Let’s go back to August of 1984. I was a senior in High School, having NOT the time of my life. Little did I know, that the debut album from W.A.S.P., aptly titled, “W.A.S.P.”, would be the beginning of one juggernaut of a Heavy Metal career for Blackie Lawless and his band! This initial offering from W.A.S.P. would become certifiable gold in the U.S.A., selling over 1 million copies of this historic vinyl worldwide! This debut gem would reach to #74 on the Billboard album chart. The original lineup for W.A.S.P. was Blackie Lawless (of course) on lead vocals and bass, Chris Holmes and Randy Piper on guitars and Tony Richards on drums. Drummer Steve Riley replaced Tony Richards shortly after the release of “W.A.S.P.”, and Blackie Lawless has never looked back since 1984.
For over 25 years, Blackie Lawless has assembled musicians to keep the W.A.S.P. band and brand of Heavy Metal as strong and powerful as any of his peer bands out there. Johnny Rod (from King Cobra fame), joined on with W.A.S.P. replacing guitarist Randy Piper, becoming the rhythm guitarist in time for the recording of “Inside The Electric Circus”. Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot fame) would join on as drummer for the “Headless Children” album, and also remained on for the albums “The Crimson Idol” and “Still Not Black Enough”. Mike Duda on bass and drummer Stet Howland on drums are also members of the W.A.S.P. family, playing an undeniably incredible Heavy Metal rhythm section on albums “K.F.D.” and “Helldorado”. In my humble METAL opinion, K.F.D. is by far, the heaviest W.A.S.P. album ever created, both musically and lyrically. It is difficult for me NOT to continue this article stating my admiration for each and every one of the W.A.S.P. albums and each W.A.S.P. musician ever. My intent is to not write a complete history on the music and musicians of W.A.S.P., rather, I wanted to point out highlights of this band that has entertained and satisfied my hunger for great Heavy Metal over the years.
Blackie Lawless gets an enormous METAL THANK YOU from me for providing the world of Heavy Metal with 18 albums (which includes studio, live & greatest hits albums). Plus, Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P., like so many of their peers, have withstood the “test of time”, stood up to the PMRC and stayed the course carrying and waving the Heavy Metal flag of freedom! Despite what political side of the aisle any Metalhead may be standing, it is my opinion that Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. have engaged and broken down barriers with their lyrical content. W.A.S.P. has had their share of “good time party” songs over the years, yet there have been plenty of albums from W.A.S.P., (“The Crimson Idol, “Dominator”), that have made me think as well.
For me, there has never been a better time to dig into the back catalog of W.A.S.P. albums. With all of the “crap” going on in the world today, (no explanation required for that remark), the muscular Heavy Metal music coupled with the “feel good” and “thought provoking” lyrics from Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. are all the escape this Metalhead needs to filter out the sensational junk & white noise from the 24 hour news networks. I have Blackie Lawless on my permanent list of Heavy Metal Hero’s, right alongside Dee Snider.
I also want to thank my “Best Heavy Metal Buddy” in the world for introducing me to W.A.S.P. so many years ago. To this day, we are still giddy about the music and lyrics that Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. have provided, it seems not a week goes by where we do not talk about this amazing Heavy Metal band. W.A.S.P. fans do not grow up, we persevere.
Yes, we have a historic time of change in our nation’s history at the moment, it is always a great time to be an American. However, let us not forget, that it was not long ago, when the PMRC, wanted to abolish and strip Heavy Metal from its foundation. Censorship of any kind is very scary inside a democracy. So many bands were on their list, from Twisted Sister to Stryper! I will forever be grateful to Dee Snider, for sticking up for what is right, not backing down to the PMRC and the politicians (yes, Al Gore and his wife Tipper Gore), that wanted to ban and restrict Metal and musical lyrics.
