Remembering Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)

Post #95
It is with a heavy heart that I write these thoughts on the late Ronnie James Dio. I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact of his passing. He meant so much to Rock N' Roll & Heavy Metal music, more than many may realize. It was just recently that I learned his music career extended back to the late 50's! How many artists in Heavy Metal can say that?

Dio's career in Heavy Metal was legendary. He had sung for several major bands; including Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and his self-titled band Dio. When taken as a whole, Dio's recording career transcended decades and genres as few other artists could ever hope to match. With his return to Black Sabbath in 2006 it seemed his career had come full-circle, as the renewed comraderie inspired the band to change their name to Heaven & Hell, after the first Black Sabbath album on which Dio sang. It seemed they could have continued making music together for many more years, until Ronnie lost his battle with cancer on May 16th.

On a personal level, Dio's music was an integral part of my journey into Heavy Metal music. I've mentioned before how I first became a fan of heavy music in the late 80's, embracing almost any band that is regarded today as 'Hair-Metal'. Bands like Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Poison, Ratt, L.A. Guns, & Whitesnake made up much of my personal music catalog at that time. Ronnie James Dio had been a rocker for many years before the Hair-Metal scene took off, and his music retained elements of classic metal that would lead me back to discover artists like Iron Maiden & Judas Priest later on.

All of his many collaborations have helped Ronnie James Dio remain a relevant and influential force in Heavy Metal throughout the years. Dio has been one of the guiding creative minds of Heavy Metal from his early hard rock band, Elf, in the late 60's, to the newest Heaven & Hell album, The Devil You Know, in 2009. However, he is best known for his work from the 80's.

It was on a compilation cassette where I first discovered Dio. 'Rock 'N' Roll Children' was a Dio track featured on a cassette compilation titled "Slave to the Metal". It was one of my favorite songs on that tape, and I made a point to look further into his music. Eventually I added albums like Sacred Heart and Lock Up The Wolves to my collection. A year or two later I discovered a new radio station that played a lot of metal, and it wasn't long before I heard Dio's all-time classic 'Rainbow in the Dark'.

'Rainbow in the Dark' is built upon a guitar riff regarded by many as one of the best in Heavy Metal. It was the best single from Dio's name-sake band's debut album, Holy Diver. This album as a whole is also revered throughout the Heavy Metal community, so I'll review Dio's iconic Holy Diver album today.

Holy Diver seems to be the album regarded by the majority of Dio fans as his best. If you listen to it from start to finish it is easy to see why. This is an album filled with memorable riffs, catchy melodies, and overall brilliant songwriting. While Dio's band provides a tight musical framework, Ronnie's voice provides powerful emotion and thought provoking lyrics. To hear some of the best songs from Holy Diver listen to these:

-Stand Up And Shout

-Holy Diver

-Straight Through The Heart

-Rainbow In The Dark

-Shame On The Night

To read other reviews of Dio's music on this blog, just click on the 'Dio' tag below.

Silverchair: Contrasting 'Young Modern' to 'Frogstomp'

Post #94
A while back, I checked out Silverchair's newest CD, Young Modern, from my local library. I was curious to hear what this band was up to these days, and I had heard a new single from them for the first time in a long while. The song was "Straight Lines".

"Straight Lines" really had me scratching my head. I thought I was hearing Coldplay, or someone similar. It was musically uplifting, and very much piano-driven. Could this really be the same band that delivered the late-grunge era Frogstomp album? So I brought it home from my library & gave it a listen...

The first track, 'Young Modern Station', had a few traces of their old hard rock sound, but pretty much the rest of the album is a much more laid-back experience. Silverchair seemed to have embraced the direction of modern mainstream rock, emulating such artists as Coldplay or Five For Fighting. Taken by itself it would probably be quite enjoyable for those who are seeking out a mellow rock album, packed with keyboard & strings passages throughout. However, for those who pick up this album having Frogstomp in mind, they may be disappointed.

