With Iron Will We're Reaching For The Sky

 The Best Of 2017

Muthas, 2017 is history and I am back with my list of the best albums, live albums, and reissues. Enjoy!

Albums

Air Raid – Across The Line

The third full length album from these Swedish bangers is packed with neo-classical shredding and features new vocalist Fredrik Werner.  If you like Yngwie’s Rising Force album then you are going to love this! I cannot spin this enough! Buy or die!

Sorcerer – The Crowning Of The Fire King

Album number two for this epic doom band is a tour de force of classy metal with superb vocals. Please don’t pass on this band especially if you are a fan of Tony Martin era Sabbath. If you find doom boring, check out epic doom which cranks up to mid-pace and crushes skulls.

Ram – Rod

Ram’s new album is excellent traditional metal which recalls Priest. Rod is half stand alone tracks and half concept album and the whole thing rips like Painkiller. Check out “Gulag” and buy the album.  Their back catalog is top notch as well.

Night Demon – Darkness Remains

It’s Night Demon’s second full length and it’s great.  Check out my full review here.

Overkill – The Grinding Wheel

New Jersey’s thrashers blast my face off again.  Can they ever be stopped?!  Check out my full review here.

Striker – Striker

Canada’s Striker is back with another full length album and only a scant year has passed since their last disc! This eponymous album is stuffed with anthemic choruses, gang vocals and high energy songs. Do you need a soundtrack for your next training montage? Do you need some positivity and songs about achieving against all odds? If so, pick this up pronto. If not, pick it up anyway and stop being a loser.

Vulture – The Guillotine

Pure, balls out, German speed metal is the order of the day here. Picking up where their demo EP left off, Vulture shreds all over the place with nary a pause to catch a breath. Good old speed metal that borders on thrash and takes a cue from Show No Mercy. Do you feel the need for speed? If so, this is your shit right here.

Metalian – Midnight Rider

Holy shit this is good! Metalian has been rocking away for years up in Montreal and their newest album got the most spins from me of any 2017 release.  Combine Priest and Maiden and throw in a superb vocalist with ultra-catchy songwriting and you get Midnight Rider.  I love this album so damn much! Hail to you Metalian!

Satan’s Hallow – Satan’s Hallow

Chicago’s own Satan’s Hallow delivers the goods on their full length debut. The band has crafted a rock-solid collection of traditional metal with hooks galore. NWOBHM fans and anyone that likes metal that isn’t pretentious bullshit should pick this up asap. All killer no filler!

Iced Earth – Incorruptible

Iced Earth is on my list? Is it 1997? I had written this band off a decade ago and lost track of them for the most part. I picked this up on a whim and I am glad I did because they have delivered one of their best albums in the last 20 years. John Schaffer has dispensed with the concept album nonsense and has written a great metal album. Vocalist Stu Block has really come into his own on this one and sounds amazing. Check out the majesty of “Clear The Way (December 13th, 1862)” and you’ll understand why this had to make it onto my list.

Jag Panzer – The Deviant Chord

Metal legends Jag Panzer issue their first album since the reunion of their classic lineup and the results are excellent. This is classy power metal that the world needs more of. The Tyrant sounds great and the songs are packed with hooks. Check out “Far Beyond All Fear” if you need a sample. In addition to the great album, Mark Briody was gracious enough to answer my NWOBHM questionnaire.  Thanks Mark and Jag Panzer!



Reissues

Skol Records NWOBHM Single CD Replicas Round 2

Skol Records and Bart Gabriel deliver another great selection of NWOBHM replica CD singles and this time they are focused on Neat Records. Round 2 of the reissues includes classic singles from Jaguar, Crucifixion, White Spirit, Blitzkrieg, Saracen, and Avenger. Definitely pick these up if you can and check out Bart’s answers to my NWOBHM questionnaire right here.

Wolf – Edge Of The World

One of the great NWOBHM albums finally gets a reissue!  Wolf, originally known as Black Axe, released this excellent album in 1984 and High Roller saw fit to reissue it for all of us to enjoy. Check out the classic cut “Red Lights” and then pick this up!

