up as it goes on. The lyrics are
the response from the main character comforting the previous group. “A Life Left Behind” starts with a chord
progression on acoustic guitar. The other instruments join in after a few of
these chords take place. The riff changes to a softer tone as the vocals start.
I like how the riff goes up when the line “I’m waking up” is sung. The next
track, “Ravenskill”, opens with
piano and what sounds like chirping birds in the background. In-between the
vocals, other noises like running water are added to the soundscape. After
about 2 minutes, the bass guitar and drums jump in and make the song much
heavier. A few minutes later, the song returns to only vocals and piano but
this later transitions into a different sound by the addition of the other
instruments which end out the song. “Chosen”
is a pretty dramatic song. It’s simple and melodic but the simple message of
the hope that the characters have is what makes this song shine.
Part 4 [Tracks 16-20]
“A
Temping Offer” opens with a few notes from a piano then followed by a riff that
comes crashing down which immediately grabs your attention. The song is pretty
intense as the story unfolds. The sound is dramatic just like the choice that
the character has to make. “Digital
Discord” is another NOMAC instrumental. It’s different and breaks up the
pace of the story to allow the circumstances to set in. The following song “The X Aspect” portrays the desperate
situation placed upon the character and the choice he has to make. The song
starts with a soft piano, then an acoustic guitar and an organ take over the
riff. The drums enter and the pace of the song picks up. I’m a sucker for
bagpipes so when they joined in, I thoroughly enjoyed their addition to the
song. “A New Beginning” has this
heavy riff that is really exciting to the ear. As the song continues, the riff
has a really catchy rhythm. It also has some resemblance to some of the other
songs we’ve heard so far like “TheGift of Music” and “Lord Nafaryus”. This song also has some
great guitar solos and keyboard solos. As choices and story plans of the
characters are being played out, the consequences of their actions are played
out in the music of the song “The Road
to Revolution”. The riff changes tonally as it goes between each of the
characters. As the first disc closes out, it seems that Act 1 is finally over and
the next Act will see those choices played out to fruition.
Disc 2:
Part 1 [Tracks 1-3]
Act 2 of the album starts with an instrumental that reacquaints
us with the themes from the previous act while also setting the tone of the
second Act. The song “Moment of Betrayal”
is where the act truly begins and paves the way for rest of the second act. It’s
a darker, heavier song which continues to get heavier as the song goes on. The next
song, “Heaven’s Cove”, has this
eerie opening as if we were in the hallowed halls of an old long forgotten building.
The song has bursts of heavy sound and then fully transitions into a heavy
sound as the vocals start.
Part 2 [Tracks 4-7]
“Begin Again” has
this emotional riff that seeps hope. The way the orchestration and vocals come
together is masterful to say the least. “The
Path That Divides” starts with what sounds like crickets chirping in the
night. After a mechanical noise, a dramatic riff plays as the character is facing
the moment of truth. As the song progresses, it gets heavier and more symphonic
in some places. The vocal melody closely follows the riff in this song. The next
song “Machine Chatter” is another
NOMACS instrumental. Even though the song itself is rather quiet, the beat of
this instrumental is exceptionally catchy. “The Walking Shadow” continues the dramatic theme from the song “The Path That Divides”. In some parts
of this song, the riff is very percussive. The track stops around the 2-minute
mark and has the sound of walking footsteps. It then ramps up the riff again as
the vocals tell the events in the story.
Part 3 [Tracks 8-11]
“My Last Farewell”
is a somber song which is in response to the dark event that had transpired. As
the song progresses, it follows the emotions being released by the character. “Losing Faythe” starts with a sadder
tone of the characters mourning. Later in the song, the tone becomes more hopeful
sounding as the situation unfolds, when an opportunity comes into the mind of
one of the characters.
“Whispers of the
Wind” continues the somber tone as the vocals portray a hopelessness of the
character, draining away any hope for the situation. In the next song, “Hymn of a Thousand Voices”, what seems
like a hopeless situation is uplifted by the events that follow in the story. The
song sounds epic as a choir can be heard in the background behind the vocals.
Part 4 [Tracks 12-14]
With the crisis now over, the song “Our New World” begins the last chapter in the story. It is an uplifting
and upbeat song expressing hope for a new better world. “Power Down” is the last of the NOMACS instrumentals on the album
and it’s the signal that the story is nearing its end. The album ends with “Astonishing”. This song incorporates elements
from other tracks on the album. It wraps up the story and album nicely as the
song builds up touching upon all the elements of the story being told through
the various pieces of music from the album.
