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TEN VERY UNCOOL HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL ALBUM COVERS

Posted in album covers, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, humor, lists, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 1, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

I don’t advertise myself to be an “expert” in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal album cover design. Nor am I a photography expert either. What I do know is this… a Hard Rock or Heavy Metal album cover should entice fans or potential fans to buy the album. Skulls, flames, guitars, dragons, sword & sorcery, space aliens, monsters and the macabre is right up my Metal alley when it comes to album covers. You won’t find this cool stuff on the album covers below. Marketing Hard Rock and Heavy Metal should be simple, right? Well, that is not always the Metal case, as you shall see from the following list of ten very uncool album covers that I have compiled… just for you.

Years ago, I did earn a degree in Graphic Communications, therefore I think I know what cool Hard Rock and Heavy Metal album artwork is supposed to look like. Then again, what do I know? Some, if not many of the albums in this top ten list have probably sold millions of copies worldwide… so my opinion on these very uncool album covers is probably one big and smelly fart in the wind anyways.

Here are my Top Ten Very Uncool Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Album Covers, enjoy! Or, try to enjoy.

#10:

WHITE LION – BIG GAME (1989)

What this White Lion album cover really is… too many ideas that seemed to collide onto one front cover. You have The White House, some woods, a field and a lion. Wow… very compelling… where is there any darned hint of Hard Rock? Forget about any imagery of Heavy Metal… this entire image makes me want to fall asleep in a field somewhere. This album went Gold too… gee Metal whiz.

#9:

BREAKING BENJAMIN – SO COLD EP (2004)

Look, if I was to actually read all the jibber jabber on this Breaking Benjamin front cover, It would give me a migraine headache . The album cover eludes to So Cold being a “spoken word” EP for Metal sakes. I always thought tons of text was supposed to be found in the damned liner notes anyways. Despite this being an EP, it makes my list… so Metal be it.

#8:

MR. BIG – BUMP AHEAD (1993)

Ha, ha, hee. Was I supposed to laugh? Ahhhhhhh! Am I supposed to be frightened? What is this enormous man-head doing in the middle of a busy city street? Just another fine example of a genius and artsy idea gone astray. I can’t find any hidden and profound message in this album cover art either. Some linkage to Mr. Big being tied into Hard Rock and commercial Heavy Metal would have helped here.

#7:

BON JOVI – LOST HIGHWAY (2007)

Gosh, just what I need to look at… some strangers cluttered dashboard. No semblance of Rock ‘N’ Roll in this front cover pic. Lost Highway is a perfect title for this Bon Jovi album… for the art direction became totally lost in the creation of this album cover. Plus, as a bonus… it is IMPOSSIBLE for a highway to become lost! Grammatically incorrect alert!! Yeah, yeah, yeah… Bon Jovi gets the last laugh here, due to his selling a million albums a month. This cover still stinks though.

#6:

SAXON – INNOCENCE IS NO EXCUSE (1985)

What appears to be a teenaged girl eating an apple… well, it’s not cool. What’s the point? It’s NOT Heavy Metal either. Adding the Saxon logo that’s carved into the apple is just plain ridiculous too. This Saxon album cover does not advertise head banging music heard within at all. A superiorly unimpressive album cover from a band that I really, really like… what a Metal shame.

#5:

VIXEN – LIVE & LEARN (2006)

Whoa! This Vixen album cover just SCREAMS Heavy Metal! Look out! Vixen looks so thrilled doing this cover shot too. Sorry, I don’t buy the connection of the front cover photo to the album title either. This album cover is simply boring and boring again. Did I mention it was boring?

#4:

KILLER DWARFS – BIG DEAL (1988)

Um, uh, yup.

#3:

NICKELBACK – CURB (2002 reissue alternate cover)

Well, at least we now know where Bon Jovi got his inspiration for the anti-amazing Lost Highway album cover. If I am not mistaken, this road really needs some traffic… and Curb really needs a new album cover.

#2:

GUNS N’ ROSES – “THE SPAGHETTI INCIDENT?” (1993)

This Guns N’ Roses album cover does not make me yearn for opening and eating a can of Spaghettio’s. I actually lose my appetite for half a day each time I stare at this album cover. I’d rather look at any and all of the Cannibal Corpse album covers before I look at this disgustingly stale spaghetti on this album cover. Again, I am so wowed at the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal imagery found here.

