Alice Cooper-School's Out

Post #104 Poll Winner: Favorite Alice Cooper album from the 70's.
The 1970's were a formative era for the genre of heavy metal. Several hard rock bands from this time would become primary influences for almost every heavy metal band that has folowed since. This was a time of pioneers. Rock musicians who began making music in the late 60's would slowly begin to emerge from the haze of psychadelic rock and hone in on other elements of style. One such artist would be Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper became famous early in their career for the theatrical elements of their stage show. Hence, Alice became known as the founder of 'Shock-Rock' (dubbed for the shocking elements of their music and performance). At about the same time, the band started producing some genuine hit songs that helped define the generation.

School's Out is perhaps the best example of Alice Cooper's rock-anthem capabilities. To this day the title track to this classic album is cranked up to 10 for many high-schoolers during summer break. This song gave a generation of teenagers a rally cry in the 70's.

You chose this album as your favorite from Alice in the 70's,
My picks from School's Out:
-School's Out (of course!)
-My Stars
-Public Animal #9

Sutured Psyche Rocks Chicago's I AM Fest (7-23-10)

Post #103

SUTURED PSYCHE

On the local, independent rock music scene in Chicago, there has been a series of 'Battle of the Bands' style shows this summer. One band featured in this competition has been on my radar for a while now: Sutured Psyche. On Friday, July 23rd I was finally able to make it to one of their shows, and it was well worth the wait.

As part of the Independent Arts & Music Fest (I AM Fest), they played a show at the Elbo Room on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. It was a small venue, in the basement below the bar, and a little short on air-conditioning. All things considered, the crowd was still ready to rock, and with potent enthusiasm. The crowd seemed to be perpetually revolving, as people kept retreating to the upstairs area where the AC was working much better. There also seemed to be a trend of each band pulling in its own crowd that didn't always stick around for the whole evening.

For those who stuck it out for the penultimate band, Sutured Psyche, they were rewarded with a great set of in-you-face hard-rock music! As the individual members ran a final sound-check with the venue sound-staff I was getting psyched (pun intended!) Suddenly, it was SHOW TIME!
They hit the ground running, opening their set with "Clarity", a song that quickly showcased much of the band's signature sound. Hard rock riffs are the driving force behind Sutured Psyche's music. Catchy melodies are abundant throughout as well. Clean-guitar progressions balance a heavy rhythm guitar as a tight drum & bass guitar combo holds everything together. However, the most unique element of this band may be their lead vocalist. Singer William Pekoc IV has a deep, throaty voice that reverberates throughout the room. This facet of the band's formula is the reason behind a few hinted comparisons to Tool.
Pekoc's commanding vocal delivery, along with the band's slick image (dressed in matching black suits-at least at the start of the show), and stage craft make for a highly entertaining rock show. Follow this band with their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/suturedpsyche, and try to catch one of their shows on Chicago's north-side. You won't be dissapointed.

For now I'll leave you with the set list from this show:

Clarity

Invocation

50th Percentile

Luck of the Draw

Much More Than I've Lost

Inherit the Earth (A great fist-pumping anthem, with crowd-participation opportunities!)

Trickster

The Leap (this one has quickly become a favorite track of mine, having sampled it frequently on their myspace webpage)

Teen Angst (a rare cover-originally by Cracker)

Anything

[Sutured Psyche will also be featured soon in this blog's 2nd annual Myspace/Independent bands' reader's poll. Coming feature in October this year...]

KISS-Alive 35 at the United Center, Chicago

Post #102

[This is a concert review from the show on 11-6-2009 at the United Center, Chicago, IL]

KISS. Living Legends of rock n' roll, and my long-time favorite band, KISS are back on the road in support of their come-back album Sonic Boom. Last fall I made it to one of their shows. They had taken a few years off recently, so it was a nice opportunity to see this band that I had thought were retired.

Granted this is not the original line-up for KISS, despite the deceiving use of the original make-up designs. Eric Singer (who had been in KISS from '92-'96) is the drummer behind the 'Cat-Man' make-up, while Tommy Thayer (who had been a collaborating musician for the band, off and on, since the late 80's) is now the full-time guitarist as the 'Space-Man' (note I didn't say 'Space Ace'). Regardless, this is a very talented line-up, and they proved more than capable of putting on a phenomenal vintage-style KISS show!