Running Wild – Noise Records Catalog

Finally, the long out of print Running Wild albums from Noise Records get a reissue! These stone cold classics from the German pirate rockers’ catalog is now available for all to enjoy without paying insane prices.  These also feature remastering and a clutch of bonus tracks on CD and the whole catalog is also available on vinyl.




Live Albums

Accept – Restless And Live

After three studio albums with Mark Tornillo, Accept offer up a double live album that captures the band live in Europe in 2015. The album sounds great and it was high time that the band released a live album with this lineup. The new material really shines in a live setting.

Armored Saint – Carpe Noctum

I’m not sure if we can call this their first or second live album, but however you number it the album delivers eight tracks of prime traditional metal.  The whole band is tight and John Bush is in fine voice. The only complaint I have is it’s too short – I’d really like a proper double live album from them.





Disappointment Of The Year

Accept – The Rise Of Chaos

Well, they may have released a great live album this year, but their new studio album is not very good. Just like their previous album – Blind Rage – there’s not enough hooks to keep me interested. I hope that Accept will be able to match the quality of Blood Of The Nations in the future, but I get the sense that they are rushing their songwriting. Come on guys, prove me wrong on the next one.

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That's it muthas! Thanks for reading and I'll see you back here in 2018.

As always, MAKE MINE METAL!

Come Heavy Or Don't Come At All

Overkill - The Grinding Wheel

Nuclear Blast Records - 2017

Muthas, that unstoppable wrecking crew – Overkill – is back with their eighteenth (!) album and it’s an absolute skullcrusher. The Grinding Wheel was originally slated for a November 2016 release, but thankfully it was delayed due to some scheduling issues.  Why thankfully you ask? Well, because it had the potential to be lost in the shuffle during the old school thrash-o-rama of 2016. Overkill didn’t have to compete with Metallica and Testament for the limelight last November. The band has all eyes on them and they deliver the goods and then some.  Did anyone doubt they would?! 

The band possesses a signature sound much in the same way Motorhead did - you know what you are going to get - but they always manage to make it interesting.  Overkill never really succumbed to trends in any sustained way, and because of this tenacity they’ve enjoyed a long career while the vast majority of their peers packed it in decades ago.

 

The Grinding Wheel is a bit different from their last couple of albums in that the songs are longer and feature a good bit of variety.  I wouldn’t say the tracks are progressive, but rather they approach the epic with many tempo changes and vocal nuances.  The opening track “Mean, Green, Killing Machine” ably demonstrates what the album is all about. It sounds like classic Overkill with a couple of tempos and Blitz uses a couple of different vocal styles including some actual singing at the midpoint of the cut. All of this unfolds over seven and a half minutes of excellence.  Check out the lyric video:

“Goddamn Trouble” is one of the best songs on the album and it’s quintessential Overkill - loads of fun, a bit of punk, a bit of thrash and hooks for days. I’m not surprised that it’s already featured in their live set and I would imagine it’s going to stay there for a while. Check out the equally fun video:

“The Long Road” has a great intro that is begging to be played live because of its sing-along woah-oh vocals and blistering riffs.  The lyrics feel autobiographical because they are about never stopping and always moving forward.  Onward and upward indeed!

Another noteworthy cut is “Come Heavy” which is groovy and swaggering with loads of Black Sabbath influence that the band usually features on a couple of tracks per album.  This song will definitely get your head bobbing while you sing along.

The title track closes things out in epic fashion with a mid-paced groove and then finishes off with a another sing-along chant/chorus and then dissolves into a mournful string section.  It almost reminds one of something Iron Maiden would have come up with, believe it or not.

I should also note that the production by Andy Sneap is stellar and the album sounds amazing. If you were looking for some dirty thrash sounds you are out of luck, but if you like razor-sharp, clear production than you will be thrilled.  I hope he’ll be on board for future albums as he really captures the band’s sound well. 

Also the album is wrapped in nice artwork that features a stylized Chaly in between interlocked green gears with sparks flying.  It definitely evokes the sounds contained on the album and it a step up from the usual Overkill artwork which can be uninspired. Well done fellas.