Verdict:
I like the dystopian future concept that Dream Theater has brought. To me it
could have been generic, as many stories with a setting similar to this usually
deal with the survival of the character or the politics associated with such a
world. Dream Theater, mainly by John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess who wrote the concept and music for the album, deal
with somethingthat most writers do
not and that is the cultural aspect of such a future, especially music. Even
though this album was written mainly by John
Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, each
of the other members of Dream Theater
still get to shine within the music, whether it be in vocals or instrumental
solos.
I would love to see this album be adapted into a comic book
or movie. A musical might work, but those usually have dance numbers and this
music would not work in that kind of setting. Although, I could see this as a
movie rock opera. It really depends on how it’s handled, but a production with something
visual would be great. I really like this album and if you love progressive music
and/or concept albums, this is one of the best that I have found.
If you want to hear this album for yourself, here is the album
stream from Dream Theater’s official YouTube page:
Top 6 Songs:
1) “Gift of Music”
2) “A Better Life”
3) “Lord Nafaryus”
4) “The Answer”
5) “Three Days”
6) “A New Beginning”
From left to right: Jordan Rudess, John Myung, James LaBrie, Mike Mangini & John Petrucci
Dream Theater’s
US tour of The Astonishing is now over as of today, because today is their
last show of the tour. Next year, when they go to Europe they are going to be
celebrating the 25th anniversary of their second album Images
and Words by playing that album in its entirety.
It has been 8 years since Metallica released their last album Death Magnetic and during
that time, they have done many tours, collaborated on the album Lulu
with Lou Reed, were inducted into
the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 2009,
and released the movie Through the Never. Now they have
release their 10th studio album Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, but does
this album have the power to compete with their past albums?
It’s safe to say that I’m not really a big fan of Metallica, or at least their material
after their fifth album, but I am willing to at least give this album a fair
review like I would for any album.
The Music:
“Hardwired” is
just a nice fast and heavy song with kick. It has a simple effective riff that
grabs you. It works well as the opening song of the album, reminding fans that
they are still going strong after 30 + years.
“Atlas, Rise!” is
another song with a great riff. As a song that comes in sequence after “Hardwired”, it keeps the heavy beat and
continues the vibe set by the opening track. It’s another good heavy metal song
that has a great groove. This song refers to the Greek mythological legend of
the titan Atlas and how he holds up the skies of earth.
“Now That We’re Dead”
has a long intro clocking in around 1 minute and 40 seconds. It’s another solid
metal track. One of the highlights in this song is Kirk Hammett’s guitar solo and the breakdown and build up to the
main riff that ensues after the solo.
“Moth into Flame”
starts off with another solid riff that catches the ear. The chord progression
right before the bridge raises the pitch and makes it interesting and memorable
to listen to. This is another thrashy song by Metallica. They are on a hot streak with 4 good songs right off the
bat, now let’s see if they keep it up.
“Dream No More” is
a slower tempo song with an emphasis on heaviness. This song is not as melodic
as their other songs and the vocal style is more like shouting. Right after the
4-minute mark, the song stops for a few seconds and then starts up again with a
guitar solo. The chord progression goes down during the solo and then jumps
into the main riff when the guitar solo finishes. The tone of the song is dark
with the familiar subject of Cthulhu.
“Halo on Fire” is
another slower song that is more melodic with James Hetfield singing and has a softer tone. That is until the
main riff starts and the song picks up with Hetfield doing a short and loud shout signifying the change. About halfway
through the song, the riff changes and marches along with a strong emphasis on
the bass. Kirk Hammett also gets a
few chances to do some great guitar solos on this song. Overall, this song is
an interesting listen and has a few changes to the riff that keeps your
interest all the way throughout the song.
As “Confusion”
opens, it reminds me of the Diamond Head
classic “Am I Evil?” which Metallica has covered many times. After
by what some would say is a blatant rip off of an intro, this piece by Metallica has a fast thrashy riff that
only is slow for the first verse of the song. ‘WaHammett’ uses the Wah pedal in his guitar solo on this song for
great effect. If you can’t guess from the lyrics, the song is about PTSD or
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
*Wahammett is Kirk
Hammett’s nickname as an exaggeration for his use of the Wah pedal
throughout his music carrier.
