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!
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.
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 16th, 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 23rd, 2016at
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.
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 theCatch 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.