Looking back at Frogstomp, if you've just discovered Silverchair via the Young Modern album, would be equally disturbing. Back when their debut album put them on the map, the grunge scene was in its prime. Considering they were only 15 when they recorded it, you can't begrudge their reflecting the influence of the music of the times.

Their debut album produced several hit singles, and they were instantly regarded as a band with high potential. Of course, in their early days it was seen as potential within the grunge/alternative genre. However, as their career evolved, it has become evident they had the potential to completely shed their early expectations for the sake of pursuing their own musical vision.

Personally, I prefer heavier music, so I'd recommend Frogstomp over Young Modern. To hear for yourself the contrast between Silverchair, then and now, check out these tunes:

From Frogstomp ('95):

-Israel's Son

-Pure Massacre

-Shade

-Leave Me Out (Some of the riffs in this song seem influenced by Black Sabbath's 'Sweet Leaf')

-Suicidal Dream

-Findaway

From Young Modern ('07):

-Young Modern Station
-Straight Lines

-Those Theiving Birds (pt.1)/Strange Behaviour/Those Theiving Birds (pt.2)

-Waiting All Day

For more information on Sliverchair visit their website:

http://www.chairpage.com/news/

Motley Crue

Post #93 Poll Winner: Favorite Hair-Metal band.
As the 70's turned over to the 80's, the heavy metal scene was on the brink of a new era. In Los Angeles the scene that was about to hit big was glam-metal or hair-metal. It was to be an era of heavy metal where the songs were focused less on speed and more on catchy melodies and attitude. One of the first bands that developed a following and went on to be one of the most popular LA bands for the 80's was Motley Crue.

Motley Crue lived the excessive lives of rock-stars to the fullest, and the lyrics of their music often reflected that lifestyle. They prided themselves on their reckless nature. For several years they attracted like-minded fans, but also wrote many catchy tunes. Their success followed the trend of their music which improved in quality with each album, culminating when Dr. Feelgood, their 5th album, reached #1 on the US Billboard charts.

Shortly after, they released their first 'Best Of' compilation, Decade of Decadence, before original vocalist Vince Neil left the band for a solo career. It would be many, many years before the band would see success like this again. But this is the era for which they are still best remembered.

For the best of Motley Crue from the 80's check out these tunes:
-Live Wire
-Shout At The Devil
-Looks That Kill
-Wild Side
-Dr. Feelgood
-Kickstart My Heart
-Rock N' Roll Junkie
-Primal Scream

Books That Rock: "I Am OZZY"

Post #92
Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography is the long awaited story of Ozzy's roller-coaster career as seen through his own eyes. Raised in poverty in Aston, Birmingham, England, and being a social outcast since his early childhood school days, Ozzy's highly unlikely rise to success in Rock N' Roll music is a fascinating story from page 1. Even more amazing and unlikely is the fact that he survived all the self-abuse he caused himself through his numerous harmful addictions and erratic, appalling behavior.

At this point in his life he has the perspective to look back on his life objectively, and he does so with humble & often brutal honesty. Reluctant to take credit for many of his successes, he never passes up an opportunity to thank those who have helped him out at the various stages of his life when he otherwise would have failed, or gone to prison, or been harmed, or may have died. He is not one to carry grudges, and has something good to say about almost everyone he's crossed paths with.

From a fan's perspective, I'm thankful to him for sharing his life-story with us. The context it brings to the music makes the songs more memorable. Some songs that I had almost ignored before, I now consider favorites. Others that I enjoyed for years are given more dimension by the events that gave rise to them. From his years with Black Sabbath, to his remarkable solo-career, the Osbournes & Ozzfests, my fanaticism has been fully rekindled.

Ozzy also mentions several musicians that have inspired him throughout his career. First and foremost are The Beatles. Led Zeppelin & Jethro Tull were other popular bands in the early days of Sabbath. One of my favorite passages was where Ozzy asked Tony Iommi if he'd heard the new Led Zeppelin album, and if he could believe how heavy it sounded. Tony casually replied, "We'll be heavier."

