A New Direction for WGAF

I have decided to write a series of Top 10 albums of the year blogs. I had to decide which year to start with and how inclusive I wanted to be, genre wise.

I decided to start with 1979. I tried 1978, but I don't think I even have 10 albums that came out in 1978, so 1979 it shall be. As far as genre, I decided to keep it to hard rock/metal only. Otherwise I would have been forced to include Joe Jackson's Look Sharp in my 1979 list and I really don’t want to do that.

So, the next entry will be the Top 10 Hard Rock/Metal albums of 1979.

1978 would have been a nice year to start with because there would have been two Judas Priest albums and I know how much my reader(s) love the hot leather dude.

...And on This Invention They Show Shows

OK - so the title is only loosely tied to this entry, and it is esoteric for sure. Sue me.

I try not to go with the masses on many things, and for several reasons. The primary reason is that the masses are stupid. Now you can call me a snob, and that's OK, but if you want to see a slice of Americana, watch the show Cops and then come back to me and tell me the masses are not stupid.

So, anyway, a couple of years ago I decided I wanted a huge mp3 player. The now famous iPod was a recent addition to the market and it was being pumped up more than the latest ex-Seinfeld (pick any of the three) cast members' new dumb sit-com. I resisted.

I purchased an RCA Lyra 20GB jukebox, and while it was a decent piece of equipment, eventually the headphone jack broke, and the thing is basically, a portable hard-drive now. So the search was on for a new mp3 player. So again I had to decide whether or not to go with the masses.

Since I purchased the Lyra, iPods have become HUGE. I mean every MTV fan has one, where they listen to their bubble gum packaged music. Even formerly respectable artists like U2 have been involved in marketing these devices. The iPod's real target market seems to be the hip-hop crowd as can be easily discerned from their advertising. This is not the kind of product I am drawn to. However, after doing some research, I determined that it might be the best product for my "needs".

Last week, I purchased the 60GB iPod. First impressions are that the masses may have got this one right. I will keep you posted.

You Gotta Run for the Border

Well, it has happened. I am hooked on Taco Bell, yet again. It is amazing how the addiction comes and goes.

One day, a co-worker suggested we go to the Bell. I did not know it at the time, but he was in the beginning stages of his addiction. We dragged another guy who had been out for 6 years, but he is now a regular too.

Once a week, without fail, we have "Run for the Border".

Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Crunchwrap, and Baja Blast all are on my current list. I just went yestersay and want to go again today. I don't get it. I may even get a Meximelt!

I think I need to start a support group for addicted Taco Bell eaters.

MPAA - A Bunch of Bubble Gummers

OK - just a quick thought. I was watching a couple of scenes from Pulp Fiction this weekend. Can someone explain to me why Eric Stoltz was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film.

Every single line the guy delivers in this movie is brilliant. Every line.

The Silence of the Fern

I have been trying to put together my thoughts on this Iron Maiden vs. Sharon Osbourne situation for a few days now. Click here to read the whole story.

It is strange, but it is one of those stories I can't get away from. I always want more information like who eggsactly was responsible, who refused to participate, etc.

In any case, I wanted to write an opinion piece on it, but for some reason, cogent thought is not available to me right now.

Anyway, perhaps in a day or so, I will be able to write an intelligent piece, but for now, let's all eat a hot dog.

10 Things You Don't About Metal....But Should

1. Iced Earth lost it, we all know that. But it wasn't Barlow leaving that killed them because Horror Show is just that Horror-ble. Anyway Schaeffer ran out of ideas, that is what Iced Earth has done nothing since Alive in Athens.

2. Seasons in the Abyss is Slayer's best album. It's not even close.

3. Clive Burr is the best Iron Maiden drummer. Now you hear all kinds of crap about Nicko's brilliant technique, yadda yadda yadda. Bottom line is, the old material sounds better with Clive. It's faster and crisper, just listen to Beast Over Hammersmith.

4. We all like to laugh at Manowar and their fans, but the truth is The Demon's Whip is one of the best metal songs ever. No metal collection is complete without one Manowar CD.

5. Iron Savior is a great band that makes pure heavy metal. They are way underrated.

6. There are plenty of good American metal bands, and I am not talking about this crap they shove in our face at Ozzfest. Bands like Slough Feg, Magnitude 9 and Nile are all from different sub-genres and are all great, and are all American.

