2026 Metal Journal Vol. 2

Warrior - Fighting For the Earth. 1985 MCA (LP). I've had this one sitting in the listening box for well over a year now. For some reason I thought this was one of those late 70s hard rock / AOR albums (like TKO) that labels like MCA would put out to an audience of 10. The cover looks more like an arena band logo. But it's clear from the beginning this is heavy metal. Strange I'd never heard of it before. But then again, 1985 is waaay late to the party for this kind of straight up metal. Seeing reviews comparing them to Malice, though the latter is supposedly better. To me they both are standard issue for the era. This is the sound of Judas Priest circa 1980-1983. Which is the problem. The metal world had moved on significantly by this time. Had this come out while I was still in early high school (say, 1981) then I could see this hitting a chord with me back then. Nice listen for certain, though nothing here to earn shelf space. (6/1)

Cellador - Enter Deception. 2006 Metal Blade (CD). OK I'm making a determined effort to go through my inventory, especially these 2016 CD buys. Anything that reads interesting, or on a sample sounds interesting, then I put the listen off for another day. Cellador, though from Omaha, Nebraska, was labeled as Euro Power Metal. This could be a quick exit. I can see why they appended the tag, but I found the album much more interesting than that may imply. The music is fast - very fast in fact - and mostly resembles Helloween in nitro mode. The vocalist does a reasonable Bruce Dickinson emulation. Not hearing those annoying choruses that bug me about Euro Power Metal. The biggest issue here is all the songs pretty much sound the same. Not in a boring sense, but the style meter goes from alpha to beta and that's about it. I hadn't initially intended to hear the whole thing, but I found something to do while it played in the background. Nodding my head throughout. Good stuff, but no, not keeping it. (2/26) 

6/1 update: I sort of gave up on some of these albums like the above. The same sound time after time. After sampling, I started moving these out without a rating or writeup. I know there are some gems in these stacks, and I plan on mining them out. But the rest is "waste rock" for me.

Warlung - Optical Delusions. 2020 Heavy Psych Sounds (LP). Warlung are from Houston, Texas, and are decidedly a stoner rock band, though much more rooted in the 70s than the 90s. The riffs are from the Sabbath school and the guitar solos more towards the mid 70s style. Vocals have a slight Ozzy tinge and are pleasant to the ear. Warlung doesn't take any chances here, staying in the pocket throughout. Only a few years ago, I would most certainly have kept this LP (great cover), but gotta let go sometimes. Good one for fans of 70s heavy rock though. (2/24)

2026 Metal Journal Vol. 1

Blackfinger. 2014 The Church Within (LP). Looks like I added this to my Discogs collection in Aug 2024. You think I'm running behind here? At least I know when I added my LPs. The CDs are piling up without an acquire date on them - some going back to 2015. So who is Blackfinger? One of a handful of vocalist Eric Wagner's bands. He of Trouble fame. As soon as the vocals appear, you'll recognize his trademark Ozzy interpretation immediately. The music is, as expected, heavily influenced by early Black Sabbath. More like a distilled version of the metal aspects with included stoner tendencies and even a little Pink Floyd. Modern revisionism without the charm of the past. There's not much new under the sun, especially in the doom metal genre. If a diehard fan of Trouble, the allure is there, though it doesn't have that 80s mystique. I'm a huge fan of the first three Trouble albums, and while this album felt comfortable, I didn't derive much excitement from it. (2/20)

Moxy Roxx - Victims of the Night. 1986 private (EP). Even without looking at the cover, just the moniker alone should clue you in as to the type of music on display. Then you see the four dudes with makeup, eyeliner, teased hair, and that clinches it. Moxy Roxx, hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were like hundreds of 80s bands hoping to jump on the glam metal train. Victims of the Night is notable for how lightweight the metal is, focusing more on getting radio airplay. On the plus side, the EP does contain a much stronger than normal keyboard presence (including organ, which is unheard of in this genre). The guitar talent isn't half bad honestly, though one wishes for a bit more grit. Overall it's a decent entry for hair metal, though the bar remains pretty low here. As with the Black Flag that I wrote about recently, this came from the same clueless chain that couldn't find it in their own database, so it was considerably cheaper than current market value. (2/11)

Falconer - The Sceptre of Deception. 2003 Metal Blade (CD). Another year, another attempt to tackle that 2016 metal buy. One decade in, and I haven't made a dent. Will this be the year? Doubt it. But we'll continue to pick at it along with the other full drawers of CDs that are laying around here. The Sceptre of Deception is listed as Power Metal, and it's from Sweden. Oh boy. "Raise a pint ye downtrodden and we shall arise with might, and defeat thy enemy!". Chugga chugga chugga. I sense cynicism. Nah. If AI created a power metal album from Europe, would it sound like this? Hey, you never know. I'm beginning to despise the European variation of power metal. I shouldn't be so harsh, as the music is, as usual, very well performed. Based on what I'm reading, Falconer are well respected within the style, that of Viking folklore metal. I have another title by them here, maybe it will fare better. As an aside I don't think I've ever seen a CD that was harder to read. Dark green on dark green is not what one would call... good contrast. (2/9)

2025 Metal Journal Vol. 3

*Christian Mistress - Possession. 2015 Relapse (LP) (2012). Christian Mistress was recommended to me by a like minded friend when it comes to heavy metal. That of the early days, where melody, harmony, and odd structural design was more the norm than the exception. I had some trade credit so I grabbed a couple of LPs by the band. They hail from the capital of Washington state, and their vocalist is female, recalling the days of Ann Boleyn and Betsy Bitch. Her singing approach is old school hard rock, nothing odd or twisty to favor attention. The metal tones are straight out of the 1982 cassette culture, bordering hard rock, and the twin soloing is a cut above. Even the multiple black and white photos of the band point to an earlier era, that of silly rebellion. It's been a long while since I last heard my Corsair CDs, but I'm thinking there's some parallels here. The metal heads that run What's Left tell me "yea, they're pretty cheesy". So I guess that's where I land these days on the metal scale: Cheesy. Haha, oh well, I did inform them about the new Coroner, so maybe my street cred isn't completely shot. Yet. (12/6)

*Black Flag - My War. 1984 SST (LP). Found this at one of those clueless chains that sells used records for random prices, usually on the high side. In this case it's apparent they thought it was a lower grade reissue, and priced it at $10. Nope. 100% original press. I knew it the minute I saw it. Mine now. :-) I have very little experience with Black Flag, having obtained a couple of their reissue LPs (ironically) over six years ago at an estate sale. I didn't really give them that much of a shot, and moved them out for a tidy profit. But I still remember reading in Metal Forces in the 1980's that Black Flag were different from your garden variety punk band. Punk is not usually my style of choice. This title in particular sounded like something I might enjoy. Yea, this one is very different for sure. It's two different sides, one high energy punk influenced, the other a slow driving metal sound. Similar to Saint Vitus in that way, though it's not Sabbath like really. The first side is also very entertaining and the musicianship is far more interesting than the punk label allows for, especially Greg Ginn's guitar work. While listening to this, I researched the band and learned quite a bit about them. Their inconsistency is what sunk them initially (among other issues like constantly evolving band mates), though that's part of their legacy today. My War is way too interesting to let go, and I'm sure I'll appreciate it more as time goes on. Plus the origin story of my acquisition is priceless. I'll probably put together a page at some point once I gather some more of their albums for a more proper perspective. (12/3)

* - keeping for the collection

2025 Metal Journal Vol. 2

Dreamscape - End of Silence. 2004 Massacre (CD). Back into that 2016 metal buy that I tackle every few months. There have been some gems in there, and sit comfortably in the collection. And a lot of Dream Theater clones. Here's another one, this time from Germany. It must have been mandated in Europe during the mid 2000s, that all prog metal bands must sound like Dream Theater. It is decreed. Rather than write a review here, let me find one I wrote already, and see if it applies. OK, here's one from the first 2025 Metal Journal: "Seventh Wonder - Waiting in the Wings. 2006 Lion (CD). Want to guess what this sounds like? Yep, more Dream Theater worship with a European power pop sensibility. These albums follow a pattern and they are instantly recognizable. By default they will nail a sequence or two that I find interesting. This isn't easy music to play and the band are to be commended for attempting the complexity. Problem for me is that it was done pretty much exactly in the same style a decade prior. But if you can't get enough of it, here's one more for you." Yep, that's about right. In a way I feel bad for dismissing these releases so easily. They are very good performers, across the board including the vocals, but does that mean I'm going to be excited to hear it again? Just the way it is. I have another title from these guys (from the same buy), we'll see how it goes whenever I get to it. (10/30)

