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!
I’ve personally never heard anyone say this to me, but I
have heard others talk about this. What I’m referring to is when people say,
“Hey I used to listen to metal” or “I used to listen to that band”. What I’m
talking about is the decision to stop listening to heavy metal, or hard rock
for that matter, hell any genre of music!
The typical response to that statement is
“well why did you stop listening?” and then they retort back “oh I grew up”, “I
have kids now” or “I got married”. Well unless your spouse had you in the
ultimate pussy whip (or whatever the term is for the opposite genre is) and
also happens to be as uptight as the third Reich, there is no reason, I repeat
no reason why you should stop listening to the music that you enjoy, no matter
your age.
I read this article and the only thing I have to say about
it is that the writer was giving his view of generalized older metalheads and what
was proper to wear for someone who is older. That article infuriated me because
metal is not pretty and if you truly want to express your love for the music, then why should you care about what is proper? It’s ludicrous to think
otherwise. Metal is there for you when people aren’t. It can get you through
the tough times in life and can help express destructive emotions in a positive
manner.
I thoroughly enjoy listening to heavy metal, and there is no
reason for me to stop. If there was a clinical trial that predicted that I would die if I listen to
another note of heavy metal, then I would get all my affairs in order
and die banging my head to the music I love.
My point is that music, especially metal music, is more
than some superficial phase in your life. You live it, you
breathe it, hell some people shit metal, although, I would contact your doctor
if that happens. You don’t just go through your high school and college years
and say, “yeah I’m not a fan anymore” because believe you and me, you are
either in it or you were never part of it!
Volbeat is a Danish
metal band whose music would best be described as a mixture of metal and rockabilly.
I had discovered Volbeat when I
learned that they were touring near where I lived with one of my favorite bands
Anthrax. On this tour Volbeat was the headliner even though
they are a much younger band than when compared with Anthrax who’s been in existence two decades longer than Volbeat. I found their music to be intriguing
as the combination of metal and rockabilly was very appealing to me, but I
couldn’t get over the fact that I can’t understand all the words that the vocalist
is singing. My challenge wasn’t due to the vocalist screaming for something,
instead it was due to the singer’s accent so that it made it hard to understand the
words without the lyrics right in front of you. None the less I took a liking
to Volbeat, so when this album was
announced to be released this year I had to check it out.
Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie is Volbeat’s fifth consecutive number one album in their home country
of Denmark. In comparison to their last album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady
Ladies which came out in 2013, I like this album much better.
The Music:
The album opens with “The
Devil’s Bleeding Crown”, which has a familiar metal tone with a more
traditional rock n’ roll under tone. Its great song and I can see why they
chose it for the lead single for the album. The next song, “Marie Laveau”, has a very catchy chorus
that I sometimes find myself singing, although I don’t know what most of the lyrics
actually are. The next song, which was the second single, "For Evigt" or “The Bliss” as its titled on the North American
version. This song has a littler tone than the first two songs, and makes for a
very memorable song on the album.
The following song, “The
Gates of Babylon”, has an interesting riff that makes it enticing to where
the song goes. The chorus actually changes to a higher pitched tone and sounds
really catchy. After another song titled “Let
it Burn” which doesn’t really deviate from the album as a whole, as it continues
to carry the tone onto the next song. “Black
Rose”, which features guest singer Danko
Jones, is a song that has a different sound and the tones of both singers created
an interesting contrast for this song.
“Rebound” is
cover song originally made by the American punk band Teenage Bottlerocket, the way the song is performed takes on the personification
of the metal and rockabilly combination. It’s a short but sweet song that in
its simplicity is really easy to listen to. “Mary Jane Kelly” is a track which seems like it’s in the style of traditional
rock n’ roll bands. Lyrically the song is sad with “She’s been lonely and
forgotten ever since, But her beauty in the night light will remain”. The song
has a lighter tone but also mixes in that somber tone of the lyrics.
“Goodbye Forever”
has a good chorus and has a great riff that lends itself to create a very
catchy song. After the midpoint of the song, the chorus is taken over by the Harlem
Gospel Choir which is a very cool addition to the song. The title track, “Seal the Deal” is a phenomenal song
with great soloing and is really rocking. Lead guitarist Rob Caggiano who produced the album gets the opportunity to show
off his ability to shred on this song.