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The Bottom Line: This is a great album and certainly equals their recent classic Ironbound if not some of their 80s albums.  If you are a fan of the band, a thrash fan, or a fan of heavy metal you should enjoy this immensely.  Go buy it and catch them on tour!

As Always, MAKE MINE METAL!

See Me Burning

Death Or Glory:

The Best of 2015

Muthas, 2015 has bit the dust and I’m back with a list of all the best, and some of the worst albums, EPs, concerts, reissues and album covers.  Enjoy!

Thunder & Lightning - The Best Albums of 2015

2015 seemed to be a slower year for releases, but there were several excellent albums that grabbed my attention.  Here’s the best of them:

Black Trip – Shadowline

This is a great sophomore release from these Swedish purveyors of tasty, melodic, heavy 70s style hard rock.  They sure do love Thin Lizzy which makes them all right in my book.  Check out “Berlin Model 32” for a rollicking good time.

Visigoth – The Revenant King

Crushing and bruising their way into my ironclad heart is the debut LP from Salt Lake City’s own Visigoth.  Full review here.

Venom – From The Very Depths

Cronos and crew roar back to life with a solid and unexpectedly good album of signature latter day Venom.  Full review here. 

Raven – ExtermiNation

NWOBHM stalwarts, Raven, have crafted a superb album that easily eclipses their last couple of albums.  The LP is chock full of their “athletic rock” stylings, and harkens back to their first three albums. Check out the excellent “Fight.”

Armored Saint – Win Hands Down

The new album completely wipes the floor with their weak sauce last album and has energy and inspiration to spare.  The fire in the belly is palpable here as these traditional metal stalwarts offer up an album of blistering guitar work and amazing vocals.  At least seven of the cuts are classics and this is definitely their best album since Symbol of Salvation.  Guitars, guitars, guitars everywhere!!!! Check out “An Exercise In Debauchery.” 

Sorcerer – In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross

I can’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Sorcerer, because they had only released two demos and then faded into obscurity over twenty years ago.  They reformed in 2010 and this year they cranked out this spectacular album of epic doom metal.  If you like Tony Martin era Black Sabbath you will love this.  Each track is like a pounding anvil of doom straight to the skull!  Check out “TheDark Tower Of The Sorcerer” for an idea of how good this album is.

Satan – Atom By Atom

Yet another superb album from these NWOBHM merchants.  Check out the full review here.

Saxon – Battering Ram

Cleary, Saxon can do no wrong.  They are rivalled only by Motorhead and Overkill when it comes to only releasing excellent and consistent albums in the last 25 years.  On Battering Ram, the band offers up an album that is full of top-notch power metal sprinkled with rock solid traditional metal.  Damn this is good.  Check out the title track.

Ram – Svbversvm

Whatever Sweden is doing to encourage excellent metal, they are doing it right because Ram has released the best album of their career.  I like their entire discography, but this LP displays loads of Screaming For Vengence era Priest-ish style and very memorable songs.  I can’t recommend this one enough!  Please buy it and support this type of traditional metal.  Check out “Enslaver” and you’ll understand my effusive praise.

Night Demon – Curse Of The Damned

What can I say about Night Demon’s first LP that I haven’t already said in the full review here?  Not much, other than to tell you that it’s easily one of the best traditional metal albums released in the last 25 years.  Buy or die!

Enforcer – From Beyond

Damn Enforcer is good.  They always deliver and this year is no different.  Check out my full review here.

Motorhead – Bad Magic

I am writing this shortly after Lemmy slipped this mortal coil for the great mead hall in the sky and it’s nearly impossible to overstate just how important he was to heavy music of the past 40 years.  He always delivered the goods.  Always.  No faltering.  No trend hopping.  No “return to form” because he never was out of form. No comeback because he never left.  This album is no different.  Sure, he might sound a bit threadbare, but he was 69 when he recorded this and on his last legs.  Guess what?  Bad Magic is better than 99% of the bullshit that most magazines, blogs, writers, journos and other idiots drone on and on about.  Was there ever an album that was as much of a goodbye as this one?  The lyrics are full of farewells and no regrets.  It’s a biography of a life of no bullshit and no compromises.  Check out the lyrics to “Thunder & Lightning” which tell you all you ever need to know about Lemmy and Motorhead:

I always wanted the scream in the night

I always wanted the noise and the light

     Standing on the stage the thrill never fades

     The ultimate rage, raving and fighting

     Maybe you’ll shake, maybe you’ll break

     You’ll never escape, thunder and lightning

One Short Life – The Best EPs of 2015

Orchid – Sign Of The Witch

Surprise! Orchid’s back with another great EP. Of course they are.  Check out the full review here.