Heretic - The Breaking Point. 1988 Metal Blade (LP). I picked up this LP online over five years ago primarily because it's the band that Metal Church's second vocalist Mike Howe came from. I remember the Los Angeles based Heretic from college, though they only had released an EP at that point, which I didn't hear. Musically, Metal Church is also a good guidepost. And you can certainly do worse than that. Melodic power metal, with touches of thrash abound. One of many bands from this era that had talent to burn, but without much corporate backing, only a few would survive and thrive. Howe would subsequently leave Heretic and join Metal Church, arguably their best vocalist, and propelling them to even greater heights. The Breaking Point is a very good album, definitely in my strike zone, though it doesn't stand out against the stiff competition that was the late 80s metal landscape. Since I don't really have any history with this album, and lacking any noticeable highs, I think I'll let this one fly and take the revenue. Though the various CDs are somewhat scarce, if I do find one in the wilds, I'll probably keep it. (10/27)

Explorers Club - Age of Impact. 1998 Magna Carta (CD). Someone around town has been dumping a very nice progressive rock collection (among other styles) into the thrift shops, all in minty condition. Not the hardcore international stuff that I, and many of you, collect. But rather the more commercialized and popular branch of the genre. Like Marillion, Steve Howe, Planet X, Magna Carta, and InsideOut labels, and other similar items. For a couple of bucks each, I'll buy them all without research and ask questions later. I have very little of this kind of prog featured in the UMR, but that doesn't mean I wasn't familiar with many of the albums. From the beginning actually. Explorers Club features the Gardner brothers, who were both in Magellan, the band that launched the label. Magna Carta was essentially the next gen prog version of Shrapnel. In discussions with both label owners back in the early 90s, it was clear they saw themselves as far more professional than the average amateur labels coming out of Sweden, Italy, or France. And objectively speaking they were probably correct in their assessment. Not that I saw it that way from an enjoyment perspective, and in fact I bristled at the notion real time. By the late 90s, the "prog rock community" was so far out of my interest area, that I barely felt part of it anymore. And that remains to this day. That's not a criticism, it's the reality of where my interests were versus others who enjoyed the same type of music. I wasn't looking for a social setting to connect and make friends. Where the familiar musician names garnered all the attention so as to not be controversial. Rather I was looking to gain knowledge and expand my experiences. I was a happily married fellow with a quickly progressing career. Music friends was where I was at in my 20s, not mid 30s. Different background that is to say. So back to Magellan. That wasn't our band. "Our" being the prog running set I was going with in the early 90s (i.e. in my 20s). I'm sure my ratings are far too low for where I'd be today, but I doubt they'd also find room in the collection. In parallel to the Magna Carta prog stable we had bands like Dream Theater reshaping the future of progressive metal to great success. Which gets us here to Age of Impact. Explorers Club is not a band but rather a project, which was a common occurence back then. Almost to the point of nausea. Filled with heavy hitters including Terry Bozzio, Steve Howe, Derek Sherinian, along with parts of Dream Theater and the Gardeners. I often wonder how my musical trajectory would have happened were I to come along about 10 years later. Would have this been "my scene?" In listening to Age of Impact I'm reminded as to why I didn't gravitate toward this music real time. By the late 90s I was long past this kind of professional gloss, looking more for something that I could relate to. Rougher, more melodic, more reckless. At age 61 I have far more appreciation of what they're doing here than when I was 33. It's almost a shame there's so much great music here, just not arranged for a satisfying whole. It's splattered all over the place, which is how projects usually go versus a cohesive band effort. Just listen to some of Petrucci's solos. They are magnificent. But not in the context of the song. Back in 1998 this CD would have resulted in an obligatory keeper, though not satisfying, thus constantly questioning my decision. I once had many CDs like this in the collection, ones that I have long since purged. Today it's easy for me to move on from it, while feeling glad I heard it without bias. Maybe it's the $2 factor versus $12 or whatever it would have cost new (+ postage). I'll probably add this to a page at some point, once I gather enough music like it. (8/18)

Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon. 1983 CBS (MC). I was an early adopter to Ozzy's solo career. He came around at the perfect time, bringing along a cast of A-list musicians, while he played up his madman routine. I picked up Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman upon release and saw them live in early 1982. By the time I hit college I had tired of Ozzy's schtick and had moved onto to heavier realms like Savatage, Manilla Road, and especially Metallica. It is at this time Bark at the Moon was released. Or as we joked back then: Bawk at the Moon. In reflection, the album is a perfectly legit specimen of down-the-middle heavy metal. Osbourne secured yet another great young talent on guitar after the tragedy of Randy Rhoads. That said, the music presented here was too mundane for the era, though Osbourne continued to rise in the charts. Artistically though, decline had set in. (6/28)

Moon of Steel - Insignificant Details. 2002 Steelheart (CD). Starting to dig into these boxes of sealed metal CDs. I'll check them out online first to see if they catch my ear. Did this one? Nope. Fairly standard issue European power metal, this time from Italy. The twist here is the pretty female vocals sung in mostly pleasant English. And these band names? Seems they pick random physical objects and put them together. Has Iron Sun been taken yet? (5/27)

2025 Metal Journal Vol. 1

Juglans Regia - Controluce. 2005 private (CD). One of the more unusual thrift shop finds, though it's clear once again this was part of Independent Records closing. Their CDs were strewn about Colorado Springs and could be found at various thrift shops last year (I bought a huge pile of them that's for sure). All charging from 50 cents to $3 each. Fortunately this came from one of the cheapest rate stores. I had a vague notion of this band's existence but can't remember why. Perhaps an old Syn-Phonic catalog or a mention on Progressive Ears. They have a page on ProgArchives and it's there we learn that Juglans Regia started as a traditional heavy metal band but became influenced by the dark side of Italian prog. They name checked Biglietto per L'Inferno. That's a heavy hitter and something that certainly would have caught my attention, so maybe that's what I remember. Right away we're introduced to a metal tone, though they don't riff according to genre norms. There are many post-1990 Italian prog bands that bring a little metal with them, most notably A Piedi Nudi, another band with a clear affection for the darker side of Italian prog. But that's where the association to progressive rock ends. Their debut apparently featured a keyboardist, and that element is clearly missing here. And without the presence of some psychotic flute, comparisons to Biglietto per L'Inferno become frivolous. The rhythms are very rigid and clearly geared for standard fare rock. Over time it becomes clear that the Stoner genre is more present than any other. The guitarist mixes his crunch with fluid solos, and at times he can be expressive. Put him in a different setting and I think he'd shine brighter. The only prog guy here is vocalist Alessandro Parigi who sings in Italian and very much sounds like he's singing on a neo Italian progressive rock album. Apparently they've released a newer album (2023) with a keyboardist in tow. Comes with positive reviews and ratings. Probably won't find that one in a thrift shop. (May)

Betrayel - Offerings. 2020 Divebomb (CD). I bought a huge pile of sealed CDs directly from Divebomb a couple of years back, but this one was an open copy. So this will be my first foray into that purchase. Betrayel were a thrash metal band from Fresno, California that released two cassettes between 1986 and 87 and off to the former-metal-band desert they went. Years later the good folks at Divebomb reissued those and a raftful of other archival material on what looks like a well researched release (I haven't heard it and it's not in the pile I grabbed). The enthusiasm inspired the original quartet to reform and release a new album. Figure these guys are close to my age, so probably were in their mid 50s at recording time. One cannot accuse Betrayel of betraying (had to do it) the 80s thrash aesthetic. But if you don't do more with the concept, then it becomes yet another 80s sounding thrash album, which is why these albums tend to rate much lower than the originals. From the first note to the last I was reminded of Exodus first with a few nods to early Testament. Especially the brusque vocals of Chris Campise and the gang chorus', never a favorite motif for me. I like the guitar tone and also appreciate the solo style which is more melodic than shred. A good effort but without creating new paths, Betrayel is treading the same old ground verbatim. It's worn out. (May)

