Live Albums & Disappointments

Another thought in using this blog as a retrospective on metal was to name my favorite live album and biggest disappointment of the year.

For 1980, there really can be no biggest disappointment.  I mean, what can the expectations have been?  Probably half the albums in a top 20 will be debut albums, and the rest are pretty solid.  I can't think of any band that put out an album in 1980 that was worse that their late 70's work.  Maybe UFO, but after losing Michael Schenker, were there really high expectations?

For live albums, I really only see three choices for 1980 - so more discussion on that later.

1980 - Little Variety

I have been listening to a lot of 1980 music lately, and also searching the web for 1980 lists.  There are several top 10 lists for 1980 metal music.  Back in those days, there just was not much choice.  Almost every top ten list looks the same.  They all have the same top 8, but in different order.  Inevitably, you'll find Ozzy, Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, Motorhead, Leppard, Diamond Head* and AC/DC.  Most lists also have Angel Witch and a Saxon album (or two), but for the most part their top 8 look like those household names you see above.

By no means is this the fault of the authors.  I have scoured YouTube and other corners of the web for 1980 albums that are rare and on the border of metal (Gillan, Krokus, MSG, etc.) that stand up to these, and while I have found some interesting things, the aforementioned groups put out the best stuff of that year (mostly).

I will be doing a top 15 or 20 list in a few days, but don't look here for anything really different.  Bands like Fist (the one from Canada), Viva and Sorcery are only footnotes in the history of metal for a good reason. 

*I am convinced that Diamond Head is seen as the lost NWOBHM gem solely because of their influence on Metallica, and therefore it is uncool** not to have Lightning to the Nations in your top 10.

** It may actually be in mine too - but for the right reasons.....

Where to Start?

In restarting the history of metal blogs, I decided to start with 1980.  While that seems somewhat random, it was well thought out.  There are several reasons for this demarcation.

First and foremost is the NWOBHM.  Although a few acts (Saxon, Samson, Quartz, etc.) had earlier releases, several major bands had debuts this year - Iron Maiden, Fist, Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Tygers of Pan Tang to name a couple.

Also, I have found that the line between hard rock and metal gets fuzzier the further you go back.  So, in 1980, I am considering things like Rush, Michael Schenker and AC/DC in the same category as Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Judas Priest.  As time passed, the lines between rock and metal became more defined as the music became more extreme.  If you go further back than 1980, the line becomes even more blurred and you start considering Aerosmith and ZZ Top.

Finally, 1980 is a nice round number, and a seemingly good place to start.

So, for the last week or so, I have been listening to nothing but 1980 albums (except for the new Subterranean Masquerade album, brilliant by the way). I have been surprised by some of the things I have been hearing, mostly The Rods and Angel Witch are not as horrible as I remember them.

I know Led Zeppelin, and you sir, are no Led Zeppelin

I don’t like Def Leppard.  I mean some of their music is OK, but I don’t like their attitude.  Let me explain.

 

First, let’s agree on the facts.  They released two pseudo-metal albums during the heyday of the NWOBHM (which they completely scorn – more on that later).  Next, was a half metal/half glam effort in 1983, which was very well received from a commercial view.  Their mega-blockbuster in 1987 was pure glam/hair metal.  They had another album in 1990 that did OK, but after that they released one commercial dud after another (I think there were six, but I could have missed one).  

 

So here is a band that shuns their metal roots because they want to be more mainstream than a metal band. For a few years they certainly accomplished this, but those days are long gone.  Joe Elliott always considered his band more like a Led Zeppelin or Rolling Stones, but history will remember Leppard more with Whitesnake and Poison.  So is being a has-been hair metal band better that being considered part of the NWOBHM?

 

Let’s dismiss Elliott’s premise that Leppard is comparable to Zeppelin, The Who, the Stones, etc.  I’ll easily dismiss this with the fact that Def Leppard can’t sell out a shoebox anymore.  If any of those other bands toured, it would be 50,000+ seat stadiums.  Also, none of those bands have ever released commercial duds like Slang or Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.  Even Led Zeppelin’s Presence was a far more successful and lasting effort.

