Cloudscape - Crimson Skies. 2006 Nightmare (CD). Pitch perfect prog metal with perfunctory keyboards. I don't want that. But it's still very good, objectively speaking. (Dec)
Aesma Daeva - Dawn of the New Athens. 2007 private (CD). Collection revisit (Nov). About 20 years ago Purple Peak Jeff turned me onto Minneapolis based Aesma Daeva, a type of gothic metal I hadn't encountered before. As is my habit, I loaded up on the group, picking up all three of their albums at the time, and then added this one when it came out as well as future band Visions of Atlantis. The latter is long gone. And so will this be. Based on my initial rating, this last Aesma Daeva album didn't capture my imagination as had the others - or at least as I remember them. We'll see soon enough. For Dawn of the New Athens, Aesma Daeva play a more traditional symphonic metal with soprano / operatic female vocals which was all the rage back then with bands like Nightwish, After Forever, Lacrimosa, Within Temptation, et al... I burned out on the genre years ago with Therion, and kept only one of their albums. Dawn of the New Athens remains a very good, professionally done album. So if your tastes continue to run this way, I'd recommend it. I'm hoping the earlier ones still have that magic I originally heard.
*Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss. 1990 Def American (CD). Collection revisit (Sep). As mentioned on the Show No Mercy review, I didn't get into Slayer during their 80s prime. In fact, this was the first album I bought real time. If you take each of these tracks individually there isn't a lot of depth or compositional development. But it works as a whole as each song segues into the next. And the riffs keep coming at you with some nice changes in pace. In later years I picked up what I had missed, demonstrating the band had peaked in the mid 80s. In an era when tech thrash was thriving, Slayer could be seen as a throwback to a simpler time. Seasons in the Abyss sounds like pre-1983 thrash, before Metallica elevated the art. Nothing wrong with that. 33 years on from that purchase, I see no reason to let go of this.
*Motorhead - Overkill. 1979 Bronze (UK). Continuing on with my exploration through the early Motorhead catalog. What do you do with Motorhead really? They're never going to win an innovation award, yet I find myself being entirely comfortable listening to their blend of energized hard rock / borderline metal. And I think that may be the best way to enjoy the band. If this were some private label 1979 album from Cleveland, it would go for $500 on the open market, and be highly praised as one of America's great private press hard rock albums. Yet it's good ole Lemmy the English factory worker putting in a Joe Lunchbox kind of effort. This is considered one of their classics, and you can almost pinpoint a riff or two. The solos are pure 1970s styled, which adds to the allure. Good one on the whole. Not sure if I'm keeping all these Motorhead's, but maybe the classics will get a longer ticket. Neat cover art as well. (Aug)
*Quartz - Stand Up and Fight. 1980 MCA (Germany). Regarding the 1977 debut, I had mentioned that the large misconception about that album is that it was somehow heavy metal. Stand Up and Fight is the complete opposite. From the cover to the sound, Quartz most certainly became self-aware of their place on the musical map within the next three years. One could do worse than putting a picture of this album as the encyclopedia entry for NWOBHM. It's not a complicated body of music, has the right amount of heaviness, is slightly quirky, and contains a solid melodic quotient. All plusses as far as I'm concerned. The cover does indicate something far more epic and heavy than it is, but that was typical of many of the albums from the scene. (Aug)
Motorhead - On Parole. 1979 United Artists (UK). As noted earlier, I loaded up on all the early Motorhead albums. Technically this is their first album, shelved by UA due to a lack of interest. Later to be retrieved from mothballs due to the success of their first few albums. Recorded in 1976, this has little in common with the Motorhead brand. Still searching for an identity, On Parole is more towards boogie and blues rock, and Lemmy's voice is almost clean. One can understand the label's reticent to release this, as it lacks any kind of hooks, and its audience is unclear. Certainly not like Hawkwind in any way either. This one is easy to part with. It's good mind you, but nothing more. (Aug)
*Meliah Rage - Kill to Survive. 1988 Epic. A lot of similarities to the Sanctuary album below, including same label and time of release. Meliah Rage were a Boston based group whose primary influence seems to be Metal Church. Solid thrash that doesn't take too many chances, but adds just enough changes to keep it interesting. +1 on Sanctuary at the very least. (Jul)