At Vance - Chained. 2005 AFM (CD). Yet another German power metal band from this 2016 metal buy (they weren't all like this fortunately). A lot of commercial aspirations for this title it would seem. Almost like a more metalized version of Whitesnake. Sounds fairly generic to me. This was their 6th album and I'm reading it was a bit of a drop off from prior works, though I might not notice the difference. The style exists within a tight framework so I'm not sure where there's room for innovation. This is a long way from the tech thrash bands of the late 80s and early 90s, which was totally random, or so it appeared. Plenty of classical rips to endure here as well. (Apr)

Seventh Wonder - Waiting in the Wings. 2006 Lion (CD). And we're back into that 2016 collection buy that I seem to tackle once a year (see Dream Quest below). Maybe this will be the year we get through them all. We'll see. Want to guess what this sounds like? Yep, more Dream Theater worship with a European power pop sensibility. These albums follow a pattern and they are instantly recognizable. By default they will nail a sequence or two that I find interesting. This isn't easy music to play and the band are to be commended for attempting the complexity. Problem for me is that it was done pretty much exactly in the same style a decade prior. But if you can't get enough of it, here's one more for you. Seventh Wonder are still around and have six studio albums and one live effort. (Apr)

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness. 2018 Earache UK (CD) (1989). I remember Morbid Angel when they first broke into the metal scene. Though I was far removed from most contemporary popular music trends by 1989, I did keep an eye on metal, especially thrash and some of the wild techy albums coming out of that scene. Morbid Angel were part of the next wave of extreme music, that of death metal. I never liked the vocals of that subgenre too much, sounding cartoonish to my ears, so most of the music sort of passed me by. Lately I've been drawn to some of the more extreme thrash bands from the 80s like Kreator and Destruction, so I'm thinking that this might be my time for Morbid Angel. I found this CD for $1 at a thrift shop in the Kansas City area two years ago but it ended up in the "eventually will get to it" pile. Probably for the best in this case. So how did Altars of Madness do? Hmmm. I didn't let the vocals bother me, and they didn't honestly. What of the metal? It has the problem a lot of these type of groups have. They go too fast and there's no separation in the music. Blast beats. It's a blur at times. I want more crunch and inventive riffing. More meter changes would have helped with the pacing as well. Not to say they don't do that on occasion, but not enough for me. Looking at the ratings this is considered a landmark album for the style and I can appreciate that. For 1989 this is some pretty radical music. But it wasn't for me then, and it still isn't. But I do appreciate it much more than in the past. Interesting to note that despite being from Florida, the album was only released on LP in England. A year later it was issued as a CD and cassette here in the States. (Apr)

*Apocalyptica - Live in Helsinki St. John's Church. 2023 Odyssey (2xCD). Numbered. Pulled this out of a local record shop for a buck. Brand new. I'll take that! Honestly this belongs more to classical than metal, but for journal purposes, I'll put it here. My synopsis: I have an idea. Let's get Starker, Du Pre, and Piatigorsky on stage, along with a percussionist, and ask them to play the music of Univers Zero. With the atmosphere and riffing of Candlemass. That sounds like a good plan. (Feb)

Kick Axe - Vices. 1984 Pasha / CBS (LP). Picked up dirt cheap at a local vintage shop's closing sale (Feb). Saskatchewan's finest debuted with Vices on the same label that housed Quiet Riot. And that's a good guidepost too as for the sounds within. If you're going to do this kind of metal, then you might as well do it right, and Kick Axe goes to the top of the glass - I mean class... Very nice heavy metal sound they have here. Thick and wedgy, no mistaking this for hard rock. And the tunes aren't that bad at all. They even throw in a couple of unexpected twists to keep the three people happy that would be interested in hearing such a thing on an album like this. What holds Vices back is the style itself. There's only so much you can do within the confines of anthem metal. About half the album holds interest and the other is like a repeat of the same. Kick Axe - well someone had to take that name. Might as well be these guys. This is a much better album than you would initially think given the premise. I thought about keeping it, but it would start at the bottom of the collection rankings. No point in that.

Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy. 1985 Atlantic (MC). From a friend's garage sale last year. I found this on LP five years ago during the pandemic, and decided to grab my profit instead of keeping it. And since I didn't document the listen, thought I'd try this tape out and get that done as well. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed their EP tape, pulled from the same sale. Ratt were yet another variation of the Motley Crue sound and the rest of them from Los Angeles. More metal than hard rock, though hardly cutting edge. Perhaps the heavier side of Van Halen circa Fair Warning is another reference. Feminine friendly, so when you go that route, you better bring some songwriting to the studio. No technical superiority to hide the lack of those skills. I'd suggest the music is similar to that debut, though without any noticeable progress. I still haven't heard Out of the Cellar (well at least in 40 years), their recognized classic. I never get tired of seeing the megababes of the 80s, of which the cover features (she was a Playboy model). Today the woke children of RYM suggest in the comment section it would have been better had it been one of the guys in the band. Yea we're f*cked up alright. Time to get back on track guys! (Jan)

Dream Quest - Centralia. 2006 private (CD). Collection revisit (Jan). Funny that this came from the collection I'm always threatening to tackle, and I'm already revisiting this title ahead of ones I still haven't heard. One of the few I listened to upon receipt of that collection (2016). This is a good album really, a fine mix of power and prog metal with a dash of shred. And at 33 minutes, the EP length is more ideal for this style of music. Same argument as always, I have way too much of this already. If I didn't though, I'd keep it for sure. Nice private release from Canada.

Isen Torr - Mighty & Superior (EP). 2008 Shadow Kingdom (CD). Collection revisit (Dec 2023). For some reason I had it in my head this was a reissue of a rare American 80s piece. I think it's the goofy "private looking" cover. But no, it's a side project of the doom metal band Solstice from England. Mighty & Superior is made up of two eight minute tracks and is clearly aimed at the epic metal crowd led by Manilla Road and the likes. Which would be me. It's not exceptional but certainly true to the genre and a pleasant listen. I have enough of the "real deal" so I can let this one go.

Other albums heard but not reviewed: This Ending - Needles of Rust (Feb); Nightrage - Abyss Rising (Feb).

* - Keeping for the collection

2024 Metal Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Casus Belli - In the Name of the Rose. 2005 Limb (CD). One of many from that 2016 buy I still haven't heard. I feel that 2025 will be the year I finally conquer my backlog. More on that topic later. Casus Belli are from Greece and they play... European power metal. So - SO many of these bands like this from that era. I give them credit, they start off with two fast paced numbers to get one's attention. No messing around with arty pretension. I like their tones too. But they're about as original as the rest of them. Vocalist has nailed the Bruce Dickinson tenor, and Judas Priest's Painkiller is front and center for the rhythm section. Man, no one wants this stuff today, each cheaper than the last one. Hype sticker says "Power Metal. ...combines murderous riffs* and rhythms with compositorial elegance**, garnished*** with an incredible vocalist and an exceptional guitar player." OK fine, it is a hype sticker after all. *I'm not sure I'd want my riffs to be murderous though, especially live in concert. **Compositorial is a new word for me, so I looked it up, and it's not used correctly here. ***-Sounds like a fine dining table layout. (Dec)

Legend - The Dark Place. 2013 Workshop (CD). Collection revisit (Dec). In the first entry of this journal I bemoan the fact that Legend's comeback effort was well done, true to their early albums, yet it somehow felt too safe and planned out. The Dark Place came a decade later, is their follow up to Still Screaming, and it remains their last studio effort to date. Starting out like a vintage early 80s Judas Priest album, it doesn't appear Legend are going to take too many chances here either. I do like their guitar tone and Mike Lezala has a great voice for metal (he actually sings!). Legend are to be admired for not jumping on modern metal trends in order to stay relevant. They are, pardon the expression, legends in their own right. And it is that legacy they bring forward here. However there's a dearth of ideas or catchy tunes to keep going forward with. Unfortunately. Interesting to note that the final track, though no longer in duration than any other tune, has the right idea in terms of progressing their sound further. Too little, too late. 