#1:

AEROSMITH – GET A GRIP (1993)

Voila! Here it is! What I consider to be the upmost in uncool… an F’n pierced cow udder. This is so Rock ‘N’ Roll. NOT. The fake Aerosmith branding into the side of this cow only makes matters worse. What were everyone involved with creating this album cover thinking? Yeah… just as the album title states, the culprits involved in the decision making of this extremely uncool album cover should… get a grip.

Stone.

15 Comments »

JUDAS PRIEST “TURBO” – 1986 ALBUM IN MY METAL RETROSPECT

Posted in Album Review, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, heavy metal songs, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

JUDAS PRIEST – Turbo was released on Columbia Records, back on April 14, 1986. This Turbo album, is my least favorite Judas Priest album. There. I said it. Now, does that mean I would never listen to Turbo ever again? Of course not. By process of Metal elimination, there has to be my least favorite Judas Priest album… Turbo unfortunately gets the Metal nod for being the one. I revere Judas Priest… they are and always shall be a core band of mine. Therefore, I am not about to pick apart an album where they chose to experiment with synthesizers and melody. I have and always shall accept Turbo for what it is… a detour during the unreal and great legacy of Judas Priest.

Let’s face it, Turbo has eventually become not the drastic detour that Judas Priest would ever undertake. Nostradamus released in 2008, is a far superior musical detour than Turbo. I really feel that this Nostradamus album has motivated me to embrace the maturation process of Metal bands that I uphold. I find the Nostradamus album to be an exquisite listen in not just Metal… it’s an exquisite listen in music period. Well, not to get off the Metal track here… back to Turbo.

I remember buying the Turbo album, (on vinyl), along with Ozzy Osbourne’s album from 1986 – The Ultimate Sin. It was an early Spring day back in 1986 when I bought these two albums together… I was Metal psyched. I eventually upgraded both Turbo and The Ultimate Sin to CD… and I still have The Ultimate Sin on CD, Turbo I sold for a few bucks years ago. Now, regardless of looking upon Turbo as my least favorite Judas Priest album… I uncannily miss having it around. I do have easy access to the song Turbo Lover, it’s on a Judas Priest “Greatest Hits” CD I have:

The Best Of Judas Priest: Living After Midnight

This “Best Of” CD really is power packed with some vintage Judas Priest songs and worth owning, especially if you have “holes” in your Judas Priest album/CD collection.

I will admit, the song Parental Guidance used to get me psyched out. It was the whole anti-establishment and anti-authority thing happening in my brain back then. I still stand strongly behind this song’s anti-censorship theme. I’ve read that this song was Judas Priest taking a direct aim at the constipated PMRC… if true, a Metal kudos to The Priest!

The Turbo album does rekindle some cool memories for me though… man, this CD was always cranked up to the max at every keg party I hosted, back around 1986 – 1988. There always was someone who wanted to hear Turbo back then at my parties… it was popular for the first few years or so it seemed. When I do hear the song Turbo Lover now, it reminds me of those hot Summer nights back in the late 80’s. No, not that kind of “hot Summer night”… this song really reminds me of hanging out on a hot and humid Summer night and drinking beer. Go F’n figure.

So there you have it… I consider Turbo as my least favorite Judas Priest album ever, the album as a whole reminds me of keg parties I hosted as a much younger dude and Turbo Lover reminds me of hot and humid Summer nights of hanging out and drinking beer. Throw in the fact that I kinda miss owning Turbo too. I guess I couldn’t be more Metal honest than that.

“I’M YOUR TUBO LOVER… TELL ME THERE’S NO OTHER”… NOW, SOMEONE PASS ME A COLD ONE. PLEASE.

LONG LIVE JUDAS PRIEST!

Stone.

21 Comments »

MOUNTAIN – Masters Of War: A Cover Song Album Of Bob Dylan Classics

Posted in classic rock, classic rock music, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 28, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

MOUNTAIN – This decade spanning and generation jumping, Hard Rock and early years Heavy Metal band known to us all as Mountain, released their eighth studio album – Masters Of War, on Big Rack Records, back in 2007. Founding member and lead vocalist Leslie West sounds as formidable as ever on vocals. With lifelong band mate and drummer Corkey Laing by his side, Leslie West  had carried the heavy, bluesy and Classic Hard Rock sound of Mountain straight into 2007 and beyond. Leslie and Corky are Hard Rock and Heavy Metal pioneers: personified, signed, sealed and delivered.

