Yep, a new name. Because I felt it somewhat unfair to be discussing little local bands who have yet to perform outside of Adelaide in the same blog as legends like Slayer and Maiden. So, from here on, Metallicae Australis will be a place for me to exclusively share information, news, plugs and ranting relevant to Australian bands, particularly Adelaideans.
Maybe I'll make another blog for more international news. Thoughts, please?
Stay brutal,
-Ronnie
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
The Void VIII
I've decided... not to talk about Against the Grain 5, which took place September 19th. Because a) it was so fucking long ago, and b) for once, I went to a gig and didn't see all the bands. SHAAAAAAAAAAAAME.
Mind you, The Void VIII on October 25th was still far too long ago, so I'll try to just sum it up in a few succinct points.
Stay brutal!
-Ronnie
*Hardcore dancers are the idiots you sometmes see in mosh pits, where god knows they don't belong. They're the assholes who take up the whole floor jumping and skipping around, throwing their arms in the air, performing shoddy roundhouse kicks, spilling people's drinks, pushing the boundaries of the mosh and hitting people in the face because they don't fucking look where they're going. They have no place in the world of metal. Eliminate them.
This has been a Metallicae Australis community service announcement.
Mind you, The Void VIII on October 25th was still far too long ago, so I'll try to just sum it up in a few succinct points.
- I am not a hardcore fan. I don't listen to hardcore music, I don't mingle with hardcore fans, and I reserve a special place of hate in my heart for hardcore dancers. Therefore, please don't put hardcore bands on the same bill as metal. Please. Unless you have, say, a metalcore band to bridge it all out... don't do it.
- Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the other bands (whose names I can't even remember) were very good, very talented hardcore bands, but it all sounded the same to me. In short, I don't listen to hardcore, therefore I can't appreciate hardcore, therefore it's not my place to talk about hardcore because I, personally, can't stand it.
- I wouldn't buy Immortal Threat's music, but if they were at a gig, I'd gladly mosh to them. And yes, it was good to see a mosh pit forming to eliminate those pesky hardcore dancers.* Also: It still needs more cowbell.
- Admit it - if you were there, chances are it was to see Octanic. Octanic are one of those bands that make a good impression, and then deliver on it. With a sharp set including crowd favourites from debut EP Industry and a sound selection of new tracks from the in-progress album - as well as a cover of Rob Zombie's Superbeast, a guaranteed crowd-getter for these lads - Octanic were the perfect finish to the night.
Stay brutal!
-Ronnie
*Hardcore dancers are the idiots you sometmes see in mosh pits, where god knows they don't belong. They're the assholes who take up the whole floor jumping and skipping around, throwing their arms in the air, performing shoddy roundhouse kicks, spilling people's drinks, pushing the boundaries of the mosh and hitting people in the face because they don't fucking look where they're going. They have no place in the world of metal. Eliminate them.
This has been a Metallicae Australis community service announcement.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Locals strike again.
Another overdue post, you say? Oh, why not.
September 5th (my my my, it seems so long ago!) brought an air of anticipation to a grand total of perhaps forty people. Forty people who attended a five-bands-for-ten-bucks gig at the Underground in this humble town of Adelaide, with decent merch prices, and only two bucks for a bottle of water, less than half the usual price! (Yes, that was a highlight for me.)
First to take the stage were All Hallow's Eve, one of the many youthful bands in the Adelaide scene, and sure enough they managed to warm the crowd. Oddly, there was a three-man circle pit forming at their first song, which was certainly a highlight - that and the performance of Mt. Franklin ("Like the water"), in addition to a spontaneous guitarist piggy-back. Guys who can pull off playing on someone's shoulders? I'm sold.
A Lapse in Reality have a good musical sound, a talented bassist, and potential is undenaible, yet sadly, the frontman has no stage presence aside spontaneously stripping his button shirt and tie. That only works if you have sex appeal, mate. One concert-goer remarked that his desire was to strangle said frontman with his own tie. Sadly, that may not have gone down so well with the band.
Next on were Deafening Silence, and that was when the place started to heat up. With an interesting sound fusing elements of prog, thrash and metalcore; a female drummer - something all too rare in metal; and a giutarist who even looks like Kirk Hammett, there's no denying that Deafening Silence are of that special breed of local band who just might have the potential to break out, and while some elements could still use a bit of work, the raw talent is most certainly there. I left with a CD, and am still impressed.