Denner / Shermann - Satan's Tomb

This is a killer little EP that features the always amazing Michael Denner and Hank Shermann ripping it up with solos and riffs galore.  On top of that, the EP features the stellar vocals of Sean Peck who also fronts Cage and Death Dealer.  This blows Force of Evil out of the water and it's very good, old school power metal.  A full length LP is supposed to follow in 2016.  Check out “Satan’s Tomb.”

No Sleep At All – The Best Live Album of 2015

Enforcer – Live By Fire

Not content with having one of the best studio albums of the year, Enforcer have released the best live album of the year – Live By Fire.  If you haven’t heard anything from the band this is as good as any place to start because this is a virtual greatest hits set.  The band sounds great as they blast through sixteen tracks live from the Kytarro Clue in Athens, Greece.  The CD version of the album also include a cracking DVD featuring nine songs live from Japan.  Finally, all versions of the release have a bonus 3 track EP – Speak The Tongue Of Heathen Gods – included to further add more bang for the buck for the fan.  Check out the ripping “Scream Of The Savage.”

Dancing On Your Grave - The Best Reissues of 2015

Wargasm – Why Play Around?

Finally an official reissue of the debut from Boston’s Wargasm!  This album has been bootlegged for years, and now we get a real reissue with great sound and nice packaging.  If you are a fan of Motorhead and especially Tank this will be right down your alley.  This is a definite must buy!  Check out their classic “Revenge.”

Shok Paris – Steel And Starlight (The Auburn Sessions)

Hello Cleveland!  Auburn Records has thankfully released their version of this 1987 USPM classic!  This reissue features a completely different mix from the I.R.S. Records release, the original running order and a host of bonus tracks. The band sounds great on this and Vic Hix’s vocals are stellar as always.  His soulful, passionate tone added so much to Shok Paris and set them apart from their contemporaries.  Check out their all time great cut “Tokye Rose.”

I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care) – The Biggest Disappointments of 2015

The Sword – High Country

I love The Sword and I was looking forward to their new album.  Unfortunately, High Country sounds like an album by a band that's rushed and confused. They can’t seem decide what they want do or sound like, and as a result the album never really gels. Also fifteen tracks is about five too many and the album needs some judicious trimming.  Nothing stuck with me after repeated listens and quickly faded from my playlists.  Oh well, maybe the next release will be more focused.

Panzer – Send Them All To Hell

Who didn’t think a band featuring Schmier from Destruction and Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann of Accept wouldn’t be great?  Well, it wasn’t.  The album did absolutely nothing for me and is lacking any real hooks.  It also got lost in the early January release shuffle here in the United States.  Maybe things will get better on the next LP.  

We’re Artists! We’re Sensitive As Shit! – The Best Album Cover of 2015

Panzer’s album may have been a pile of meh, but their album cover is kick ass!  A giant panzer!  Flamethrowers!  Fire! Skulls!  Apocalyptic visions!  Count me in with those visuals. Well done Gyula Havancsak.  Your artwork is everything a heavy metal cover should be.  Hail and Kill!

Stone Deaf In The USA – The Best Concerts of 2015

Night Demon – June 6^th, Gooski’s, Pittsburgh PA

Night Demon killed it in a tiny Pittsburgh club for a small group of hardcore fans. Check out the full review and setlist here.

Overkill – September 21^st, Altar Bar, Pittsburgh PA

I hadn’t seen Overkill since the Relixiv tour back in 2005, and thankfully they hadn’t missed a step in the intervening decade.  They were a well-oiled machine and played an excellent set of classics and newer material that had the pit going all night.  I was nursing a cold, but even I was singing along at the top of my lungs.  I hope to see them again in the near future!