The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight. 2000 Tee Pee (CD). Collection revisit (Dec). Instrumental side project of Eyehategod from New Orleans. The gimmick here is that one of the instruments is a Hammond organ. The music is fairly generic stoner metal fare, though not unpleasant. The organ helps with this, but unfortunately it's buried in the mix. Given the sound palette options, one would hope for more of a stylistic brush. It never really unfolds that way and after some 40 minutes, you realize not much as happened. I appreciate the willingness to expand beyond the same ol' same ol' but they hedged their bet too much and played it safe.

Cinderella - Night Songs. 1986 Mercury (LP). Another Colorado Springs pre record show grab for cheap. (Nov). Cinderella were from Philadelphia and their image was pure glam with teased hair, makeup, and standard issue 80's chasin' chicks fare. The music is really nothing of the sort, sounding very much like AC/DC, maybe Aerosmith for a stretch goal. I could have just as easily written this in the hard rock journal, but metal is where the band is generally categorized. I'm sure the band had talent and could have done far better than this effort, but such were the times to get recognized, and Cinderella cashed in just fine. It's not an embarrassing work, but rather mundane in the scheme of things. While gathering for a family Thanksgiving dinner, little Timmy finds the album buried in a nearby desk drawer, and points to the photo confused: "Did you really used to look like that, Uncle Eric?"

Lanfear - The Art Effect. 2003 Nightmare (CD). From a large metal collection I bought last year. Most were sealed as is this. So off to YouTube to check it out first to see if I might want to keep it (Nov). This looks like typical German prog metal. I'm going to read some positive reviews to get me in the mood for this... Alright found some. They enthusiastically compare Lanfear to Queensryche and Blind Guardian. Oh boy, not more of that. Oh yea, more of that. Well let's see if a melody or sequence catches my ear. Something different maybe? Nope. It's certainly well played and executed. I think prog / power metal was a cottage industry in Europe during this era, and many folks made a halfway decent living doing this. As I said in the first Winterlong review below: "They really were spitting these kind of albums out during this era, huh? I missed it all real time having moved on from this breed of prog metal by the late 90s. Looks to have been a prudent move."

Eldritch - Headquake. 2006 Limb (CD) (1997). Collection revisit (Nov). Somehow I ended up with five Eldritch albums, I think because they were deep discounted at some point. I did first hear Seeds of Rage real time, but everything else came much later. The Italy based Eldritch could be seen as the blueprint for European prog / power metal that would become commonplace in the 2000s. The raw and quirky tech thrash of the early 90s morphing into the very professional sound of Dream Theater. I do appreciate their gritty tone, much less friendly than their contemporaries. The use of synthesizers is more atmospheric than showy. Vocals (from American Terence Holler) are from the LaBrie school without the wimpy moments. It's tough to evaluate these albums at such a late stage primarily because I have so much of it already. I sense that if this was one of my first discoveries in the genre, I would have played it numerous times and many of the sequences, breaks, and melodies would be burned deep into to my soul. Super package with a slip case, a full poster of the cover, thick booklet with lyrics, photos, and a short biography. And four bonus tracks. Great value. Despite all of that, just too much of the same thing here for me to hold onto.

Iron Cross. 2001 Iron Glory (CD) (1986). Collection revisit (Nov). After first acquiring the CD, in Dec 2004, I wrote: "More great vintage thrash with plenty of mid tempo pure HM. Similar to the Griffin I spoke of before, though this is clearly more bar/basement. Orlando, Florida based group foreshadowing the impending death metal movement that prevailed, and ultimately dominated there. Iron Cross could also be considered a tangent Savatage (another Florida group) could have taken had they explored more with thrash. Some prog moves and moods with solos closer to 70’s hard rock than 80’s hair metal pig squeal. All the songs are about death, demons, Halloween, etc… traditional bonehead metal fare. Check out the Umberto Eco-like prose on ‘S+M Medley’: “Tight Jeans well they hypnotize, you got pulled tight to the perfect size and you know you should have buttoned your shirt”". ------In hearing this CD again for the first time since, I'll pull back the thrash comment and attribute it more to US Power Metal, like fellow Floridians Iced Earth. Early Savatage remains the best guidepost here along with the classics such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. It's a very amateurish take on all these bands, and while I usually reward such endeavors, this one needed a bit more time in the production room. The CD adds bonus tracks from 1991 and 1999, and it appears additional ones from the original recording session. Oddly the band never improved. Were I fortunate enough to own this as an original LP, I'd likely treasure it, considering it's financially truly a treasure. 

Haji's Kitchen. 1995 Shrapnel (CD). Collection revisit (Sep). These guys were from my old stompin' grounds of Lewisville, Texas (Dallas suburb). I bought this not long after it was released and I was quite taken with the sound at the time. I always liked the premise of groove metal, that of a slower thrash, but with heavier guitars and more bluesy solos. Vocals were often a problem, but they aren't really egregious here. The issue I have is the similarity of each subsequent track. The opener on Haji's Kitchen is 'Machine' and it's a great wake up siren. But it sort of meanders from there. They needed more something, whether it be complexity or palette of sound or not-sure-what. They do add some intriguing elements on occasion but not enough to deviate very far. This album is held in high regard for genre fans, and I can see why. But I think I'm going to move on from it.

Winterlong. 2005 Lion (Finland) (CD). Thrift shop find (Sep). From the off, this sounds like a distinct improvement on their debut Valley of the Lost. And it becomes apparent they're copying Iron Maiden rather than the multitudes of Euro power metal neo-classical outfits. And that's a good thing. Unfortunately they aren't exploring that sound further as the namesake Iron Maiden currently is. As the album rolled on, their speed metal roots came to the fore. Gotta do more than that in 2005.

*Ratt (EP). 1984 Time Coast (MC) (1983). From my buddy's garage sale (Sep). Solid debut from San Diego's Ratt, a band that rode the fence between solid traditional metal and glam. Really not that much different from their California brethren Motley Crue. Sort of an updated and metalized Aerosmith. Lots of swagger and politically incorrect sexism. You know, the good ol' days. For a dollar cassette, I think I'll hold onto this one.

Winterlong - Valley of the Lost. 2001 Lion (Finland) (CD). Thrift shop find (Aug). Standard issue neo-classical power metal from Sweden with fast chromatic scale solos and synthesizers going at about the same speed. Vocals are aggressive but non-abrasive. There's some grittiness here that I appreciate, but they're too accomplished to be that interesting lol. It's good, of course, and not painful to sit through. It's just the same ol' same 'ol. They really were spitting these kind of albums out during this era, huh? I missed it all real time having moved on from this breed of prog metal by the late 90s. Looks to have been a prudent move.

Legend - Still Screaming. 2003 Monster (CD). Collection revisit (May). Kind of a bummer that I didn't really get much out of this reunion release. I love the early Legend albums, all pioneers of the original NWOBHM movement. Still Screaming is very much in spirit with those albums too, not a change in direction. But it lacks the angst and naivety of youth. Too stale and rehearsed. It's good, yes, but I don't need more of it.

* - Keeping for the collection

2024 Metal Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

Quiet Riot - Metal Health. 1983 Pasha (MC). Thrift shop find (Aug). I bought this title on vinyl upon release while still in high school. In those days sometimes you would hear the "right" track and then subsequently go out and buy the LP. That's what happened to me, as they played 'Run for Cover', arguably the best track here. Quiet Riot were a band I saw in the import bins, as their first two albums were very hard to come by - and expensive. So I was predisposed to like them without hearing a note. And obviously disappointment ensued. The album as a whole isn't as bad as I remembered and I enjoyed a +2 listen, which is still two points from even considering keeping. The glam / pop metal side of the band, most known for their cover of 'Cum on Feel the Noize', is most representative of the album at large.

