Now this is a flashback of Heavy Metal history. This is a promotional advertisement from 1987 for the Monsters Of Rock (festival) at Donington Park out in the U.K., the lineup of bands was obviously powerhouse! This huge Heavy Metal event took place on August 22, 1987. Metallica was just on the rise, (sounds weird saying that), with their unreal great, 1986 Master Of Puppets album, which catapulted them to historical Metal heights. Cinderella was still promoting their debut album Night Songs. Anthrax was supporting their Among The Living album, a great Thrash Metal album indeed. DIO being on the bill was perfect timing, with Dream Evil being released on July 21, 1987. W.A.S.P. was a hot ticket for this Monsters Of Rock, after their Inside The Electric Circus album’s release in November of 1986. Then there was the headliner, Bon Jovi, being almost a year to the date of the Slippery When Wet album release of August 18, 1986.
Would these same bands actually be included in a Heavy Metal festival like this in 2009? I doubt it, especially when you look at the direction in which Bon Jovi has taken musically. Anthrax and Cinderella are not in the spotlight currently. DIO is touring, only not at a level of intensity of the late 1980′s, nonetheless, Ronnie James Dio and his band would be a solid compliment to a Heavy Metal jamboree anywhere today. Metallica would be the headliner in 2009, without question!! W.A.S.P. would be a perfect band for any Heavy Metal event in 2009, not a second thought about that one!
Over the years, um, decades, I have seen Cinderella, DIO and Metallica live. Memorable Metal moments for me, each one. I would still be ecstatic to see W.A.S.P. someday live… man, that would be the Metal icing on the cake for me. W.A.S.P. is definitely my favorite band out of this group. I would gladly accept a chance to see Anthrax live somewhere in the future as well, regardless of who is at lead vocals. The artwork on this promo is, in my Metal opinion, old school 1980′s Heavy Metal. Neat stuff.
Back in October of 1991, Ugly Kid Joe released their debut EP – As Ugly As They Wanna Be. 1991 was a year smack in the middle of the Grunge Music invasion… Ugly Kid Joe didn’t seem to care in the least. The mix of Hard Rock, Funk Metal and Heavy Metal had me more than interested in Ugly Kid Joe, I bought As Ugly As They Wanna Be and it served me right – back in 1991. Parodies aside, I could care less about what the titles of Ugly Kid Joe’s albums were making fun of… it was the funky heavy grooves of their songs that mattered most to me. Everything About You was a song that sounded unlike anything I was into back then, (Thrash, Death, Speed and mainstream Heavy Metal was what I was used to). When I first heard Everything About You, the first bands that came to mind that I was familiar with, in the Funk Metal genre, was Living Colour and Anthrax when they did I‘m The Man. White Zombie for certain had some Funk happening in their Metal back then too, yet this Ugly Kid Joe was not the dark side of heavy Funk either. This band was not as flamboyant as Faith No More, there seemed to be more of a street level accessibility to Ugly Kid Joe back in 1991-92. Ugly Kid Joe made the funk in their heavy come out and smack me offside the head. Metal Music be my saving grace, I became hooked by Ugly Kid Joe, both by their music and persona. 1991 and 1992 were turning points with Metal Music, so many great Metal Bands were still around and largely ignored by the mainstream media… Ugly Kid Joe busted onto the scene and was very hard to ignore, in my Metal opinion.
Obviously the freshness of Ugly Kid Joe caught on with MTV and FM radio, it had to. Ugly As They Wanna Be and America’s Least Wanted 
I think about Heavy Metal a lot. I listen to Heavy Metal… a lot. I buy Heavy Metal Music… very often. (Alright, that is a down right lie, I buy Heavy Metal Music – constantly). When I refer to Heavy Metal, just to simplify things here, I am incorporating all the Metal Music Genres in one. Heavy Metal… all things Metal Music. As I sit around towards midnight on this, September 17th going on the 18th… many Heavy Metal thoughts have crossed my Metal mind. Heavy Metal favorites have drifted around my head this late evening, uh, early morning, some unusual ones at that… here they are, enjoy:
Motorhead and Anthrax. Each band is a prominent member in the Metal Music world. Motorhead and Anthrax have always hinted, albeit with Metal stylings, their musical taste for Punk Rock Music. Both of these legendary Metal bands covered the Sex Pistols classic “God Save The Queen” from the “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” album, (released in October of 1977). This song was written of course, by Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) and Glen Matlock. Both cover versions are really cool and heavy, with Motorhead having their unmistakable, heavy coated vocals and bass guitar of Lemmy Kilmister leading the way. You know it’s Motorhead when you hear their cover of this prolific song… no pretensions, no frills, no sugar coating. The Motorhead cover version of “God Save The Queen” can be found on the “We Are Motorhead” album, (released on May 16, 2000). The Anthrax cover version is found on the EP – “Armed And Dangerous”, (released in February of 1985). In my Metal opinion, Anthrax covers “God Save The Queen” with convincing Punk Rock attitude, the reasons for this lays in the lead vocals of Joey Belladonna as well as the backing vocals. Musically, Anthrax is right on the Punk Rock bulls eye, which always led me to believe this particular lineup could have experimented even more with Punk Rock songs.
I really enjoy the entire Anthrax catalog of albums, yet “Among The Living” is definitely my most favorite release from this veteran Thrash Metal band. Released in 1987, this album is loaded with all the power and explosiveness of pure Thrash, the Anthrax way. “Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)” is one heavy tune that is rebellious and fun, to actually here the lyrics for yourself would explain what I mean. “Among The Living” earns it’s ferocity courtesy of the talented musicians of Anthrax. Scott Ian on guitar is, in my opinion, one of the best in Thrash Metal history. Joey Belladonna on vocals can carry a note extremely well, he is as valid to “Among The Living” as the music itself. I find Belladonna to be a Thrash Metal vocalist who is quite punctual, without compromising the heaviness whatsoever. I have the upmost respect for the vocals of Belladonna on this album. “Indians” is a great song for me, a Thrash Metal jewel of a tune with inspired lyrics. Every song here adds to the credibility of “Among The Living”. Fast music, fast vocals, fast background vocals, everything on this album is fast. That’s what makes Thrash Metal so profoundly heavy, the speed and it is all here waiting for you courtesy of Anthrax! I do not hesitate for a second, to recommend “Among The Living” to all Metal fans worldwide!