For this show I brought a friend along, who I had just introduced to the music of KISS a couple months before. This friend was a fan of several similar-sounding bands from the 70's and 80's, like AC/DC & Guns N' Roses, so it was somewhat easy to convince him to come along.

Not to be overlooked, the opening band was Buckcherry. Often compared to Guns N' Roses and other late-80's glam-bands, Buckcherry had gotten the show off & rolling with a great attitude of straight forward, hard-edged rock n' roll. They included several of their well-known hits, like 'Lit Up', and 'Crazy Bitch', but also included a great cover of Deep Purple's 'Highway Star'. Though we were a little late and didn't catch the beginning of their set, what I heard was enough to sway me further into their fandom. Shortly after the tour, Buckcherry also released their first live CD, Live & Loud, which closely mirrored the set they played on this night.

However, the best was yet to come, as the crowd now sat in eager anticipation of KISS...

Eventually the familiar intro boomed out to the audience, "All right Chicago! You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world, KISS!!!" The curtain fell as the band kicked off the set with 'Deuce'. The show continued from there, with song selection heavily favoring their 70's material. Understandably so, given this was a tour honoring the 35th Anniversary of the album KISS: ALIVE! They didn't play the entire track list from ALIVE!

That would have been very cool, but also taken up almost all of their set-time. Enough of their early classics were included that you could tell they were focusing on delivering a performance true to that classic, first live album of theirs.

They did include a few songs from the 80's and one, 'Modern Day Delilah', from their new album Sonic Boom. After Gene's bass solo, during which he spat blood & 'flew' up to the rafters on his demon's wings, the band played 'I Love It Loud'. Each member took a solo at some point during the show. Eric Singer's drum-solo was played while the drum kit was lifted and spun around. Tommy Thayer shot several fireworks off the neck of his guitar during his guitar solo, and Paul Stanley played a few extended riffs as part of a solo, before soaring out to a central platform among the crowd along a gondola cable, where he then performed another song up close with a part of the audience who previously had a poorer view of the show.
Top notch pyrotechnics we employed during the encore, and tons of confetti was spewed across the crowd during 'Rock & Roll All Nite'. All-in-all a great KISS show. As good as any of the other times I'd seen them (I may review those shows later on as well). As a long-time fan, I'm glad they are touring again. Hopefully, if they continue touring, they'll plan a tour that would include a better-rounded set-list. I feel they have too many good albums that are always under-represented in their choice of set-lists. Time will tell.
Last but not least, one of the coolest features of this concert was the fact that you could buy THAT NIGHT'S PERFORMANCE, on CD or mp3, immediately after the show! I took advantage of this opportunity and got a copy. Amazing how far technology has come! Sure enough, I had the first half of the concert in my hand when I left the show, the other half was sent to me in the mail after redeeming an online voucher.
From this night of rock & roll music from Buckcherry & KISS here's a rough list of the songs:
Buckcherry
-Tired of You
-Next 2 You
-Out of Line
-Broken Glass
-Lit Up
-Rescue Me
-Highway Star
-Everything
-Sorry
-Crazy Bitch

KISS
-Deuce
-Strutter
-Let Me Go, Rock N' Roll
-Hotter Than Hell
-Shock Me
-Calling Dr. Love
-Modern Day Delilah
-Cold Gin
-Parasite
-100,000 Years
-I Love It Loud
-Black Diamond
-Rock And Roll All Nite
--encores--
Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up
Love Gun (w/ part of 'Stairway To Heaven' as an intro)
Detroit Rock City

RUSH 2112- A masterful dystopian concept album.

Post #101 Poll Winner: Favorite RUSH album from the 70's.
Hailing from Canada, Rush firmly established themselves as one of hard-rock's most creative bands in the mid-70's. During this era, they became master musicians of progressive rock, composing multi-part, epic rock songs that often took up half the playing time of some of their albums. The album that might be the best example of this style: 2112. For the second time, you have picked Rush's 2112 album as a favorite in reader's poll.