Masters Of War is an album devoted to Bob Dylan cover songs. Bob Dylan, a super historic figure in the history of all music. As impressive is the list of music genres that Bob Dylan has crossed over, equally or more impressive is his song writing. Without a doubt in my Metal mind… Bob Dylan is a living legend of song. What better musician and songwriter for Mountain to dedicate a complete album of covers? Masters Of War is a listen into two incredible worlds of music, the first being song writing excellence and the second being Heavy, Hard Rock excellence.

Leslie West, Corky Laing and Bob Dylan have paved the Rock ‘N’ Roll highway for generations to navigate and enjoy. Step in Ozzy Osbourne… one of Heavy Metal’s living legends, a Heavy Metal pioneer himself. Leslie West and Ozzy Osbourne share lead vocals, a duet if you will, on the heavy cover song Masters Of War. The combination of these two icons of Heavy Music makes for a song of historical Rock importance, in my Metal opinion. Just a great song, sung by two vocalists that have entertained my Metal ears for decades.

Choosing a favorite song from Masters Of War is a task, the totality of genuine Hard Rockin’ greatness makes for an overwhelming listen for me. If you are looking to shake loose the hidden and locked up boogie woogie Rock ‘N’ Roll side of you… then let me recommend multiple listens to Everything Is Broken. Mountain grabs my boogie woogie soul while I listen to this song and wakes it up, shakes it around and reminds it – that there really are times when you have to get down to the tune that’s Rockin’. Metal as my witness, Everything Is Broken is brought to life again by Mountain.

Subterranean Homesick Blues will have you foot stomping, head nodding and shuffling those shoulders of yours uncontrollably. If this song does not have that type of affect on you, then please check into the clinic that is called – “No Rock ‘N’ Roll Exists In My Soul”. Tell ’em Stone from Metal Odyssey sent your sorry, mellow, lame butt there too.

Taking into account, the Rock historic significance of Bob Dylan and Mountain, it’s only fitting that these two music legends came full circle in the songs heard on Masters Of War. As I listen to Mr. Tambourine Man, I am awe struck at this songs importance to the early culture of Rock Music in America. At the end of my Metal day, it’s those pioneering Rock legends of yesteryear that remind me just how all it all started. Through these Bob Dylan cover songs on Mountain’s Masters Of War, I’m reacquainted once again with Rock and Roll history.

* Corky Laing is the lead vocalist and plays drums on Like A Rolling Stone. The combination of only vocals and drums on this cover song, serves up for a cool and modern listen of this classic song.

* Warren Haynes, (Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band), plays lead guitar on Serve Somebody and guitar on The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Track Listing For Masters Of War:

Masters Of War

Serve Somebody

Blowin’ In The Wind (Heavy)

Everything Is Broken

Highway 61 Revisisted

This Heart Of Mine

Subterranean Homesick Blues

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Seven Days

Mr. Tambourine Man

Like A Rolling Stone

Blowin’ In The Wind (Acoustic)

LONG LIVE MOUNTAIN.

LONG LIVE BOB DYLAN.

Stone.

5 Comments »

KROKUS “HOODOO” – CASTS A HARD ROCKIN’ & HEAVY METAL CLASSIC SPELL!

Posted in classic rock, classic rock music, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, hard rock songs, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal legends, heavy metal music, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal songs, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

KROKUS – The new album from Switzerland’s greatest Heavy Music achievement is available as an import right now… and I landed my copy yesterday. Metal buddy – Metal Mark over at the super cool Heavy Metal Time Machine had received one too many copies from the record company to review… he was Metal kind enough to pose the Metal question to me: “you want one”? Of course, my Metal answer was a resounding YES! Thanks Metal Mark!

Usually, I tend to do album reviews in say… 500 to sometimes, 900 or more words. I like to blab about music… Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Music just gets my Metal brain working at top speed while I write about it… Metal be thy name. Then, there are those times when I listen to an album and it is like… whoa, what can I possibly say or write other than holy crap, this is great stuff! Enter… Hoodoo.

From the onset, it is Classic Krokus. No Midnite Maniac stuff happening here on Hoodoo, this is back to the days of One Vice At A Time and Headhunter here. I like the late 80’s Krokus and the very recent Hellraiser album from 2006. Rock The Block from 2003 Rocked my Metal world! Plus, I will still crank up Midnite Maniac very loud… Metal truth be told. Yet, Hoodoo is different… Classic different! This is the Classic lineup of Krokus as well, therefore, Hoodoo was destined to sound so damn great.

