The Heavy Metal Box

Post #258
When it comes to compilation/mix collections I'm usually skeptical, and it takes a well planned and efficiently executed collection of music to truly gain my interest. One such collection that I believe successfully achieved its goal, if not exceeded it, is The Heavy Metal Box.

Covering the history of heavy metal music from its primordial age in the late 60's up until the twilight of metal's golden era at the dawn of the 1990's (before grunge and alternative rock threatened the fan-base of metal), this 4-disc box set is a thorough representation of the first 20-25 years of the heavy metal phenomenon. I was able to check this collection out at my local library, and I am so glad that I did. True there were many bands here I was very familiar with, like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. However there were also many bands included that I never had a chance to listen to before, like Hawkwind, Angel Witch, Rose Tattoo, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, and Metal Church. My perspective on the evolution of heavy metal is all the better because I checked out this collection. You should at least take a listen to any of these songs you are unfamiliar with...

Disc 1 (1967-1980)

Iron Butterfly-In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Blue Cheer-Summertime Blues

Uriah Heep-Easy Livin'

Deep Purple-Highway Star
Alice Cooper-Billion Dollar Babies
Hawkwind-Lost Johnny
Montrose-Bad Motor Scooter
Rush-Working Man
Rainbow-Man on the Silver Mountain
Kiss-Detroit Rock City
Judas Priest-The Ripper
Ted Nugent-Cat Scratch Fever
UFO-Lights Out
Blue Oyster Cult-Godzilla
Girlschool-Demolition Boys
Angel Witch-White Witch
Iron Maiden-The Phantom of the Opera
Black Sabbath-Neon Knights

Disc 2 (1980-1983)
Motorhead-Ace of Spades
Diamond Head-Am I Evil?
Rose Tattoo-Nice Boys
Michael Schenker Group-Attack of the Mad Axeman
Saxon-Denim and Leather
Blitzkrieg-Blitzkrieg
Tygers of Pan Tang-Gangland
Venom-Witching Hour
Judas Priest-You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Iron Maiden-The Number of the Beast
Raven-Star War
Fastway-Say What You Will
Mercyful Fate-Black Funeral
W.A.S.P.-Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)
Y&T-Mean Streak
Dio-Holy Diver
Queensryche-Queen of the Reich
Metallica-Whiplash

Disc 3 (1984-1986)
Scorpions-Rock You Like a Hurricane
Quiet Riot-Metal Health
Dokken-Into the Fire
Accept-Balls to the Wall
Ratt-Round and Round
Twisted Sister-I Wanna Rock
Hanoi Rocks-The Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Spinal Tap-Big Bottom
Krokus-Midnite Maniac
Yngwie Malmsteen-I'll See the Light, Tonight
Loudness-Crazy Nights
Cinderella-Shake Me
Metal Church-Watch the Children Pray
Stryper-To Hell With The Devil
Helloween-A Little Time
Overkill-Wrecking Crew
Anthrax-Caught in a Mosh
Megadeth-Peace Sells

Disc 4 (1987-1991)
Whitesnake-Still of the Night
Great White-Rock Me
Faster Pussycat-Bathroom Wall
Lita Ford-Kiss Me Deadly
Manowar-Hail and Kill
Testament-Trial By Fire
King Diamond-Welcome Home
Slayer-South Of Heaven
Metallica-One
Living Colour-Cult of Personality
Skid Row-Youth Gone Wild
Pantera-Cowboys from Hell
Prong-Beg to Differ
Sepultura-Dead Embryonic Cells

You can see there is quite a bit of diversity in this collection. Although it is sequenced in chronological order, the diversity becomes most apparent towards the end (discs 3 and 4). You can literally hear the progression, solidification, and diversification of heavy metal from a single genre of music at its inception to a multi-headed monster at the dawn of the 90's. During the 80's metal branched in 2 distinct directions: mainstream radio-friendly 'glam' or 'hair' metal, and the more underground 'thrash' or 'speed' metal. The former focused on higher-pitched vocals, and catchy, lighter melodies; the latter focused on power, aggression, and heavier darker moods.

In the end it is all still METAL! If you are a new fan of heavy metal music, do yourself a favor and listen to this collection to see, hear, and understand where metal came from!