 

Yet despite this failure to capture the hearts, minds and pocketbooks of American music consumers for the last quarter century, Leppard still thinks they are too good for the NWOBHM.  Now like any music movement, the NWOBHM had their share of garbage, but there were a lot of good bands and a couple of legendary bands to rise out of that movement; and, considering Def Leppard’s inability to record anything anyone wants to listen to, I would think they would want to associate themselves with anyone that would have them, including the likes of Saxon and the Tygers of Pan Tang. 

An Apology - Sort of

My last post was critical of a list of someone's top 100 albums of 1984.  While the list in question is certainly flawed and open for criticism and debate, I do not think it was without merit.

So, to reiterate, it was deeply flawed and I think that deliberately placing Dio, Iron Maiden and Metallica in the bottom 10 was begging for trouble.  Also the though of placing a 19 minute EP by Acid 50 places above the aforementioned bands is a complete joke.

However, there were a lot of hidden and forgotten gems on that list. 

Like I said, I probably only heard about half the albums/EP's on that list, and some of them I only heard once or twice.

So the list go me thinking maybe it would be cool to revisit the 1980's again.

So - that is what I am going to do.

Stay tuned for a detailed look back at 1980.

Shit sandwich - 1984 style

So, I was browsing the internet and came upon the Metal Archives message board.  I do not participate in message boards anymore because people are stupid.  To further prove my point, I saw this top metal albums of 1984 list.

http://forcesofsteel.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=1476

Now let me preface my remarks by saying everyone is entitled to their opinion and yadda yadda yadda.  I'm sorry, but this list is a crock of shit.  This guy basically had his legit top 10 or so, put some of the most well known albums at the end of this list, and filled in the middle with crap, hoping that anyone reading his list had never heard of half the crap on there.  Well, it's true for me too. I have only heard about half of the crap in the middle, but I can tell you for sure, most of it is crap. Thus this guy created a true shit sandwich. 

He did include almost every decent album from 1984 (let's face it, there weren't even 100 good metal albums world wide that year).  If you look at his top 17, most of these are legit (I admist I have not heard three of them).  So in that regard it's a good list. I wish he did a top 50 instead and left out the Dio, Maiden and Metallica albums.  That would have given the list more crdibility in my opinion.

Let's look at some of the albums he deemed better than Powerslave, The Last in Line and Ride the Lightning (as you know, I am no Metallica fan, but give credit where credit is due - this is a great album).

• Pantera - Projects in the Jungle.  This record is a joke.  It may not be as bad as Metal Magic, but it is still horrendous (this one was below Metallica)
• TNT - Knights of the New Thunder - not as laughable as the Pantera album, but still lame.
• TKO - In your face.  I heard this one and could not sit through it.
• The Rods - Let Them Eat Metal.  Even Feinstein himself would laugh at this being rated above his far more talented cousin.
• Saracen - Change of Heart.  This is a metal list, right?
• Warning - Metamorphose.  Their first two albums had some credibility, but this is better than Powerslave?
• Acid - Black Car - Really?
• Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling.  I like Savatage, but they were nowhere ready for prime-time at this point in their career.
• Raven - Live at the Inferno - a bad band in the studio - worse live
• Pretty Maids - Red, Hot & Heavy.  This is getting ridiculous.  He had this turd at number 22!!
• Tank - Honour & Blood.  It's albums like this one that killed the NWOBHM.

I wish he did a top 50 instead and left out the Dio, Maiden and Metallica albums. That would have given the list more crdibility in my opinion.  The shit andwich approach is an obvious cry out for debate.  Well, you got it.

A look back at 2002

I seems to have covered 2002 a long time ago on this blog.  In looking at that list, I would say the top 5 or 6 spots are going to remain the same.  Some of the bottom of that top 10 will be replaced for sure.  I think there may even be some entries that crack this top ten that we omitted from my big top 500 that I posted on Rateyourmusic a couple of years ago.

I recently listened to Escape by Ram-Zet and I liked it more than the first time I heard it.  I think it is too long (I really do not care for 60 minute plus albums) and probably could have been trimmed down by ten minutes or so, but it is a very good listen.