“ManUNkind”
starts off light and builds up to a heavier riff. The song has a simple and
memorable riff. The chorus of the song is very catchy and during the latter
part of the song the vocals have an echo effect, making Hetfield’s voice sound larger. Kirk Hammett also has a soulful solo
in this song. The music video for this song has a generic looking black metal
band that performs the tunes but still has all the instrumentals and vocals of Metallica
dubbed over them. Overall, the band still demonstrates their versatility and even
though we’re 8 songs into the album, the album is still going strong.
“Here Comes Revenge”
is an angrier sounding song but considering the name of the song that is not so
surprising. The instrumentals have a good beat and the riff is memorable and catchy.
Kirk Hammett, like in most of the other songs on the album, has another good
guitar solo on this song. As the track ends, they deliberately breakdown the
song with heavy distortion from their guitars.
“Am I Savage?”
starts with a serene sounding opening riff. After the wail of the guitar, the instrumentals
go into the main heavy riff. The chorus is syncopated with the riff, which is a
little jarring because the riff and vocal melody doesn’t sync up. This does
catch your attention and is very effective at that. The riff for “Am I Savage?” is very rhythmic as the
bass and drums have more emphasis placed on them. Overall this song is one of
the heavier tracks on the album.
“Murder One”
starts with a short acoustic intro and the main riff is simple, heavy and loud.
This song is a tribute to Motörhead
and specifically music legend Lemmy
Kilmister. The lyrics refence the saying “Born to Lose,
Live to Win”, the song/album “Ace of Spades” and the way Lemmy lived his life. Overall the song is a good original tribute
to the late musician and in the music video it prominently shows an animation
of Lemmy, during which he gives the
middle finger at the end of the video.
The closing track, “Spit
Out the Bone”, ends the album with a thrashy riff that is reminiscent of
early Metallica in it’s speed. Hetfield’s vocals shout out the lyrics which
goes well with the rhythm of the drums. The song is more focused on rhythm rather
than melody. “Spit Out the Bone” is
about our dependency on technology and the instrumentals are definitely reminiscent
of the sounds of a machine. Metallica
ends Hardwired…To
Self-Destruct with the heaviest song, showcasing that they can still do
Thrash just as good as any other Thrash Metal band.
“Lords of Summer”
was the song that was released as a single and was spawned last year during their
Metallica By Request Tour. It’s a pretty generic song and I find some of the
lyrics to be kind of cheesy. As a song, I didn’t really like it when it came
out and while it not as bad as I originally thought, it’s not a terrible song, it’s
just not something that I find to be all that great.
“Ronnie Rising Medley”
is actually from the album Ronnie James Dio - This is your Life,
which isan album full of cover
songs from late Ronnie James Dio’s carrier
by artists like Anthrax, Rob Halford and the Scorpions. The album was for Dio’s official Stand Up and Shout cancer
fund. I thought it was a good tribute and my opinion has not changed.
The next two tracks “When
A Blind Man Cries” and “Remember
Tomorrow” are covers of Deep Purple
and Iron Maiden songs, respectively.
It is well known that Metallica performs some great cover songs and that has
not changed. The following tracks after this are a live recording of a
performance Metallica did at Rasputin Music in Berkeley, California.
Verdict:
Hardwired…To Self-Destruct is a great album. All of the songs
are in the same vein as each other but they are each distinctively different so
as not to be repetitive. Metallica
is clearly at the top of their game and fans will find a great album to sink
their teeth into. This album may not convert any fans who hold resentment against
them over the post-black album music. I
feel that fans should at least listen to the songs and give them a chance, especially the
heavier songs.
Top 5 Songs:
1) “Spit Out the Bone”
2) “Atlas, Rise!”
3) “Moth into Flame”
4) “Confusion”
5) “Here Comes
Revenge”
From Left to Right: Robert Trujillo, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett
“Metal Up Your Ass”
– the original title of their debut album.
From Left to Right: Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, & Robert Trujillo
Metallica! Who
hasn’t heard of these guys? The band was formed in 1981 by Lars Ulrich and James
Hetfield. In over 35 years, they’ve sold over 110 million albums worldwide
and were inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. They had tours
that spanned the globe and were the first artist to play in all seven
continents. They were one of the major bands that expanded the boundaries of
Metal Music both artistically and geographically and broke down the barriers to
perform throughout the world so other bands could follow.
