Album Review: Heavy Crown

Impressions/Thoughts:

Heavy Crown is Last in Line’s debut album and most likely the only album to be released by the group.  I’ll get to the details about why it might be their only album later, but first a little back story onto the band Last in Line.

Last in Line is a band composed of the original Dio band, besides Dio himself since he passed away on May 16^th, 2010. Back in 2012 the band was formed with members Vinny Appice on drums, Jimmy Bain on bass, Vivian Campbell on guitar and Claude Schnell on keyboards, along with new vocalist Andrew Freeman. Before recording the album they decided to drop keyboardist Claude Schnell in 2015, so as to make it more like the original Dio lineup when the band first started in 1982.

Now on to the real question about Heavy Crown. Does it sound like a Dio carbon copy, or does it have its own merit?

The Music:

1) “Devil in Me” is a phenomenal song. It’s good enough to have been on Holy Diver or The Last in Line. This is in essence what a Dio song would sound like without Dio. “Devil in Me” shows that it took more than just RJD (Ronnie James Dio) to make Dio what it was. It has a great riff, great solos, great everything.

2)  “Martyr” starts off with a quick drum fill, then kicks into the fast riff. Another great Hard Rock song, it’s short and sweet.

3) “Starmaker” starts off with a slow groovy opening riff and transition into the song, which has a cool slow tone to it. While certain parts do speed up, and I love the solo in this song, “Starmaker” is just a good heavy song.

4) “Burn This House Down” has a slow riff to it that gives the song its heaviness. I like the buildup the song has, with its slow riff-age, with only the drums and the vocals playing with interactions from the guitars and bass for short intervals. Then it picks up with the whole band playing and goes off into the chorus. It’s just another good song.

5) “I Am Revolution” is one of the faster tracks on the record. Beginning with the riff then off with the guitars when the vocals kick in. The guitars then come back right before the chorus. This song should be a great live staple with the crowd screaming “I, am revolution!”

6) “Blame It on Me” is one of my personal favorites. The riff is unique with a slow steady beat and catchy riff that just makes it really memorable after the first listen and for many more after.

7) “In Flames” is a bonus track, which is another groovy sounding song. It has another memorable chorus and has a solid beat to the song. “In Flames” is another short and sweet song like “Martyr”.

8) “Already Dead”, is what really starts off the second half of the album. This song starts off with an energetic riff and then slows down for the chorus then picks up again. Overall good track and it keep me interested

9) “Curse the Day”, is the actual first track where it was slow and serene. This is a fresh song in comparison with the hard rock songs that came before it.

10) “Orange Glow”, starts off with a different vocal performance than the rest of the album, with a more almost drowsy performance. The vocals then jump into Freeman’s normal vocals for the chorus, then returns to his previous vocal performance. This song shows his range as a singer. I could see a good live song with the crowd screaming “The sky is fallen”, then Freemen finishing the chorus. Good song, but overshadowed by the previous songs on the album.

11) “Heavy Crown”, the title track, is another song that starts off serene. From this point in the album it’s starting to wind down as it nears the end. Then it picks up for an energetic portion then goes back. This is transition in the riff is actually what makes the song memorable. I find that this song is a bit of a grower in that three or four listens should help to fully get this song.

12) “The Sickness”, is the album closer. Starts off with a fade in and ends with a fade out. “The Sickness” is a great song to close the album with. With a great solo by Vivian Campbell, that breathes life into the album for one last time. The whole band comes together to give a good performance. Good song and great closing track.

Verdict:

Many of the songs sound like Dio songs and could have been on those early Dio albums. But that’s too its benefit. Because Dio songs are easy to sing along to with memorable choruses, solos, and reflects the band’s chemistry that come out in the music. The Dio-esque sound remind us of those early Dio years and still give us a fresh felling to the songs. So overall it’s fresh with aftertaste of something familiar.

Last in Line is a great band with a lot of talent behind it. I like Andrew Freeman’s vocals on this album. Last in Line is more than a Dio tribute band, like Dio Disciples. They celebrate the legacy they shared with Ronnie James Dio, while also making something new and cool. Heavy Crown is a great Hark Rock album and I highly recommend you check out this album. Or at the very least a few of the songs. Because this album is way too good not to be heard.