“Battleship Chains”
is the second cover song on the album, and was written originally and performed
by Terry Anderson. Vocalist/guitarist
Michael Poulsen gives a very
southern inspired vocal performance in this cover song. After another song that
isn’t as memorable, but still has good performances, we get to the closing
track of the album. “The Loa’s Crossroad”
is a heavier song than most of the other pieces on the album. I enjoyed the
riff and the parts of the song were the drums get to shine. I can see this song
being a good staple for their live performances. It’s one last hurrah from the
album, as it ends on a good note.
Verdict:
Vobeat has
refined their musical style when compared their previous albums and is my
current favorite Volbeat album. Seal
the Deal & Let’s Boogie is defiantly an album to check out if you
prefer hard rock or more classic rock. For those like myself who prefer a more
metal sound, there are a few songs that will appease your tastes. If you like Volbeat it is a must listen to and you
will not be disappointed with this effort. If you want to check you more of Volbeat’s music, I recommend you listen
to their album Beyond Hell / Above Heaven which came out in 2010.
Megadeth was my introduction to Thrash Metal in a similar way that
Iron Maiden was my introduction to Heavy Metal music. My experience listening to Megadeth felt like an abrupt transition
from the more traditional style of Heavy Metal music performed by Iron Maiden.
I believe that Megadeth was an
excellent choice for a Thrash Metal band for me to adjust my music listening
experience from Heavy Metal into Thrash Metal.
Megadeth served as my gateway
band into the world of Thrash Metal and they continue to hold the top spot on
my list of favorite Thrash Metal Bands. Due to their quality of songwriting, I
consider them my 2nd overall favorite band just behind Iron Maiden.
When I reflect on my introduction to Megadeth, I was listening to a lot, and I mean a lot, of Iron Maiden. I was ripping into albums
like “A Matter of Life and Death”, “The Final Frontier”, and “Somewhere in Time”. Then my friend,
the same friend who got me into Maiden,
asked if I had heard of Megadeth. Of
course my response to his question was no. I was binging on Iron Maiden. He
recommended them to me, so I decided to do a little research and check them
out. The first Megadeth song I
listened to was “Holy Wars… the
Punishment Due” and man that was an awesome song! Going from Iron Maiden to Megadeth is like going from driving down the highway at top speed
and then going into a jet traveling at supersonic speed.
After listening to Holy Wars a few more times, I reconnected
with my friend periodically over a course of several months during which he
recommended I listen to songs including “Peace
Sells”, “My Last Words”, “Hangar
18”, and “Skin O’ My Teeth”. I enjoyed
this band’s music so much that I decided to examine their entire catalogue of
albums which included their earlier records like “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying”
to more recent albums like ”United Abominations”. Before I knew
it, Megadeth became the second band
that I was enthralled by.
I also had the pleasure of seeing them live twice, the first
time on their Gigantour in 2013 and in 2014 at a local venue. Both shows were
great! I loved their performances and actually one of my friends went up to the
front row and got his hand stomped on by someone in the crowd when he reached
for one of the guitar picks on the ground that the band threw out into the
audience when the show ended. At least my friend managed to get the guitar
pick.
I consider Megadeth
to be a successful band due to the fact that they have received many accolades
throughout their career. The band’s songs have great instrumentals and powerful
lyrics. Dave Mustaine, the band leader, principal songwriter, lead vocalist and
guitarist has no real range in his voice, but that hasn’t stopped him from
writing and singing the messages within Megadeth’s
songs.
There are many metal fans who would not give Megadeth a chance. I think what it
comes down to is they are opposition to Mustaine’s political views which he
expresses in his music. In concert, he discusses his views when he is
introducing the next song. I think you can only come to truly appreciate this
band by attending a live performance to experience their talent. Some people
just don’t like what Mustaine says, and that’s a shame because they are judging
the band solely on Mustaine’s opinions.
Megadeth for me
was the introduction to faster more aggressive metal. With their blistering
solos and intricate riffs, Megadeth’s music blew me away. I’ve listed below my favorite Megadeth albums. Additionally, I’d suggest
you check out their live DVDs such as “That One Night - Live In Buenos Aires”
and “Rust
in Peace Live”. Also, I recommend you check out my review of their
latest album Dystopiahere.
Top Favorite Albums:
1) Rust In Peace
2) Countdown To Extinction
3) Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
4) Youthansia
5) The System Has Failed
“The military Intelligence two words combined that can't
make sense”
Monster Truck is
a Canadian hard rock band that was formed in the late 2000’s. I had never heard
of this band before until a good friend of mine mentioned them. It wasn’t until
later after this album was released that I decided to check them out. The first
song I heard was the opening track “Why
Are You Not Rocking?” and I was impressed with the groovy rhythm of their
sound. So after that I quickly bought the album to feast my ears on their
music.