Leash Law - Dogface. 2004 Black Lotus (CD). From the 2016 buy (Aug). Didn't have high hopes for this title and that ended up being true. Average metal with grating vocals and unmemorable riffs. Not a lot of invention either. Average for the style. Going for less than Ray Conniff LPs in the marketplace too... A loser I'm afraid to say.

Warlock - Triumph and Agony. 1987 Vertigo (LP). Same sale (Jul). Two points off of the debut. Here Doro's voice is more grating and the tunes are more anthemic and commercial in nature. Gone are the exploratory riffs and amateur curiosity.

*Warlock - Burning the Witches. 1987 Vertigo (1984) (LP). From T&R sale (Jul). Doro's grand entrance on the world metal stage. All these years and I've never heard anything by, or related, to her. Burning the Witches is old fashioned metal with a unique in-a-tunnel metal sound. Doro sounds mostly like Geddy Lee, and one could argue that Warlock at this stage sound like a metalized Rush. It's not very progressive but the riffs and songwriting are excellent if not amateurish. No chance I would have liked this album when it came out, as it was looking backwards and was miles from the progression Metallica was bringing to the surface. Today I think it's great in that nostalgic sort of way. Great vintage metal cover art that today would likely be banned for its negative sexualized depiction of women. Probably Doro herself designed it, but that's the modern idiot for you.

Dream Child - Reaching the Golden Gates. 1998 Metal Blade (CD). Same as Wingdom (Jul). And for most of the CD, same as Wingdom in the music category. Textbook prog metal. But Dream Child are French and they never do anything by the book. So there's quite a few moments of unexpected musical turns. It's not messy enough for me, but it wasn't too far off. I would have kept this only a few years ago.

Wingdom - Reality. 2005 The A Label (CD). Finally getting back to that 2016 metal buy (Jul). There are so many albums like Wingdom's sole output. European power metal with a Dream Theater like delivery minus the acrobatics. From a musical perspective Reality is very accomplished. From an originality standpoint, the Finnish group score a big fat zero. There's not one interesting sequence for the entire 57 minute length. You'd think with close to a full hour at their disposal they could come up with something unique, even if by accident. If I was new to the genre, any one of these albums would make the grade. But that ship sailed in the 90s.

Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll. 1983 Atlantic (LP). Same deal as the Keel (Jun). This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but it's no classic either. It's mostly dumbo metal, but there's a couple of decent tracks here with thoughtful riffs. They were business opportunists who made a good living doing this kind of metal. Right time, right place.

Keel - The Right to Rock. 1985 A&M (LP). From a local store for a dollar (Jun). Only needed a cleaning. Total mid 80s bonehead metal. Side 2 is much better, but much of it is re-recordings from their debut, which must be better. With tracks like the title song and 'So Many Girls, So Little Time' I think it's safe to assume Keel didn't graduate... elementary school.

At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul. 2002 Earache (CD) (1995). From an antique shop in Hutchinson, Kansas (Oct 2023/Jun). Excellent guitar tone. Deathy screamy vocals. Tracks tend to blend together. Not my thing but good for what it is.

Steve Vai - Passion & Warfare. 1990 Relativity (CD). I had this on vinyl back in the day, and grabbed this CD recently for a buck for the hell of it. For this kind of guitar fronted hard rock / metal, Passion & Warfare is one of the better ones I've heard. Good energy and some fine melodies as well. I'm going +1 but still not enough to keep. From an antique shop in Hutchinson, Kansas (Oct 2023/May).

The Sterling Cooke Force - Force This. 1986 Ransom (LP). Well... this didn't work out at all lol. After enthusiastically going on about the Electric Sun styled debut, Force This sounds like what the band looks like on the back cover. Hair metal. I was hoping the image was a curveball and the guitar tone remained the same as prior. No such luck. Win some, lose the rest. Discogs acquisition (Apr).

Stryper - Soldiers Under Command. 1985 Enigma. White vinyl (LP). Held this one back from the RT collection (2021/Apr). I think he bought it because of the vinyl color. Anyway, famous Christian "white metal" act. Musically not bad at all, very much representing the style of the day. They look like hair metallers but they offer more than that. Still it's nothing unique beyond the lyric content. To be sold.

Stryper - The Yellow and Black Attack! 1986 Enigma. Blue vinyl and round cover (LP). Same deal as above from RT (2021/Apr). And musically very similar. Solid metal for the Christian set.

Motorhead - Another Perfect Day. 1983 Mercury (LP). The last Motorhead album from that collection buy last year (2023/Apr). Moving more towards hard rock, even a bit of commercialism. Not really any better or worse to my ears than some of the earlier Motorhead albums. But I think I have enough, and can let this one go. 

---collection revisits

Suspyre - When Time Fades... 2008 Sensory (CD). I can't seem to let this go. It's like many of my prog metal albums. Exceptionally well played, overly technical, and not very memorable. But this is even more than the usual tech savvy, so I feel like it just needs more time. (Jun)

*Confessor - Unraveled. 2005 Season of Mist (CD). Second album by North Carolina based doom metal band Confessor, some 14 years after their debut. Their uniqueness is brought forth by adding a progressive component to their sound. And while it does remain rhythmically interesting, the songs still sound pretty much the same. Same tones, same style. I recall their debut being better. Will need to revisit. (May)

* - Keeping for the collection 

2024 Metal Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Ferrigno - Leal - Kuprij. 2003 Lion (Finland) (CD). Thrift shop find (May). Super fast and technical instrumental metal fusion. Well done for the style but old hat by this time.

Pessimist - Cult of the Initiated. 2021 Seasons of Mist (1997) (LP). From the RMRS (Apr). Not as heavy as expected, but certainly as annoying. Bark, growl, grunt. Blleeeeeuuuuuuuuuhhhhh. The music rumbles on. Not much in the way of dynamics or metrics. I've always struggled with death metal, and this isn't the title to change my mind. Good score at 5 bucks though.

*Motorhead - Bomber. 1979 Bronze (LP). Blue vinyl. From the collection buy last year (Apr). Pretty much what I said about Overkill, I could say here: Juiced up hard rock, borderline metal; Excellent solos; "Not sure if I'm keeping all these Motorhead's, but maybe the classics will get a longer ticket. Neat cover art as well."

Gargoyle. 1988 New Renaissance (EP). If you're a collector of private pressings, there's no way you'd miss this cover. I was surprised to see something like this at the end of the RMRS show for $5 (Apr). Gargoyle were from Portland (OR) and played a brand of speedy traditional heavy metal. A bit primitive and unsophisticated for this late date. I do like the vocals as he can actually sing, rather than scream or bark. The EP features three tracks that ultimately all ended up on their debut, so that diminishes the value somewhat, though not entirely for specialty collectors. If I ever do find the full album, I'd probably keep it if the music is similar. 

Black Sabbath - Seventh Star. 1986 Warner Bros (LP). From Dr. Boom in a trade (Mar). Generally regarded as one of the worst Sabbath albums, if not the worst, much of that has to do with the time and place. Were I a huge Sabbath fan in 1986, and I had adopted all the new trends in metal, I can imagine that Seventh Star was quite the shock to the system. I definitely enjoyed Sabbath back then, and was deep into NWOBHM and thrash, but I had no expectation from Black Sabbath at that time. I figured they were irrelevant. Many apologists point out it's really a Tony Iommi solo album, so it shouldn't even count as a Sabbath album. So here I am some 38 years later hearing this much maligned album for the first time. OK, yep, definitely not Mob Rules or even Born Again. To me it sounds like Rainbow - a good follow up to Bent Out of Shape. But I can be objective at this point, versus being emotional as a youth. There's a couple of clunkers, A2 being the most notable one that everyone points out. I thought the album overall was very good, but nothing revelatory. I have plenty of 80s hard rock like this, including Rainbow themselves, so I'll take my profit. 

Metal Majesty - This is Not a Drill. 2004 Lion (Finland) (CD). Thrift shop find (Feb). From The Netherlands, Metal Majesty is essentially a solo project with additional drums. Imagine Queen as a light metal band. Usually I take a dim view of all-instruments-played-and-sung-by-one-guy albums, but this isn't so bad really. Objectively it's well done and thought out, but it's not for me.