Satoria have already proven themselves among Adelaide's finest, with a progressive sound influenced by the likes of Dream Theater, soaring vocals, switches in sound through songs, and haunting, enchanting keys. Despite only having time for a handful of songs, Godspeed in particular inspired some wild headbanging, motly delivered by keyboardist Lennie and one girl at the front (who may or may not have been yours truly, as it were). An album is demanded. Let us only hope this talented bunch delivers.
Last but certainly not least, Skintilla delivered the perfect closing set, consisting of a good, solid handful of songs from both the Shedding Skin EP and debut album King of Kings. Skintilla are one of those strong bands with a good pub metal sound, typically Australian yet having the potential to appeal to an international market. Whether or not that is a plan for them is a different matter; for now, they seemed perfectly content chatting to the twenty or so people who watched their set, delivering anthems like King of Kings, Fall From Grace and crowd favourite, Sword For Sword. Rock on, Adelaide. Rock on.
September 5th (my my my, it seems so long ago!) brought an air of anticipation to a grand total of perhaps forty people. Forty people who attended a five-bands-for-ten-bucks gig at the Underground in this humble town of Adelaide, with decent merch prices, and only two bucks for a bottle of water, less than half the usual price! (Yes, that was a highlight for me.)
First to take the stage were All Hallow's Eve, one of the many youthful bands in the Adelaide scene, and sure enough they managed to warm the crowd. Oddly, there was a three-man circle pit forming at their first song, which was certainly a highlight - that and the performance of Mt. Franklin ("Like the water"), in addition to a spontaneous guitarist piggy-back. Guys who can pull off playing on someone's shoulders? I'm sold.
A Lapse in Reality have a good musical sound, a talented bassist, and potential is undenaible, yet sadly, the frontman has no stage presence aside spontaneously stripping his button shirt and tie. That only works if you have sex appeal, mate. One concert-goer remarked that his desire was to strangle said frontman with his own tie. Sadly, that may not have gone down so well with the band.
Next on were Deafening Silence, and that was when the place started to heat up. With an interesting sound fusing elements of prog, thrash and metalcore; a female drummer - something all too rare in metal; and a giutarist who even looks like Kirk Hammett, there's no denying that Deafening Silence are of that special breed of local band who just might have the potential to break out, and while some elements could still use a bit of work, the raw talent is most certainly there. I left with a CD, and am still impressed.
Satoria have already proven themselves among Adelaide's finest, with a progressive sound influenced by the likes of Dream Theater, soaring vocals, switches in sound through songs, and haunting, enchanting keys. Despite only having time for a handful of songs, Godspeed in particular inspired some wild headbanging, motly delivered by keyboardist Lennie and one girl at the front (who may or may not have been yours truly, as it were). An album is demanded. Let us only hope this talented bunch delivers.
Last but certainly not least, Skintilla delivered the perfect closing set, consisting of a good, solid handful of songs from both the Shedding Skin EP and debut album King of Kings. Skintilla are one of those strong bands with a good pub metal sound, typically Australian yet having the potential to appeal to an international market. Whether or not that is a plan for them is a different matter; for now, they seemed perfectly content chatting to the twenty or so people who watched their set, delivering anthems like King of Kings, Fall From Grace and crowd favourite, Sword For Sword. Rock on, Adelaide. Rock on.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Alice? Who the f*** is Alice?!
Alice Cooper, that's who. Vincent Furnier. The Coop. The man who changed the course of rock 'n' roll forever, and looked mighty fine doing it.
Yes, I am fully aware that this blog is LONG overdue, but this intrepid blogger has been busy with other commitments.
On August 29th, Alice Cooper himself graced the fair Thebarton Theater, bringing his latest rock spectacular, the Theatre of Death tour, to Australia. The atmosphere was nothing short of electric, the crowd eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of this superb performer.
The banner fell to the floor, and Alice emerged to wild cheers, immediately launching into School's Out - a peculiar choice for an opener, but a good one nonetheless. Disregarding the security staff's warnings to stay seated for the first four songs, the audience opted to follow the advice of the guitarists, dashing from their seats to lean on the stage and dance to further hits like Department of Youth and the classic I'm Eighteen.