Judas Priest: The 70's

Post #206
It is clear that heavy metal music has its roots in the late-60's and early-70's. However, it is truly the 70's where the course of metal music as a genre found its footing and began to branch down different paths of development. One of the most crucial bands in establishing metal's stronghold is Judas Priest. They had two very talented guitarists in KK Downing and Glen Tipton, but even more significant was their one-of-a-kind vocalist- Rob Halford. Halford had a vocal range of about 4 octaves, which is among the widest vocal ranges in metal music. Very early in their career, Judas Priest began making the most of these coveted talents, and helped launch a new era for the heavy metal genre which is still going strong today.

Priest released their debut album, Rocka Rolla, in 1974. Compared to most of the rest of their albums, this one is a little rough around the edges. Perhaps a bit before Priest would truly find their signature sound, this is still an interesting recording. Here you'll find a band existing somewhere between psychedelic rock and the heavy-blues rock from which metal would soon sprout.

My top picks from Rocka Rolla:
-One for the Road
-Rocka Rolla
-Cheater (on the compact disc this is part of medley also featuring- Winter, Deep Freeze, and Winter Retreat)
-Diamonds and Rust (an early version of their Joan Baez cover that would also appear on the Sin After Sin album a few years later, this song was added as a bonus track after remastering in the 80's)

With their second album in '76, Priest delivered a true classic. Sad Wings of Destiny still stands the test of time as a crucial album in the early landscape of heavy metal. No less than 4 tracks from this album have become concert set-list favorites over the years: 'Victim of Changes', 'The Ripper', 'Tyrant' and 'Genocide'. This is the album where Judas Priest really began to find their signature sound.

Sad Wings of Destiny is more than a keystone album for Judas Priest, it has been a major influence to the entire heavy metal genre since its release. Many of today's prominent metal bands still refer to Sad Wings when recounting the days when they discovered a love for heavy music. Particularly thrash metal owes a great deal to this album, for it's where many of the key elements of thrash were first revealed.

My picks from Sad Wings...
-Victim of Changes
-The Ripper
-Deceiver
-Tyrant
-Genocide
-Island of Domination

1977's Sin After Sin was Priest's first album for CBS Records (which would morph into Columbia Records in due time). With support from the record company Judas Priest by now were able to tour in the US, broadening their audience significantly. More importantly, they were carving their own niche as songwriters and had truly begun to pave a significant road for Heavy Metal music. One fact that illustrates this album's significance might be that thrash titan Slayer chose to cover the song 'Dissident Aggressor' from this album. It remains a concert favorite for both bands.

My Picks from Sin After Sin:
-Sinner
-Diamonds and Rust (The famous Joan Baez cover)
-Starbreaker
-Last Rose of Summer (This song shows the softer side of Judas Priest as well as any song they've ever written. Clean, melodic ballad showcases Halford's true vocal talent as well. Perhaps the last song by Priest that really sounds more psychedelic rock than metal.)
-Dissident Aggressor

BONUS TRACKS:
-Race With the Devil
-Jawbreaker (Live)

Stained Class was released in 1978, and this is the album I have come to call my favorite among Judas Priest's work from the 70's. I rank it among my top-5 favorite albums from Priest overall. This album again features many songs that get repeated inclusion in concert set lists and compilation albums. 'Exciter' and 'Stained Class' being the heavier offerings on this album, but to my ears, the most memorable song here is 'Beyond the Realms of Death'.

'Beyond the Realms of Death' was the most unique song Priest had recorded by this point in their career. Primarily driven by melodic guitar phrases, and a somber minor-key tone, the chorus kicks into a heavy riff, and Halford's voice converts from soft vocal melodies to more aggressive screams. This song has even been referenced by Metallica as being a key to their pursuit of the clean/heavy/clean song structures they developed in the mid-80's.

Other notes of significance on Stained Class: It is the first album to feature Les Binks on drums. Binks also is credited as co-writing the aforementioned 'Beyond the Realms of Death' with Halford. It is also the first album to feature the now-classic Judas Priest logo. The album artwork (by Roslav Szaybo), seems to depict the famous head-injury suffered by Phineas Gage in 1848, although the angle of the rod-through-the-head is a little bit off.