, and what a refreshing Punk Rock band this is! The constant Punk vibe you hear throughout “Music From Regions Beyond” is addicting, man, this album will grow on you. The first two tracks are obviously the heaviest sounding, both musically and vocally. “Hotprowl” and “Afterworld” rock heavy with sincere Punk Rock groove. “Hechizo de Amor” is a Spanish track, the vocals are sung in Spanish and the music has Latin flavor all over it. From the guitar to the percussion and bass, this song is a strong statement of musical diversity for Tiger Army. Like all the tunes on this album, it makes you move. “Spring Forward” has great lyrics, based on a moment of time and reflection. This song, like all the others, is just down right great stuff. There are no pretentious moments on “Music From Regions Beyond”. The overall quality of the songs and their lack of over indulgence into excessiveness is what makes this one great album and band. No question, for me this is as diverse as any Punk album in recent years. In my opinion, Nick 13 is a great vocalist, song writer/lyricist and plays one heck of a Punk & Rockabilly guitar. Jeff Roffredo plays stand-up bass and James Meza plays drums, I really dig this trio called Tiger Army! If you are into the Ramones, the Misfits, Osaka Popstar, AFI or a fan of Punk Rock in general, you really have to give Tiger Army a listen and get hooked by their infectious Punk vibe! Tiger Army will prove to you that Punk Rock is still happening right NOW!
In all of my years of listening to Heavy Metal and all other METAL genres, from going to Arena size METAL concerts, to small club METAL gigs, I do not think I ever referred to any METAL music that I am aware of, as, well, a “METAL performance”. What in the world is a “METAL performance”? I know that a ballet, a comedian on stage, a high school play or a middle school band can give a performance. METAL and the word performance do not add up correctly. If I ever used the phrase, at any time in my METAL life, to anyone I know, “Hey, that was one terrific METAL performance by MOTORHEAD last night”, well, I probably would never be hearing the end of it. 
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. 
“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.”
Besides the METAL music itself, one really cool and important reason that drew me into buying so many albums/CD’s over the years, was the album artwork. To this day, It is still a METAL rush to see that the CD I want/need has great artwork on the front cover. In my opinion, it is a METAL bonus to have spooky, thrilling or cutting edge art to associate my favorite bands with. Again, I will attest that it is the METAL music that matters the most, I would still buy a new release from Amon Amarth even if the cover of the CD was a plain gray color. Here is a list of what I feel are some of the best METAL album/CD covers I have seen over the years. This list is in no particular order, plus there are hundreds, perhaps thousands more covers that are out there that are not on this list. Also, art appreciation is a matter of preference, what I feel is a cool or super spooky METAL album/CD cover may not appeal to you at all. Maybe this list will spark interest in having you look up some of these albums/CD’s if you have never seen some of them before. Here’s a sample:
I believe the year was 1986, the month was January and METALLICA was touring in support of their great Thrash achievement, “Master of Puppets”. I was enamored by METALLICA, no, absorbed is more like it. Nothing else in the world meant more to me back then than this band, my girlfriend at that time was even second fiddle to them. So, when I heard that METALLICA was going to be doing a gig at the West Hartford Ballroom, in good old West Hartford Connecticut, I was there like a fly on cow dung. Make no mistake about it, no Connecticut winter storm was going to prevent me and my buddy from getting to this show! With road conditions being black ice and temperatures hovering around 20 degrees F., we arrived early enough to party in the lot and make it inside, just in time for METAL CHURCH. (I believe METAL CHURCH was supporting their release “The Dark”). 