Ozzy also recalls the turbulent 80's with every appropriate emotion. The tragic death of Randy Rhoads, the 'Suicide Solution' lawsuit, the chaotic tour with Motley Crue, the biting-off of heads of bats or doves, the substance abuse and rehab.... Everything you've ever heard about Ozzy is put in perspective by the man who lived it. Check out this book & read it. Your heavy metal IQ will thank you for it!

Some songs that Ozzy specifically mentions (and are favorites of mine as well!)
From The Beatles: Roll Over Beethoven
-It Won't Be Long
-A Hard Day's Night

From Black Sabbath:
-Black Sabbath
-War Pigs
-Paranoid
-Children of the Grave
-Snowblind
-Changes (Later recorded as a duet with his daughter Kelly)
-Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
-Who Are You?

From Ozzy's solo years:
-Crazy Train
-Suicide Solution
-Goodbye to Romance
-Diary of a Madman
-Bloodbath In Paradise
-I Don't Want to Change the World
-Mama, I'm Coming Home
-My Little Man ( A tribute to his son Jack)
-I Don't Wanna Stop

Coming readers' poll topics...

Post #91
Hello again loyal readers!

I'm just checking in to update you on my next planned series of poll topics for this summer. You may recall last summer the monthly poll topics followed the theme of '80's Heavy Metal Icons', as each month you voted for a favorite album from the 80's by various metal bands. In a similar fashion, this summer's theme will be favorite albums form the 70's! The first band will be the mighty Led Zeppelin (I will include their 1st two albums in the poll, even though they were released in '69), and I'll pick a different 70's hard-rock or metal band for the next few months. I may not include bands from that era if I've already reviewed their 70's material. However if you have a favorite band from that decade you'd like me to include in this series of readers' polls, by all means feel free to suggest them to me. Just leave a comment on this post, or contact me by any means if you know where to find me!

Happy Head-banging!
JB

Alice In Chains-Live at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

Post #90
Just saw Alice In Chains at the Aragon Ballroom yesterday. Venue was packed, actually too crowded for comfort if you ask me. Made it difficult to enjoy the show, or even view the band. May have gotten a better spot, but we were late arriving to the show. The music was great however. The band works well with new singer, William DuVall. Unfortunately I never got to see the original line-up live when they still had Layne, so I cannot rightly compare the two. They did pay tribute to him several times during the show. May they carry on for many more years, and hopefully, play a bigger venue next time they're in town!

From the best of my recollection, here's the setlist:
1-All Secrets Known
2-It Ain't Like That
3-Again
4-Check My Brain
5-Them Bones
6-Dam That River
7-Rain When I Die
8-Your Decision
9-Got Me Wrong
10-We Die Young
11-Looking In View
12-Nutshell
13-Sickman
14-Lesson Learned
15-Acid Bubble
16-No Excuses
17-Angry Chair
18-Man In The Box
-------
19-Would?
20-Rooster

All That Remains

Post #89
All That Remains are a metalcore band from Springfield, MA. Under the production guidance of Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz they've become a solid part of the east-coast melodic-metalcore scene. In fact their lead singer even auditioned for Killswitch's vocal spot back when they decided to go with Howard Jones. As their sound has evolved over their last couple albums, they've increased the use of melodic vocals in their music, while their guitars & drums have remained brutally heavy.

I first discovered them at Ozzfest '06, when they were supporting their album The Fall Of Ideals. I've also seen them more recently at Mayhem Festival last year.

I must confess that I was not an instant fan when I first heard them. I thought them just another hard-core/death-metal band with too much screaming and not enough molody for my tastes. The riffs were heavy and the drums simply brutal, but back in '06, I wasn't quite feeling that vibe in metal...

A couple years went by and they were on the bill of another summer heavy metal music festival I was planning to attend. However the key was their new album, Overcome. For me, this was the type of album I needed to fully gain an appreciation for this band. It helped that their single,"Two Weeks" was getting some air-play on my local rock & metal radio station. As is usually the case with me, it was the guitar solo that caught my ear. Give me a good guitar solo and a bit of melody in the riffs & vocals and I'm usually happy.