7. Moonsorrow has put out the best album of 2005 so far.

8. Mercyful Fate's Melissa is the first and still the best black metal album ever made. It may not sound like today's Black Metal, but it is old school Black Metal, and beats the snot out of anything coming out of the genre today.

9. Gamma Ray are peaking. I have not heard Majestic yet, but I will go out on a limb and say it is going to be great. That makes 5 consecutive brilliant studio albums for them. Not many bands can match that. They are much better now then Helloween ever was.

10. Dance of Death ownz you.

Top 10 Lines

10. You Like it Sour!

9. How's Your Headache - Gone!

8. Fingers

7. I do that sometimes

6. Murray's ther prettiest one out there

5. Don't call me Howie!

4. How many times?

3. Hot leather dudes walk in the club.

2. Try the FLOUNDER - it's outstanding!

1. What about those expensive shoes that I bought you?

Quote of the Day

Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down. -B. Springsteen

Who's That Bart?!?

Clive Burr’s career (as far as I know)

Before his Maiden days, I think Clive appeared on two Samson singles. Mr. Rock and Roll and Telephone.

His career in Maiden is obviously well documented, as is his unceremonious firing.

From there it is a bit hard to sequence properly, but I’ll give it a shot.

He recorded an album with Trust. It was a self-titled album, and the original release was in French. There was also an English version called Man’s Trap. It is believed that it is Clive on this recording, but he is not credited on the album.

Next was the Gogmagog experiment. Gogmagog was supposed to be a metal super group, but for some reason it fell flat. It was Paul Dianno, Jannick Gers, Pete Willis, Neil Murray and Clive. They recorded a three track single that was pretty good, but that was it.

After that he formed Clive Burr’s Escape with the guys from Praying Mantis. They recorded some demos that were never released until Praying Mantis released the a few years ago as part of the Demorabilia package. The band changed their name to Stratus, and released one album called Throwing Shapes. Stratus and the Escape demos were very Journey like. Not too heavy, kind of commercial. Hearing it today it is very dated 1980’s pop metal. Really not terrible, but not good either. I also believe that Stratus recorded a song for a movie and it was on the soundtrack, but I’ve never heard it. “The Class of Nuke ‘Em High” or some such nonsense.

After Stratus fell apart it gets fuzzy. I think he hooked up with Desperado in the late 1980’s. Their one album, Bloodied But Unbowed was pretty good. Dee Snider and Bernie Torme both sounded good on the album. It had a southern feel to it, but it was heavy enough. I think this band could have developed nicely if the recorded and toured together for a few years, but it was no meant to be I guess.

In 1990, Clive appeared as a session drummer for the band Elixir on their album Lethal Potion. In my opinion this was the highlight of his post Maiden career as this is a good late term NWOBHM album.

Shortly there after he toured with Praying Mantis while their regular drummer was recovering from an injury. Mantis recorded a live album with Clive called Captured Alive in Tokyo City. Not too bad. I really am not a Mantis fan, but I have the single CD, coz Clive is on it.

Then he appeared on an album by True Brits called Ready to Rumble. Clive appears on about half the songs. I really didn’t care for it as it has a glam metal sound to it.

I think that’s it. If my sequence is out of order or I missed anything please let me know.

Blame it on the Truth That Ran Us Down

Bruce Springsteen is an interesting guy. I have to admit I hate his politics. I pretty much hate anyone with extreme politics (except Ann Coulter, for a variety of reasons) especially if they are entertainers. Some blowhard conservative pundit (I don’t remember which one – but it was not Ann) once wrote a book called “Shut Up and Sing”. I agree with that sentiment, especially when it comes to Bruce.

Now unlike many who feel Bruce is too extreme politically, I really have not noticed it that much in his songs. Every now and then he’ll do something ridiculous like “41 Shots”, but that’s OK. Also. I feel that his more recent material is just as good as his old stuff. I am not too crazy about the violin use on The Rising, but it’s tolerable.

So, Bruce has a new album due out this month called Devils and Dust. I really hope this is not an over the top political commentary. Some pundits feel that The Ghost of Tom Joad was that. I do not agree, I think TGoTJ is a really good album, a lot like Nebraska. Granted, there is an underlying sense of dissatisfaction, but the songs are based on the characters in the songs, and not on the politics of the day. As long as Bruce continues to write about people and their demons and problems he’s OK in my book.