I’ve been a big pushover for the song Hoodoo Woman, ever since I first heard it and saw the music video over at Hard Rock Hideout. In My Blood gets my Metal motor revving on high too… I feel like Krokus has given their fans the elixir for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal super bliss. Excuse me please, while I come across as a lifelong Krokus fan. Can’t F’n help it.

Dirty Street just keeps coming at me with that beat and repeat… Old School never sounded so unreal cool. The Steppenwolf cover song – Born To Be Wild is point blank perfect for this Hoodoo album. As I stated earlier, this is one of those albums where I’m cutting it short and telling it like it is… this Hoodoo album ROCKS!

AS KROKUS THEMSELVES, SO METAL ELOQUENTLY PUT IT…

THE PAST IS BACK TO KICK OUR ASS!!

… AND THE HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL PAST CAN KICK MY ASS ANY DAY!

KROKUS as they appear on HOODOO:

Marc Storace – lead vocals

Chris Von Rohr – bass, vocals

Fernando Von Arb – lead guitars, vocals

Mark Kohler – rhythm guitar

Freddy Steady – drums

Track Listing For HOODOO:

Drive It In

HOODOO Woman

Born To Be Wild

Rock ‘N’ Roll Handshake

Ride Into The Sun

Too Hot

In My Blood

Dirty Street

Keep Me Rolling

Shot Of Love

Firestar

* HOODOO was produced by Chris Von Rohr

LONG LIVE KROKUS!

Stone.

5 Comments »

EDGUY “LAVATORY LOVE MACHINE” – CD SINGLE FROM 2004 THAT’S OUT OF PRINT!

Posted in hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, power metal bands, power metal music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

EDGUY – Released their CD single Lavatory Love Machine back on June 21st, 2004, on Nuclear Blast Records. I purchased this cool EDGUY CD single about two years ago, on the Century Media Records website… CM Distro. Now, Lavatory Love Machine is out of print, still I have currently seen it for sale both new and used through Amazon.com.

For anyone unfamiliar with EDGUY, they are a Power Metal/Heavy Metal band from Germany. EDGUY could have easily fit right into the mid to late 80’s Heavy Metal mix – for their sound has all the trappings of Old School flavor… in my Metal opinion. From 1997 thru 2009, EDGUY has released eight studio albums, two live albums, three CD singles, two EP’s and two compilation/greatest hits albums.

I do like to collect the rare and out of print albums, cassettes and CD’s of my favorite bands. Many times, I have no Metal clue that a particular title is even out of print… until I stumble on an article or online music retail store that expresses those magic words: product discontinued by manufacturer.

The single Lavatory Love Machine is from the 2004 EDGUY studio album – Hellfire Club. This song has all the power driven, Arena style Heavy Metal that the late 80’s was famous for. An acoustic version of Lavatory Love Machine is on this single as well, of course it is much more mellow and toned down. I’ll Cry For You is an acoustic ballad as well, it showcases the open approach that lead vocalist Tobias Sammet has taken musically, throughout his entire career, with EDGUY. This is a band that can slam it down unreal heavy and still sound great (and cool) doing the soft stuff.

Reach Out is another… ballad. More on the “power” ballad side, Reach Out I gravitate towards courtesy of Tobias Sammet… I really like the believable emotion his vocals radiate on this song. There is no guitar, bass or drums on Reach Out, just some inspiring keyboards and piano. The “power” of this song is derived from Tobias Sammet’s vocals, in my Metal opinion.

I sound like a broken record when stating that I’m not the big ballad dude, only there are those times where I do listen to them, they fall into my lap so to speak. Keeping an open Metal mind is what I try to do and if the ballad works for my ears, then Metal be thy name.

* The music video for Lavatory Love Machine is also on this CD single, I’d swear it was a late 80’s music video due to it’s Old School approach. A fun video to watch!

* I’ll Cry For You is a cover song originally found on the Europe album from 1991 – Prisoners in Paradise.

* Tracks 1 thru 3 can also be found on the 2008 EDGUY album – The Singles.

* Reach Out can be found on the Japanese import version of EDGUY – Rocket Ride, released in 2006. Lavatory Love Machine (Acoustic Version) is found on this same Japanese version of Rocket Ride too. It gets very confusing, when tracking down when specific songs were released and on what album!