Everybody and I mean everybody who likes metal, loves
Metallica’s first three albums. These albums Kill ‘Em All, Ride
the Lightning and Master of Puppets are the
cornerstone of Thrash Metal. From great crowd pleasers like “Seek & Destroy” and “Creeping Death” to Cliff Burton’s bass solo “(Anesthesia)--Pulling
Teeth”, Metallica has a song for
every metal fan.
When it comes to Metallica’s
albums four and five, heavy metal fans know the controversies surrounding those
albums. Metallica’s fourth album, …And Justice for All, was the first
to feature bassist Jason Newsted
after the tragic bus accident that killed Cliff
Burton. The controversy is regarding the poor mixing of the instrumentals. Whoever
screwed it up (some fingers are pointed at drummer Lars Ulrich), it doesn’t really
matter as the album still had a huge impact and set Metallica up to dominate the world of Heavy Metal.
Their fifth album’s controversy doesn’t involve the mixing
of the songs, but rather in the change of style. You have to go back and listen
to the albums in sequence in order to understand what I am talking about.
Imagine listening to four albums of Thrash Metal and when you’re expecting more
of that you get something dramatically different, Thrash Metal to Regular Metal.
Metallica’s fifth self-titled album was
their biggest success and it really was no surprise because of their excellent
song quality and the momentum that they had been building. Again, what makes so
many fans sour is that it was an unprecedented change in style and an abandonment
of the genre they spearheaded. Of course, they take pride in what they’ve accomplished
and with their most recent album, Metallica
is continuing their return to their Thrash Metal roots as they had done in
their previous album “Death Magnetic”.
Despite their musical directions, Metallica has garnered many new fans around the world. Even though
they have multiple platinum selling albums, they still play a lot of their music
from those first three albums. So, fans of their older and newer music can
still go to a Metallica show and
have a good time. They have been one of the bands breaking new ground and leading
the way for other metal and hard rock bands. Metallica has such a rich history and their impact is one thing
that you cannot deny. They spearheaded Thrash Metal and took Metal into the
mainstream. Metallica is now the
token band to represent this genre and they wear their influences on their sleeves.
Metallica is one of the most
important bands in Metal culture and without them Metal would look a whole lot
different.
Personally, I am not a fan of their fifth album and the
albums released afterwards, but I can understand why others do like those
albums. I discovered Metallica right
around the time I was running out of new Megadeth
albums to listen to. So, to hear something which now I can consider the gold
standard, was great to experience. Metallica
is already legendary, but for me some of their songs now sound generic as Metal
music has evolved past these classics. Sometimes it’s good to look back and
listen to and remember why Metallica
as a band is the best at what they do.
Today we’re going back to the past. Back into the mid
1980’s, to be exact the year of 1985. It was a time back when keyboards and
synthesizers were becoming big in the music industry. Rush, a band known for their Progressive Rock sound, had the
challenge of trying to get their songs played on the radio while remaining true
to themselves, the result is Power Windows.
Rush "tightened
up their sidelong suites and rhythmic abstractions into balled-up song fists,
art-pop blasts of angular, slashing guitar, spatial keyboards and
hyperpercussion, all resolved with forthright melodic sense" (Fricke, Rolling Stone, 2013)
Personally, I was only familiar with the last song on this
album, “Mystic Rhythms”. So,
listening to the album in its entirety will be a journey for me. Will I like it
or not? Well let’s find out!
The Music:
“The Big Money”
has some heavy synthesized sounds that gives off the vibe of the times during
which this music was made. It has a pop-rock like sound that you might even have
heard at a dance club of that era. Even through the wall of easy listening
sound, you can hear the rock penetrating out of the music with Neil Peart’s drumming and Alex Lifeson’s guitar solos. At that
point in time, people would connect with the lyrical message that it was all
about “Big Money”. Big money on wall street, banks and companies started to
outsource manufacturing to other countries. It was a time of change in the US
and the start of globalization. Its message is still relevant today as not much
has changed, just where it’s happening has changed.