*Sanctuary - Refuge Denied. 1988 Epic (1987). Debut album from Seattle based power metal band that is more famous for their subsequent group Nevermore. The stakes were pretty high for 1987, and while Sanctuary puts in a strong power metal effort, it does pale to some of the competition. Good riffage, but it seems there isn't enough of them. Warrel Dane screams with the best of them, though. Not too fond of Dave Mustaine's hollow and slick production either. Lacks oomph. This is one of those albums I feel compelled to keep, primarily because I probably won't find it again. But when the great purge happens, I doubt this one will make the cut. From a release perspective, Refuge Denied was initially issued as a CD, and the LP was an afterthought released a year later. Only one US pressing, demonstrating that Sony didn't expect too much demand, and I'm sure they were right. Hence its obscurity today, like many other albums of its ilk. (Jul)
*Motorhead. 1978 Chiswick (UK) (1977). I wasn't planning on "loading up" on Motorhead, but I ended up getting all of their early albums on vinyl anyway. What I will end up keeping is the mystery. Ace of Spades is iconic and Iron Fist is nostalgic. Motorhead's debut is historical. More like a punk record with lengthy guitar solos. A very interesting contrast. Murky production. Not necessarily a great album by any measure, but hard to let it go. (Jul)
*Manowar - Battle Hymns. 1982 Liberty (Netherlands). Another album I bought after it came out, but I can't remember why I did back then. It wasn't ever played on the radio and I don't remember reading anything about it. I think it was a pure spec buy which would have been rare for me in 1982 given money was very scarce. In any event I hit a major home run - or so I felt at the time. Side 1 and the first track on the flip are solid hard rockers, but starting with 'Dark Avenger', Manowar essentially invents epic metal, even before Manilla Road. With none other than Orson Welles providing narration, the track sends chills down one's spine, and they climax in a fantastic heavy manner. The solo bass guitar run through of 'William Tell Overture' is insane which leads to the other epic song 'Battle Hymn'. After this debut, Manowar became incredibly self-conscious about their image and were a mix of cornball and cheesy. I do need to hear these early albums again, but I remember being very disappointed at the time. And I think it tainted my opinion about this debut which I sold in the 90s, but really should not have. Glad to have it back. (Jul)
*Savatage - Power of the Night. 1985 Atlantic. I bought this when it first came out, but by the 90s I had become tired of this kind of traditional metal sound. Though fortunately the first two Savatage albums (including the EP) still resonated and have continued to become legend in my mind. Both are treasured parts of the collection. In retrospect I can see my initial dissatisfaction with Power of the Night, as the album is more straightforward and it wheezes out at the end. But I love the way Savatage brings those big riffs and Chris Oliva yelps his lines. And that heavy bottom rhythm. Keeper for now. (Jul)
*Motorhead - Iron Fist. 1982 Bronze (Germany). I bought this album when it was released while in high school, and it was the first Motorhead for me to hear. Ace of Spades had been elusive, so I started with Iron First. What a huge disappointment. These are sketches of songs with little to no development. And it's not very heavy either. Compared to my new favorite at the time The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden of course), it was weak and limp. So I traded it off before I got to college if I recall right (one year later). My original assessment was spot on, I just appreciate more today where the band was coming from and what they represented. I'll keep it for now from a nostalgia perspective, but it's probably not a long hauler. (Jul)
*Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct. 2016 Blackened. 2xCD. I got this in a bulk metal buy about 4 years ago. Just now getting to it. No time like the present. There's so much I could say about Metallica, having purchased Kill 'em All not long after being first released (and I still have the originals of those early albums). They were so far ahead of the pack in the 1980s, the whole world was scrambling to catch up. And still couldn't keep up. Their last innovative offering was And Justice For All, way back in 1988. Metallica knew that it would have been impossible to stay on top of emerging trends, so they pivoted to a completely new sound. I dropped out at that time as well. Their 1991 album tends to get a pass today (an album I didn't appreciate until recently myself). And everything else they've released since then comes with a cargo ship full of hate mail. If I were to write a fast thesis, it would be interesting to note the fan trajectory of a peer like Iron Maiden, who today is as highly admired as ever before. Which gets us to Hardwired, an