My top picks from Stained Class:
-Exciter
-Stained Class
-Saints in Hell
-Beyond the Realms of Death (DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!)
-Heroes End

BONUS TRACKS:
-Fire Burns Below
-Better By You, Better Than Me (Live)

1979 brought Hell Bent for Leather to the metal masses. Judas Priest were growing in popularity with each release at this point. This album is a great example of the band maintaining their grip with accessible, radio-friendly heavy rock, as it contains a few songs that are best described as anthems, while still pushing the edge of heavy metal. 'Rock Forever' and 'Take on the World' are those anthem type of songs. Conversely they still had several songs on the cutting edge of heavy metal, like 'Hell Bent for Leather' and 'Running Wild'. Keep in mind, however, that this was the 1970's, and the only way to achieve success was through radio air-play, so music couldn't get as aggressive as it can today and still survive.

Overall, the direction of this album would be right on par with much of the material Priest would write throughout the 80's, making Hell Bent for Leather a true classic of heavy metal.



My favorite tracks from Hell Bent for Leather:
-Delivering the Goods
-Rock Forever
-Hell Bent for Leather
-The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (A cover of a Fleetwood Mac song, and Priest make this one their own as well as they did on 'Diamonds and Rust')
-Running Wild
-Before the Dawn (Again, I recommend the softest track on the album. I can't help enjoying a band that maintains their versatility through the years.)

BONUS TRACKS:
-Fight For Your Life
-Riding on the Wind (Live)

By 1979, Judas Priest had been touring the world with growing success for well over 2 years. They chose to close the decade with a live album documenting their well earned status as one of the best new heavy metal bands in the world. Unleashed in the East was that album, and it remains one of the best live albums by any metal band in the 70's.

When the Judas Priest albums were remastered in 2001, 4 bonus tracks were adding to this release. Also recorded live from the same tour, these extra tracks make this album and even greater masterpiece.

My top picks from Unleashed in the East:
-Exciter
-Sinner
-The Ripper
-The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
-Genocide

BONUS TRACKS:
-Rock Forever
-Delivering the Goods
-Hell Bent for Leather
-Starbreaker

Iron Maiden: The 80's (Part I: Paul Di'Anno Era)

Post # 188
Iron Maiden are the band most responsible for taking heavy metal to new heights in the 1980's. They dominated the genre for nearly a decade, and perfected elements of heavy metal that became a stylistic core from which several other bands took inspiration. For now, I will take a look back at Maiden's early releases, those that featured Paul Di'Anno on lead vocals.

IRON MAIDEN

When the topic of landmark debut albums arises in heavy metal music, Iron Maiden's eponumous debut is almost always in the conversation. It was both a solid, consistent album, with several tracks that remain permeated in Maiden's live shows, as well as it was a genre-solidifying release. Iron Maiden raised the bar a little higher in the (N)WOBHM era as they showcased two guitarists who brought speed and technique with the lead guitar to a higher level. Although the band's line-up would change a couple times over their next few releases, the songs were primarily composed by bassist Steve Harris. Harris has always been the primary composer of music for Iron Maiden, so there is that element of continuity present on their first album.

Essential Iron Maiden tracks from their debut:
-Prowler (The first track gives you a shot of Maiden's essence right away. Lead guitar melody that excels at technique and speed in the same breath.)
-Remember Tomorrow (A favorite track of mine. Underrated, perhaps because it has a slower, melodic feel, but it is no less of a classic!)
-Running Free (90% of Maiden's shows are guaranteed to feature this song as an encore or closing number.)
-Transylvania (an instrumental classic for heavy metal!)
-Iron Maiden (A classic among classics. Shredding lead guitars, fast and heavy riffs. ESSENTIAL!)

KILLERS

Iron Maiden's second album was, overall, very consistent with their first. Songs on this album begin to take inspiration from literary sources ('Murders In The Rue Morgue'), a method that Iron Maiden would repeat here and there throughout their career. Guitar intricacies are still found abundantly on this album. Though this would be Di'Anno's last album with Maiden, he still sings with a lot of emotion, and played a key role on these two albums in Metal's early days.

These first two albums also featured Clive Burr on drums. Killers did, however featured the debut of Adrian Smith on guitar. He has been with Maiden for the majority of their albums since, and has proven to be a natural complement to guitarist Dave Murray.