In the mid 70's Rush had really hit their stride. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, & Neil Pert had become a formidable songwriting team. Neil Pert cites his inspiration for the lyrical themes as Ayn Rand, for the philosophies of objectivism & individualism in her novels. Rush had borrowed inspiration from Rand previously with the song "Anthem", inspired by Ayn Rand's novel of the same title.
The story of 2112 is a futuristic vision of society strictly controlled by the Solar Federation. The track 'Discovery' (as part of the epic title track), depicts the discovery of an ancient musical instrument- a guitar. The unnamed protagonist, whose eyes we see the world through, brings this object & the discovery of music before the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx. It is here that the conflict of ideals manifests and is narrated throughout the rest of the album.


Once again let me mention that 2112 is a true masterpiece of 70's hard rock. To be properly appreciated, you must hear it in its entirety. Here is the track listing:
-2112: I-Overture, II-The Temples of Syrinx, III-Discovery, IV-Presentation, V-Oracle: The Dream, VI-Soliloquy, VII-Grand Finale
-A Passage to Bangkok
-Twilight Zone
-Lessons
-Tears
-Something for Nothing

Bullet For My Valentine

Post #100
More and more bands are emerging in the heavy metal scene with clear influences from classic early 80's metal bands apparent in their music. Bullet For My Valentine, from Wales-UK, are one them. They've been thrown into the 'melodic metalcore' sub-genre since they first came out, largely due to their use of hard-core screaming vocals, but have said in interviews that they're a hard-rock band with metal influences.

However you wish to categorize them, they clearly have influences from thrash, hard-core, and melodic rock in their sound. The main appeal for me is the thrash sound in their guitar-work, as well as the mixed vocal style, which is always switching back and forth between melodic and screaming vocals. They can play a mean guitar solo too, and I've said several times that great guitar solos are the best way to win me over with heavy metal. Bullet For My Valentine have done so.

Here's a look at their career so far, album by album:

Hand Of Blood ('05) [in UK: Bullet For My Valentine ('04)]

Their debut EP gives a good introduction to this band's sound & formula: fast-tempo thrash inspired riffs, therapeutic rage-filled screaming vocals contrasted with melodic vocal passages, and talented guitar solos in abundance.

My picks:

-4 Words (To Choke Upon) (a new addition on the US release, or a bonus track on the UK version)

-Hand Of Blood (this one plays out like the band's theme-song as the lyrics depict a doomed relationship ending in bullets & bloodshed)

-Just Another Star

The Poison ('06) SPECIAL EDITION

On their first full-length album Bullet For My Valentine deliver a much more polished effort. In addition to the inclusion of several tracks from the Hand Of Blood EP, they have a few power-ballads on this album, as well as more thrashers. However, the BFMV power-ballad almost always has a dark side, and shreds with ferocious intensity before it's done. The 'Metalcore' element of harsh, screamed vocals has a strong presence on this album, though it is broken up nicely by the frequent use of melodic singing too. There is even a guest appearance by Apocalyptica on the intro track (which they also co-wrote). What's more is that The Poison is available as a special edition with bonus tracks and a DVD of some early concert footage & videos.

My picks:

-Intro (featuring Apocalyptica)

-Her Voice Resides

-Tears Don't Fall (perhaps their best-known song, a killer power-ballad!)

-Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)

-Cries In Vain

-Spit You Out (great fast-paced, thrash-influenced song)

-The End (Such a dark, evil sounding song. Probably my favorite. Melodic for the most part, but trashes with true fury at well-timed moments!)

---Bonus Tracks---

-7 Days

-Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (An excellent cover of the classic Metallica song!)

-Tears Don't Fall (Acoustic version- just as good as the original, just a different flavor...)

Scream Aim Fire ('08)

On this album, Bullet For My Valentine seem to smooth out the rough edges of their formula a little more. The result is that this album seems more accessible to mainstream acceptance. By this time, the band had really begun to ascend the ranks within the metal scene, earning a main-stage slot on Mayhem Fest '09 among other popular metal tours in the US & Europe. Though the songs may seem a bit formula-driven, they still get the shred out like no other. My only point of criticism is that I feel the ending of the last track, Forever & Always (a power-ballad), seems to drag on way too long. Overall, this album maybe shows off more of their 'thrash' side than their 'metalcore' sound on the previous works...