I recently put together a Springsteen mix CD. I think this illustrates his great career quite well.

My Love Will Not Let You Down
Night
Downbound Train
Trapped (Live)
4th of July, Asbury Park (Live)
Candy’s Room
Tougher Than the Rest (Live)
Lost in the Flood
Open All Night
Youngstown
Further on Up the Road
Backstreets
Tunnel of Love
Wreck on the Highway
Land of Hope and Dreams (Live)
My Beautiful Reward

Ozzfest 2005 - The Clash of...Cultures?

So, it’s been official for about a week or so now. Iron Maiden is playing Ozzfest. The press says co-headlining. Fist of all, co-headlining is a bunch of crap. Either you play last, or you don’t play last. Kind of like what Eddie Murphy said about men being bi-sexual – there is no such thing – either you…but I digress.

When I first heard this news I was pretty psyched. Ozzfest could be a great time, but the more I think about it, the more I think this is not such a great idea. Some of the problems with Maiden playing Ozzfest are obvious. First, it looks like some of the other acts are pretty crappy (the usual American nu-metal/industrial/trash crap that has been churned out for the last couple of years) and the other decent acts (Arch Enemy and In Flames) are on the second stage and will probably go on 5 hours before Maiden. Second, Black Sabbath headlining is a joke. I mean how much longer can these guys go out and look ridiculous. Sharon Osbourne pushes those old gleeps on stage to make fools of themselves and she cashes in. I really hope Steve Harris and Rod Smallwood know when to pull the pin on Maiden. Based on what I have seen recently, they are still going strong, as Dance of Death was a brilliant album and the concert from that tour was one of the best Maiden shows I have ever attended, and I have seen them every tour since The Beast on the Road in 1982.

The more subtle problem with Maiden playing Ozzfest is the clash of cultures. This does not apply to the casual Iron Maiden fan, the one who will list Maiden among his favorite metal bands, but really doesn’t get it. The clash will be between the younger nu-metal/industrial fans and the hard-core Maiden fans. The hard-core Maiden fans are a different breed. To be quite honest, we can be best described as snobs.

We expect a high standard in terms of music and performance. We are intelligent, so we don’t care for songs with lyrics about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. We want epics. We want history, books and movies. Furthermore, we look down upon those that do not live up to that standard. The hardcore Maiden fan will laugh at the Black Sabbath show with its ridiculous audio track in the background. We will notice the chords behind Iommi’s solos even though he is the only guitarist on stage. We scoff at moshers and silly tattoos and piercings. We ridicule everything Ozzfest represents in terms of MTV and the media. We are intolerant of metal bands that do not conform to the standards of quality and integrity that Maiden have set.

I don’t think these differences will result in fisticuffs. In addition to all those things I listed above, we believe that any miscreant that would participate in a fight probably has a knife, so we would most likely back down from a fight, but be able to insult the snot faced youth with out him understanding it anyway.

People Will Come, Ray

I have been thinking about my top 10 non-comedy movies of all time. I don't know if Field of Dreams will be on the list, but this speech by James Earl Jones would easily be in top ten scenes or moments. Here it is for your reading pleasure.

Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn into the driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. "Of course we won't mind if you have a look around," you'll say. "It's only twenty dollars per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack.

And they'll like walk out to the bleachers, sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they had dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come, Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers; it has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.

Gambling is Illegal at Bushwood Sir, and I Never Slice

So I decided to do a Top 10 movies list, but while compiling the list, I could not compare comedies to drama/action movies, so I will do two lists. The first list will be the Top 10 Comedies of all time. As I was doing the list I noticed that there were no old movies on the list. That is probably because old comedies are not really funny anymore. They are saccharin sweet, and they all star Bing Crosby, who beat the tar out of his wife anyway – so, what is so funny about that?

Anyway Number 10…

10. American Pie – I never saw the sequels, but this movie was great. Actually some of story lines were pretty annoying, but Jason Biggs was great. Eugene Levy was hilarious as Jim’s dad too.

9. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – It is hard to believe that a movie made while I was in college can be dated, but this is a little stale 17 years after its making. However, it was great at the time and is still funny. Besides, the two Iron Maiden references cement it as an all time favorite in my book.