album that I should be saying is their latest, but I piddled long enough for them to sneak a new album in. That new album is taking the same poisoned arrows as anything else they're released since the 80s. I liked Death Magnetic (2008), their first album to consider their own legacy. I couldn't tell you much about it, but I do own the CD. But my guess is I'm holding onto to that for the same reason I'm holding on to this. It's probably temporary in any case for both. So what about the music of Hardwired? It's very good actually. Not extraordinary. No chance taking, no 10 minute tracks about Celts and Samurai warriors like Iron Maiden is doing (to mixed reviews, but consider me a huge fan of Iron Maiden continuing to push the envelope). Rather Metallica cusses like a 14 year old juvenile delinquent and isn't even that heavy by today's standards. And they were the trailblazers of the modern metal sound. Nothing was as heavy as Master of Puppets in 1986. But Hardwired is almost like juiced up hard rock. They give you one full disc of music on two, and within all those minutes there is some good stuff. But no heart racers as they did in their youth. I've already said too much for a Roundup, but I'm sure I won't keep this for the long haul, so it stays here. This CD is worth about 10 cents right now, so I might as well keep it. In the end, the band has nothing to be ashamed of on Hardwired, but they really gave away their place in history long ago. But those first four albums... Wow. (Jun)
Redemption - This Mortal Coil. 2011 InsideOut (CD). Redemption features Bernie Versailles (Agent Steel) on guitar and Ray Alder (Fates Warning) on vocals along with band leader Nick Van Dyk and a solid rhythm section. That's a good mix of musicians and I'd expect a bit different from the norm. But unfortunately - at least on This Mortal Coil - Redemption is square-on Dream Theater meets Symphony X like prog metal. I have way too much of this kind of metal already. 'Noonday Devil' being the sole exception - if there was more like it, I'd hold onto this. There's a second CD of cover songs (not even the usual vintage hard rock / metal tunes either), which is also an annoying novelty that these bands felt compelled to do. Very good on the whole, though. Someone else will enjoy this more in their collection than I. This is the second Redemption I've owned over the years (the other was the debut), and both have been let go. If I find others in the wilds, I'll continue to check them out. (Jun).
Judas Priest - Ram it Down. 1988 Columbia. Picked this up from JL about six weeks ago with the other Judas Priest albums I didn't already have (May). Unlike those, this is the first time for me to hear this title. There are a lot of parallels with Point of Entry / Screaming for Vengeance and Turbo / Ram it Down. The former albums were commercial in nature whereas the latter of each pair starts off (literally) screaming that "we're back, and heavier than ever!". I've already noted the great memories I have with Screaming for Vengeance, and that nostalgia factor bumps it into the collection. With Ram it Down I have no such feelings. And for 1988, it's almost comical what they're attempting to do here. The title track and 'Hard as Iron' are great, the perfect remedy for what ailed Turbo. But some of these songs are ridiculously simple during arguably heavy metal's great era of innovation. With track names that were cliché in 1981, much less 1988, you have to wonder what they were thinking. 'Heavy Metal', 'Love Zone', 'I'm a Rocker', 'Love You to Death' and a useless cover of 'Johnny B. Goode'. Really? Gee, I'm a Rocker! Dee Snider made a career out of that. Judas Priest isn't a novelty act like Twisted Sister. And they didn't necessarily run away from Turbo like they did Point of Entry. There's still much use of synthesizer as if the band thought they had a winning formula going. Just goes to show how clueless they were in recognizing their place in metal history. To this day, it seems they never did get plugged in right. Whatever the case, they nailed it on their next album Painkiller - only to subsequently breakup and give up the momentum they had going. Ram it Down has some fine moments, but I hear it at the same level as Turbo. Nothing I need to keep.
Garden Wall - Towards the Silence. 2004 Mellow (CD). Collection revisit (Apr). I've written extensively about Garden Wall in the past. From the brilliant neo Italian prog of Path of Dreams to the insane prog metal of Chimica to the psychotic thrash meets VDGG of Forget the Colours, Garden Wall successfully challenges the realm of possibilities. But I can't get into Towards the Silence. It's just *too much*. Too much of what I dunno, but it's a bit forced in trying to find its muse. If you can't find it, grind it. And grind it they do, for the full length. Just not very enjoyable though admirable all the same. I have enough Garden Wall to satisfy already.