Iron Mask - Hordes of the Brave. 2005 Lion (Finland) (CD). Thrift shop find (Feb). From Belgium and led by guitarist Dushan Petrossi. He's one of many European guitarists who mastered the instrument and can play faster than what seems possible. And he proves it over... and over... and over. The music is typical Euro Power Metal, with choruses, digital keyboard symphony orchestras, and a neoclassical styling (chromatic scales, man). Like a heavier and faster Blind Guardian. There are a couple of vocalists featured, one has a Bruce Dickinson fixation, the other James LaBrie. Hard to be too critical here, as this is a very professional release with good songwriting. I prefer my metal a bit more messy and unpredictable. I feel like I've heard this album before - many times in fact. 

---online (all Feb)

Chase - Evensong / Evermore Pt. II. 1983 Corduroy Mouse Wax. From the endless well that was the NWOBMH scene, Chase offer a more thoughtful romp with keyboards and thematic changes, straddling the line with both progressive rock and AOR. Chase has ties to Diamond Head and there are similarities to their respective sound.

x Aquilla - Rock the Night / Running Down. 1985 private. No idea where this is from. All potential, no delivery. Starts off great with a wonderful metal riff only to devolve into a boogie track complete with one note pounding piano. Hey - they're going to rock the night! pfft. B) side is better, high energy, but still average for the era. Keyboards are a nice touch. 2.5/3

x Mean Streak - I Don't Wanna Hear It / Reasons Rhyme. 198? Streak Records. Pittsburgh based group who more than likely named their band after the Y&T album of the same name. Musically similar in that radio friendly hard rock, light metal way. Keyboards on the B side were more than a welcome presence. Another mostly unknown 45. No RYM - so 3 stars here.

x Orlando – Future School / Lunacy. 1982 Futurock. From the Detroit area. A) side starts with a good hard rock guitar melody line. Vocals are higher pitched and sound very 80s - bridging the gap with new wave it would appear. Good fast soloing also recalling the decade. B) starts off even faster, some real guitar hero type playing. The music isn't really metal, but it has that attitude and the solos belong to that school. The solo on 'Lunacy' is nuts, something Malmsteen would bring to prominence a year later with Steeler. Very creative and pioneering piece of music. Well worth hearing. 3.5 / 4.5

---collection revisits

*Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun. 1992 Dali (CD). Arguably the beginning of stoner rock as we know it. Some powerful moments and others that drag, typical of the style. But Kyuss were first, and for that alone, it's worth admiring and keeping. (May)

Behind the Curtain – Till Birth Do Us Part. 1999 Sensory (CD). Despite claims of being “avant garde”, I felt this band from Denmark fit more comfortably in the traditional prog metal areas of Dream Theater and Fates Warning. They have strange sound too, not particularly heavy, but certainly metal. This was to be their only album. (Jan)

* - Keeping for the collection; x- Not in RYM

2023 Metal Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

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)

*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)

*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)

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).

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)

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

2022 Metal Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

*Axewitch - Visions of the Past. 1984 Finger Print (LP). The 3rd and last of the Axewitch buys. This one is sandwiched in between, and had the more intriguing looking cover, especially the back. For the debut I wrote: "A bit by the numbers for 1983, and lacks the crunch necessary to have much impact. Decent set of tunes, but nothing leaps out.". And for the 3rd album, I penned: "This album catches Axewitch moving from metal to hard rock, a popular thing to do for bands looking to get more radio attention... Fairly dull album that lacks the hooks of a Def Leppard". Visions of the Past is definitely more like the debut in every way. It still needs more heft but it's a bit more quirky. I didn't pick up on it first, thinking it was a bit typical of the style. But by side 2 I was hearing a variety of interesting changes, though still subtle. Rates out the same as the debut, but on the high side of the range. This one has growth potential whereas the other did not. We'll see. Hard decisions will need to be made. Eventually. (Dec)

Anthem - No Smoke Without Fire. 1990 Music for Nations (LP). Somehow I managed to get five of the six initial Anthem albums. This one is no different than the others. Straight up riffing heavy metal from Japan without much invention. Apparently Don Airey plays the keys but it's not listed on the LP.  Not bad at all, just not that interesting either. (Dec)

Anthem - Hunting Time. 1989 Music For Nations (LP). The addition of keyboards up front seemed to distinguish this Anthem album from the others. But they quickly muzzle him and get down to their patented straightforward heavy metal sound. These guys from Japan consistently deliver the goods, but they don't take any chances, and the music gets a bit long in the tooth by the end. Like I've said about the three prior Anthem albums - I would have kept them all just a few short years ago. But no more. (Oct)

Axewitch - Hooked on High Heels. 1985 Fingerprint (LP). This album catches Axewitch moving from metal to hard rock, a popular thing to do for bands looking to get more radio attention. And an unpopular thing to do if wanting to maintain your underground street cred. For a band with a name like Axewitch - and from Sweden - it was the wrong move at the wrong time. And this was it for the band until a recent reformation. Fairly dull album that lacks the hooks of a Def Leppard, as but one peer who knew what they were doing. Average at best. (Oct)

Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond. 2000 Century Media (CD). Picked this one out of a thrift shop in Alamosa, Colorado a few months ago. Strange the items you might find out in the middle of nowhere, though there is a university there. Unfortunately it was the only thing like it in the store. I figured I wasn't going to keep it, but for 50 cents, I thought it was worth a shot. At first I was intrigued by the Iced Earth styled power metal. But it quickly went the European route, picking up the chugga chugga pace and singing "row row row your boat!!" - or so it seems. Good stuff on the whole, but obviously as you can tell from my weed-out project, the days of these kind of CDs sticking around are over, even though the origin story makes it more memorable. (Oct)

Dark Star. 1981 Avatar (LP). Dark Star is a legendary NWOBHM album with a striking cover. In reading reviews, there's a lot of bemoaning the fact that Def Leppard made it and these guys didn't. I vote for Def Leppard. Mostly a hard rock album with metal tendencies. Still some boogie and radio friendly tunes in here, not matching the album art. Final slightly prog track 'Green Peace' is great, but not enough to save this. File next to Demon's Unexpected Guest. (Sep)

Blind Fury - Out of Reach. 1985 Roadrunner (LP). Part of the same buy as above. It's about half like the Dio album and about half classic NWOBHM of the good kind, similar to Iron Maiden. So simplicity meets complexity. Blind Fury were an English based band that were essentially the same as the unfortunately named Satan, but with a new singer. This is not brainless metal, and a lot of good ideas are put forth. 1985 is a bit late for this sound, as the metal world had evolved much further by then. I gave it three listens over two nights, but to make it into the collection, the bar continues to go higher, and Blind Fury fell a bit short. (Sep)

Cerebus - Too Late to Pray. 1986 New Renaissance (LP). Like with Blind Fury, thia album registers very good but falls just short of the line to gain (as the old timey football guys used to call a first down). Production is a little thin, something the label is known for, though this is my first encounter with Ann Boleyn's imprint (Hellion leader). Straddles the fence between speed and traditional metal. Highlights include the title track and the instrumental 'Talk is Cheap' (ha). Probably would have kept this back in the day, and would be a sentimental favorite now. But since I'm just hearing it for the first time... (Sep)

Dio - Sacred Heart. 1985 Warner Bros. (LP). I was pretty sure this one wasn't going to make the cut, and I was right. Last in Line is borderline as it is, but there's a nostalgia pull there. I have none with Sacred Heart, an album I didn't bother with real time. I'm sure I read reviews of it back then, and they said something along the lines of "more of the same". Well that certainly wasn't going to work for me in 1985. And sure enough, it's more of the same. But even less dynamic. I didn't recognize a single song here. Dio did the needful here and then hit the road to promote. Not a bad album of course, just by the numbers straight forward heavy metal. (Sep) 

various artists - Bullets Volume 1. 1986 Combat (LP). A very good comp, but nothing worth holding onto. Best tracks are from Megadeth and Helstar, both of which I already own, though apparently the former is a unique mix (found on later reissues). Agent Steel's entry comes from an EP. It's pretty raw and also can be found on later reissues. Lots of thrash and hardcore here. I picked it up since it was only $1. (Sep)