Track Listing For Lavatory Love Machine:

1. Lavatory Love Machine

2. Lavatory Love Machine (Acoustic Version)

3. I’ll Cry For You – (Europe Cover Song)

4. Reach Out

Lavatory Love Machine – (video clip) – complete music video

EDGUY, as they appeared on the Lavatory Love Machine CD Single:

Tobias Sammet – vocals

Jens Ludwig – guitar & backing vocals

Dirk Sauer – guitar & backing vocals

Tobias “Eggi” Exxel – bass & backing vocals

Felix Bohnke – drums, percussion

* Frank Tischer – plays piano on Reach Out. It is my best Metal guess, that Tobias Sammet plays keyboards on Reach Out, no documentation can be found in the liner notes to support this Metal guess however.

Stone.


1 Comment »

M3 ROCK FESTIVAL, JUNE 19TH 2010 AND I’M THERE!!

Posted in Hair Metal, hair metal bands, hair metal music, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, heavy metal legends, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

M3 ROCK FESTIVAL – On June 19th, 2010, the M3 Rock Festival once again returns… and this year I’m there! I already received my two tickets through the “snail mail” this past Friday and with that… it is Metal official! What a glorious day of Rock ‘N’ Roll it shall be. Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Hair Metal fans unite! The juicy part of this entire M3 Rock Festival is that the unreal legendary Scorpions will be headlining! Getting an opportunity to see this historic Heavy Metal band on their farewell tour is a Metal privilege I shall cherish forever.

My other ticket for M3 will be for my best Metal buddy – Scott Coverdale. With all of his Metal research and CD’s he has uncovered for Metal Odyssey to jump up and down about… he deserves my buying his ticket. Plus, I’ll even splurge for the room and board Coverdale needs too… he is traveling from very expensive Connecticut to Pennsylvania, then he is driving my Metal lovin’ behind down to M3. That’s a Metal buddy.

I’m looking forward to meeting up with my other Metal buddies from Hard Rock Hideout too! Rob Rockitt, Brian Basher, and Ryo Vie are on board. I have already met up with Ryo Vie, he and I checked out Charm City Devils and Pop Evil together back in March of this year… he has a cool blog too called – The Rock and Roll Guru.

Just take a Metal looksie at the outrageously cool lineup of bands that will be Rockin’ the M3 Rock Festival… as I mentioned, headlining is the Scorpions, with Cinderella, Vince Neil, Kix, L.A. Guns, Winger, Warrant, Nelson, Jetboy, Trixter, Bang Tango, Dizzy Reed, ZO2 and Black Mambooza! Now, the only band I’m not familiar with here is… Black Mambooza. Give me time… I’ll rectify that Metal situation soon.

In my Metal past, I have seen Cinderella, Winger and Vince Neil – (fronting the incredible Motley Crue that is). So, getting to M3 to see all of these bands in one day is a Metal dream come true. I anticipate a real cool and gooood time… with hopefully some very cool stories and pics from M3 to share to the Metal and Hard Rock family around the world! Trust me, I’ll get the memories out on Metal Odyssey!

* The M3 Rock Festival is held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, Maryland.

* For more info and ticket info about the 2010 M3 Rock Festival, click the link below:

M3 Rock Festival 2010

LONG LIVE AMERICAN ROCK FESTIVALS!

Stone.

7 Comments »

AIDEN “RAIN IN HELL” EP – FEATURES MISFITS AND BILLY IDOL COVERS

Posted in alternative rock bands, alternative rock music, gothic metal bands, gothic metal music, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, horror punk, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, punk rock music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

AIDEN – released the EP, Rain In Hell on October 31, 2006, on Victory Records. Rain In Hell is a CD/DVD, with 6 songs on the CD. I have always taken a liking to Aiden, they exhibit a menagerie of genres with their music… in essence, Aiden is a Heavy Alternative Rock Band, in my Metal opinion. When Rain In Hell was released, I was thrilled to see they covered a classic Misfits song – Die Die My Darling. Of course the original Misfits version of Die Die My Darling can never be topped, still Aiden does a respectable job at covering this song. The all encompassing Punk and raw sound, with attitude, is captured by Aiden, giving credibility to the reason they covered Die Die My Darling in the first place.

Aiden can take a Metal bow for their cover of White Wedding, the incredibly famous Post Punk meets New Wave song, written and recorded by the legendary Billy Idol. White Wedding first appeared on Billy Idol’s 1982 debut and self titled album. Aiden does not try to reinvent the Rock ‘N’ Roll wheel with their cover version of White Wedding, the tempo is stepped up a bit with Aiden’s trademark angst, otherwise it’s an alternate listen that won me over the very first time it invaded my ears.