8. Mallrats – Some really funny stuff here. Jeremy London may be the biggest weenie of all time, but Jason Lee as Brodie was one of the funnies characters of all time in any movie. The stink-palm, the dirt-mall, etc. are timeless. Plus Jay and Silent Bob are great too. If not for London’s total lack of charisma, this movie may have ranked much higher.

7. Easy Money – Rodney. ‘Nuff said.

6. Major League – At first I was uncertain as to the ranking for this movie. I think the sequels kind of diluted the original. The Tom Berringer – Renee Russo story line was a bit weak, but Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes more than make up for it, especially Sheen. Good stuff.

5. Dogma – A true all-star cast make this movie great. As much as I hate Benifer and Damon, they were both great here. Add Chris Rock, Jason Lee, George Carlin, Jay and Silent Bob and you have one of the funniest movies of all time.

4. The Blues Brothers – It may be cliché to pick this, but if you watch it again it is really great. John Belushi’s best performance of his career and the limited skills of Dan Akroyd are used perfectly as Belushi’s straight man. So many great lines here. John Candy’s small role was brilliant (3 Orange Whips). I can’t say enough about this movie – really funny stuff.

3. The Breakfast Club – All 80’s and stuff, I know, but really a very funny movie. Judd Nelson puts on the performance of his career, and Emilio is really funny too. Paul Gleason was also fantastic as Vernon. “I expected more from a varsity letterman”.

2. The ‘Burbs – That’s right The ‘Burbs. I mean if this is not the funniest movie of all time I don’t know what is (actually Number 1 on the list is the funniest). Tom Hanks puts on the best performance of his career. That’s right Gump’s a chump compared to Ray Peterson. Rick Ducommun is a stooge, no doubt, but he is funny here. Plus Corey Feldman is in this movie.

1. Caddyshack – An easy choice. Maybe overrated according to some, but not me. Rodney, Ted Knight, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase are all great here. Why Ted Knight was not in more movies, I’ll never know. He was brilliant and hilarious. Dangerfield steals the show no doubt about it, but he and Knight together make for some of the funniest scenes in history.

If Ann Coulter had Al Franken's Baby, It Might Be Smart

I recently signed up on the NJ Bloggers site, mostly thanks to the link on CRAIG’s page. This blog may be a bit off my usual blogging style, but I feel I have to vent a little. I have decided that I hate political activism and extremism. I also hate political blogs. I browsed some of the NJ blogs and found them so whiny and boring.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa – Bush won. Get over it.

The thing that cracks me us so much about this stuff is that these people really think John Kerry would have made a big difference. Kerry is a stooge too. Albeit, he is a different kind of stooge, but he is a stooge nevertheless. I understand there are flaws to Bush’s doctrine and that perhaps the war was not necessary. On the other hand, I don’t think that Sadaam being out of power is bad for anyone either.

The bottom line is, the truth does not lie with Michael Moore or Al Franken, and the truth does not lie in the head of Ann Coulter (though I do appreciate her wit) or Rush Limbaugh. As with everything, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and the situation in the Middle East is bad, and it always has been bad, and it will be bad in the foreseeable future. It drives me crazy that these people are so sure they are right when they have so little of the real information. They see such a small piece of the puzzle and think they have it all figured out.

The crisis in the Middle East can be blamed on many things and not just W. Sure I think W is inarticulate, and stubborn, and I am troubled by the fact that he believes he is speaking with God. However, I do not believe he is evil or has some ulterior motive to inflate the pockets of Dick Cheney at the expense of soldiers’ lives. Maybe I am naïve.

I think it boils down to the fact that people are stupid, shortsighted, and can never see the other side of an argument. The refuse to consider the possibility that they are wrong, or have a distorted view of the facts.

To put it anecdotally, I remember I was camping with my two brothers in law last fall. It was a clear night and we were looking at the stars commenting on how far away they are. One of the guys said, how do they know that, I mean how can they tell that a star is 10 light years away or twenty. He claimed he was reasonably intelligent, yet could not comprehend stellar distances. The other brother-in-law then said something that has resonated with me ever since then. He said:

“There are so many people out there so much smarter than you, don’t even try to understand.”

So to all the bloggers, both left wing and right, I say - “There are so many people out there, so much smarter than you.”

I Am Staking My Claim

So, the Delta Pavonis idea was growing wings. A friend of mine who read the blog suggested we collaborate on the story. At first I thought it was a silly idea, but after brainstorming a couple of times, we started to come up with something unique and creative.