Top 5 Songs:

1) “Devil in Me”

2) “Starmaker”

3) “Blame It on Me”

4) “Curse the Day”

5) “Martyr”

Now for what I was talking about earlier, why this could be Last in Line’s only album. Days after the release of the album, founding member and bassist Jimmy Bain passed away on January 23^rd, 2016 at the age of 68. It’s hard to make a decision on whether to move on or stop after an important member of the band dies. We should hope they do go on with vigor and never forget that member. 

Jimmy Bain (the guy to the far left in the picture) was not a man in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be celebrated. He wrote the opening keyboard part to “Rainbow in the Dark” on Holy Diver! He was on the album Rainbow Rising! His accomplishments are only out shadowed by the great musicians he played with. But just like the man he played with, Ronnie James Dio, he should not be forgotten.

Rest In Peace Jimmy Bain.

Album Review: For All Kings

The follow up to one of Anthrax’s greatest albums, Worship Music, comes… For All Kings!

Impressions/Thoughts:

So obviously there is big hype for this new album, it’s the perfect comeback to the well-rounded album Worship Music. For All Kings has only two singles, Evil Twin and Breathing Lightning.

Worship Music is one of my favorite anthrax albums, my number two in fact. The only reason it’s behind their album Among the Living is obvious, that album has more great songs. After the release of Worship Music, they had an EP called Anthems which was composed of covers of songs from the 70’s. They had Rush, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, etc. After that they released a kick ass DVD called Chile on Hell which I believe to be the definitive live DVD to watch. So with all these great releases, the build up to the forthcoming album is very high. So the question is did it live up to the hype?

The Music:

There are two different editions to this album. The one that I have contains 11 tracks while the other one has 13 tracks. The difference is that they took the beginning of “You Gotta Believe” and made it a extra track called “Impaled”. The second extra track is the ending of “Breathing Lightning” which they broke off and called “Breathing Out”.

Now for the first song “You Gotta Believe” as the opening track, the beginning is not only epic but it also reminds me of “Game of Thrones”. A little known fact is that Anthrax contributed to the Catch the Throne: The Mixtape, Vol. 2 with their song “Soror Irrumator”. “Soror Irrumator” was going to be a song on For All Kings, but with different lyrics - not about the Lannisters. The album itself is actually free, so feel free to listen to it here. “You Gotta Believe”, itself is a great thrashy epic song.  It’s a gateway to the whole album and one of my favorites.

The second song “Monster at the End” is one of my favorite songs on the album. From the previous song, it continues the vibe of heaviness and speed. For me, it’s a song I can listen to over and over. It just hooks you in with the chorus and just overall one of the strongest songs on the album.

The third song is the title track “For All Kings”, it starts off with an epic introduction and goes straight into the thrash. The song is one of those songs that is easy to sing along to. It is a top song from the album, and overall just a good song.

The fourth song “Breathing Lightning” is the second single and a diverse track from the rest of the album. It has a slow opening and builds upon itself. It gives the listener a break from the nonstop heaviness and speed from the previous three tracks. This buildup leads to a great apex that launches the listener into the heavy instrumentals. As the song ends it leaves us off with the “Breathing Out” portion, again giving us a break to listen and prepare for the next song. “Breathing Lightning” and “Monster at the End”, for me, were neck and neck for the best song on the album. Ultimately “Breathing Lightning”came out on top as my favorite, a must listen.

Next is the song “Suzerain”, which is a straightforward thrash metal song. With the great songs before and after it, this song gets lost on the album. I feel it doesn’t get the recognition it should. “Suzerain” is a good thrash song, with all the elements coming together well. Vocals are good and the instrumentals superb. Again the only thing that harms the song is that it place in-between two great songs, it seems lesser by comparison.

Track number six, the first single “Evil Twin” is the standard of the album when it comes to the heaviness and speed of the other songs. Evil Twin lyrically has a great message, but lyrics alone don’t make a great song.  The instrumentals give the song life. It is a great song and must listen, if only to hear a good anthrax song.

“Blood Eagle Wings”, the seventh song, is the longest on the album and probably the longest song Anthrax has ever composed. From the thrash vibe being the vibe for the previous six songs, this song slows it down and brings in the heaviness. The song has a slow feel to it but with the subject matter it portrays, it makes it all the more cool. Some of you may be wondering, what are blood eagle wings? To be frank, it’s a ritualized method of execution which is explained in more detail here.

Track number eight is called “Defend Avenge”, which is where the speed of the songs picks up again. It’s another good strong song, with bold chorus and solos.

