5 Out Of 5 METAL Fists!
SCORPIONS – Live Bites is a live album, released back in 1995, via Polygram Records. Live Bites contains 11 songs that were recorded in Leningrad, San Francisco, Mexico, Munich and Berlin. There are also 3 (previously unreleased) bonus studio tracks on this album: Edge Of Time, Heroes Don’t Cry and White Dove. The liner notes to this album doesn’t contain the recording dates for these live songs; I have read in a few places the dates are 1988 to 1995, just don’t quote me on these dates.
This is yet another fantastic album from the past where you’ll find some constipated fool out there that gave it a sub-par review. In my Metal opinion, this is the iconic Scorpions and this live album plays out brilliantly! I’ve seen the Scorpions live; trust me, this album gives me ostrich bumps all over my face and arms when played at MAXIMUM volume! Whoa. One very cool aspect about Live Bites is that it was produced to sound and feel like one continuous concert experience, with no breaks between the songs; the sounds of Scorpions fans going bonkers fills the gaps!
The entire band and vocalist Klaus Meine sound sensational throughout Live Bites. There are high energy moments to savor, with Tease Me Please Me, Alien Nation and Crazy World being 3 whiz-bang examples. The bonus studio tracks are such a worthy addition at the time, giving the fans both the heavy and softer side of the Scorpions. Heroes Don’t Cry and White Dove are 2 somber, well written and arranged ballads, while Edge Of Time rocks along quite favorably to my ears. Live Bites is an essential part of Scorpions history, hopefully you’ll share with my Metal enthusiasm! Metal be thy name. – Stone
Above: Back cover to Live Bites
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* For more info on SCORPIONS:
Facebook: Scorpions
Website: http://www.the-scorpions.com/
LONG LIVE SCORPIONS.
LONG LIVE METAL.
NO, THANK YOU, KLAUS!
Stone.
Edguy F***ing With Fire Live is entertaining as Metal hell. Released on July 28, 2009, on Nuclear Blast Records, this is the second album released by Edguy this year, (Tinnitus Sanctus was released on January 27, 2009). A huge Metal kudos to Edguy for releasing two albums within the same year, they are not the only band out there to do so, still it is cool for fans like me. In a Metal day and age where there are those select few prima donna – let’s take everything serious Metal Bands out there, Edguy seems to grasp hold of the positive and accentuates the (gasp) fun in Heavy Metal Music. The title of this live album alone, gives me the impression that Edguy has thrown caution to the Metal wind and could care less about those who don’t get it. In my Metal opinion, Tobias Sammet and his band Edguy have snickered at their antagonists since the late 90’s… and Edguy gets the last laugh every time. From my Metal research, it seems that Europe and Brazil really gets into Edguy big time, uh, I am just like Europe and Brazil with my Metal tastes then. It seems so obvious to me, by listening to Edguy’s catalog of albums, that they really dug the power and enthusiasm of 1980’s Heavy Metal Music. Thus they now turn around and record a live album that has that all encompassing, 1980’s Arena Heavy Metal thrill. By no means am I labeling Edguy as having a dated 1980’s sound about them, no way in Metal hell. I only want to point out that Edguy evokes a feel good emotion inside of me, rekindling some of the 1980’s Heavy Metal spirit that I so embraced. Tobias Sammet seems to write songs that are hook filled and melodically oozing from every crevice. F***ing With Fire Live is an Edguy album that I do give a F*** about.
My favorite Edguy song of all-time, Tears Of A Mandrake takes the Metal prize on this album, as well as Superheroes, Lavatory Love Machine and King Of Fools. The live versions of these Edguy songs only adds fuel to the intense Power Metal energy that they bestow. Tobias Sammet gets Avantasia into this set of songs as well, (from his side project Avantasia), it fits right into the Metal mix of this Edguy set list. The main theme I stress with F***ing With Fire Live is the consistent energy and emotion that Tobias Sammet seems to summon up within himself and his band. I don’t think you need to be an Edguy fan to actually hear and feel the excitement on this live album, then again, this Edguy album will have it’s detractors… so F***ing Metal be it. Tobias Sammet does become quite the talker during this concert. He takes his Metal time to introduce each band member, requests the crowd of Edguy fans to turn on their cell phone’s (and not their lighters), during the Power Metal ballad Save Me and thanks/compliments the fans of Sao Paulo, Brazil quite eloquently. Hey, this is a recorded – live concert for Metal sakes, these type of moments do occur during Heavy Metal shows, so F***ing Metal be it. At the end of the Metal day, I cannot listen to F***ing With Fire Live as a once through, nope, instead, each time I slap this double CD on I need to hear it a second time through too… so F***ing Metal be it.
Accept is a legendary Heavy Metal Band from Germany, blazing through the late 1970’s and releasing crushing Old School Heavy Metal right up until 1996. U.D.O. is the Heavy Metal brainchild from the iconic lead singer from Accept… Udo Dirkschneider. U.D.O. released their first studio album in 1987, with “Animal House”… in 1988 their second studio album released, titled “Mean Machine”. U.D.O. has released many albums over the years, with their latest studio effort being “Mastercutor”, released in 2007. I have and always will be a huge fan of Udo Dirkschneider, Accept was an incredible Heavy Metal band, they never wavered or catered to any musical flavor of the day, just 100% Heavy Metal albums they released back in the day. With Udo carrying on his grand Heavy Metal career with U.D.O., it only makes me psyched – knowing this legend is still around. Udo may not receive the glamourous adulation from the mainstream Rock press like Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Brian Johnson or Ozzy, however, he is just as important to the history of Heavy Metal as any of these lead singers are.
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