So this month I will re-listen to the 30+ albums I have from 2002 and remake my top 10.  I wouldn't expect a change from the top 4 as those are all in my top 50 all-time are are in in constant rotation in my iPod, but there are some gems here that I have overlooked.

A Return

I have decided to return to my long lost home on the web.  Nobody really reads it anymore, but what the heck.

So, stay tuned (lol) for more updates about metal (mostly) and maybe the occasional sports or political post.

Shutting Down

I am closing up shop.  I am still continuing the Top 500 here as well as posting other lists on rateyourmusic.  Soon look for the worst metal albums and the best non hard-rock/metal albums.  Also best live albums, bootlegs, etc.

I may post an occasional observation here and there, but if I have something to say, I'll probably just make a note on facebook or something.

See you round Al Gore's playground friend(s)!!

480 - Immortal - Pyramaze - 2008

So when I heart Matt Barlow joined Pyramaze I thought that was pretty cool and the result would be something special.  Legend of the Bone Carver and Melancholy Beast are really cool albums, so I figured with a better singer, Immortal would be a can't miss great record.

Well, it is a good record, but disappointing for sure.  My real beef here is that the album is a tad boring.  I mean in theory it works, but when I play the album I am just not that impressed.  Maybe I expected Dante's Inferno of something more substantial, but what it is is a collection of solid Power Metal songs, nothing more, nothing less.

481 - Back From the Grave - Grave - 2002

Tr00 Grave fans do not like this record, and I think the Death Metal Establishment (DME?) will tell you their first album is the best; however, I disagree.

For me, this album sounds more musically mature (I hate that word but I think it's the right one) than Grave's earlier works.  It sounds like they cared more for the quality of the music and production here.

This album is just as heavy and any of the previous works, but it is more cohesive.  Hell - it is just better.  Grave would eventually top this record, but in 2002, this was their high water mark, and they were getting better. They were not selling out or going soft as the DME may have you think.

482 - Enigmatic: Calling - Pagan's Mind - 2005

The songs on this record could all be B-sides on Dream Theater's Images and Words.  That's not an insult.  Images and Words is one of the greatest records of all time, so B-side status on that record is pretty damn good.

It is hard to deny the Long Islanders influence on this band, and I don't think they ever did.  That being said, this record is better than anything Dream Theater has done in ages.

As with many progressive metal albums, it is too long and they certainly could have trimmed a fair share of fat away, but all in all, this is a cool album and recommended for fans of the sub genre.

483 - Evil Star - Wolf - 2004

Evil Star is the third record from Swedish traditional metal act Wolf.  There is not much flash here, just solid traditional metal.  The production is slightly fuzzy and it gives the album a nice Mercyful Fate meets Iron Maiden vibe.

Wolf is not a clone band, and they get more points for originality than Primal Fear, but Wolf won't amaze you either.

A solid record from a good band.  Not much else to say.

484 - Nuclear Fire - Primal Fear - 2001

"This guy sounds more like Halford than Halford". This is a great quote and will always stick in my mind. I know I've used it on this blog before, but it is appropriate, and needs to be used again. Primal Fear's lead vocalist Ralf Scheepers should have been Rob Halford's replacement in Priest, rather than Ted McGinley. However, Priest's mistake is a boon for Power Metal fans as Primal Fear have been churning out competent records for over a decade. This is one of their best.

Primal Fear will not win any awards for originality. While this is quite an understatement, it still does not completely detract from the fact that they write cool songs, and execute them perfectly, and with excellent production value. The sound is so crisp and clear, I wish more bands would have this sound.

Stefan Leibing and Henny Wolter play twin leads as well as anyone in the genre, save Smith/Murray and Tipton/Downing. The bass and drums are audible, and while not brilliant, certainly are audible in the mix and add something to the songs. Sure this is formula driven power metal by numbers, but Primal Fear does it well. And on this record, they do it particularly well, and thus Nuclear Fire is number 484.

485 - No Escape - At Vance - 1999

German Power Metallers At Vance are a band that I typically do not care for. While, they are a power metal band, most of their stuff is a bit like Dragonforce, who I have no use for. However, their first album, No Escape is a bit more raw than the rest of their releases and it is more of a straight up power metal record.