My picks:

-Scream Aim Fire

-Eye Of The Storm (This one really pushes the tempo about as fast as I've heard from this band. Enough so that I would compare it to songs by DragonForce!)

-Hearts Burst Into Fire (probably the best power ballad on this album...)

-Waking the Demon

-Say Goodnight (best mix of melody & thrash, clean & heavy, on this album)

-End of Days

FEVER (2010)
Bullet For My Valentine's newest album again sees them perfecting their niche within heavy metal even more. You can hear them keeping elements from all their previous works alive in their music, although I would probably say it's closest in sound & style to the Scream Aim Fire album. All the facets of their music you may have grown to love by now are present on this album, and in perfect balance. Their masterful power-ballads keep this album highly accessible for the mainstream-metal audience, but they also make sure to incorporate enough of the metalcore-screaming vocals to keep that portion of their following faithful as well.

My picks:

-Your Betrayal

-Fever

-A Place Where You Belong (this is one of the ballads, and my favorite one on this album)

-Pleasure and Pain

-Begging For Mercy

Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti

Post #99 Poll Winner: What's your favorite Led Zeppelin album ('69-'79)?
Led Zeppelin were one of the defining hard rock bands of the 70's. Rising from the ashes of The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page enlisted lead singer Robert Plant, and the formula for this band was established. They gave rock n' roll the heaviest sound it had known, yet still wrote memorable songs year after year.

They were versatile in their songcraft as well, mixing acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and a variety of song styles over the course of their career. Perhaps no album of theirs captured as much of their versatility as Physical Graffiti did. It was their only double-length studio album. That in itself is testament to their prolific creativity. However, the volume of material included on this release does not subtract from the listening experience. Rather, it makes for the most all-encompasing album from one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti contains many well known classic songs, like the epic 'Kashmir' and the up-tempo 'Trampled Under Foot', but it is probably treasured as much for several of its unreleased songs as for those big hits. Songs like 'The Rover' capture their well-known, heavy-riff, blues-inspired rock; while others like 'In The Light' showcase the best elements of their psychadelic rock sound. As you listen, each song sounds clearly different from the previous. You can't help but respect Led Zeppelin, as they not only make each song work, but make it memorable and lure you to crave more...


My top picks from this epic masterpiece:
-The Rover
-Houses of the Holy
-Trampled Under Foot
-Kashmir
-In The Light
-Ten Years Gone
-Boogie With Stu

Jackie Bergjans of Strych9hollow proves she really plays guitar

Post #98

Here's a little preview of one of the hottest independent metal bands from the underground scene in St. Louis, MO. Before long I'll be posting a full review of their debut album, "Dying for a Dream". For now, enjoy this clip.

You can also sample some of their music at:

www.myspace.com/Strych9hollow

(They were also included in the 'myspace-bands readers poll' from last fall.)

Five Finger Death Punch-War Is The Answer

Post #97
Here's a newer band I recently discovered thanks to my local library: Five Finger Death Punch. I had heard of this band before, from one or two songs on the radio, but never bothered to check out one of their albums until now. I think I may have shied away from them before because they have 'Death' in their name and I thought 'death-metal'. But I had heard their cover of Pantera's 'A New Level' on a free CD from Metal Hammer magazine and liked it, so when I was browsing through my library's AV section and saw their album, War Is The Answer, I decided to give it a listen. I am sure glad that I did!

These guys are a great metal band! The influence from Pantera is evident in their sound. At their most intense moments they could be categorized as 'hard-core' metal, but they incorporate a number of melodic elements, both in vocals and guitar-tone, enough that some of their songs could fit comfortably in the 'alternative' genre. War Is The Answer is this band's second album, and it proves to be a great headbanger's listening experience.

As soon as the first track began to play the immediate comparison I made in my mind was to Stone Sour. The guitar tones, bass drums, deep-growled vocals. Trust me, if you've enjoyed Stone Sour from one of my older posts, then you'll want to check out Five Finger Death Punch. Also in similar fashion to Stone Sour, 5FDP quickly throw in some clean melodies as the album plays on.

Their debut single, 'Hard to See', which I think I had heard once or twice on my local rock radio station, is a perfect example of the current hard rock/metal mainstream trend. Primarily melodic vocals are supported by a heavy groove maintained by the rhythm section, and a great tone is brought to the song by way of the lead guitar interspersed throughout.