Songs that I highly recommend from Killers:
-Wrathchild (A good high-tempo heavy metal tune, gets the album rolling after 'The Ides of March' instrumental intro...)
-Murders in the Rue Morgue
-Genghis Khan (An instrumental track. Seems to aim at replicating the feel of 'Transylvania' on the last album. I prefer the former, but you decide which is better!)
-PRODIGAL SON (On this track we get a multi-faceted musical experience from Maiden. They show their true potential best on this track. Clean guitar sections have a neo-classical feel, particularly reminding me of Ozzy's 'You Can't Kill Rock N' Roll' or Ace Frehley's 'Fractured Mirror'. Some progressive elements can be heard, too, perhaps foreshadowing a style they would expand on extensively throughout their career.)
-Purgatory

Judas Priest-Hell Bent For Leather

Post #116 Poll Winner: Favorite Judas Priest album from the 70's.
In the late 70's one of the most important movements in heavy metal developed: the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. One band that was quite instrumental in the development of this style of metal was Judas Priest. Starting as a heavy, blues-based rock band, in much the same was as Black Sabbath did, they took the style to a more technically advanced level.

With the combined talents of Glen Tipton & KK Downing trading guitar solos, along with Rob Halford's amazing vocal range, the heavy metal genre was given a new path down which to grow & develop. Over the course of a few years, multiple British bands took inspiration from Priest's sound and helped further expand this movement within heavy metal.

Hell Bent For Leather (titled Killing Machine in the UK), was released in 1979, and is now viewed as Priest's crowning achievement from that inspiring decade. By this time, Judas Priest had developed a versatile formula, composing songs that were often heavy and fast paced, but also featured some tunes that were more melodic or anthemic. These were elements they would perfect further in the coming 80's.

My top picks from this classic album:
-Delivering the Goods
-Hell Bent for Leather
-Burnin' Up
-The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) [Originally a Fleetwood Mac song, Judas Priest perform it so well that many don't realize it's a cover]
-Running Wild
-Before the Dawn

Iron Maiden: The Final Frontier Tour (w/ Dream Theater) 7-18-10

Post #106
On July 18, 2010, I attended my first-ever Iron Maiden concert. Long overdue, I know, but better late than never, and well worth the wait! Here's my review of the show...
On a warm July afternoon I made my way to the First Midwest Bank Ampitheater once again to catch what promised to be a memorable heavy metal concert: Iron Maiden, with Dream Theater as the opening band. This was an excellent combination, I felt, since I'm also big fan of Dream Theater. I could not wait for the show to start.

I didn't have long to wait, as I barely made it to the venue before showtime. I had just found my section and was making my way to my seat when stage lights came on, and John Myung of Dream Theater emerged from the smoke that had filled the stage, playing one of his classic, melodic bass-guitar riffs. The song was 'As I Am', and Dream Theater's set was off to a powerful start!

For a band known for their epic-progressive, and very, very long songs I was a bit concerned that Dream Theater wouldn't get to play too many numbers as an opening act. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as it became apparent they were focusing on their heavier (and for the most part shorter songs). Admittedly, the thrashy side of Dream Theater has always been my favorite. They were able to squeeze in 6 selected songs, closing with their classic 'Pull Me Under'.

Then there was a bit of a break as the stage crew went to work preparing for Maiden. I took the opportunity to head out to the vendors, grab myself a tour T-shirt, a drink, and return to my seat. It also made for less waiting time. I was ready for Iron Maiden.

They opened their set with 'The Wicker Man' from their reunion album Brave New World. A great thrash number to get the crowd pumped off the bat. When the vocals kicked in, Bruce sprinted from the back-stage area, hurdled a row of monitors, and began belting out the song with such energy as I had rarely seen in any rock show! He was sporting a simple black T-shirt which read 'PSYCH WARD' across the front, and his energy continued as such for most of the show.

I was a little surprised how heavily Iron Maiden favored their newer material (i.e. since their reunion in 2000). They did play a few older tracks, but easily two-thirds of their set was selected from the albums Brave New World, Dance of Death, or A Matter of Life and Death. This was fine by me, as I've become a huge fan of these albums. I think Iron Maiden are arguably better now than they have ever been.