Unable to get enough of this song, I went out and bought the CD. Then I noticed their Fall Of Ideals album right behind Overcome, with the sticker advertising Ozzfest 2006 still on it. Then I realized why their name sounded familiar. Eventually I bought that CD as well. Of the two, Overcome is much more melodic on all levels. It's primed for more mainstream listeners. Lyrically, All That Remains seem to focus on self-empowering themes. Strength, resiliance, and integrity in the face of adversity generally sums up what All That Remains are all about.

So now I see their direction more clearly; blending death-metal screaming vocals with melodic, almost 80's-metal style vocals, while the guitars & drums follow the same contrast; beautiful clean & pretty melodies one second, blast-beat & bone-crushing heaviness the next. Depending on which song you're hearing from All That Remains, the two extremes are present in varying ratios. There are a lot of bands out there that blend the screams with melody as well, but All That Remains really have a unique formula that stands out a bit.

My suggestions from these two albums:

The Fall Of Ideals

-This Calling (A viscious scream kicks off this song, but the chorus is very melodic!)

-Not Alone (A great melodic guitar solo here, mixed between the shredding riffs)

-Whispers (I Hear You)

-The Weak Willed (This one contains elements of true death-metal vocals, but again it's tempered by melodic guitars towards the end...)

-Six (Great melodic break-down segment in this song!)

Overcome

-Before The Damned (This one is probably the heaviest on this album, the rest of the tracks are more melodic...)

-Two Weeks (Still one of my favorites!)

-Forever In Your Hands (this one could be called a power-ballad, heavy on the 'power' of course!)

-Chiron

-Believe In Nothing (This is a cover of a song originally by Nevermore)

Black Sabbath-Paranoid

Post #88-Poll winner: Favorite Ozzy-Era Sabbath Album
Black Sabbath are often credited as being the first true heavy metal band. Regardless of when and where 'heavy metal' began, Black Sabbath were certainly the heaviest band of their era. And they were certainly the first band to write songs as dark and demonic as 'Black Sabbath' or 'War Pigs'.

Rising from seemingly nowhere, their sound, tone, and doom-themed lyrics caught on surprisingly quickly. Shortly after they were signed to a record label they began to crank out albums year after year, following the simplest of formulas: heavy riff, dark or psychadelic lyrics, drums, bass, and a catchy vocal melody. It may not sound like much, but they mastered it quickly.

So adept they became at their new-found style of heavy-blues rock that their 2nd album, Paranoid, has become know as their Masterpiece, and a cornerstone in the foundation of the roots of the entire heavy metal genre. The title track/single was almost an accidental success. After they recorded their track-list for their second album, the producer barged in and said the album was too short on minutes. They needed one more song...

Brainstorming, and improvising on the spot, the four guys went to work. Starting with Tony Iommi's catchy guitar riff and flowing from there, they had the track cut less than 12 hours later. They called it 'Paranoid', and the record company liked it so much they changed the name of the album to match! Today it's often called their best song, and always used as a concert encore, whether you're seeing Black Sabbath or Ozzy.

Other highlights from this classic album:

-War Pigs

-Planet Caravan

-Iron Man

-Hand of Doom

-Fairies Wear Boots

Overdust-You Won't Be Alive Forever

Post #87
Overdust are a new rock band from San Francisco, California. In their music and lyrics they strive to understand the meaning of life through its challenges and hardships. Sometimes focusing on the intricacies of relationships, other times being more introspective on their philosophies on life and love, their songs never seem insignificant. They greet the world of rock music with their debut album, "You Won't Be Alive Forever", due for release later this year.

Overdust's sound is driven by electric and acoustic rock guitars, and textured throughout the album with piano and strings in many songs. Their sound is radio-friendly, and they seem poised to be embraced by the mainstream rock music fan-base. Listeners won't be disappointed, as the band effortlessly blends heavy guitar hooks with softer melodies. Though their inspiration ranges from 70's classic rock to post-grunge and modern alternative rock, they might be most comparable to the contemporary side of late 90's alternative rock, revamped for today's current rock music scene. Think Wallflowers or Collective Soul with some inspiration from Pink Floyd and a bit of Incubus thrown in...