“Grand Designs”
is what you think Rush would sound
like at that time. It has an upbeat tune, Geddy
Lee’s vocals soar above the harmonies and lead the melody of the song. The
riff is very catchy which serves as a simple hook that is easy to listen to.
The last line of the chorus “Life in two dimensions is a mass production
scheme” is one of the catchiest lines on the album. The song describes what was
happening at the time, with mass production of automobiles and other products
which looked the same. As people and styles started to have the same appearance
(eg. Big Hair, boxy looking cars, etc.), everything looked the same and had no
uniqueness. Things that were functional were not pretty and things that looked
good usually were not functional.
The third track, “Manhattan
Project”, is another one of those melodic upbeat songs that is easy to
listen to, but you want to focus on the message of the song. It’s not something
that grabs you and makes you want to move. Reading the lyrics, there is this
disconnect of tones between them and the instrumentals. One would expect a much
heavier feel, but the instrumentals are more light and airy which is typical of
the 80’s pop-rock sound. “Manhattan
Project” represents to me why I’m not a big fan of this album. It’s that
the songs have a mellower sound and when compared to other songs from earlier
and later in Rush’s catalog, they
fall flat.
“Marathon”
distinguishes itself by the lesser amount of synthesizer and keyboard, allowing
more of the band’s instrumentals to shine. Lyrically the song has a message
about life as a race. It a message that we can connect with as you have to set
your sights on the goal, your finish line, and not to burn yourself out to
quickly. You want to be able to look back and see what your accomplishment
were.
“Territories” is
more rock sounding than the previously songs from the first half of the album.
This song is less about the instrumentals and really allows the listener to
hear the lyrics more clearly. Although, the solos by Lifeson are definitely great, Lee’s
bass is prominently featured in this song. I see the message as being that when
it comes down to it, the geographic lines of which generations have built to
divide us are only a detriment to our society. This is because we all live on
the same earth and to fight “In the name of a piece of dirt” is so petty. We
are all citizens of the same planet and should not squabble over these
imaginary territories.
“Middletown Dreams”
opens with a pop-rock intro and due to its mellower riff it allows you to focus
in on the message within the lyrics. It has a catcher chorus melody and I like Geddy Lee’s wailing vocals at the beginning.
This is a song that speaks to most people’s hearts, because it’s about going
out and achieving your dreams. Even for those who fantasize and romanticize a
certain aspect of their life, it’s never too late to go out and peruse their
dreams.
“Emotion Detector”
utilizes a strong synthesizer introduction that would be typical and appealing for
the 1980’s. It’s not as exciting as the other songs on the album and by some
accounts this song is a ballad. I like the part where Alex Lifeson gets to solo over the riff while Lee and Peart are just
playing drums and bass keeping the beat, with the synthesizers being less prevalent.
From the first lyrics, I can see this song being about people who crave the
most attention are people who are the most insecure. They can’t be content with
just being cool; they crave the limelight. Power can turn into scorning and ridicule
of others and as well as the self. Sometimes the “big splash” that people trying
to make justs ends up being a drop in the bucket. Some people get too hyped up
on getting attention so that it becomes a negative in life.
“Mystic Rhythms” is
the most diverse song on the album right from the get go. The percussive riff
that opens the song with the synthesizer only accenting the riff is what makes
this song stand out. The keyboards join in later giving the song a different
flavor as the track continues. This song probably is the most memorable song on
the album with the variation in instrumentals being its main draw. “Mystic Rhythms” seems to be about music
itself. With the emotion and meaning being able to be translated and understood
no matter where it is played in the world. Rhythms also speak to the self as a
conduit for connecting people and entertainment. Music is almost supernatural in
that it takes thoughts and emotions and makes them sounds for others to hear.
Verdict:
This album has this Lover
Boy pop-rock upbeat sound from the mid 80’s, of that genre. The main way
that people listened to music was on the radio, otherwise people would go and
hear music at a bar or club. Also people would go out and buy music on Vinyl,
8-track, cassette, and the new format CD. So, when Rush produced this more
commercial sound, it made sense because they could get more airtime on the
radio and increase their album sales.
During this time, keyboard and synthesizers were a huge influence
in music, everyone from funk to pop artists were using them. So, when rock and
metal bands started using synthesizers, looking back it was almost inevitable. This
album is like if you took the mid 80’s and distilled it into a single album; Power
Windows is what you would get.