Stalking around the stage, Alice proved he can still rock with the hardest with the industrial stomper Wicked Young Man and reminded us that he can hold his own better than those forty years his junior. After all, when you're seeing a man whose career has lasted since the tail end of the sixties, and is continuing into the new milennium and his own sixth decade of existence, you expect nothing but the best.
Though the acoustics were a let-down - Alice's microphone was barely audible over the music and general excitement at times - the crowd more than made up for it, belting out the anthems as loud as Alice himself. The master of darkness chose to play it safe for the night, selecting "classic Alice" - inclusions like The Ballad of Dwight Fry and Go To Hell cemented the fact that this was anything but an albumsupport tour. In fact, only one song from latest offering Along Came a Spider was selected - the sneering Vengeance is Mine.
With four executions, numerous constumes, an angle grinder, evil masks, spider arms, a wheel-on staircase, a gallows, iron maiden, guillotine and lethal injection as big as Alice himself, this was clearly a show as memorable as the man himself. From the opening (anthem School's Out) to the closer (er... School's Out, again, this time delivered in a silver and white suit complete with coattails and top-hat), Alice delivered song after song, throwing everything to the crowd - fake money, balloons, confetti, guitar picks, pearl necklaces, and even his cane. The old man certainly proved he's got at least one more tour in him yet!
Rock on, Alice. You keep coming, we'll keep going.
Yes, I am fully aware that this blog is LONG overdue, but this intrepid blogger has been busy with other commitments.
On August 29th, Alice Cooper himself graced the fair Thebarton Theater, bringing his latest rock spectacular, the Theatre of Death tour, to Australia. The atmosphere was nothing short of electric, the crowd eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of this superb performer.
The banner fell to the floor, and Alice emerged to wild cheers, immediately launching into School's Out - a peculiar choice for an opener, but a good one nonetheless. Disregarding the security staff's warnings to stay seated for the first four songs, the audience opted to follow the advice of the guitarists, dashing from their seats to lean on the stage and dance to further hits like Department of Youth and the classic I'm Eighteen.
Stalking around the stage, Alice proved he can still rock with the hardest with the industrial stomper Wicked Young Man and reminded us that he can hold his own better than those forty years his junior. After all, when you're seeing a man whose career has lasted since the tail end of the sixties, and is continuing into the new milennium and his own sixth decade of existence, you expect nothing but the best.
Though the acoustics were a let-down - Alice's microphone was barely audible over the music and general excitement at times - the crowd more than made up for it, belting out the anthems as loud as Alice himself. The master of darkness chose to play it safe for the night, selecting "classic Alice" - inclusions like The Ballad of Dwight Fry and Go To Hell cemented the fact that this was anything but an albumsupport tour. In fact, only one song from latest offering Along Came a Spider was selected - the sneering Vengeance is Mine.
With four executions, numerous constumes, an angle grinder, evil masks, spider arms, a wheel-on staircase, a gallows, iron maiden, guillotine and lethal injection as big as Alice himself, this was clearly a show as memorable as the man himself. From the opening (anthem School's Out) to the closer (er... School's Out, again, this time delivered in a silver and white suit complete with coattails and top-hat), Alice delivered song after song, throwing everything to the crowd - fake money, balloons, confetti, guitar picks, pearl necklaces, and even his cane. The old man certainly proved he's got at least one more tour in him yet!
Rock on, Alice. You keep coming, we'll keep going.
Friday, 21 August 2009
L!ve Hard 'N Heavy II - local talent never sounded so good.
There's something to be said for local bands. Hardly anyone knows about them, they work day jobs, maybe they study at the same time - yet when you see them, they can still rip your face off and shove it right down your fuckin' throat.
On Saturday night, I paid $15 AU (that's $12 US, or $13 CA) to see six local bands and one band who'd made their way down from
The first band to take the stage, Till Death, managed to warm the crowd up reasonably well, setting the stage for a good night of heavy fuckin' metal. Not bad, boys - not bad at all!