The premise would be that a civilization from the Delta Pavonis system is dying because their sun is evolving off the main sequence. Our basic idea was that the Delta Pavonis system is similar to the Solar System in that the inner planets are rocky. The premise was that their “Earth” had become unstable due to the evolution of Delta Pavonis. As a result, this civilization had terraformed their fourth planet, which coincidently would be similar to our Mars.

Some centuries later, their Mars would also become uninhabitable due to the further evolution of Delta Pavonis, and they would need to find a new star system in which to live. Since Delta Pavonis is within 20 light years of the Sun, it is reasonable to assume that the Solar System could be their system of choice, since many of the other systems within 20 light years of Delta Pavonis are in some way flawed (some of this we know, some would be speculation).

Now, here is where some further speculation of advanced technology comes in. We assume that through a more powerful type of telescope, this civilization is able to determine that Earth is inhabited, but that Mars is available and can be terraformed. So they send out ships at a speed faster than our technology is capable of producing (but slower than light because I would like some credibility to the premise) and start to terraform Mars.

The above is all pretty much background, as the story would begin with our scientists detecting changes to the Martian landscape and atmosphere, and then discovering the aliens. From here the story would develop. We had not decided on how to structure a meeting between us and our new neighbors, or what the aliens would look like, but those details would eventually have been written by my co-author. By the way – if you want to take a stab at it from here go ahead.

Now my concern is this. The stupid Spielberg Cruise movie involving Mars has pissed me off a bit. I am really afraid that they will incorporate some of our idea of a civilization for another system living on Mars when they attack. So, I am putting my cards on the table now to prove to all 4 of you that this was my idea first. If the dumb movie actually has the dumb premise that the invaders are indigenous life forms of Mars, then perhaps we will write the story, but until then I am not going to waste my time.

Also, I am not a writer.

The Good, The Bad, and The Stupid

I finally saw Kill Bill this weekend. What took me so long? This was probably the best movie I have seen since Pulp Fiction. I am upset that I did not see it in the theater. Quentin Tarantino may be the best director of all time. I can’t tell you how many times I was amazed at the camera angles and other aspects of this movie. The fight scene in the snow between Lucy Liu and Uma was fantastic, as was every other scene in this brilliant movie. Tarantino is way underrated, and it’s pretty obvious to me that the reason he isn’t more commercially successful is that most people are too stupid to appreciate his brilliance.

Speaking of stupid. Hollywood stooges Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg are re-making War of the Worlds. Are we to believe that invaders from Mars are coming to fight us? What is this, Attack of the Microbes? Can we really accept a movie in this day and age that has invaders from Mars? Can they really not change this foolish premise? I know it is fiction, but really doesn’t the story need a shred of credibility? I am curious to see how this develops and how this stupid movie will be any different than Independence Day, which was stupid enough.

I Am Not A Writer

I am not a writer. Some of my friends are writers. You know who you are. I think I do not have the patience to be a writer. Loyal readers will recall my desire to write an alternate history story or timeline based upon the Reagan assassination attempt in 1981. That could have been interesting, but would have required reading and research far above the amount of time that I had. Also, I am not a writer.

I have another idea for a story. Again, it would probably require research and further reading, but alas, I do not have the time. Besides, I am not a writer.

The idea is based upon my recent interest in the stars in our local stellar neighborhood (within 10 parsecs or so). One of these stars is Delta Pavonis. Delta Pavonis is very similar to our own sun in terms of size, mass, luminosity, etc. Also, it is reasonably close (about 20ly or a bit more than 6 parsecs). The main difference is that it seems clear to scientist that Delta Pavonis is a dieing star. This also means it is substantially older than our sun, and if it has intelligent life, chances are it is more advanced than our own society.

So, the premise is that the inhabitants of this Delta Pavonis system are aware of their dieing sun and set out to new systems in hope of finding an uninhabited world in which to live.

I would use the premise that they built a large craft that could travel about 30 percent of the speed of light, and left their star 60 years ago and are arriving today.

I think this could be a realistic and interesting story, but like I said….

I am not a writer.