The next track “All of Them Thieves” is a great song is only for one reason. It has a very memorable and catchy chorus. “All of, all of them thieves! All of, all of them Thieves!” It just begs to be sung out loud! And for that reason a top song for me.

Right after this point the album begins to wind down, or at least you would think. Track number 10 “This Battle Chose Us” contains the essence of the album, pushing us through with a good fast song. I like the song’s structure. But for me, this song gets me pumped for when I need that fast paced thrash metal song.

Now for the final track “Zero Tolerance”. This song is going at full speed to end the album. It starts off a little slow, with a great sing-a-long section that sound like it would be great live. Then it kicks into the fast riff and just a good old headbanging time.

Verdict:

For me I was skeptical at first when the single “Evil Twin” was released. That song was heavy and fast, but I wanted a little more meat on the song. But I found that that song was more of a grower and became one of my favorites. When “Breathing Lightning” came out I was in awe because it was so different from the previous single and it was just the kind of song I was looking for in the Anthrax album. The album For All Kings for me is a must buy. If you’re a hardcore Anthrax fan or just a fan of thrash metal you’ll love this album. With Joey Belladonna's awesome vocals all the way to Jon Donais’ soloing, it just makes this album one of a kind.

Top 5 Songs:

1) Breathing Lightning

2) Monster at the End

3) Evil Twin

4) All of Them Thieves

5) Blood Eagle Wings

Album Review: Dystopia

With a new lineup and reinvigorated heavy sound, Megadeth unleashes their new album Dystopia!

Impressions/Thoughts:

With a new guitarist and drummer, the new line up of Megadeth head towards the heavier side of their music. To fans that have longed for an album like their masterpiece Rust in Peace, they should be satisfied with Dystopia. The key word is satisfied, while the album is good it’s nowhere near the masterpiece of their former albums. But that’s not to say that they took a step in the wrong direction. To the contrary I believe they are going where they need to be.

Dystopia is not the kind of album where you can take only one listen and get the whole understanding of the album. It’s a grower, as in the album grows on you upon each listen. It took me till about the fourth listen to get the real greatness of the record. And that is okay. Because I would rather have an album that grows on me than an album full lifelessness.

One of the great things that I liked after the release of this album is that they have a short video series where Dave Mustaine would go track by track talking about the lyrical themes and the interesting instrumental elements present in each song.

The Music:

Because I have the iTunes version, I will list that track listing.

1) The Threat Is Real is the opening track and the second single of the album. As far as the song goes it’s the strongest on the record.

2) Dystopia The title track and it stands out from the previous track with a sound I find more like something from their album The System Has Failed. But with the soloing, it is a standout track allowing lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro to shine.

3) Fatal Illusion is the first single from the album. As a single and a first taste of the album, I was skeptical but overall it’s a very strong track and emphasizes the heaviness of the album overall.

4) Death From Within segues from the previous track and continues with the heaviness theme. I really like the chorus and the musical bridges right before the chorus. It really hooks you in to re-listen to this song.

5) Bullet to the Brain From the start of this song, it starts slowly which is a change up from the previous songs. The melody of the lyrics flows so well with the riff, it’s just one of those songs that becomes really memorable with the chorus and riff.

6) Post-American World I felt this song fits well ensnaring our senses to a very straightforward and heavy song. While some may think that would be a bad thing, this song has all the solos and lyrical content that can keep you captivated.

7) Poisonous Shadows Besides the first three tracks which I find to be the best of the whole album, this is a gem and one of my favorite songs on the album. It continues with more Arabic singing that was in The Threat is Real and comes into its own.

8) Look Who’s Talking (Bonus Track) It’s another good song and even though it’s a bonus track, I find it’s a really good fit for the album. My favorite lyric from the song is “The dogs who bark the loudest, are the dogs who have no teeth.”

9) Conquer… or Die! Is an instrumental that reminds me of their song “Good Morning / Black Friday”, in the sense that there are two parts to the song. It starts with an acoustic part which isn’t warm but has a tense eeriness to it. Then it shifts into the second part which is very thrashy. Again I draw parallels to the other song Black Friday.

10) Lying In State is what the previous song leads into. Lyrically it has two meanings: 1) The tradition in which the body of a respected person is laid to rest in an official state building, either in open casket or closed casket, to allow the public at large to pay their respects. 2) That politicians and others in positions of power tell lies. Lying In State has a great crunching riff that just really leads itself off for the previous track.