Axewitch - The Lord of Flies. 1983 Finger Print (LP). Another one from JL. Another solid metal effort, this time from Sweden. A bit by the numbers for 1983, and lacks the crunch necessary to have much impact. Decent set of tunes, but nothing leaps out. (Sep)

*Voivod - Angel Rat. 2022 Real Gone (1991) (LP). This is an RSD release. While I really enjoyed Nothingface when it came out, I never did pursue Angel Rat and rejoined Voivod on The Outer Limits. I do enjoy this period of Voivod, even though there's a certain slickness to their sound, ironic given their raw background. Angel Rat's reputation back in the day was that of "psych metal", but honestly the most psychedelic aspect of this album is the cover painting. And it's barely metal. It's a sound of the late 80s and early 90s, but definitely not alternative. The pacing is brilliant, and the tunes are immediately likeable, proving that songwriting was one of their hidden strengths. (May)

Anthem - Gypsy Ways. 1988 Music For Nations (LP). 2nd of four Anthem albums I bought at the last Denver record show. I'm probably not going to keep any of them, but don't want to prejudge the contents. This one was even more basic than Bound to Break. Like Loudness, the music is straight up heavy metal. By 1988, one would hope for more progression. Which is not to say it isn't any good, and in fact all of their albums rate highly with current metal fans. It's definitely "true" for those where that term matters. The good news is we sold the album only a few hours after listing it (beautiful copy too). They have their loyal fanbase for certain. (May)

Angelus Apatrida - Cabaret de la Guillotine. 2018 Century Media (LP). Truth be told I heard the CD that comes with it, leaving the vinyl unplayed. Good thing, as I'm going to sell it. Well done thrash from Spanish band. I believe this to be their 6th album. The music was instantly recognizable - that of Testament, Death Angel, Exodus, and other Bay Area bands from the 80s that I knew real time. And that's the problem. This field has been plowed too many times. I didn't hear anything new, just a couple of innovative riffs. Even though I'm a fan of the style, it's going to be tough to impress me at this point in this genre of music. (May)

*Apocrypha - The Forgotten Scroll. 1987 Shrapnel (LP). The first of many metal albums that I bought at the record show. Apocrypha (a perfect name for a metal band) were from Las Vegas, Nevada, and played a mix of thrash and classic metal, known more these days as US Power Metal. Nothing particularly mind blowing, but very well done and represents the metal scene of 1987 quite well. The guitarist later went on to fame and fortune with Third Eye Blind, switching out the leather garb for flannel shirts, much to the dismay of his metal fans. (May)

*Tyton - Mind Over Metal. 1987 Medusa (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10 (part 3). I had quite a time with this title. The first copy was indeed sealed, but warped beyond recognition. Sent photos to the original seller, and he said he's "never seen it so bad". We laughed about it, and he immediately sent a refund. Nice guy. The second seller had an open copy. I got it very cheap along with another album. They were both crazy warped. Sent them back (no comment from dummy seller) - and he just relisted them! What a terrible seller. Finally an old friend of mine also had an open copy, and he confirmed it was lightly warped (though flat as a pancake compared to the other 2 - played perfectly). He was going to send it to me for free, but I bought a couple of other things to justify the postage for him. Anyway... the music. For 1987, Tyton was considerably less heavy than the competition. They referred to it as "melodic metal", which is true, but that doesn't mirror the modern connotation, which implies "commercial". Mind Over Metal is old school NWOBHM styled metal with thoughtful compositions, a few more ideas than usual, and well executed. The type of album you would think would do well on the radio even, but it came along five years too late. I like it. (Mar)

*E-X-E - Stricken By Might. 1987 Shatter (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10 (part 2). Like a lot of these dead stock seals, they feature cut corners and are likely to contain a warp. This checked both those boxes, but my tone arm rode the wave without issue on this one. Has there ever been a worse front and back cover than this album? I doubt it. I would have never considered buying this real time, and I'm sure I ran across it at some point. Take away their silly image, and focus only on the music, and what you have is a solid mix of heavy / thrash / speed metal. It's raw but sounds awesome. And they pack in a few ideas per track. Like a more advanced Exciter with elements of Slayer sprinkled throughout. The hype sticker says "thrash w/class". OK, I'll buy that - so they really should have reworked their image if they believed it. We used to call this "cartoon metal" in my day. As with Wild Dogs, time has been kind to E-X-E and this album has a solid reputation among the faithful. I have to agree with that assessment. (Feb)

*Wild Dogs - Reign of Terror. 1987 Enigma (LP). I find it somewhat amazing that you can still buy high quality sealed metal albums from the 80s for under $10. While the big names are going for ridiculous sums (considering they were mass released in the first place - thank goodness I kept most of them), there are plenty of more unknown groups that are selling for deep discounts. Portland's Wild Dogs is one of them. Really strong metal here, what would become known later as US Power Metal, though in its day it was just called heavy metal. Probably because they didn't go all-in thrash during an era when it was expected, the band languished in obscurity. But the metal community today gives this one a big thumbs up. And so do I. (Feb)

Overkill - Feel the Fire. 2021 Megaforce (1985) (LP). Green/Black vinyl. Overkill is one of the more simpler of the thrash purveyors of the 80s, but I found myself attracted to the rawness of their debut. There are elements of NWOBHM in here which I find highly appealing. Whereas I decided to move out The Grinding Wheel, given that by 2017 they should have more to offer, I'm far more forgiving of a debut album from the 80s. Probably a good thing I didn't pursue the band real time, as I was looking for more progressive oriented and thought provoking material. My days of just pure headbanging had already sailed by 1985. (Feb)

Overkill - The Grinding Wheel. 2017 Nuclear Blast (CD). Collection revisit (Jan). My thoughts from 2019 were: "This is Overkill's 18th full length studio album, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. The only other album I own by Overkill is Under the Influence, and that was a relatively recent acquisition, so this is a band I missed entirely when I was really into metal back in the 80s. Solid thrash with excellent guitar work and some inventive riffs. Perhaps a bit too many vocals, but I do enjoy Ellsworth's voice and attitude. This one falls to the high side of the rating." Perhaps because I'm hearing more old school metal these days, I'm backing away from this title. It's more Exodus than Testament if that makes sense. Each track gives us two to three fairly routine riffs, and there's usually at least one zillion-notes-per-minute solo. And, in retrospect, there's way too many vocals. The ending of the album shows promise as they are more USPM than thrash. My rating remains unchanged, but now I have it on the low side of the grade. Love the tri-fold digi-pak, but mannnn do I have too much music like this already. Need to slim down, and by-the-book late era thrash is a good place to target. 

Hell's Kitchen - If You Can't Take the Heat... 1989 Boner (LP). This one sounded good on a quick sample, so what do we have? Well, just reviewing the cover of a rotisserie chicken being crucified is one clue. Then the guys on the back looking like a bunch of goofballs is another. And the label name... So they're not taking themselves seriously at all. But it's definitely metal. Reminded me instantly of Motorhead and that thought never went away. Tank is another reference. Simplistic straightforward heavy metal with silly lyrics. Really not too bad at all, but I'm going to sell it. (Jan)

Silent Memorial - Cosmic Handball. 2009 Limb (CD). Apparently this album was released in Japan in 1998, but was released later for the masses in 2009. Silent Memorial were a Swiss band who play prog metal in the Dream Theater style. Do you know how much of this kind of stuff I have sitting around here? That includes CDs I still haven't even heard from bulk buys a few years ago. I still have a soft spot for Dream Theater, and certainly will keep anything that takes the sound in new directions. Cosmic Handball doesn't really but there are some cool proggy progressions all the same. This is the classic case of "having too much of the same thing", even though I rate it very good. There will be a lot of these I have to get rid of. Not enough time. (Oct 2021)

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Metal Journal Vol. 1

Shotgun Messiah - Second Coming. 1991 Relativity (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). Shotgun Messiah were essentially a Swedish band emulating the Los Angeles glam movement of Poison, Ratt, Skid Row, and the rest of them. Definitely has a fine groove and cool sounds, but not enough to transcend the genre, if the genre could be transcended at all. 