Saxon/Armored Saint – September 17^th, Altar Bar, Pittsburgh PA

Saxon hadn’t played Pittsburgh since 1983 and Armored Saint had never played Pittsburgh so this was destined to be a special night.  The Altar Bar was completely full and the crowd was electric.  This might have been the most enthusiastic crowd I have ever been in.  Armored Saint seemed stunned by the thunderous response they received from the crowd and they were in fine form.  I hope they come back to the Steel City soon.  I haven’t seen Saxon since 1998(!) and they were amazing.  The crowd was euphoric and sang along to every song.  The band even took requests because they had been absent from Pittsburgh for so long.  God damn it was great.  It’s nights like these that remind me why I put up with all the bullshit of going to a live show.  There’s nothing better than being in a crowd that’s completely at one with a band’s performance – totally chill inducing.

Y&T – May 5^th, Altar Bar, Pittsburgh PA

Finally!  Y&T is one of my all-time favorite bands and I own their entire discography, but I had never managed to see them.  Thankfully, I have now and they more than delivered.  Dave Meniketti still sounds great and his playing is superb.  The band was in great form and they had a great rapport with the audience.  Thanks for the great show and I hope to see you again!

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That's it muthas!  Thanks for reading and I'll see you all right back here in 2016.

As always, MAKE MINE METAL!

Down To The Bone

Overkill – White Devil Armory

EOne – 2014

Muthas, guess who’s back with another excellent thrash album?  Megadeth? Metallica? Anthrax?  Of course not. It’s Overkill!  At this point, one begins to wonder where the Overkill tribute albums and documentaries are because this band is so damn reliable.  They never falter and are consistently excellent while their peers wallow is various failed experiments with “mature song writing” or some other bullshit.  How the hell do they keep doing this and why aren't they lauded?  I have no idea but this album will only further burnish their sterling reputation.

White Devil Armory is another disc packed with stone cold classic songs.  Is it better than The Electric Age or Ironbound?  Maybe, but it’s at the very least as good as those modern classics.  You headbangers will delight in smashing tracks like “Down To the Bone,” “Bitter Pill,” “Where There’s Smoke,” and “Freedom Rings.” The pit will really get moving to the crushing “Pig.” Check out the video for "Bitter Pill" below:

There’s a limited edition digipak that contains two bonus tracks – “The Fight Song” and “Miss Misery.”  The first track recalls the song “Old School” from Relixiv and would be a great sing-along cut for live shows.  “Miss Misery” is a Nazereth cover and it features a vocal duet with Mark Tornillo of Accept!  It’s another great song by a band that always delivers the goods when it comes to cover tunes.

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The Bottom Line:

Frankly, reviewing Overkill albums is a bit boring because it’s difficult to keep coming up with reviews that don’t all sound the same.  The album is great, just like the rest of their catalog.  Go out and get the limited edition and go see them live.  This is definitely a band that we should all be supporting.  They are Metal down to the bone!

As always, MAKE MINE METAL! 

The Dirty Dozen

The Top 12 Metal Albums of 2012

 (and some other stuff)

Muthas, 2012 was a great year in Metal, and we here at The Metal Blog Of Metal have picked the twelve best albums of the year.  We have also picked the best reissues of the year, the best concert of the year, the best live albums of the year, and the worst releases of the year.  Read on!

The Twelve Best Albums of 2012

2012 proved to be a very good year for Metal and we got great releases from across the various genres.  We won’t number these this year, but encourage you to check out all the skullcrushers below.  These twelve dominated the turntables, CD players and MP3 players at The Metal Blog Of Metal. 

The Sword -  Apocryphon (Razor & Tie)

Back with more 70s influenced awesomeness, The Sword cranked out the excellent Apocryphon.  It’s another superb entry into their growing discography and features the band really exploring the power of the mid-paced song.  Every track is superb and we have listened to this album countless times.  Get it.

Gypsyhawk – Revelry & Resilience (Metal Blade)

Another band that channels all that was great about 70s Metal, Gypsyhawk kills it Thin Lizzy style with this awesome disc.  Check out the snaking and twisting guitar melodies, as well as the sweet fantasy based lyrics.  These guys are doing it right.