Besides the constants of the great artistry of Rush, this album is a product of the
times and personally this not my favorite Rush
album. This album is very mellow and has this heavy synthesizer sound that to
me interrupts some of the tones represented in the lyrics. For some of the
songs, I would have loved to hear them with a rawer heavier sound. Overall, it
has some good moments but this an album that is a product of time that it was
made. I personally wouldn’t recommend the whole album to a fan of heavier music,
but that doesn’t mean that this album is not great.
Top 5 Songs:
1) “Mystic Rhythms”
2) “The Big Money”
3) “Grand Designs”
4) “Marathon”
5) “Territories”
From left to right: Geddy Lee, Neil Peart & Alex Lifeson
From left to right: Dimbag Darrel, Vinny Paul, Phil Anselmo & Rex Brown
If you want to know the history of the band, Pantera, a quick visit to their wiki
page would suffice but here is some basic information about the band. Pantera was a band from the state of
Texas and was founded by Terry Glaze
and the Abbot brothers, Dimebag Darrell
and Vinny Paul.
Pantera had two
distinct lineups. The first was from when they were founded in 1981 to 1986 in
which the band was glam metal. During this lineup with Terry Glaze as the singer and rhythm guitarist, they created 3
albums. Also, until their seventh album, Far Beyond Driven, “Dimebag Darrell” was known as “Diamond Darrell”. Around 1986-87, they
welcomed vocalist Phil Anselmo. With
Anselmo they produced 6 studio
albums and 1 live album.
Wikipedia
To the current Pantera
fan base, their fifth album Cowboys from Hell is recognized as
their debut as they tend to ignore all their previous albums. Cowboys was the
album from which they changed their style from Glam to Groove Metal.
I got into Pantera
a few years ago in 2014 when one of my friends introduced me to their song “Cowboys from Hell”. I loved the sound
and discovered other cool songs on that album like “Cemetery Gates”and “Domination”. I soon bought their other
albums that were available. As I listened to each album in the sequence in
which they were released, it became more brutal for me to listen to them. For
me, when I got to their fourth album
(actually their eighth album), The Great
Southern Trendkill, I did not like this new direction that the band had taken.
That album featured a lot of screaming which was a turn off for me. It wasn’t
until a few years later that I found that I could appreciate that album.
For myself and many others, what makes Pantera’s music still relevant over 20 years later is that their
music is still some of the heaviest music on the market. Songs like “This Love” and “Becoming” are the bread and butter of Pantera. Their riffs and lyrics are just as impactful as they were
in the 90’s.
One little side note is that except for their last album, Panera features a power ballad on every
album. These ballads are “Cemetery Gates”,
“Hollow”, “Planet Caravan” and “Floods”.
Although their cover of the Black
Sabbath song “Planet Caravan” on
their third album is not a power ballad, it is the song that would best
represent that trend.
During the 90’s, Grunge reigned supreme and by most accounts
Metal was dead. So, when a metal band with such a heavy sound was able to get a
number one album on the Billboard 200, it was huge for metal culture. This
meant that Heavy Metal wasn’t dead and was still alive.
Unfortunately, Pantera
didn’t last and in the early 2000’s they broke up. What’s even more depressing
is the murder of Dimebag Darrell while he was onstage at a show with the band
Damageplan. So now Pantera can never have a full reunion.
What also doesn’t help is the communication breakdown between Vinny Paul and Phil Anselmo. Fans still hold out hope for some sort of reunion,
but as fans we need to celebrate their legacy as it is not hope on a fool’s
errand.
Now there is one more thing I would be remiss if I did’t
mention and that is Phil Anselmo’s
recent debacle at the “Dimebash” event. What he did was wrong and while he
apologized, it’s going to take while before he can get his reputation back to
what it once was.
During the time period post-Pantera, the members have spread
out and have had their ups and downs. The legacy of this band will live on in
the hearts and minds of past and future fans.
I have heard of the band Gojira
before in a few video interviews and on a couple music news web sites like
Loudwire. My limited knowledge of this band was that they were a metal band
from France and that their music was on the heavier side of the spectrum. I
never really thought about reviewing this band because they are not well known
in the U.S. and I never really heard of any good examples of their music.