This band is no one-trick-pony, as the styles of songs present on this album cover a wide spectrum from post-grunge acoustic ballad, to heavy instrumental, to heavy groove-metal thrasher. Not to be overlooked, they also include another cover song, Bad Company's namesake song, which they manage to make their own without much tampering of the song's original arrangement.

My top picks from Five Finger Death Punch's War Is The Answer (2009):
-Dying Breed
-Hard to See
-No One Gets Left Behind (perhaps the best anti-war metal song since Black Sabbath's War Pigs!)
-Far From Home (a surprisingly soft song for this band: acoustic guitar and strings arrangements give this one a very full sound)
-Canto 34 (an instrumental track, several good lead guitar solos and a melodic break at the end as it fades out)
-Bad Company (cover of the classic rock hit by the band of the same name, probably the biggest 'must-hear' on this album!)

Visit their website:
http://www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com/

or hear some samples on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/ffdp

Pantera: In Concert (w/ Special Guest Anthrax) From 1-14-98

Post #96 Poll Winner: 'Which concert should I review next?'
In January 1998, I planned to attend my 2nd heavy metal concert: Pantera!!! I had been a fan of Pantera since '94, when Far Beyond Driven became the first metal album to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts. A couple years later, while in college, I began attending rock concerts. Generally I would wait until one of my favorite bands would come around on tour, then see if some of my friends were interested in joining me (if they didn't invite me first).

Pantera had just released their first live album: Official Live: 101 Proof (100% Against the Grain American Metal). When they announced the tour in support of this live album, Anthrax was billed as the opening act. I was instantly hyped! I had also been a fan of Anthrax for several years. So here was the opportunity to see two huge thrash metal bands at once. I had to go!

Finding a few friends to go with was no problem. This was when Pantera's popularity was at it's peak, so I knew plenty of other fans. By the time the show date was approaching I had confirmed a few friends on campus were attending as well as a friend from another college who would meet us at the venue. Our plans were set for a promising night of Heavy Metal Mayhem! Little did we know the mayhem we were in for.

The day of the show came and our group hit the road for Peoria, IL to see Pantera. The weather forecast: freezing rain! Leaving a little ahead of schedule, we quickly encountered dangerously icy road conditions and were forced to drive at what seemed a snail's pace for most of our journey. Though we had departed with plenty of time to spare, I now wondered if we would even make the show on time...

Meanwhile, my friend from a different part of the state was facing the same problem. At one point he spun-out at high speed on the interstate, but luckily came to rest in a ditch unharmed. Determined to make the show as well, he eventually maneuvered his vehicle back onto the highway by driving it up & down the slopes of the ditch like it was a snowboard in a half-pipe until he had enough momentum to escape the ditch.

Once we arrived at the venue (remarkably, on time!) we exchanged our stories of the treacherous drive, then made our way inside, determined to make our troubles worth it. We found our section, took our seats, and waited for the show to begin. We had lower level tickets, and had a good view of the standing-room/floor area, as well as the stage to our left. The floor was about 1/4 filled and I began to wonder if the weather had kept some from attending this show. However, at one point a couple sneaky 1st level ticket holders made a mad-dash for the floor and jumped the barricade. This transformed into a mini-avalanche of people, as it became apparent there was not sufficient security to prevent the inundation. One of our party followed suit, but would return at some point later in the show, since we were also his ride home.

In a few minutes the house lights had gone down and the first opening act was announced. To our surprise there was a 3rd act on the bill, as the show was being kicked off by Sebastian Bach, former singer of Skid Row! He had released a new solo album recently at that point and played a couple tunes from it, but primarily used Skid Row songs to fill his set. At one point he mentioned the terrible weather, and how it wasn't enough to stop the rock n' roll show. I remember hearing a few songs from the Slave to the Grind album, including Riot Act & Mudkicker. He also covered the Kiss song, Parasite, but closed his set with the Skid Row anthem, Youth Gone Wild.

At this point the venue had pretty much filled up and the crowd was primed for Anthrax! Before long the stage was changed over and the backdrop revealed Anthrax's mascot, Not Man, driving a toy car. A few seconds later a blaring heavy chord rang out, making your head feel like it was vibrating from the inside. Then it repeated, and repeated again.... (chug-chug.... BLAAAARE, chug-chug.... ) and before you knew what had happened we were ALL CAUGHT IN A MOSH!