11) The Emperor is where the album starts to show some cracks in the album. The song itself is okay but compared to the previous song, it just isn’t as good.

12) Last Dying Wish (Bonus Track) is a song that reminds me of the songwriting from their album Endgame. If you like the song Endgame like myself, then this is a treat. But after this song is where I find the album starts dipping down.

13) Foreign Policy a cover song of the band Fear. While I can’t really testify as to whether it’s a good cover, the merits of the song itself really show. The song fits in lyrically and thematically on Dystopia but I find it to be lackluster.

Verdict:

I feel as if they put out the standout tracks of the album as the singles: The Threat is Real, Dystopia and Fatal Illusion. Which also happen to be the first three tracks. The soloing and overall songwriting is superb.

But nearing the end of the album it starts to grow pretty weak. I find that the cover of Foreign Policy, lyrically fits with the rest of the album, but as far as the song is, it is the weakest of the bunch.

Now there was a cover of the Bungie song “Melt the Ice Away”, that I find much better than Foreign Policy. But even though you can find it on YouTube, it was released exclusively for Spotify. I hate it when they put tracks on a specific platform or in exclusive editions, because I want it all. I don’t want to have to look it up on YouTube or have to buy a specific edition from another country just to get some more bonus tracks. But this issue is for another time.

Ultimately, I believe that Dystopia is this a good album. But how does it compare to the rest of their albums? I say that it’s their best in years and I am proud to have it in my collection.

My Favorite Songs:

1) The Threat Is Real

2) Fatal Illusion

3) Poisonous Shadows

4) Dystopia

5) Bullet to the Brain

Overall a good album but with some flaws. Here’s hoping that in their next effort, whenever that happens, that they do even better. If I had to rate it I’d give it a solid 8/10, which to me is a must buy.

Top 15 Albums of 2015

With the start of the New Year, it is a time of reflection and resolutions. This past year of 2015 there were ups and downs with those we have lost and tragedies within our own lives. But there will always be great music, music that helps us get through the rough times and help us enjoy the good times. For this past year, I have compiled a list of my top 15 albums that I have listened to and liked.

15) “Suicide Society” – Annihilator

Annihilator is one of those thrash bands that would be in the next big 4 if the current big 4 did not exist. Ultimately my only impression before its release was the title track, since it was the single. Suicide Society is a good album but unfortunely has nothing new to offer. For example the song “Creapin’ Again” shares some lyrics in the chorus, with the song “Clown Parade”. I’m not trying to nitpick, because there are some good songs here. Jeff Waters need some more variation in the lyrics. I bought the deluxe version which has some rerecording of some of the old songs with the new line up. I was more interested in that and the commentary on the album that was also included, than the actual album.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Suicide Society
2. Break, Enter
3. Narcotic Avenue

14) “Birth and the Burial” – Act of Defiance

After Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover left Megadeth, due to creative reasons. One wondered what exactly they were going to do. Forming a band together was intriguing but I was curious in what direction they would go. The direction they chose was to go a more death metal route. The result is a decent album, but what really kills it for me is the vocals. The screaming and shouting just doesn’t do it for me. But the instrumentation of the rest of the band was good enough to redeem them in my opinion.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Refrain and Refracture
2. Birth and the Burial
3. Legion of Lies

13) “Farmikos” – Farmikos

With an early 2015 release in January, I had forgotten about this band and their album. Fortunately, I was listening to podcast by Eddie Trunk talking about this band and it jogged my memory. Former Ozzy guitarist, Joe Holmes, who was only a touring member of the Ozzy band, came out with a band that sounds eerily similar to Ozzy but a departure in the style. Overall I like the album, and would love to see what they do next.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Scapegoat
2. King of Dust
3. Am I One

12) “War of Kings” – Europe

Come on, the band known for two song in the US. “The Final Countdown” and the power ballad “Carrie”. A hugely overlooked band, but big globally. Hopefully now with the final countdown back in the charts due to the Geico commercial that airs every time I watch TV, maybe people can get into the band. One can only hope. As for the album, “War of Kings”, this is a great album. But sadly not many people over in the US will notice. Also the title track is a great addition, and would be in my top 5 tracks from the album.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Hole in my pocket
2. Praise You
3. Nothin To Ya