Here is my opinion, as to why the legendary SEX PISTOLS belong in the METAL music family. There are 3 reasons that come to mind, (rather quickly at that), and all 3 reasons are factual. Here it goes, enjoy:
It is so refreshing, extremely comforting, to know that there are factually dozens of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock bands that MATTER, bashing out their new releases and touring, since the 1970’s and in some instances, the late 1960’s!! So much for critics who cite “shelf life” of Heavy Metal. There are so many legendary Heavy Metal bands out there that are in their 3rd or 4th decade of championing the flag of Metal for all of us Metalheads. I hereby SALUTE the following list of legendary and historical bands that were/still are instrumental in shaping and defining the world of METAL music – as we know it and enjoy it today. I say THANK YOU to these bands! It is my opinion, that these bands are still around today for they are masters of their musical craft. It is my METAL opinion, that each and every one of these bands belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (some bands on this list already are there). I may miss some bands that should be on this list, however feel free to comment on those bands who belong on this HEAVY METAL & HARD ROCK list and they shall be added. The criteria I am using is: The band is Heavy Metal or Hard Rock * The band has been around since the late 1960’s or 1970’s and still are performing as a band or members are doing solo careers and/or recording new material – the band is current. Here is the list (in no particular order), enjoy:
I highly recommend, to any METAL fan, especially Power Metal fans, FIREWIND. Gus G. is the lead guitarist and writes the music. Wow, what an incredible listen is Gus G.! Sure, Gus G. plays fast, yet there is so much melody in the music of Firewind, Gus G. is to me, one of those lead guitarists that makes his guitar actually sing! I always felt, that the trademark of a great lead guitarist is having established a signature sound, standing out from the crowd. Gus G. in my METAL opinion, does just that. Power Metal always and forever will grab my attentive METAL ears. Firewind delivers mightily on the keyboards, catchy hooks, flamboyant vocals, psyche you up chorus and speedy and melodic guitar with a thunderous rhythm section. If you are interested in Firewind, I suggest you check out “The Premonition”, (released in 2008), it is an essential Power Metal listen. “Mercenary Man” is one strong song, I find it so powerful that it is a Power Metal statement! Gus G. plays the daylights out of his guitar here and lead vocalist Apollo Papathanasio is for me outstanding. Every song on “The Premonition” sounds extremely incredible for me. Firewind does a cover of “Maniac”, (the 1980’s dance tune), making this song obviously heavier and profoundly better! “My Loneliness” is a power ballad that fits right into the mix of songs, lyrically this song stands out and musically glistens with all things Power Metal. I really feel no fan of Power Metal can serve themselves wrong by owning a copy of “The Premonition”.
“Music Choice” is a 24/7 selection of music channels, covering all genres of music. You get to hear one song after another, non stop. Now, the two “Music Choice” channels that matter the most are Arena Rock and METAL which is uncensored. Kudos to “Music Choice” for having the METAL uncensored! A million METAL high fives for that! The song selection is not controlled by the listener, yet it is cool, for the selection of METAL that is played is vast and varied. You get to see a few still photos of the band or artist that is currently being played. Plus at the bottom of the television screen are nifty facts and anecdotes about the respective band/artist currently playing. It does a Metalhead good to learn new facts and info about their favorite bands. “Music Choice” is so cool, for all I do is turn it on, (to METAL or Arena Rock of course), crank up the volume and go about my business. There are no commercials on “Music Choice” either!!! 
What makes this such a fun thought is this list can change by the day. I guess it always depends on your METAL mood, yet for now, this list of METAL CD’s would make my ears very comfy. Now, would it be fun to be abducted by a UFO, my answer is a solid no. I can easily be satisfied with this list of METAL CD’s while stranded on a remote tropical island. Now, some may ask – would you have the means to listen to these great METAL CD’s while being stranded? My answer is: Yes. I would have a lifetime supply of batteries waiting for me on the remote planet or tropical island where I am stranded. These batteries would power up my portable CD player, which also has headphones.
Years ago, (before compact discs were introduced), good old fashioned vinyl was the best way to go for my Heavy Metal purchases. Yes, I had the option of buying 8-track or cassette versions, yet for the money, vinyl always gave me the best return on my dollar. Kiss always seemed to have the coolest “extra’s” in their albums: Kiss “Dynasty” and Kiss “Unmasked” both had very cool posters inside, plus they were big enough to make quite the impression when hung on the wall! Kiss “Love Gun” had a nifty cardboard – die-cut love gun inside. (I wish I still had that one, why or how I lost it is beyond me). Kiss “Alive” and Kiss “Alive ll” had excellent liner notes that were basically album sized concert books. As you can see, you could never get these insane type of Metal extra’s inside a cassette or 8-track. 
I revere Metal music, all genres of Metal music at that. I listen to: Power Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Old School Heavy Metal, Metal, Extreme Metal, Christian Metal, Hair Metal/Glam Metal, Black Metal, Metalcore and any other Metal genre that has not been mentioned in this statement. With that said, I do not buy into, or take part in any arguments of: Which Metal genre is better? Which Metal genre is cooler? My answer to these questions is short and simple: Who cares. I feel, that each Metal genre is unique, holds it’s own musical flavor and attitude, bestows it’s own Metal brilliance and sound. 
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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