Next on the lineup was Amsha, and while their tracks had a tendency to drag on a bit after the more radio-friendly lengths of the previous act, overall their set was decent and delivered enough energy to get the crowd working just that bit harder. With some impressive solos, Amsha are worth keeping an eye on - there's some promise there, and I can't wait for their upcoming demo, Awaken.
Third to take the stage were Satoria, a five-piece with definite melodic elements delivered astoundingly by spider-fingered keyboardist Lennie (who I swear I've seen on campus; if not him, then someone who looks a hell of a lot like him). Said member also delivered a fine stage presence, including jumping up and down while playing, and soloing beside the guitarists. Satoria only had time for a few songs (“In case you haven’t noticed, most of our songs are pretty fuckin’ long”, quipped vocalist Adam Downey), but didn’t fail to impress, casually mentioning their upcoming album. Head over to their Myspace (linked in their name) and check out the song Godspeed – hopefully you’ll be as impressed as I was. Can't wait for that album.
Next up were
With merchandise signed by four of the six melo-death metallers, we retreated to the seating area to catch the last song from the
We made sure to hurry back to the stage before Octanic began their set, but it seemed the crowd had beaten us to it – there was no way we were getting right to the front, where we had stayed steadfast for the first three acts. Nevertheless, Octanic delivered a show that was energetic, high-octane (so to speak, hardy har har) and sure as hell seemed to please the crowd. Melodic and heavy elements fused to brilliant effect, frontman Jay’s range of vocal techniques (particularly the screams on I, Pariah...) was astounding, and the Industry EP was immediately added to my mental wish-list. Thank goodness for upcoming birthdays.
In the gap before Skintilla took the stage, we managed to track down the remaining two members of Universum, Rachael and Liam (keyboards and bass, respectively), thus completing our signature collections, and head back with plenty of time to get to the front. Just as well, too; Skintilla are an incredible band, embodying the true spirit of heavy fucking metal with their Priest-style vocals, Maidenesque riffs, and Metallica-style ripping solos. Skintilla worked up the best mosh pit so far, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear of others waking up with some lovely aches and pains.
After a thrashing set (at the end of which I was lucky enough to catch guitarist Jeremy’s pick), it was time to stash our bags with the merch stand and head to the front of the stage for Universum’s set. This was it. The moment we’d all been waiting for. Sure, we hadn’t been disappointed yet with the bands on offer, but Universum were bound to blow us completely out of the water.
And boy oh boy, did they deliver. Universum launched straight into a brutal 40-minute set, playing everything from the breathtaking Leto Destinatus to the neck-snapping Invisible Scars. Wisely skipping over more “mellow” tracks (eg, War of Ages), if mellow even exists in the world of
Concert-goer Jacob responded ecstatically when Universum frontman Adam Soininen pointed him out in the middle of the set, congratulating him for making good on his promise to bring the mosh. And a damn fine mosh it was. Mind you, when you’re seeing a band that has already supported acts such as Cradle of Filth and DragonForce, what can you do but have a damn good time and realize that some local bands have the potential to go further than the shores of this fair land?
When Universum finally left the stage after 40 minutes of aural bliss (provided “bliss” now means a landslide of assaulting guitars, vocals somewhere in the range of Randy Blythe and a healthy dose of keyboards to tone down the ear-raping qualities), there were calls for an encore (sadly but understandably unheeded), and a lot of idiotic grins. Why do the truly awesome bands have that effect on the crowd – reducing us to mute onlookers smiling like the Cheshire cat, drinking glass after glass of water and communicating through nods and gestures having screamed our lungs up into our throats? (Answer: because they are just that awesome.)
All in all, L!ve Hard ‘N Heavy was a damn good night – five and a half hours of true
Also, if Jay from Octanic happens to notice the links I post everywhere): Hi, Jay! This is me attempting to review the gig! *insert goofy wave here*
I’m realizing now why I haven’t written up other reviews… Ah, well. Any advice, fellow metalheads? Any suggestions as to how to improve my technique?
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
A couple of quick notes.
I'm aware I haven't blogged in a while, but I recently wrote in to Kerrang magazine nominating my top three albums of the 21st century. Because Trivium asked their fans on Facebook to vote for them. The same way I joined Twitter because Universum asked me to...