11) “Saint Asonia” – Saint Asonia

A new super group formed with Adam Gontier, Mike Mushok, Corey Lowery, and Rich Beddoe. I listened to this album on an indirect recommendation from a friend. This band’s style is very close to the style of music that I like. Good vocals and excellent musicianship. I’m surprised at how well it still holds. I still have some riffs stuck in my head.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Blow Me Wide Open
2. King of Nothing
3. Fairy Tale

10) “VII: Sturm Und Drang” - Lamb of God

This was the first Lamb of God album that I have listened to. I listened to this album for three reasons. One, because I heard Randy Blythe’s vocals on the song “Gift of Pain” by Metal Allengence. Two, due to the song “Overlord”, which has more traditional singing as opposed to their normal screaming. Finally Three, Chris Alder’s contribution to the Megadeth album “Dystopia”. As my introduction to this band, I find it oddly satisfying. I really don’t like screaming, but I can enjoy it fine as long as I can hear some semblance of lyrics. “VII: Sturm Und Drang” is a fine addition to my library of music, but I don’t see myself jumping head first into the realm of screaming in metal anytime soon.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Overlord
2. Still Echoes
3. 512

9) “Ride” – Motor Sister

Motor Sister is a tremendous tribute to the band Mother Superior, giving new life to their songs and an entry way for those how may have not have heard this band before. All the songs on this album are Mother Superior covers. I would have liked to know if Motor Sister thought of doing any original music, because they have such a good line up for this project. I have not heard of Mother Superior prior to this album but I am intrigued enough to check out that band.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Beg Borrow Steal
2. Fool Around
3. This Song reminds me of You

8) “Win Hands Down“– Armored Saint

I know of Armored Saint, because of their vocalist John Bush’s stint with Anthrax. The song “Win hands down” is a pleasant surprise. I don’t know any of their previous catalogue, but this album blew me away in how good it sounded and the quality of the songs. A great album for lovers of hard rock and heavy metal.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. An Exercise in Debauchery
2. Win Hands Down
3.  Mess

7) “Battering Ram” – Saxon

The mighty Saxon strikes again with this hard hitting addition. Saxon is one of those bands that comes from the old school, like Motörhead. But also like Motörhead, they can come out with an album and still have that same sound and guttural reaction. Just awesome.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. The Devil’s footprints
2. Hard and Fast
3. Battering Ram

6) “Psychic Warfare“– Clutch

This is my introduction to Clutch, so as my first soirée, I was surprised by what I had heard, because I really like this album as a whole. Each song is so strong, and I’m amazed I haven’t heard this band sooner.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Firebirds
2. Behold the Colossus
3. Sucker for the Witch

5) “Bad Magic” – Motörhead

Now as Motörhead’s final album, their swan song. It pleases me to say that this album is very very good. It’s Motörhead at its finest, and with the song “Until the end” a great reminder that Lemmy can sing softly but with passion. Truly a one of a kind, and an album worthy to buy in full.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. The Devil
2. Till the End
3. Thunder and Lightning

4) “Metal Allegiance” – Metal Allegiance

Metal Allegiance was born on the Motörboat cruise. One of the bands had to bow out, so some of the musicians that were already there on tour assembled a group and played a set list. They created a phenomenal line up with a revolving door of musicians. The four key guys holding it together are Mike Portnoy (Dream Theather, Winery Dogs), David Ellifson (Megadeth), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and Mark Menghi.

It’s essentially a greatest hits of Thrash metal with original songs, of course not including the closing track which is a Dio cover. If I had to say specifically it’s a mixture of thrash, progressive and grove metal.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Let Darkness Fall
3. Dying Song

3) “Repentless” – Slayer

SLAYER, is there anything else I really need say? It sounds like it and feels like it, and that is what I believe this album needs to be. I know I cheated a little but with my top 3 list, because number three is two songs.  “Delusions of Savior” is the opening instrumental, and segues so well into opening the title track “Repentless”.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Take Control
2. Vices
3. Delusions of Savior / Repentless

2) “Condition Human” – Queensrychre

This album is very strong.  As the second album with singer Todd La Torre, I really felt the band jelled so much better than the previous album. I highly regard this album as better than or equal to their first two albums “The Warning” or “Rage for Order”. And while I did not include it, the opening track “Arrow of Time” would be my number four.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Guardian
2. Hellfire
3. Selfish Lives

1) “The Book of Souls” – Iron Maiden

Every song on this album is so strong and works so well together. On a first listen it can seem like the songs “When the River Runs Deep” and “The Man of Sorrows” are the weak links, but they grow on you as you listen to them. An almost perfect album and I dare say the best album they’ve made since ”Brave New World”, which I hold as my 2^nd all-time favorite Maiden album.