Orchid – Heretic (Nuclear Blast)

This band can do no wrong.  Period.  Sure, it’s only a 4 song EP, but damn, do they know how to craft witchy, hooky and crushing Doom Metal.  We love this band and eagerly await their next LP.

 

Testament – Dark Roots of Earth (Nuclear Blast)

Thrash legends Testament really know how to write wicked good songs that are both melodic and heavy as hell.  There’s a reason why they were able to soldier on when so many other lesser Thrash bands shit the bed in the 90s.  Dark Roots of Earth is an excellent platter that surpasses their previous album and is a fine addition to their legacy (Get it? See what I did there?  Ah, forget it.)

Accept – Stalingrad (Nuclear Blast)

Damn fine follow-up to Blood of the Nations, which erases any doubts about the new Accept lineup (not that there should have been any doubts.) Stalingrad kicks ass as only Wolf and the boys know how, with anthemic, rifftacular, melodic Metal.  Poor Udo, his latest album, Rev-Raptor, really sounds like complete shit next to this. 

3 Inches of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal (Century Media)

Canadian crushers 3IOB came roaring into 2012 with a killer album that celebrated all that is great about Heavy Metal.  Long Live Heavy Metal featured tracks reminiscent of Priest, Dio, Rainbow and other legends of the genre, as well as 3IOB’s own brand of shredding Metal.  Check out the infectious “4000 Torches,” “Metal Woman,” “Leather Lord” and “Look Out” for a taste of their steely mastery.  Posers leave the hall!

Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth (Interscope)

This was easily the biggest surprise of the year.  We expected this album to be a crapfest of old man rock.  You know, a mid-paced collection of boring garbage that some out-of-touch 50 year-old would pen in hopes of staying relevant.  The first single, “Tattoo,” did little to change our opinion because that song is complete shit.  Why in the hell was that chosen as the lead single?  Thankfully, the rest of the songs are absolutely primo DLR-era Van Halen.  The swaggering, balls-out hard rock that everybody wanted them to make was finally delivered!  Sure, Dave’s voice is a bit limited by age and Michael Anthony’s harmonies are sorely missed, but the songs are damn good.  Ed had the good sense to go back to all of his old demos and pull out some 70s and 80s cuts and flesh them out.  Well done gents, now get back out on tour.

Cauldron – Tomorrow’s Lost (Earache Records)

Canuckistani Metal maniacs, Cauldron, forged another LP that celebrates the glory of mid-80s Heavy Metal.  It’s great that there is a band out there that eagerly embraces the more commercial side of classic Metal.  Jay Decay and Ian Chains know how to write a memorable and heavy mid-paced tune that would fit beautifully on Metal Massacre’s I-IX.  Buy the LP, get their patch and sew it on your vest. We did!

Grand Magus – The Hunt (Nuclear Blast)

Do you like Vikings and Metal?  You do?  Well go buy this album immediately because Grand Magus loves both more than you do and are masters of their craft to boot.  The Hunt features nothing but songs about Vikings, wolves, Odin, Thor, ravens, longships, etc…  You’ll want to grab a longsword and run out to the nearest monastery for some plundering!  Think of them as the traditional Metal brother of Amon Amarth and you’ll get the right idea.  The band has completely moved away from Doom Metal and focuses entirely on Scandinavian Glory Metal a la Heavy Load, Overdrive or Torch.  Join them in the mead hall, won’t you?  To Valhalla!

Ugly Kid Joe – Stairway To Hell (UKJ Records)

Yes, that’s right, Ugly Kid Joe actually made it into the best albums of 2012 with this awesome EP of new material.  UKJ have managed to record six cuts of snarling, venomous hard rock that has Whitfield Crane sounding like Bon Scott.  Damn it’s good.  Check out “Devil’s Paradise” or “You Make Me Sick” for a taste of hate, or get the funk out with “I’m Alright.”  It’s good to have these guys back and we hope they crank out a full length LP soon.