Heavy Pettin - 4 Play. 2020 private (CDEP). Thrift shop find (Oct). And it was signed no less. I wonder how that happens? It's brand new (literally), obscure, and it's signed - and here it is in a thrift shop. I remember Heavy Pettin from the 80s heyday, but never bothered to pursue beyond that. The Scottish based group were a mix of NWOBHM and glam metal - definitely on the lighter, more feminine side of the movement. And this comeback album finds the band playing in fine form, with four new tracks in the older style. Not something I need to keep, but worth a spin for certain. And quite hard to find here in the States. 

*Stride - Music Machine. 2001 private (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). This is the debut from a band that is most known for their Sensory release a few years later. But at the beginning the Houston, Texas based group were an instrumental prog metal / progressive rock hybrid. Typically I find albums like this trivial, but Stride proved to be good songwriters, and there's just enough here for me to qualify it as unique.

*Attacker - The Second Coming. 1999 Sentinel Steel (CD) (1988). From Independent (Oct). About four years ago I wrote about Attacker's debut, and gushed about its contents. And honestly, The Second Coming might even be better than the debut. 1988 was primetime for creative metal, and The Second Coming doesn't disappoint. They have a new vocalist who can high pitch it with the best of 'em. Picking up a bit of Helstar here actually. The older I get, the more I'm really appreciating what they call classic USPM, or US Power Metal. If you had asked me a couple of years back if I liked power metal, I would have flatly stated no. But I was thinking of the European variation, which is much different. There it's more speed metal with gang choruses. Here it's more about the second generation of classic Judas Priest. They really should have more distinct genre names, because they are so different. In any case, this is a fantastic reissue chockful of liner notes, old reviews, photos, memorabilia, and three bonus tracks (demos, but slightly different than what was released). 

*Attacker - Soul Taker. 2004 Iron Glory (CD). With the above (Oct). At the time of release, it was a comeback album. And most metal comeback albums in the 2000 decade were a huge disappointment, many trying their hand at modern trendy styles such as Nu and Groove. Not here. Attacker picked up where they left off. In fact they brought back their original vocalist Bob Mitchell who's a real shrieker in the King Diamond mold. Excellent 3rd release from a USPM band that still flies under the radar, even to this day.

Exodus - Fabulous Disaster. 2019 Century Media / Combat (LP) (1989). Turquoise. Trade from What's Left (Aug). I go back to the beginning with Exodus, having purchased Bonded by Blood upon release (1985). I've always had a yin/yang feeling towards that album. Dutifully I picked up Pleasures of the Flesh on day 1 as well (1987), but my interest in Exodus was waning and it went along with Bonded by Blood. And I stopped there. Fabulous Disaster is their 3rd album, and by that time I had moved into a different direction with metal. So two albums in a row with Disaster in the name (the other Molly Hatchet's Flirtin' with Disaster). I fear to say it's also predictive. Well, Fabulous Disaster isn't so bad. It's definitely what I would call good, but for 1989 this is some basic stuff. The riffs are boring to non-existent, and listening to Souza bark all over this is tiresome. From what I understand, this was their big seller, having made a mark on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. When we look at the Big 4, my tastes have always gravitated toward Metallica, whose first four albums are brilliant IMO. Slayer comes in with a highly appealing raw sound, that penetrates to the bone. My appreciation of Megadeth has gone significantly up in recent years, as I enjoy their quirky jazzy nature. And then there's Anthrax, the dumb kid in the class. Exodus is Anthrax in this analogy. The Bay Area was really hopping in the late 80s with bands like Testament, Death Angel, Heathen, and Forbidden Evil - all of them way more interesting than Exodus. Not sure why the band never seemed to progress. Comes in a nice gatefold cover, which the original did not.

Reincarnate - Take It or Leave It: Demos & Rarities. 2020 Splattered! (LP). Trade from What's Left (Aug). Not really a commodity but a new archival release from an unknown 1982 NWOBHM English act who managed to put out one 45 in their career. This set includes that single plus 4 other demo tracks. I picked this up in trade after hearing the single. I should have done more homework. The single is excellent for the style, but the demo tracks are from a wobbly old cassette tape, and are at best bonus material. Cut at 45 rpm, there isn't enough material here to warrant a full release. In the not-so-distant-past, I may have held onto this, but I can't justify it today. Comes with obi strip and a small poster.

Exciter - Long Live the Loud. 1985 Combat. From Independent (May). I had heard the Canadian band Exciter (named after the iconic Judas Priest song) real time while in college, but their brand of metal didn't capture my imagination back then. I was pretty excited (so to speak) to hear this one, especially after finally getting my ears around Killing Technology. No bueno. This is what is technically known as speed metal. It's not heavy at all. It's a scratchy light guitar sound with screaming vocals. There's absolutely no bass - no heft whatsoever. Unlike Voivod, there are no riffs either. So it just kinda lays there - every track going 100 MPH without melody or chord progressions. It's not terrible or anything, it's definitely what I would call "good", but I'm not drawn to any of the contents within. I'd still be willing to hear anything they have put out, but not going to spend "wall money" on them. And how about that cover, eh? No stereotyping here of course...

Malice - In the Beginning. 1985 Atlantic (LP). From Independent (Apr). When researching In the Beginning, you won't get too far without reading that Malice are very much patterned after Judas Priest. After hearing the album, I was strangely reminded of... Judas Priest. It's just that obvious. If I were to put what era of Priest, I'd suggest British Steel. Relatively generic for the era, but definitely well produced and played. There's just enough meat on this bone to keep for the short haul. This was the kind of metal I wasn't pursuing in real time, as it seemed rather cliché by that point. It won't be too long that I'll be thinning the collection herd again (after we finish the boxes of other stuff we have here). I suspect this will be an early target. Whether it grows in stature or not, that remains to be seen (ed: I sold it not long after).

---2020

Rogue Male - First Visit. 1985 Elektra (LP). From Indepedent (Nov). The opening track 'Crazy Motorcycle' sounds like classic Motorhead. This is followed by 'All Over You' which recalls classic Saxon. And there's your story line: Motorhead meets Saxon. So it's more on the simple side of British metal. Which is fine (I enjoy both bands from their early periods), but the problem here is that the genre had moved on by leaps and bounds by 1985. This kind of album would have had impact in 1981. Apparently the critics loved it (of course they did...), but the buying public wasn't impressed. Good album for what it is, but not something I need to hold onto. 

*Loudness - Lightning Strikes. 1986 ATCO (LP). Finding any kind of heavy metal at a thrift shop is pure luck. If the workers aren't taking them out the back door, then the first person who sees it - buys it. And that's probably what happened for me in this case (Oct). But it's hardly a great score. Probably could find one at a record store for $4.99. I'm telling you - that's just no fun! "Roudness" was a known quantity when I was in college and I bought Thunder in the East upon release. I was very disappointed and traded it back not long after.  Not recalling that album at all, Lightning Strikes is really quite good - but it's not really a metal album, which is probably why I was disappointed at the time. What it reminds me of is early Van Halen - a high energy hard rock that borders heavy metal. In this light, the album works better. So yes, I'll go ahead and hold onto this one for now.

Great White. 1984 EMI (LP). Thrift shop find (Oct). Talk about an album I was excited to find... for resell. $15 markup easy. But I never in a million years thought I would like it! Great White were one of the emblematic bands of the hair metal scene and I just figured the music would follow suit. That is to say, music for late inning teenage girls looking for trouble, and the blend would be a mix of insincere ballads and obligatory party hard rockers. But like Motley Crue before them, Great White worked hard for their success, and this debut shows the band laying it all out there to judge. There's a great energy here that holds up well 35 years later. And it's also a bit gritty. It appears the image followed the success, but didn't instigate it. Pleasant surprise.

* - Keeping for the collection