This debut album is a remarkably balanced rock-music experience. A great mix of rockers & ballads gives it a natural ebb and flow from front to back. The band knows when to ease up into a melodic guitar riff, or rip with an infectious guitar solo at every right moment.

Here are my picks from this up-and-coming band's debut:

-You Won't Be Alive Forever (A hard-rocking tune, the album's title track could double as a mission statement for the band and their philosophy: Seize the day, live without regrets.)
-Maybe Tomorrow (Another hard-rocker, perhaps the heaviest number on the album, it has a great groove. My personal favorite!)
-Because Love (An up-beat number. Has a really good intro, and rocks with a vibe reminiscent of Collective Soul... thought provoking lyrics about when love can become detrimental.)
-Watch Over Me (The album's first glimpse of this band's softer side. Again the lyrics are about being in the moment in life, though with a more personal context here.)
-Now I'm Free (A hard-rocker, but soft around the edges with clever use of keyboards. The lyrics narrate the moving-on process in relationships.)
-Mother's Farewell (Another mainly acoustic ballad. This one is more about soul-searching during the challenging times in life. Many instruments complement throughout; strings, keys and electric guitars give this song a bit of everything.)

Until their album is released you can sample some of their music for free online.
Check out their main website & myspace page:
http://www.overdust.com/
www.myspace.com/overdust

Megadeth-Endgame

Post #86
[21st Century Breakdown tied with Endgame to win the "Favorite album of 2009" reader's poll]

Megadeth gave us the album Endgame in '09, and for the 4th consecutive time, have produced a thrash album arguably better than their previous effort. Since 1999's Risk, Endgame marks an even decade of consistent and impressive return to form for Megadeth.

In spite of the addition of a new lead guitarist, Chris Broderick, the band has retained their razor-sharp groove. Mustaine joins Chris for numerous tandem guitar solos, as well as trading leads throughout the album. The riffs tear into your chest with a vigor that matches the material from United Abominations.

In many instances Endgame deals with some serious issues like the recent financial meltdown and economic hardship, as well as war and governmental arrogance. However there are places where the mood lightens up just a bit and the music is simply about thrashing out to Megadeth's insane, shredding riffs & screaming guitar solos!

My favorites from Megadeth's newest album:

-Dialectic Chaos

-This Day We Fight!

-44 Minutes

-Bite The Hand

-Head Crusher

Green Day- 21st Century Breakdown

Post #85
[21st Century Breakdown tied with Endgame to win the "Favorite album of 2009" reader's poll]

21st Century Breakdown proves for Green Day that their visionary, self-reinventing American Idiot album from '04 was not just a fluke. This new album matches it's predecessor in vision, musicianship, and attitude. The songs once again paint a picture of life in a society on the brink of revolution and the struggles that go with it, paralleling many of the themes from American Idiot, but expanding into it's own concept as well.

As with American Idiot, there are recurring characters whose eyes the story is told through. For 21st Century Breakdown, the cast is a couple with the symbolic names Christian & Gloria. Whether its a struggle against a government that leaves them out in the cold, or a social norm they rage against, the story of Christian & Gloria is one that strikes a chord in all of us.

Musically, Green Day's punk-rock roots are still apparent throughout 21st Century Breakdown, although more piano can be heard on this album than on any previous Green Day album. This adds a new dimension to their sound, and it blends in seamlessly. The best examples are probably the title-track, "Last Night on Earth", and "Restless Heart Syndrome"

Thematically the album is broken into 3 acts: Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, and Horseshoes and Handgrenades. A slightly different mood is set for each segment, although the whole album still flows well from start to finish.

My top pick from Green Day's 2nd consecutive masterpiece:

-21st Century Breakdown

-Before the Lobotomy

-Peacemaker

-Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)

-Restless Heart Syndrome

-The Static Age

-21 Guns

Losing Scarlet... Hot New Band!