Overkill – The Electric Age (Nuclear Blast)

New Jersey’s favorite bangers unleash another superb album that harkens back to their more groove oriented late 90s albums.  It’s a bit more From The Underground and Below and a bit less Ironbound.  Overkill never fail to deliver the goods and they do it once again.  Fuck the Big Four, Overkill has been defending the faith while those assholes meandered aimlessly from one mediocre album to the next.  Hello from the gutter! 

Icarus Witch – Rise (Cleopatra Records)

Want a more modern sounding album stuffed full of anthem after anthem?  Well, then Rise is exactly what you are looking for.  The album was a real shocker following the tired-sounding Draw Down The Moon and the departure of former vocalist Matthew Bizilia.  All signs pointed to Icarus Witch disappearing into obscurity, but instead they roared back to life with this LP of peppy and hooky melodic Metal.  New singer Christopher Shaner fits the new style perfectly and adds much needed energy to the songs. Hopefully Icarus Witch will continue rocking for years to come!

The Best Reissues

Dio – Holy Diver & The Last In Line (Audio Fidelity Reissues)

If you want to hear how remasters should be done, check out these two releases from the sonic wizards at Audio Fidelity.  We have all heard these albums a million times before, but these remasters uncover all sorts of sounds that were previously buried in lesser versions of this album.  Superb!

Dio – Holy Diver, The Last In Line & Sacred Heart  (Deluxe Editions from Universal Music)

More Dio?  Yep.  These UK Imports have nice mastering and tons of bonus tracks.  Essentially, you get every single and B-side released by Dio during this period, as well as the entire Intermission EP. They may be expensive imports but the value is incredible for what you get.  Buy!

Dammaj – Mutiny (Skol Records)

It’s awesome!  We reviewed it here and we still urge you to buy this album of rock-solid, blistering, U.S. Power Metal.  This is Heavy Metal at its very best.  Hailz!

Desolation Angels – Desolation Angels (Buried By Time and Dust)

Another very late NWOBHM album that got lost in the Thrash deluge.  Thankfully, the Metal archivists at Buried By Time and Dust records have resurrected this gem in both vinyl and CD formats.  They have also included the Valhalla/Boedicea single as a bonus in both formats!  We will review this in depth coming up, but get out there and buy it because supplies are limited.   

Witch Cross – Fit For Fight (Hells Headbangers)

It’s about damn time that this legendary 1984 album from the not-so-melancholy Danes of Witch Cross got reissued!  Hells Headbangers serve up Fit For Fight on CD, vinyl and, believe it or not, on cassette, with good remastering and lyrics for the whole shebang.  We’ll review this album in the near future, but get out there and buy it. 

The Best Live Albums

Pickings were a bit slim this year so we only picked these two:

Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder – Live Eagles Over Wacken (UDR)

Bangers, gorge on this metal feast from the venerable Saxon!  This is an essential release because it includes a DVD that features 31 tracks from three different years at the massive Wacken Open Air festival.  The band sounds great as they crush and destroy the huge crowds of Metalheads.  Also included are two bonus CDs recorded at a Glasgow show in 2011, which feature many new songs from their latest studio effort, Call To Arms.  It’s well worth the coin.

Vicious Rumors – Live You to Death (SPV)

Keeping up their momentum from last year’s Razorback Killers, Vicious Rumors offers up this single disc live show that was recorded on their 2011 European tour.  The album features nine live cuts, including two songs from Razorback Killers alongside other classics such as “Digital Dictator,” “Down To The Temple,” “Abandoned” and “Don’t Wait For Me.”  The band is tight and Brian Allen does a commendable job on both the new and old material.  The album also includes two new studio tracks: a cover of Black Sabbath’s “The Sign of the Southern Cross” and Judas Priest’s ”Running Wild.”  Pick this up if you are a VR fan or if you like music that’s not terrible shit.

Best Live Show

Accept – The Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio 9/14/2012

The Teutonic Terrors absolutely killed it on a beautiful Friday night in Ohio and blew the roof off the place with pure Metallic fury!  Wolf Hoffman appeared to be having the time of his life as he blasted out riff after riff of molten steel.  Mark Tornillo was in fine form and sounded great.  Udo who?  Poor old Kreator was a mere afterthought when Accept left the stage.  The only complaint was they still didn’t play ”Midnight Mover.”  Damn it!  Even so, it was a great night of Metal in the Buckeye State!  Catch them live if you can.