The Music:
The opening track, “Why
Are You Not Rocking?”, is a really fast song that starts the album off with
jolt. It’s a great way to start off speeding right out of the gate. The next
couple of songs “Don’t Tell Me How to
Live” and “She’s A Witch” are
probably some of the most memorable song on the album. They just really groove
and have a heaviness to them that makes your body want to move to the beat.
Following those songs, Monster
Truck changes tone and the track “For
the People” sounds like a song that offers many opportunities for the crowd
to interact with the band. “Black Forest”
on the other hand is mellower and gives me a surreal sensation when I put the
song on. By this point on the album, the songs have a similar groove with some variation.
Although the track “Things Get Better”
has a catchy opening riff that opens into a great song. “The
Enforcer” seems like a real crowd pleaser, and another groovin’ song on the
album.
Sittin’ Heavy album
wraps up with a few good songs and a serene closing track. Overall, it’s a good
way to close out this kick ass album.
Verdict:
Sittin’ Heavy is Monster
Truck’s sophomore studio album release, but they are going places. I really
like the overall sound and the variety of songs on this album. If you like hard
rock that’s just really groovy, then I suggest you check out this album and the
other songs this band has composed.
Top 5 Songs:
1) “Don’t Tell Me How
to Live”
2) “She’s A Witch”
3) “Things Get Better”
4) “Black Forest”
5) “For The People”
If you want to check them out, you can listen to the full
album on the bands’ YouTube page or in this playlist below.
For those who know me, I believe is not a far stretch to say
that Iron Maiden is my favorite band
of all time. What makes this band so attractive to me and to so many others
around the world? Well, I guess I’ll take you to the first time I heard Iron Maiden and describe its impact it
had on my life.
Just before I started my freshman year of High School, I
discovered metal music. My friend and I were playing video games together on
the Xbox 360 and my friend asked me if I have ever heard of the band Quiet
Riot. I said no, so he suggested I listen to one of their songs. That song
turned out to be “Metal Health” and
I was impressed by the music. He then recommended that I listen to other songs
like “Cum on Feel the Noise” and “The Wild & The Young”. My friend
then introduced me to other bands like Skid
Row and Mötley Crüe. After a
while, I felt like I was stuck in a rut listening to my friend’s suggested play
list repetitively. When I told my friend how I was feeling, my friend ask me if
I had ever heard of the band Iron Maiden.
Up to this point I have not. Additionally, he suggested that I listen to their
song “Out of the Silent Planet” and although
I like that song, it wasn’t until I listened to the song “Ghost of the Navigator” that this band’s music really clicked with
me. To this day I get goosebumps when I hear that opening riff of “Ghost of the Navigator”.
Initially, I downloaded the two Iron Maiden songs that my
friend had recommended from iTunes. Later, I decided I wanted to download the
entire album which contained these two songs, Brave New World, but found
out that the album was no longer available on this platform. After I discovered
Maiden, I listened to many of their songs that ranged from hits such as “Run to the Hills” and “The Trooper” to the more obscure songs such
as “Montsegur” and “Back In the Village”. What I realize
now, was at this point I had cemented myself as a hardcore Iron Maiden fan. I bought most of their albums, both studio and
live, and to this day I frequently go back and listen to them.
I’d like to share with you why I believe Iron Maiden has had such a large fan
following over the last four decades. I think it comes down to two things; one
is Bruce Dickinson’s dynamic voice
and the second is the band’s overall instrumentals. If you compare Maiden to the more recently formed
heavy metal bands, Iron Maiden isn’t
going to sound as heavy or fast as these bands. The second thing is that in
most new bands the vocals seem to be more screaming than singing. This heavy
metal style can either attract or detract new fans. I believe that Bruce’s vocals are one of the great
selling points of Maiden. Their
songs have catchy melodies and riffs which makes it easy for fans to sing along
to them. “Fear of the Dark” is a
good example that demonstrates Maiden’s
musical style.
Iron Maiden’ fame is due to a number of hit songs, their
ever changing mascot Eddie, and their amazing live shows. Back in 2012, I had
the opportunity to see Maiden Live during their Maiden England Tour. This was
the first time for me and my friends to experience a Maiden concert live, as
well as it was my first real rock concert. My friend that introduced me to their
music and I were having the time of our lives. Maiden’s performance was
awesome! It only takes one viewing to understand what I am talking about. If
you have never seen them live, check out one of their live DVDs to see how
great they perform.