"I just felt I had to nominate three albums that have made the biggest impact on me these last few years. It's hard for me to pick just three, but - oh, screw that diplomatic bullshit; these won by a landslide.
Trivium - Shogun (2008)
This album blew me away completely as soon as I heard it. It's a perfect blend of metalcore and Metallica-style thrash, served straight up with no frills attached. It's metaphorical, powerful, and has some teriffic anthems on it - Down From the Sky and Kirisute Gomen are two of the best songs I've heard this century, and the title track could damn well represent everything the band has worked for in its eleven minutes of progressive brutality and near-operatic choruses. I saw Trivium live in May, and they played all the right tracks. They know how to work a crowd, and they know how to record incredible albums.
Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider (2008)
The grandfather of shock rock, and one of the first influences on heavy metal, has returned with a stomping, hook-laden album that hearkens back to his garage days, while being infused with a heavier resonance and a killer guitar solo from Slash. Darker than Brutal Planet and somehow more sensual than Trash, Alice has churned out another album well worthy of classic status. I look forward to seeing Alice in late August, and he's been one of, if not my favourite musical figure for many years now. His metamorphosis has never been more apparent.
Universum - Leto Destinatus (2008)
Universum are from my hometown, so maybe I have a slight bias, but since they only formed in early '08 and have already supported DragonForce and Cradle of Filth on their Australian tours, they're nothing to sniff at. Leto Destinatus is a brutal melodic album sweeping the listener along at breakneck speed. The vocals, guitars, and keyboards all combine to beautifully devastating effect on the title track and War of Ages. I'm seeing them in about three weeks, and they should be even better as headliners. More than anything else this album has shown me that living in Adelaide has not cursed me to being talentless!"
I also forgot to get on here on Sunday and wish Robb Flynn of Machine Head a happy 41st birthday. Whoops.
Happy fuckin' birthday, Robb. \m/
Yeah, I know nobody reads this, least of all Flynn himself, but meh. Maybe it'll get some of you to listen to Machine Head, one of the best bands out there.
Check out "Halo", and try telling me it's not fucking awesome. If you like that, just go out and buy the whole album, The Blackening, because it's without a doubt one of the best I've heard, and if you like awesome metal and know what's good for you, you'll feel the same way.
That's it for now. Maybe I'll actually write another fucking blog sometime.
If there's anything you want me to talk about in my next post, any suggestions, questions, album reviews, etc, just put it here and I WILL do it. Put as much as you want. I mean it. I need things to talk about, otherwise I'll just blather on about crap nobody cares about.
That's it for now,
~Ronnie
"I just felt I had to nominate three albums that have made the biggest impact on me these last few years. It's hard for me to pick just three, but - oh, screw that diplomatic bullshit; these won by a landslide.
Trivium - Shogun (2008)
This album blew me away completely as soon as I heard it. It's a perfect blend of metalcore and Metallica-style thrash, served straight up with no frills attached. It's metaphorical, powerful, and has some teriffic anthems on it - Down From the Sky and Kirisute Gomen are two of the best songs I've heard this century, and the title track could damn well represent everything the band has worked for in its eleven minutes of progressive brutality and near-operatic choruses. I saw Trivium live in May, and they played all the right tracks. They know how to work a crowd, and they know how to record incredible albums.
Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider (2008)
The grandfather of shock rock, and one of the first influences on heavy metal, has returned with a stomping, hook-laden album that hearkens back to his garage days, while being infused with a heavier resonance and a killer guitar solo from Slash. Darker than Brutal Planet and somehow more sensual than Trash, Alice has churned out another album well worthy of classic status. I look forward to seeing Alice in late August, and he's been one of, if not my favourite musical figure for many years now. His metamorphosis has never been more apparent.
Universum - Leto Destinatus (2008)
Universum are from my hometown, so maybe I have a slight bias, but since they only formed in early '08 and have already supported DragonForce and Cradle of Filth on their Australian tours, they're nothing to sniff at. Leto Destinatus is a brutal melodic album sweeping the listener along at breakneck speed. The vocals, guitars, and keyboards all combine to beautifully devastating effect on the title track and War of Ages. I'm seeing them in about three weeks, and they should be even better as headliners. More than anything else this album has shown me that living in Adelaide has not cursed me to being talentless!"