I’m not doing a top 3 for this album because every song is so great and I believe it is worth it to buy the whole album.

Honorable Mentions:

“Hot Streak” – Winery Dogs

“Hollywood Vampires” - Hollywood Vampires

“The Bay Calls for Blood” – Death Angel [Live]

“Spookshow International Live” – Rob Zombie [Live]

Supergroups, The Quick Burn Effect, and Hired Guns

Supergroups:

A supergroup is formed when a group of musicians from different bands join up for a musical project, and make an album. Shortly after they release it, they tour playing the music from the project and maybe a song or two from their main band or other projects. A notable supergroup was the band Cream. This band was most well known for their song “Sunshine of Your Love” on their album “Disraeli Gears”. Cream only lasted a couple of years, which was longer than most.

Many Supergroups have since been formed and broken up, with very few actually having longevity. One of the few supergroups that has shown longevity is Down. Down is a formation of musicians from the Louisiana metal music scene. With some of the mainstays of the group: singer Phillip H. Anselmo (Pantera), Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), and Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Crowbar). This band celebrates the metal scene in New Orleans by spreading the unique metal music that was created there.

The Quick Burn Effect:

This term ‘the quick burn effect’ is when a new music group comes together, and it only lasts for a short time, with an average life span of about a year. The effect usually takes place during the tour or shortly after the tour, when one or multiple members leave to go on to other projects or back to their main band. If they aren’t replaced and continue on, the band is put off indefinitely, in music purgatory, or disbanded altogether. But there is a far worse outcome than this, the band never plays a live show, like the supergroup KXM (Ray Luzier, George Lynch, and (Doug) dUg Pinnick). After KXM recorded their album, they were too busy with other projects to go on tour together. The quick burn effect usually takes place in either a newly formed supergroup or an original project made up of one or two established musicians and new fresh musicians. A band that died off after only a few years was California Breed. It was comprised of Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and new guy Andrew Watt. They recorded a fantastic record and then went on tour. After a few shows, Bonham left. They replaced him with another drummer but they only lasted a short time before disbanding. This behavior of short lived music projects is generally predominant in the rock and metal world than in other genres.

Hired Guns:

When an established band needs to replace previous members, they usually get hired guns. These musicians learn the material and only play with the band live or sometimes in studio. This can persist over a few years. Very few of these musicians actually become members of the bands full time, and even fewer are allowed to become full partners.

The main argument is the differentiation between bandmates and hired guns. Bandmates or band members are the people who have a vested interest in the band. They have invested their time and creativity into the band making it their own. Hired Guns or freelance players, are people that are brought in to fill a role and not much else. These musicians usually have one or two projects that are their main interest, and they are playing in this band or bands for extra income.

Music is both and art and a business. Some musicians want to work together to create something special outside their normal endeavors. Sometimes situations change and musicians need to be replaced for short or longer periods of time. Unfortunately, these projects can be short-lived. Creative and financial success is not guaranteed. It is most disappointing to those fans who listen and buy the music for they may only have one chance to experience the music live or even own a recording.

Singing vs Screaming

Singing vs Screaming is one of the most heavily debated subjects when come to the Heavy Metal genre. This conflict splits the fans of metal right down the middle with very few people that go in between. Now my definition of screaming is that of screams, yells, barks, growls, and shrieks. As for my personal preference, I like singing more. I prefer to hear the lyrics being clearly audible with the melody. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the harshness of screaming.

Singing:

According to Dictonary.com, [singing] is “to utter words or sounds in succession with musical modulations of the voice; vocalize melodically.” But when it comes to singing and the music that goes along with it, one thing must present, that being melody.

When it comes to high pitch vocals, Joey Belladonna used his vocals to help Anthrax stand out from their peers. It differentiated them from other thrash metal bands, like Slayer and Overkill.

 

Iron Maiden was able to infuse screams into the singing of their songs. This was best shown in their live performances. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson would scream to extend a note to make it louder and fuller. This is where his nickname the “air raid siren” came from. But the best example of his screams are present on his first album he did with Maiden on the title track “Number of the Beast”.