Iron Maiden is a
great band and I have compiled a list of my top five favorite Maiden studio albums below. So if you
want to get into maiden or have never heard of them before, this is a good
gateway into the band. Additionally, I suggest that you listen to their live
album, Flight 666, because it’s all classic Maiden tracks and they’re just phenomenal live performances.
Top 5 Favorite Albums:
1) The Number of the Beast
2) Brave New World
3) Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
4) Powerslave
5) The Book of Souls
“Iron Maiden’s gonna get… Iron Maiden’s gonna get… Iron
Maiden’s gonna get all of you!!!”
Monday, September 12, 2016
My Intro to Metal - Jacob D. Strozyk
Hi there everyone! My name is Jacob D. Strozyk and I thought I would take a brief moment to share with all of you how I got into metal music, and the bands that I listen to on a daily basis. Since I will be a part of this metal site, I figured that I would enlighten you all to my tastes!
Since I was a boy, my parents always had me listening to classic rock and metal, alongside a lot of '90s grunge music. My parents cars were filled with the sounds of AC/DC, Creed, Hootie and the Blowfish, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard. I was influenced to love the sound of guitar solos and distortion from a young age, so eventually I found my way to the metal scene. It was in high school that I really took to the genre and fully embraced it as my choice of music. It was also at this time that I discovered my favorite bands in the entire world.
While many hate them for reasons I will never understand, Avenged Sevenfold has been my favorite band for a long time now. Their catchy classic guitar riffs and meaningful lyrics all come together for a masterpiece of music every time. It's through A7X that I really found my love for metal and I am forever grateful. Its within this style of metal that I typically find myself enjoying the most (bands like Disturbed, Three Days Grace, and Breaking Benjamin).
While in high school, and still discovering more about the metal genre, I found a subgenera known as metalcore. Strangely enough, I did not discover this via a popular metalcore act, but through a local Buffalo act (now no longer in existence) Don't Be a Hero. Their five track EP handed to me by the screamer's mother was something badass and heavy that I really took to well. It was through this that I searched and eventually found some of my favorite metalcore acts in Of Mice and Men, A Day To Remember, and Blessthefall.
I am a modern metal fan with a deep appreciation for classic metal and all that is and was to the community. I hope everyone who reads this will enjoy all that I have to contribute to this site.
Death Angel
unfortunately is one of those bands that isn’t that well known unless you’re
into thrash metal. After their last album, The Dream Calls for Blood, which to
me was their best album to date. Since this album was so impressive, Death
Angel faced the challenge of making this follow up album, The Evil Divide, as good
as or better than their previous album.
This album is through and through a thrash metal album. It’s
fast, it’s heavy and it has the band’s signature style that makes it stand out
from other thrash metal bands. The Evil Divide is one of my top 5
favorite albums so far this year. So let’s get to my review of this album.
For listeners who haven’t heard the album or perhaps none of
Death Angel’s music, the reviews below include links to five of their songs
which you can listen to now.
The Music:
1) “The Moth” is the
strong and killer initial track of the album. With a very memorable opening
riff and thrashy sound throughout, it sets the tone and mood for the whole
album. Lyrically this song is the title track, because of the mention of ‘The Evil
Divide’ in the song and ‘The Moth’ which is shown on the album cover.
2) “Cause For Alarm”
opens up with a riff that could almost be in one of those songs about surfing
like Misirlou, then opens into an all-out attack of metal. That opening part
is not so surprising when you take into consideration the fact that the band is
from the San Francisco Bay area. Otherwise it is a great song that continues
the thrash assault.
3) “Lost” With
this song, the album takes a turn towards a more traditional metal direction. It’s
different from the musical style that we’ve come to expect from Death Angel. I
like the song a lot and find it to be a welcome diversion from the thrash metal
genre for which this band is known. I
think while thrash metal suits Death Angel better this song is a refreshing
change for them.
4) “Father Of Lies”
is a pretty good grovin’ thrashy song. I like the cords used right after the
chorus. Also, around the midpoint of the song the song slows down a notch and
changes the tempo from that of the main riff. Following this section, this
piece transitions into a cool solo. This is an awesome song.
5) “Hell To Pay”
This song fits the style which is typically associated with Death Angel. It’s fast and heavy and
has all the characteristics of thrash metal. Nothing else distinguishes this
song from a typical thrash metal song other than it is rather short in length.