I also forgot to get on here on Sunday and wish Robb Flynn of Machine Head a happy 41st birthday. Whoops.
Happy fuckin' birthday, Robb. \m/
Yeah, I know nobody reads this, least of all Flynn himself, but meh. Maybe it'll get some of you to listen to Machine Head, one of the best bands out there.
Check out "Halo", and try telling me it's not fucking awesome. If you like that, just go out and buy the whole album, The Blackening, because it's without a doubt one of the best I've heard, and if you like awesome metal and know what's good for you, you'll feel the same way.
That's it for now. Maybe I'll actually write another fucking blog sometime.
If there's anything you want me to talk about in my next post, any suggestions, questions, album reviews, etc, just put it here and I WILL do it. Put as much as you want. I mean it. I need things to talk about, otherwise I'll just blather on about crap nobody cares about.
That's it for now,
~Ronnie
Sunday, 12 July 2009
It's how I live my life; I wouldn't have it any other way.
As per usual, the title of this blog comes from a metal track and is completely unrelated to anything I may or may not talk about in here.
But let's make this more interesting. Instead of cookies (which I cannot send, unfortunately, due to certain restrictions), the first person to guess the song gets to pick a band, genre, topic, etc. for me to talk about/lecture on/abuse in my next blog post. Does that sound interesting?
Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak; you have an incentive to start listening to some good thrash metal, and I have something to actually talk about, because for now I'm just gonna talk briefly about some different genres of heavy metal.
If there's one thing that annoys me, it's... people who blast hip-hop music at full volume with subwoofers that register an 8.2 on the Richter scale. But another pet peeve of mine is people who take anything that could be classed as metal, whether it's the smooth melodies of Bon Jovi or the vulgar brutality of Cannibal Corpse or anything in between, and lump it all under "METAL - DO NOT WANT".
The flavours of metal are almost as varied as those of ice-cream. Actually... that's not entirely accurate, given the state of ice-cream these days. Just walking into Cold Rock Ice Creamery blows my mind - there are, like, five different flavours for chocolate. And I know that's only the tip of the iceberg, but hey, Cold Rock is about the best and most expensive ice-creamery I have access to, so leave me be.
Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked here, comparing metal to ice-cream. Who'd'a thunk it, eh? Next thing you know I'll be talking about how a Trivium album is like a Magnum ice-cream, ordinary enough until you bite into it and begin to devour the metaphors and nuances that lie beneath the exterior...
Actually, that's just a crock of lies; a Trivium album is amazing at first glance, even just from the artwork.
I'm getting sidetracked again. Next time that happens, feel free to play Slipknot, which has a tazer-like effect on me. It's like a shock collar for dogs; sooner or later, I'll learn to stick to the fucking topic, eh?
MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
The first type of metal that one should be acquainted with is the "classic" heavy metal. Study up on these three bands: Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. At least one of those names should be familiar to you, and if I know anything it won't be Priest. Sadly, they're like the classics no-one knows about - not as publicly renowned as Maiden and Sabbath, but still just as vital.
You know what, I'm going to give you a playlist. So check out these songs and you should get a taste of ye olde heavy metal in its earliest form.
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast. I know, I know, everyone knows it now because of Guitar Hero III, but it does NOTHING to change the fact that this is one of the definitively amazing songs of the metal genre. Check out everything - the odd time signatures and catchy riffs, the prominent basslines, and Bruce Dickinsons's soraing, near-operatic vocals. Quite different to the death metal most immediately think of, eh?
Black Sabbath - Paranoid. Built around the one riff, but honestly, you can't tell me it's a damn catchy one. This is like the 1970s metal version of Seven Nation Army.
Black Sabbath - Iron Man. I only just heard this, and I encourage you to do the same. Commence angry messages flaming me for having not heard Iron Man sooner.
Judas Priest - Breaking the Law. What is it with these classic metal bands and insanely catchy guitar riffs? Watch this and get back to me.
Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather. The first Priest song I ever heard, and still a fave. Seriously.
Dio - Holy Diver. A friend managed to get me to listen to this. For this, Sean, if you're reading this, I am in your debt. (I'm working on acquiring a discography now.)
To be fair, Dio and Maiden came along a bit later than Priest and Sabbath. Also, Dio isn't actually in the Holy Trinity. Though he should be. It must be a quadrology.