One of my favorite moments from the show was when Bruce took a few moments between songs to remember the late Ronnie James Dio. He shared a little story with us of a time he was on tour with Dio and heard him complaining about the song 'Rainbow In The Dark'. Ronnie had said that he hated that song, that he was sick of it. "Well, why do you play it all the time then?" asked Bruce. "Because the fans want to hear it." Dio replied simply. And that was what was always important to Ronnie James Dio, giving the fans what they wanted to hear. For a moment I wondered if they were going to play 'Rainbow in the Dark'. Though they did not, they did dedicated the next song to Ronnie, 'Blood Brothers'.

Maiden continued through a fantastic set, as I've mentioned focusing mainly on their newest 3 albums prior to The Final Frontier. A giant Eddie came out a stalked the stage during 'Iron Maiden', dueling with Janick Gers for a bit. Then when it seemed the show was over, they came back out for an encore, and played three of the greatest classics: 'The Number of the Beast', 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', and 'Running Free'.

The set list from this memorable night of heavy metal legends:

Dream Theater

-As I Am

-A Rite of Passage

-Home

-Constant Motion

-Panic Attack

-Pull Me Under

Iron Maiden

-The Wicker Man

-Ghost of the Navigator

-Wrathchild

-El Dorado (the only song from their new album, which had not yet been released.)

-Dance of Death

-The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg

-These Colours Don't Run

-Blood Brothers

-Wildest Dreams

-No More Lies

-Brave New World

-Fear of the Dark

-Iron Maiden

-The Number of the Beast

-Hallowed Be Thy Name

-Running Free

Powerslave: Iron Maiden's 80's Masterpiece

Post #64 Poll Winner: Favorite Iron Maiden album from the 80's.
As the 1980's began, Iron Maiden embodied the (New) Wave of British Heavy Metal. The movement had begun a few years earlier with bands like Judas Priest & Diamond Head, but Iron Maiden seemed to symbolize the perfection of this metal style. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith, quickly became one of the tightest guitar tandems in heavy metal in the 1980's.

Maiden's '84 release, Powerslave, may be the apex of their golden years. After years of alternating guitar solos in one of the world's most popular heavy metal band, Murray & Smith are again at the top of their game on this album. This is, coincidentally, the last album Iron Maiden recorded without any accompaniment by keyboards or synthesised guitars. The World Slavery Tour that supported this album was the most extensive tour the band had done by this point. It resulted in their first live album, Live After Death.

This great album contains many songs that are both fan-favorites and concert staples. Here are my top picks from Powerslave:
-Aces High
-2 Minutes to Midnight
-Powerslave
-Flash of the Blade (This one is a bit more obscure than the first 3, but it's a personal favorite of mine, driven by a fast, lead guitar riff. This song was also recently covered by Avenged Sevenfold on their "Diamonds in the Rough" CD)
-Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Perhaps the greatest epic, progressive metal song Iron Maiden have ever written; this song parallels the story told in the classic epic poem of the same name. The riff that Steve Harris gives this story-turned-song masterpiece is one of the best on the whole album!)

The Best from Judas Priest in the 80's...

Post #62 Poll Winner: Favorite Judas Priest album from the 80's.
The 1980's saw a rise in the popularity of heavy metal music. The genre diversified into Pop/Hair Metal on the more mainstream end of the spectrum, and Thrash and Death Metal at the other, more extreme end. For most of the 80's Judas Priest stayed right in the middle of the road, clinging to the fundamentals of heavy metal music.

One of the few (N)WOBHM bands to perservere throughout the decade, Priest stayed true to a classic style of heavy metal. Rob Halford's versatile voice gave them the freedom to write heavy metal songs of a broader variety than many of their peers. Many of their songs are credited as being the groundwork upon which thrash metal grew, while others seemed to sound like they were pushing for the mainstream of pop-metal.


Whether you like the harder edged music of Judas Priest, or the radio-friendly hits they created during this era, it is hard to argue against their consistency in the 1980's. The band seemed to grow more confident with each album. As a result, some of their best work can be found on these albums. When it came time for you to choose a favorite Judas Priest album from the 80's, the poll ended in a tie. Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith are both deserving of this award, so I'll recommend songs from them both!


Screaming For Vengeance:
-The Hellion/Electric Eye
-Riding on the Wind
-Screaming for Vengeance
-You've got Another Thing Coming
-Devil's Child


Defenders Of The Faith:
-Freewheel Burning
-Jawbreaker
-Eat Me Alive
-Love Bites
-The Sentinel