6) “It Can’t Be This”
A slow riff using drums and bass initiates the song and then the piece
transitions into a fast riff which is really catchy and makes it irresistible to
headbang to. This song was and enjoyable part of the album.
7) “Hatred United /
United Hate” This was the leading single for the album. Only by listening
to the song, can you grow to appreciate it as much as I did. It starts off with
an ominous riff then the drums come in and it builds up to an explosive main
riff. This is an amazing song, from the solos to the drumming and everything
in-between.
8) “Breakaway”
backing vocals, backing vocals, backing vocals or gang vox as it is called in
the liner notes of the album. This song has amazing backing vocals! The main
attraction of this piece is when the band sings the chorus and it just sounds epic.
9) “The Electric Cell”
is another solid thrash metal song. It’s just a deep track that is lost within
the other songs surrounding it. I like
the melody with the chorus and the overall riff makes it a great song to
headbang to.
10) “Let The Pieces
Fall” this song for me is an underrated track in comparison to the rest of
the album. After listening to the song, I found it to be really great. I
personally love the chorus “Let the pieces crumble, let the pieces fall. As the
rubble buries you, I’ll still be standing tall.” This would be a close 6 on my
top 5 songs down below.
11) “Wasteland”
is a bonus track that is actually a song written by the band The Mission. It’s
faithful to the original and it’s a good cover song. It is forgettable, that is
why it’s the bonus track on the special edition.
Verdict:
I think this is one of the best thrash albums to come out
this year, in fact, I can see this definitely being in my top 5 favorite albums
of this year. Death Angel offers something different than other thrash metal
bands. For any lover of thrash metal I suggest you check out this album, The
Evil Divide, because for me this is a must buy. If you like this album,
I suggest you also check out their previous album, The Dream Calls for Blood,
as it is another great album.
Top 5 Songs:
1) “Hatred United /
United Hate”
2) “The Moth”
3) “Lost”
4) “Cause For Alarm”
5) “Breakaway”
If you want to check out more information about this album,
the music videos above and other music videos from their previous albums, then
check out the playlist below.
Today, I want to talk about musical artists that have passed
away during this last year. There is an outpouring of love and appreciation
from fans each time an artist passes. I don’t object to this fan response, but I
wonder why they don’t express this affection while that artist is still alive.
It seems to me that we as an audience have the “out of sight, out mind”
mentality. If a musician from a band we like just keeps on doing what they are
doing and keeps a low profile we forget about them, at least in the forefront
of our mind. When a tragedy happens such as death, cancer or a fatal accident
we are blindsided by this news. Look, it’s not the artist’s duty to keep us up
to date on their personal lives. I think that as fans we need to start
celebrating them while they’re still around. It would be a great idea to
designate days, for example, their birthdays to celebrate these artists. The
point I’m trying to make is we should be celebrating these artists now instead
of later.
This brings us to this year, 2016. It has been a year of
great loss in the music world. The loss of Lemmy at the very end of 2015 bled
into early 2016 as fans around the world mourned. Of course we are not to
forget icons like David Bowie, Glenn Frey and Prince or lesser known artists
such as Dio and Last In Line bassist Jimmy Bain and former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza. No matter
what your musical preference is you cannot deny their influence. Music is
timeless and it can last forever if you support it and pass it on so that the
next generation of music fans can give it a listen.
For a moment, I would like to draw attention to a few tributes
that other musicians and fans have done recently and in the past. A few years
ago there was a tribute to the legendary Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath at Bass Player Live!, which was done while he is (at the time of this post)
still alive. From the way it was presented, I thought that the bassist had
died. It was upsetting to fans thinking that he had passed away and later on during
the tribute appeared on stage very much alive. More recently, there was the
Ronnie James Diohologram that was shown at the Wacken Open Air Festival in
Germany. In this case I found it in good taste, but it could never be a
substitute for the real thing.
Another tribute was to Lemmy from Motörhead as a bronzestatue of him was put into his favorite hangout, the Rainbow Bar & Grill
in LA. I find it very touching because now those who visit the establishment
may enter it and gaze upon the statue and then either a person of knowledge of
the man may enlighten the customers or they may look up the details of this
artist themselves. Either way they’ll be learning about a legend.
For these tributes it a great opportunity for the masses
that have not heard of these people to learn about and explore their legacy. I
just wish that they would have tributes and praise them when it isn’t
posthumous.