Ronnie James Dio is best known for his vocal abilities and passion shown while singing the lyrics. In the first song he wrote with Sabbath, “Children of the Sea”, he demonstrated his superior vocal range.

Screaming:

Screaming is the broad term for any singing style where the vocals aren’t crisp and clean. According to Diconary.com [Screaming] is “to utter a loud, sharp, piercing cry. Or to emit a shrill, piercing sound” This style is more prevalent when the singer is trying to make a point. When the tuning drops and the riff get heavier, the screaming coincides with the music. While singing is possible with the music, guttural purging and shrieks are more common. Essentially screaming comes down to the type of music being played. Each style of music lends itself to a different vocals. Punk had no real singing, just more shouting. Through the years, this style evolved into the modern scream in metal.

Lamb of God are the latest in the arsenal of successful bands that utilize this brutal vocal style. This style of unrelenting screaming can be attributed to the monstrous vocal ability of D. Randall Blythe.

Judas Priest is known for their melodic music and Rob Halford’s high pitches. In the 90’s, they created a definitive song when they released their screaming assault titled “Painkiller”.

Dillinger is a progressive metal band that is so technical that it has been called math metal by some. When people listen their music for the first time, it can sound like a gurgle of noise.  But after listening to their music multiple times, their brilliance does come through

Even though there are two vocal styles, each one has its place in metal music. Singing is synonymous with high pitched vocals in the operatic singing style like Freddy Mercury. While screaming is signified by the harsh tone that coincides with the music. Both types have added to the appeal of metal music.

What is an Album?

I have previously discussed the different genres of metal and the listeners of the music. Now before we move on, I feel compelled to inform you of the history of records.  But how did the music companies get the music out for people to listen to? What were the different mediums used to get the music out to the public? Originally there was the live performance or concert, then came radio, the vinyl record, the cassette, MTV, CD, MP3, and now music streaming. The music went from being analog recordings to digital recording in less than 35 years. 

Since the introduction of the LP vinyl “album” in 1948 by Columbia Records, it set the standard for the music industry. The LP revolutionized the music industry. Now people could own music recorded by their favorite bands. They could listen to their favorite music when they wanted to at home. People didn’t have to wait for concerts or listen to the radio anymore. It was considered revolutionary.

Back in the day music was put on vinyl. A large two sided black disk with grooves that are imbedded into it. A turntable would spin the record and on a platter. An “arm” with a needle on the end would go straight in the grooves of the vinyl. The signal from the needle was sent to a receiver amplifier and out to the speakers. On a vinyl there were two sides, a side A and B or 1 and 2. There are also two sizes of vinyl, a 7” and 12”. EP’s and LP’s would be the 12 inch diameter run at 33 1/3 rpm, while Singles would be the 7 inch diameter run at 45 rpm.

Singles would contain two songs - one on each side. Side A would have the song that the artist is advertising, while side B may have another song from the album, a live recording, or an original song that usually has no relation to the main song or album. As for the terminology, there is the Single, the EP or Extended Play, and the LP or Long Play.

An EP is characterized as being significantly shorter than and LP, and usually having about 4 to 5 songs. There are longer EP’s that can contain 8 to 9 songs, but these are usually composed of cover songs. Finally, there is the popular LP. These are what we usually see when we put on a CD or vinyl.

An LP can have a number of different songs, but as far as running time goes they are usually 50 minutes to an hour. There are also a subset of LP’s called double albums. Traditionally these are two vinyl’s or CD’s that are the makeup of the album.

What is on an Album? An album contrary to what some might think is not just a collection songs strung together under one title. An album, record, LP, or sometimes referred to as just a CD, is so much more! An album is an experience, a musical journey from the beginning to the end, where each song leads into the other. The reason why classic albums like Pink Floyd’s “Dark side of the Moon” is hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time is because each song on Dark side is integral to the record. Each song flows into each other forming not a collection of different songs, but forming a collaboration, or entity, that emphasizes the theme of the album.

From the 1950’s through the 1980’s it was popular to collect all the LP’s of your favorite groups. People would have vast collections of vinyl. Today, people would rather just buy a song or two from an artist, cherry picking the “best” songs. People now collect individual songs instead of LP’s. This is why today’s music industry is called a single economy, because people would rather buy singles or EP’s rather than full length records.