Post #84-Poll winner: Favorite Myspace Band (2009)
Losing Scarlet are a Chicago based band that have been together about 2 years. They've been growing local support in that time, and have independently produced a fine debut album. Drawing from their influences of modern heavy metal, nu-metal, and Gothic hard-rock; they've developed a tight, signature sound that falls somewhere between Disturbed & Evanescence.

Heavy riffs deliver powerful chord progressions, while a soaring female voice delivers the lyrics with equally catchy melodies. The structure provided by the drums & bass make for great foot-stompin', fist-pumpin' grooves. With the recent surge in popularity of metal bands featuring female singers (such as Halestorm, Flyleaf, Lacuna Coil, etc...), it wouldn't surprise me if Losing Scarlet go pretty far in the next couple years. I'll be supporting them on their ascending journey, will you?

This band was quite a pleasant surprise in the vast world of myspace-music pages. From the readers poll results, most of you seem to agree. I'm glad I found them, and you should be too! If you haven't visited their page yet, you certainly should. The link to their myspace web site is below. Check them out today! If you're in the greater-Chicago & suburban area, you can probably catch one of their shows- they're always playing somewhere.

For a little more guidance, here are my favorite Losing Scarlet tracks from their myspace page & debut album:
-Shade of Hate (the first Losing Scarlet song I ever heard. It got me hooked instantly!)
-All I Am
-Lacerate (this one is a clean-guitar ballad, with some heavy hooks thrown in for good measure.)
-On Display

[Losing Scarlet won the "Myspace-bands" poll in December '09]
http://www.myspace.com/losingscarlet


Order your own copy of their CD today!

Iced Earth-Something Wicked Part II: The Crucible of Man

Post #83
Here we are in the middle of winter again and I'm reviewing Iced Earth. For the 3rd straight year, I managed to review this band while temps in my neck of the woods are well below freezing. I believe a tradition has been set...

This time I'm focusing on the band's most recent studio album, the conclusion of their 2-part concept album, Something Wicked Part II-The Crucible of Man. Surprisingly, much has transpired within the band between this album and it's predecessor. The most significant change is that Matt Barlow has returned to the band as lead vocalist, and replaced Tim 'Ripper' Owens (who had replaced Matt prior to The Glorious Burden).

It is interesting that this change occurred between two halves of a 2-part concept album. Barlow's return restores the band's classic formula from their late-90's era, a cherished reunion in the eyes of many fans. At the same time, this leaves many hypothetical questions in the minds of Iced Earth followers: What might the "Something Wicked" double-album sound like if Tim Owens had sung on both parts? Or if Barlow had? Fans of Iced Earth will probably be able to debate this issue for quite a while, but it is as is it.

Something Wicked Part II: The Crucible of Man continues the plot from Framing Armageddon and the Something Wicked 3-part epic track from Something Wicked This Way Comes. Iced Earth blends melodic clean guitar with rapid-fire thrash riffs throughout this album much like they did on Framing Armageddon. Barlow's vocal range may be a bit more confined to the mid-range than Ripper's was on the first half of this concept album, but it still does not subtract from the overall experience.

The concept of an alien race that seems poised to pass judgment on the human race is developed a bit more. Most of the lyrics focus on the nature of humanity; laced with examples of deceit and hypocrisy. There is a track, "Something Wicked (Part 3)" that musically continues themes from the previous album, as do several other tracks. A melancholy instrumental Epilogue closes the album... Overall, a successful musical endeavor, if a little heavy on its ambition.

My picks from Something Wicked Part II:
-Behold The Wicked Child
-A Gift or a Curse? (This is a slower tempo track. Minor-key clean guitar throughout. A great deal of the concept's plot is developed with this song.)
-Crown of the Fallen
-The Dimension Gauntlet (More of a thrasher here, but again more plot points are revealed.)
-I Walk Alone
-Crucify the King (This one really sounds like classic Barlow-era Iced Earth!)