Final Chapter – The WizardQueen. 2004 Underground Symphony (CD). Title is stylized as such. This was part of that large metal buy from 2016 that I still haven’t evaluated most of. Seems I listen to less than 5 of these every year. Most of them are Euro power metal, and I just find that style too regimented for repeated listens (as noted in my recent weed out posts). I like Final Chapter’s raw sound, and they gallop with the best of ‘em. But overall there just isn’t enough invention to carry it forward. (Apr)
Judas Priest - Turbo. 1986 Columbia. From JL (Mar). I didn't have high hopes for Turbo, vaguely recalling its contents from my college days. And my low expectation was met. The metal world had changed drastically throughout the 80s, and Judas Priest appeared to throw in the towel and join those seeking cash versus artistic - or underground - credibility. Defenders of the Faith was already pushing their reputation by 1984, but they really sealed the deal with Turbo two years later. Consider that Metallica had already released Master of Puppets, which followed Ride the Lightning and Kill 'Em All. These were the children that Judas Priest bore. Metallica didn't fall out of the same metal tree as Poison and Motley Crue. I don't think anyone expected Priest to try and emulate Metallica, but they could have (or should have) focused on the metal sounds that were responsible for the Iron Maiden's of this world. Instead they looked to the likes of Def Leppard for inspiration. I agree with those that state that Turbo is better than Point of Entry, which was the last time Judas Priest made a conscious attempt to move away from the underground. There are some good tracks here like A2, B3, and B4, and overall I'd give it a good rating (in retrospect). As noted here quite a bit (especially recently for whatever reason), by 1986 I was either deep into my Euro prog discovery or the heaviest metal I could hear. So I scoffed - perhaps even laughed at - Turbo when it was released. "Kiddie Metal" was a term us grizzled veterans were using back then. Hey, I was 21 - one of the "old guys" of metal in 1986. Funny to recall that all these years later. In any case, Priest would gather themselves by 1990, but it was a day late and a dollar short (real time, its legacy is now stellar). I'll be curious where Ram it Down fits in this scenario. I've never heard it, and it's coming up soon in the new arrivals box.
Judas Priest - Point of Entry. 1981 Columbia. Picked up from JL (Mar). I bought this immediately upon release and very disappointed. I was almost certain I wouldn't keep this, but maybe my views have softened, so I gave it a shot anyway. Well those views have softened to some extent. This is one of those rare albums where I appended a +2 and it's still nowhere near at a keepable level. That's how much I hated it on initial impact. On the plus side I can now accept that it's more of a hard rock album than metal, something that disappointed me when I was 16. On the other, most of the songwriting here is 3rd rate. So much filler. Even the big hit 'Heading Out to the Highway' is a rewrite of 'Living After Midnight', one of my least favorite tracks on British Steel. The three tracks I liked back in the day are still very worthy: 'Hot Rockin', 'Desert Planes', and 'Solar Angels'. Otherwise average at best.
Primal Fear - Black Sun. 2002 Nuclear Blast (CD). Yet again, we have a fine album here. Solid power metal. I like their tone too. But... what can I tell you? Gotta bring more than rehashing the 80s for me to get excited. I have a great 80s metal collection. It's going nowhere. This is. (Jan)
Mastodon - Crack the Skye. 2009 Reprise (CD). Guessing Reprise was hoping for someone other than Fleetwood Mac to sell some product haha. They succeeded. Believe it or not this is my first time to hear Mastodon. Been curious for a long time. Generally this kind of metal music turns me off, but I can totally see the allure. Much more sophisticated than your average stoner band moving into prog. Not bad at all. And if I see their other albums in a thrift shop, I'll try them anyway just for the heck of it. Had I purchased this when it came out, it might have survived the collection cut. But this isn't really my thing. (Jan)
Impellitteri - Stand in Line. 1988 Relativity. Thrift shop pickup (Jan). Seems that singer Graham Bonnet had a thing for shredder guitarists. Here's his latest hero. Bonnet makes every album he's on sound like his band. This is a lot like Alcatrazz. But Malmsteen is a more interesting guitarist. They try hard to play anthemic metal tunes rather than showoffy material, but it's soooo 80s. Bad cover songs too like 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Really? OK, an average album for the style. At best.
* - Keeping for the collection