Earlier this year around April or May, I was listening to music
videos on YouTube while I was doing some homework. I stepped away to get a
drink and when I came back the song “Stranded”
was playing on my computer. I didn’t know this song or who performed it, but I remember
sitting down putting my earphones in and hearing this really weird but cool
sounding riff. I was intrigued by the song saying “What the hell is this?” So, I
looked at the title of the video and to my surprise said “So this is what Gojira
sounds like!” The next video played was “Silvera”
and from then on I was hooked. I bought their album, Magma, because I was so impressed. This is my first Gojira album and certainly not the
last that I will add to my collection.
The Music:
“The Shooting Star”
sounds like we are being taken on a space adventure as we travel through the
cosmos. This song has an epic rhythm and lyrical content that makes us feel as
if we are going to go through a long and tough journey through strange and
exotic new territory. Even though the vocals sound very monotone, that choice
allows the instrumentals to tell the tale of the song.
“Silvera” is a
more emotional sounding song with the faster catchy riff and energetic vocals.
The ending line from the chorus “When you change yourself, you change the world.”
really sticks out on the song. This song demonstrates Gojira’s rhythmic instrumental abilities.
“The Cell” starts
off with this very explosive percussive riff which eventually drops as heavy
large guitar chords blend in. This song represents a frantic feeling of being
trapped inside your own mind. Joe
Duplantier’s vocals are almost shouting which adds to that franticness
effect.
“Stranded” has
this very cool screech like machine esque sound that ends the chord progression
in the riff. This makes the overall riff much more dynamic in comparison to the
previous three songs. “Stranded”
seems to be about being locked away and left alone to rot. Because they’re
French, they could be referring to the feelings of prisoners in the Bastille
when that was still a prison. Near the end of the song, Joe Duplantier’s last scream gives me goosebumps every time I hear
it.
“Yellow Stone”
most likely refences the dormant super volcano in United States. This song has
a very heavy slow riff that interludes to the next track. The riff reminds me a
little bit of the chord progression of the Black
Sabbath song “Iron Man”.
“Magma” is
another track that spotlights the instrumentals of the band. It starts off
faster with a robotic and chaotic resonance to the song. Later the riff slows
down and has a shrieking chord progression that is more melodic. The vocals go
into that similar monotone sound, like in the first song “The Shooting Star”. About midway through the riff, it changes into
this really heavy headbanging riff that really gets you moving.
Track number seven, “Pray”,
starts off with this beat and noise that sounds like you’re listening to tribal
music. When the drums kick in, it gives the effect of stomping your feet in cinque
to the beat. Joe Duplantier’s vocals sound very distant with the echo effect
present on his voice, but when the chorus starts it gets more emotional which
is also reflected in the riff. This is another very good song.
The track, “Only Pain”,
has the similar kind of mechanical sounding screech in the riff just like as in
the song “Stranded”. With the
similar riff and tone, this song feels like a sequel to the song “Stranded”. Unlike that song, “Only Pain” has a faster riff. The
vocals really don’t vary much in this song, but they still project strong
emotion.
“Low Lands” is a
slower song with clean vocals and a rhythmic riff that focuses on the drums and
bass guitar. Around the 4 minute mark, the instrumentals become heavier and the
vocals go to more of a growl as Joe
Duplantier belts out the lyrics. The song stops and after a few moments it
goes to acoustic guitar with a faint echoing scream that drifts off as the song
ends.
“Liberation” is
an instrumental track that features an acoustic guitar and a drum beat. It
closes out the album on a mellow tone.
Verdict:
Gojira’s music is
very riff based, as the vocals seem only to accent the instrumentals. This
album thematically is like Kyng’s
album, Breathe in the Water, in that its very somber in its message,
but the way that it portrays it is in a more abstract manner. Through the use
of mechanical screech like sounds and distant sounding vocals, the band is able
to articulate the sadness of the songs more deeply.
Joe Duplantier’s
vocals accent encroaches on my ability to comprehend all the lyrics without
them being right in front of me. Otherwise, this is a very dynamic album with
different sounding songs. The songs range from very mellow, to very fast and
heavy styles. Definitely check out their songs listed below because I feel that
they just sound amazing.
Top 5 Songs:
1) “Stranded”
2) “Silvera”
3) “Magma”
4) “The Cell”
5) “Low Lands”
From left to right: Mario Duplantier, Christian Andreu, Joe Duplantier & Jean-Michel Labadie
