This is rather silly at best, although there is much proof out there as to why older Metalheads are called “old school”. These 4 reasons for being an old school Metalhead came to my mind, I just had to jot them down for the whole world to read. I am guilty of all 4 too.
1. Lately, when the ages of Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford or Alice Cooper (or any Metal superstar of that generation) are brought up in conversation, I am so quick to quip; “oh, they look great, that’s not a bad age man, that’s young man, that’s young.”
2. I remember being psyched, watching Blue Oyster Cult appear on The Merv Griffin Show, playing “Burning For You” and promoting their “Fire of Unknown Origin” album. After that show aired, I forever thought of Merv Griffin as a really cool dude.
3. I find myself always stopping to “leaf” through the Pop Culture posters at the major retail stores, thinking I will find a Kiss, Judas Priest or Charlie’s Angels poster. I then realize what I am doing and proceed to walk away.
4. I am still very proud that I belonged to the Kiss Army.
Granted, there are millions of reasons to be labeled an old school Metalhead, it’s the funny reasons that really get to me.
“Here it is, the one song you will need to sing along to every time you listen to “Relix IV”…. “Old School”. This song just has to be the official anthem of Over Kill and all of us older, or should I say, veteran Metalheads. Man, is this song cool! It is, believe it or not, Punk driven musically, the vocals and backing vocals are proof of this. “Within Your Eyes”, “Bats In The Belfry”, “Pound of Flesh” and “Keeper” will definitely satisfy your Thrash appetite. “Keeper” is another great tune to shout along to, trust me. I definitely will say this is the most fun Over Kill album ever, being that “Old School” and “Keeper” exist on it. You still will receive, without question, the unrelenting Thrash, dark lyrics, dark mood throughout “Relix IV”. Not one bad tune to be found here. This is once again, another must own for all Over Kill and all Thrash Metal fans worldwide. Thank you Bobby Blitz and D.D. Verni for making “Relix IV”
Thunder and Lightning is a Thin Lizzy Hard Rockin’ and Heavy Hittin’ prize. Released in 1983, this is Old School Heavy Metal that is stupendous with every aspect of it’s music. John Sykes and Scott Gorham on guitars are both a sensational listen. The three songs of Cold Sweat, Someday She Is Going To Hit Back and Baby Please Don’t are abundantly impressive to my Rockin’ hungry ears. In my Metal opinion, the purchase of this album is worth it for these three songs alone. With that said, this entire album is vintage Heavy Metal that should be revisited and celebrated.
“Originally released in 1978, Judas Priest “Stained Class” is bursting out at the seams with what I regard as groundbreaking Heavy Metal that helped define what Metal is today. I, personally feel, that “Exciter” is a song that projects a Thrash Metal speed and vibe. “Better By You, Better Than Me” is a Heavy Metal song that has an opening riff so memorable, so catchy, with it’s repeated use throughout, single handedly electrifies this tune. “Better By You, Better Than Me” is loaded down with a heavy bass groove, the tapered down pace of this song makes it so hot and heavy. The bonus tracks are terrific, with the live version of “Better By You, Better Than Me” sounding great and a bit raw, which I feel enhances the song. “Fire Burns Below” is a slow, trudging, Heavy Metal treat to my ears! I really find this song to be a great example of the sound Judas Priest would eventually grasp onto with their albums of the 1980’s. “Fire Burns Below” is fused together with repetitive drum beats, layered over by electric guitar leads and very clean, very sharp acoustic guitar leads. “Stained Class” in my opinion, is a Heavy Metal album ahead of it’s time, a Judas Priest classic for me. Every song on this album, for me, is as great as Heavy Metal gets. I highly recommend “Stained Class”, a must own for those who love all things Metal!
“The first release from Metal Church is extremely fast with the attitude of a hungry band of musicians braced for Metal stardom. Released in 1985, “Metal Church” is an old school Thrash & Metal album that belongs in every single Metal fans collection, no question about it. All 9 songs are structured, written and performed to the highest of Metal standards. The late David Wayne on vocals, makes the songs sound dark and gives each song a vintage Metal bite. The intro to “Beyond the Black” is chilling, with a doomsday rhetoric and atmosphere that grabs your attention instantly. The guitar and bass on the song “Metal Church” sounds like it is leading you down a path of horror, now this is what Metal is supposed to accomplish! “Hitman” is super heavy and thrashes across the board. “Gods of Wrath” is the longest song, at over six and a half minutes, yet you will wish it would continue on! The cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” is done so well here it is jaw dropping. Kurt Vanderhoof on guitar, the Heavy Metal hero who still runs the show for Metal Church to this day, is flawless on this album. The rest of the lineup for this debut album by Metal Church is Kirk Arrington on drums & percussion, Craig Wells on guitars and Duke Erickson on bass. A debut Metal Church album that is so intense for its time, so riveting and exact with its delivery of Thrash and Metal, it belongs at the top of the list of all time Metal albums. I feel this album is absolutely relevant to the Metal that is currently released today, it is an album like “Metal Church” that paved the way for today’s Heavy Metal genres.”
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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