Anthrax gave us a great set of thrashers. Going back and forth between their material with Jon Bush from the albums Sound of White Noise and Stomp 442 (their newest at that point), and their classics from the Joey Belladonna era. I had been curious to hear how those older Anthrax tunes would sound with Jon Bush on vocals, and they were awesome! During a break between songs they made mention of the weather outside that evening and again gave the crowd credit for making the show happen. They closed their set with the anti-censorship anthem 'Startin' Up a Posse' followed by the rap-thrash crossover hit 'Bring the Noise'.

Before the headliners took the stage there was an interesting event that transpired as an introduction to the show. Suddenly ZZ Top's 'Tush' began to blare from the PA sound system. This was followed by a gigantic inflated penis that was tossed into the crowd. It was bopped about like the oddest concert body-surf episode I had ever witnessed. The crowd had a lot of fun with it, manipulating it in a variety of creative gestures as 'Tush' played through, then gave way to Pantera's own 'Good Friends & a Bottle of Pills' (still over the PA system; the band had yet to take the stage). Once the song finished, there was a silence of peaked anticipation that began to build...

Then it was was the best-saved-for-last. The most powerful metal band of the 90's! The original Cowboys From Hell: PANTERA! The crowd may have seemed moshed-out after the Anthrax set, but as soon as the heavy-as-hell riffs began to pump out of the amps, they got intensified once again. 'Mouth For War' was their opening number, and to hear that classic Pantera song kick off a live show was one of the best heavy metal concert experiences of my life.

PANTERA's set seemed to go on forever. It was heavy-metal bliss! This was Pantera in their prime. They played memorable songs from each of their four albums since Cowboys From Hell. It seemed they played every song I may have considered a favorite over the years. There were also a few that I may not have expected, but enjoyed all the same. Then, just when it seemed the show was over, they came back for an encore.

They teased us a bit by playing the opening riff of Black Sabbath's 'Symptom of the Universe', but instead went on to play 'Planet Caravan'. Lastly we were treated to 'Fucking Hostile' as the last song of the evening. I had an ecstatic feeling that fell over me as we began to head to the exits. A part of me knew I had just beheld a masterful performance by one of this generation's Guitar Gods in the person of Dimebag Darrell.

It is one thing to be a fan of a certain musician through their recorded music, but there's nothing to compare to the first time you see them perform live. There's an unspoken understanding that they're putting on a show for you as a fan while expressing a part of their own soul at the same time. Knowing they play the way they do because they were once the fan of another musician, the way you are now a fan of theirs. I had no way of knowing that this was to be the only show I would ever see Dimebag Darrell play.

This concert serves to remind myself that life should always be lived to the fullest. Every time I think back to it, or listen to songs that I heard played on that night, I step back to appreciate whatever it is I may be doing. Any of you reading this should do the same. If you're lucky enough to have tickets for a live show, remember it could always be a once in a lifetime experience. Enjoy it to the fullest extent possible! No matter if it's a local band in your hometown bar, or the Rolling Stones, it's always rock & roll. It's there for you and because of you.


Here's the set lists as best as I can recall:

Sebastian Bach
-Piece of Me
-Riot Act
-Slave to the Grind
-18 & Life
-Parasite
-Monkey Business
-Mudkicker
-Youth Gone Wild

Anthrax
-Caught in a Mosh
-Fueled
-Room for One More
-Among the Living/Indians (Played as a medley: they jumped straight into 'Indians' at one of the chorus breaks of 'Among the Living')
-Got the Time
-I Am the Law
-Only
-Startin' Up a Posse
-Bring the Noise

(played as intro)
ZZ Top-Tush
Pantera-Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills


PANTERA
-Mouth for War
-Becoming
-5 Minutes Alone
-Sandblasted Skin
-A New Level
-Walk
-Suicide Note (pt 2)
-Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks
-This Love
-I'm Broken
-Cowboys From Hell (played with a riff from 'Cat Scratch Fever' thrown in!)

---encores---
-Planet Caravan
-Fucking Hostile

Rest In Peace Dimebag!

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