Worst Shit Foisted on Metaldom in 2012

Metallica – Beyond Magnetic (Warner Brothers Records)

We reviewed it here and it still sucks ass.  Sometimes talent just dries up like an old turd left in the sun.  

Chris Holmes – They All Lie And Cheat

Holy shit!  This makes Beyond Magnetic sound like a choir of angels.  What the fuck is going on here?  Holmes looks and acts like the alcoholic, toothless bum that he was always destined to be (see here.) Who is the random crackwhore swearing in the video?  Is this the worst lip-synching since Milli Vanilli? Why was this made?  Baffling.

Have a great 2013 and may your year be Metal! 

Wrecking Your Neck (Part XVI)

Overkill – The Electric Age

EOne Music – 2012

Muthas, there are a few phrases that you will never, ever hear uttered in the world of Metal, such as “That Lars is a great drummer!” or “What a tender Slayer ballad” or “Overkill are a bunch of sellouts.” Especially that last one, because Overkill has been cranking out slab after slab of molten, pounding, pure steel since 1983 and they show zero signs of letting up.  They have never released a shitty album or buckled to trends in their entire existence.  Overkill has been called “The Motorhead of Thrash” for the strength of their catalog and their steadfast commitment to their signature sound. (As as an aside, does that make Motorhead the Motorhead of Motorhead? – huh?)

Here at The Metal Blog of Metal, we consider Overkill to be one of the true “Big Four of Thrash” bands (TM by Lars).  Let’s face facts, Metallica hasn’t been a Thrash band since 1988 and has sucked out loud since Metallica. Megadeth has always been clutching at the hem of Metallica’s cape and cranking out such shit as Risk along with some “return to form” albums that are middling at best.  Slayer hasn’t done anything interesting since Seasons, but at least they are consistent in their mediocrity.  Finally, Anthrax abandoned Thrash and wandered aimlessly from greatness (Sound of White Noise) to garbage (Volume 8), before finally crafting a great album with Worship Music. Through all of this nonsense, Overkill stood tall and unleashed nothing but excellent albums throughout Metal’s darkest days -- AKA the 90s. 

Like clockwork, you could rely on those Jersey boys to drop a new disc every two years that restored your faith in Metal.  Hell, 1997’s From The Underground and Below singlehandedly restored this writer’s faith in Metal during its least popular period.  Sure, some albums are better than others, and some even become personal favorites, but they have always been satisfying.  Which brings us to their newest and sixteenth (!) release overall, The Electric Age.  Did Overkill sell out and release a nu-metal, screamo, angst fest? Of course they fucking didn’t.  That shit ain’t never happening in this world or the next, as Blitz, D.D. and the boys will be cranking out more albums in Valhalla for Odin’s crew long after they are done here.  

The band has stayed true to their signature sound of pummeling Thrash sprinkled with a bit of traditional Metal and a pinch of groove. The Electric Age is not the all out, balls-to-the-wall, Thrash of Ironbound but has a bit more melody and variety.  It’s still a face-blasting, shredding, album of pure titanium with such scorchers as “Come and Get It,” “Wish You Were Dead,” and “Save Yourself.”  The first single, “Electric Rattlesnake,” typifies the varied nature of the songs with Thrashy verses and choruses and then a slower mid-section that quotes Sabbath’s “Supernaut.”  Very cool!  Check out the video below for “Electric Rattlesnake” for a taste of the goodness.

In addition, the record label released a “lyric video” for the track “Wish You Were Dead” and it’s got badassery in spades.  Check it out:

See what I mean?  Skull-splitting Metal for the rabid Thrasher in all of us.  MOSH!!!

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The Bottom Line:  Buy this shit.  Don’t be some hipster asshole that whines about how Overkill albums all sound alike because it’s called a signature sound, you shitbird! The Electric Age is yet another superb album in the Overkill legacy and should be in your collection.  Buy or die!

As always, MAKE MINE METAL!!