Star Power

I have been reading a bit about nearby stars lately. I am not referring to Joe Pesci or Bruce Springsteen, but 40 Eridani A and Tau Ceti. I am not sure why this fascinates me. These stars and any matter surrounding them are clearly too far to visit. I firmly believe in the theory that travel even close to the speed of light is impossible, so interstellar travel for humans is not an option.

In any case, the existence of these places fascinates me. A few years ago I read A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. While some of the science in the book is probably out dated now, it is still a fascinating read, and recommended to anyone with half a brain and an interest in the origins and destiny of the universe.

OK – so what is the point? I really can’t say. I know that I love knowledge. I want to know as much stuff as I can (kind of like Travolta in that movie Phenomenon). So, the cosmos fascinates me, because there is so much to know. I think this fascination plays into the “Star Trek” TV show. I am curious as to whether or not the writers have considered where certain places are in the galaxy, other than Vulcan.

So – what’s the point? I still can’t say. One additional observation is that it sucks that the night sky is invisible to us in the NY metro area. It would be nice to look at the sky and tell my kids the names and locations of the stars, but since the starts are invisible to us, that is impossible.

Finally, I wish to add that I really do not know what I plan to do with this knowledge of the stars in our galactic neighborhood. It is funny that with the exception of Sirius, the close stars are all relatively small and hard to find, whilst the easy stars to find (i.e. Betelgeuse, Rigel and the other stars in Orion are quite distant. Another interesting point is that it seems many of the G-class stars (those similar to the Sun) are only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Weird.

The Top 124

I have decided to rank the Iron Maiden songs in order of worst to best. The list is below:


124. Wasting Love
123. Dream Of Mirrors
122. Lightning Strikes Twice
121. The Fugitive
120. Mother Russia
119. Childhood's End
118. Remember Tomorrow
117. The Apparition
116. The Angel and the Gambler
115. Quest For Fire
114. The Prophecy
113. No Prayer For The Dying
112. Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger
111. Sun And Steel
110. When Two Worlds Collide
109. Weekend Warrior
108. Bring Your Daughter .... To The Slaughter
107. From Here To Eternity
106. The Aftermath
105. Flash Of The Blade
104. The Assassin
103. Twilight Zone
102. 2 A.M.
101. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
100. Fortunes Of War
99. The Unbeliever
98. The Mercenary
97. Public Enema Number One
96. Iron Maiden
95. Be Quick Or Be Dead
94. Look For The Truth
93. Hooks In You
92. Judgement Of Heaven
91. Running Free
90. Fates Warning
89. Blood Brothers
88. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
87. Man On The Edge
86. Tailgunner
85. Lord Of The Flies
84. Blood On The World's Hands
83. The Fallen Angel
82. Only The Good Die Young
81. Gates Of Tomorrow
80. Out Of The Silent Planet
79. The Edge Of Darkness
78. Fear Is The Key
77. Ghost Of The Navigator
76. The Nomad
75. 2 Minutes To Midnight
74. Run Silent Run Deep
73. Losfer Words
72. Deja Vu
71. Gangland
70. Futureal
69. Age Of Innocence
68. Flight of Icarus
67. Sea Of Madness
66. Alexander The Great
65. Can I Play With Madness
64. Brave New World
63. Como Estais Amigos
62. The Ides Of March
61. Revelations
60. The Trooper
59. Innocent Exile
58. Holy Smoke
57. Another Life
56. Transylvania
55. The Duellists
54. Moonchild
53. Wrathchild
52. Charlotte The Harlot
51. Ghengis Khan
50. Sign Of The Cross
49. Montesgur
48. Children Of The Damned
47. Prodigal Son
46. Wildest Dreams
45. Run To The Hills
44. Heaven Can Wait
43. The Clairvoyant
42. Strange World
41. New Frontier
40. Invaders
39. No More Lies
38. To Tame A Land
37. Purgatory
36. Caught Somewhere In Time
35. Chains of Misery
34. Back In The Village
33. The Educated Fool
32. In finite Dreams
31. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
30. Dance Of Death
29. The Evil That Men Do
28. Where Eagles Dare
27. Total Eclipse
26. Die With Your Boots On
25. Aces High
24. Wasted Years
23. Prowler
22. The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
21. The Wicker Man
20. Still Life
19. The Clansman
18. The Thin Line Between Love & Hate
17. Rainmaker
16. Sanctuary
15. Stranger In A Strange Land
14. Killers
13. Judas Be My Guide
12. Murders In The Rue Morgue
11. Hallowed Be Thy Name
10. 22 Acacia Avenue
9. Phantom Of The Opera
8. Face In The Sand
7. Powerslave
6. Fear Of The Dark
5. Journeyman
4. Drifter
3. The Number Of The Beast
2. Paschendale
1. The Prisoner