Let us make it so.
There are a whole slew of other bands I could namedrop here (AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zeppelin, Queen), but those four are the ones I'm most familiar with, so I encourage you to check 'em out.
Hey hey hey, I never said this was a definitive blog, the be-all and end-all. It's just my opinions and experiences. Deal with it, check out the music, and grab a brownie on the way out.
Next time: whatever you request of me, plus a new genre for you all. Maybe death. Everyone loves death, eh?
But let's make this more interesting. Instead of cookies (which I cannot send, unfortunately, due to certain restrictions), the first person to guess the song gets to pick a band, genre, topic, etc. for me to talk about/lecture on/abuse in my next blog post. Does that sound interesting?
Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak; you have an incentive to start listening to some good thrash metal, and I have something to actually talk about, because for now I'm just gonna talk briefly about some different genres of heavy metal.
If there's one thing that annoys me, it's... people who blast hip-hop music at full volume with subwoofers that register an 8.2 on the Richter scale. But another pet peeve of mine is people who take anything that could be classed as metal, whether it's the smooth melodies of Bon Jovi or the vulgar brutality of Cannibal Corpse or anything in between, and lump it all under "METAL - DO NOT WANT".
The flavours of metal are almost as varied as those of ice-cream. Actually... that's not entirely accurate, given the state of ice-cream these days. Just walking into Cold Rock Ice Creamery blows my mind - there are, like, five different flavours for chocolate. And I know that's only the tip of the iceberg, but hey, Cold Rock is about the best and most expensive ice-creamery I have access to, so leave me be.
Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked here, comparing metal to ice-cream. Who'd'a thunk it, eh? Next thing you know I'll be talking about how a Trivium album is like a Magnum ice-cream, ordinary enough until you bite into it and begin to devour the metaphors and nuances that lie beneath the exterior...
Actually, that's just a crock of lies; a Trivium album is amazing at first glance, even just from the artwork.
I'm getting sidetracked again. Next time that happens, feel free to play Slipknot, which has a tazer-like effect on me. It's like a shock collar for dogs; sooner or later, I'll learn to stick to the fucking topic, eh?
MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
The first type of metal that one should be acquainted with is the "classic" heavy metal. Study up on these three bands: Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. At least one of those names should be familiar to you, and if I know anything it won't be Priest. Sadly, they're like the classics no-one knows about - not as publicly renowned as Maiden and Sabbath, but still just as vital.
You know what, I'm going to give you a playlist. So check out these songs and you should get a taste of ye olde heavy metal in its earliest form.
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast. I know, I know, everyone knows it now because of Guitar Hero III, but it does NOTHING to change the fact that this is one of the definitively amazing songs of the metal genre. Check out everything - the odd time signatures and catchy riffs, the prominent basslines, and Bruce Dickinsons's soraing, near-operatic vocals. Quite different to the death metal most immediately think of, eh?
Black Sabbath - Paranoid. Built around the one riff, but honestly, you can't tell me it's a damn catchy one. This is like the 1970s metal version of Seven Nation Army.
Black Sabbath - Iron Man. I only just heard this, and I encourage you to do the same. Commence angry messages flaming me for having not heard Iron Man sooner.
Judas Priest - Breaking the Law. What is it with these classic metal bands and insanely catchy guitar riffs? Watch this and get back to me.
Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather. The first Priest song I ever heard, and still a fave. Seriously.
Dio - Holy Diver. A friend managed to get me to listen to this. For this, Sean, if you're reading this, I am in your debt. (I'm working on acquiring a discography now.)
To be fair, Dio and Maiden came along a bit later than Priest and Sabbath. Also, Dio isn't actually in the Holy Trinity. Though he should be. It must be a quadrology.
Let us make it so.
There are a whole slew of other bands I could namedrop here (AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zeppelin, Queen), but those four are the ones I'm most familiar with, so I encourage you to check 'em out.
Hey hey hey, I never said this was a definitive blog, the be-all and end-all. It's just my opinions and experiences. Deal with it, check out the music, and grab a brownie on the way out.
Next time: whatever you request of me, plus a new genre for you all. Maybe death. Everyone loves death, eh?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