Big guitars and strong vocals are the ingredients here, and other than the sappy ballad, this album is solid all the way through. Even the weird Abba cover is not bad. The album is well produced and the sound is great. Really other than this record, there is not much convergence with At Vance and me, but this album is a good piece of power metal, so I like it and it is number 485.

Interlude 2

OK - so a break in the countdown, here's the deal:

When I started this thing, I already had a good list, but I was anxious to start so I figured I would and then just position the albums as I go.

While doing this process, I discovered several albums that I must have thought were good at one point, but in reality, are total crap (i.e. Eternity by Kamelot). So in any case, I have had to re-populate the list and right now, I have a lot of re-positioning to do. That, and with a busy year-end schedule, I am not prepared to continue the list until next week.

One observation is that 2010 and 2011 seem to be the best years in metal in a long time. When I started this project, I had a thought that metal was dying, and this top 500, would be a final, and really not much new material would come out and break the "Point of Entry" to the top 500. Really, how can you blame me given the poor output we saw from 2006 to 2009.

I was wrong.

So, the countdown shall continue. Stay tuned.

486 - Nattfödd - Finntroll - 2004

Finntroll is one of many Finnish Folk Metal bands. They are certainly not nearly as good as Moonsorrow, but they hold their own. Of their 5 or so records, this is the standout.

There is some great instrumentation here, I especially like the elements of folk and black metal. Like I said, there are better Finnish bands, and better albums that combine these elements, but this is a really solid effort and worthy of its position among the best of the Finnish albums of this era and genre.

It is ambient and atmospheric, yet brutal in the right spaces. So, to sum up, this is a really good album. Not perfect, and like many albums in this section of the countdown, the flaws are visible. But it has its merit, and is #486 on the Countdown.

487 - Man's Trap - Trust - 1984

Clive Burr on drums. 'Nuff said.

488 - Diver Down - Van Halen - 1982

I almost left this off the countdown, but when I decided to expand the countdown to 500, that left room for good, but flawed albums, and Diver Down may be the perfect example of a good, but seriously flawed album.

First, it is almost all covers, and second, at barely over 30 minutes, it is really an EP. However, despite these glaring weaknesses, the album is executed brilliantly. Obviously, Eddie's playing is great and the backline is perfunctory at worst. Then there is Dave being Dave, and you have a really good record. Again, cutting away the intros and instumentals , there are 8 songs. One of which is the silly Big Bad Bill.

The remainig 7 songs and covers are all Van Halen at their best. The covers are all very well done, taking older rock songs and putting the Van Halen sound to them. Plus their own Secreets and Little Guitars are terrific rock songs as well.

So, it's not perfect, heck, it's not even a great album, and Van Halen has many better, but Diver Down is a sold record and it is number 488.

489 - Crest of the Martyrs - Twisted Tower Dire - 2003

Good American Power Metal has made a bit of a resurgence in recent years (i.e. White Wizzard), but in 2003 there was not as much, and Virginia's Twisted Tower Dire were one of the better American bands of the genre. I have heard most of the Twisted Tower Dire stuff, and to me this is the best they have to offer.

Like many power metal albums, this does suffer from some inconsistency, but I think this album has a sound that stands out a little bit above the rest. It seems to have some of the ferocity of the American bands that I hate, but in a more melodic and musically sophisticated way. So it combines late era Pantera with a Cryonic Temple vibe and the end result is a not too polished, but a good gritty Power Metal album.

Sure the lyrics are pretty bad (Axes & Honor for example), but I rarely pay attention to lyrics unless they are so stupid that they become unbearable (see the Swedish band Locomotive Breath). The music is what you'll notice and after a couple of listens, many of the hooks will stick with you and you'll keep coming back.

Really, no new ground is broken here, but it doesn't have to. It’s a solid, unapologetic metal album, and it works well for the listener. The singer here, Tony Taylor, was unfortunately killed in a motorcycle accident, and while they peaked years before Taylor's demise, it is apparent this band has now completely lost their way; but in 2003, they peaked and their peak is number 489.