The Top 10 Albums of the Year - 2002

As I stated in an earlier blog, it is impossible to properly review a CD after one listen or two. Good music takes a while to appreciate and understand. It is impossible to tell after only a short time. Sure you can tell if it is garbage or not, but true greatness takes a while to recognize. With that, and with it being a new year, and with CRAIG’s last blog about 1970 movies, I thought it would be appropriate to give my top 10 albums of the year.

For 2002.

10. DoomSword – Resound the Horn. These Italian kings of Viking Metal are so cool. I mean when you think of Italian metal, you think of wussy Power Metal like Rhapsody. These guys are all about Vikings and epic battles and stuff like that. Their music is usually slow paced, but heavy, and never dull. With a lead singer like Deathmaster, you can’t go wrong.

9. Running Wild – The Brotherhood. We go from Vikings to Pirates. Running Wild has carved out a niche as the only band to write about all things Pirate. While Running Wild has better albums than this, it is good enough to crack the top ten in a relatively weak year. Also, it marks and improvement for the band since their last album Victory; which was somewhat weak.

8. Hammerfall – Crimson Thunder. Another album from Hammerfall in the same vein as the first three. A little more grown up and raw with more power than Renegade. While I am not crazy about the two cover songs, as a whole they work with the rest of the album. I certainly wouldn’t call this a classic, but Hammerfall is not about classics, they are about good Power Metal and they do it relatively well.

7. Eidolon – Coma Nation. From the metal hot bed of Canada comes Eidolon. This is an interesting band. Not Thrash because they are too melodic, not Power Metal either, but I don’t need no stinkin’ genre to describe them, they rock!! The album is very heavy, very intense, and very enjoyable to listen to. The last track (Within the Gates) is probably the best epic song of the year.

6. Rush – Vapor Trails. Speaking of Canada…Rush returns in 2002 with Vapor Trails. Certainly not their best work, but there are enough bright spots here (Earthshine, Peaceable Kingdom, etc.) to put this album up with the year’s best.

5. Halford – Crucible. The hot leather dude himself returns with his second solo album. Not quite as good as his first, but more consistent. Maybe not as traditional or “Priestish” as Resurrection, but still a real solid effort for the self proclaimed Metal God.

At this point, I would like to pause. The reason is this; the six albums above are all very good. However, none I would consider outstanding or classic. The next four are clearly a step above. So much so, that they really belong on another list. So, I will pause.

Pause complete.

4. Sentenced – The Cold White Light. This is the album Metallica should have made after Load. I must admit, Sentenced comes dangerously close to sounding too much like Metallica on this record. However, the songs, production, and general vibe of this album are so great, that I can overlook a little lack of originality in some aspects of the songs. Sentenced writes depressing lyrics and themes in the most upbeat and catchy songs I have ever heard. The album is schizophrenic, but it really is great.

3. Agalloch – The Mantle. Agalloch is tough to describe. I have heard them described as avant-garde progressive folk death metal. Well, I don’t know if that is right, but I do know this album is a really enjoyable listen. Very dark and atmospheric, and perfect for a long car ride in the rain. A truly unique and excellent band.

2. Iron Savior – Condition Red. In my review for Hammerfall, I said that they do Power Metal relatively well. These guys do it better, if not best. This is the first Iron Savior album without Kai Hansen, and unbelievably, they don’t miss him. This is the best Iron Savior album to date, and the other three are really good, too, but this one is at the next level. I love the opening, no sappy intros here, just bang!

1. Opeth – Deliverance. That’s right Opeth. Call me a fanboi if you want to, but this album is brilliant. Yeah, it’s not quite as good as Blackwater Park, but it is close. Their use of fast and slow tempos, death growls and clean vocals, and other contrasts are well done. Some of the criticism of Opeth is that the songs are drawn out, and I can see that to a limited extent, really I find no useless filler here. Maybe a bit of self-indulgence, but these guys have earned it.

So that’s it. Stay tuned for my 2003 list, coming in early 2006!!