I have to give Aiden credit for tackling both a Misfits and Billy Idol song to cover. To point at both of these cover songs as feature tracks on Rain In Hell is not a falsehood. WiL Francis on lead vocals comes across with Punk Rock legitimacy on the cover songs, making them all the more a credible listen.

There are four other songs on this Rain In Hell EP that are Aiden originals. A Candlelight (Intro) is a melancholy and flat out spooky song that runs as an instrumental for the first half of the song, with thunder and lightning atmospherics added in, a chilling theme it is… then WiL Francis steps in with Gothic illuminated vocals, with the lyrical theme about lighting candles and showing the world were all lined up to die, backed up with a Horror Punk chorus chant. Hey, this Aiden CD isn’t called Rain In Hell for nothing!

Silent Eyes is an acoustic song that visits the world of extreme depression and complete despair. If you are not familiar with this song, it is not one that you want to play loud, on your first date… you will probably scare away any potential long lasting or even short lasting relationship! Aw, heck, what am I saying? I’m the dude that adores Death Metal and Black Metal… this song lyrically is no stranger to my extreme listening ears. At the end of the Metal day, I like the acoustic guitar paired up with WiL Francis’s emotion filled and alternative laced vocals.

We Sleep Forever exemplifies the melodic side of Aiden, while being hard around the edges. The breakdown midway only seems to accentuate this songs lyrical theme of what I interpret as suicide… whether it’s emotional or physical. Aiden touches on the human side of emotion and despair, of a more extreme and delicate topic with We Sleep Forever.

The bonus DVD proves to be just that, with the following footage:

These songs were filmed live at House Of Blues in Chicago, IL, during the Never Sleep Again Tour in December of 2006: Knife Blood Nightmare, The Last Sunrise, Die Romantic, I Set My Friends On Fire, World By Storm.

Three music video’s included are: Knife Blood Nightmare, The Last Sunrise and Die Romantic. Four live video’s included are: The Last Sunrise, Die Romantic, Unbreakable and I Set My Friends On Fire.

Aiden, as they appeared on Rain In Hell:

WiL Francis – lead vocals, piano

Angel Ibarra – lead guitar, backing vocals

Nick Wiggins – bass, backing vocals

Jake Davison – drums & percussion

Jake Wambold – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Stone.

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MORPHINE KILLER “NIGHTMARES” EP – UNLEASHES UNREAL METAL EXTREMITY!

Posted in Extreme Metal, extreme metal bands, extreme metal music, gothic metal bands, gothic metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 23, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

MORPHINE KILLER – released their Nightmares EP back in October of 2009, on Final Breath Records. What makes this duo of Belle Roka, ( Vocals, Keyboards) and Eski, (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums) stand out is their undying Extreme Metal delivery… which is all structured and written quite well on the five songs heard on this Nightmares EP. Morphine Killer has incorporated all the dark ambiance within their heavy riffs and cyclone guitar leads… just one listen to Clutching Defeat should make the non-believers fall to their weakened knees. Eski exhalts his no compromise Extreme vocals to a prolific level of Metal Grind purity.

With Eski and Belle sharing vocal duties, it’s soft harmony and a swift, crushing extreme blow to my Metal ears that keeps me coming back for more. Morphine Killer has incorporated a mix of Metal genres into their one-two Extreme thunder strike… with convincing and serious results. I have posted the song Pride Comes Before A Fall, on April 15, 2010, realizing that Belle’s luringly tender vocals sucks me into the Extreme Metal explosiveness that their music brandishes. Listening to this Morphine Killer – Nightmares EP is like entering valley of the Extreme Metal grooves, not one song replicates the other, each Metal corner turned seems to be better than the last.

One listen to Home and I can envision Morphine Killer opening for Kittie… and that would be a killer show of Metal proportions. Can I make a fair comparison of Belle Roka to Morgan Lander of Kittie? I certainly can, despite each being unique vocalists… this comparison is a compliment to both of these Metal divas. The influence nod to Classic Rock icon Heart is posted on Morphine Killer’s myspace music page… and I can understand why, each time I hear Belle sing. What is refreshing about Morphine Killer is that they apparently are climbing the Metal ladder the old school way, with their obvious musical talent guiding them each Extreme step of the way.

She’s Slipping Away opens up with a Traditional Metal approach, doom ridden riffs and thunderous drum beats are sewn with a quaking bass that only becomes more deliriously addicting once Belle begins to vocalize the lyrics. Oh, yes, you better watch your Metal back however, the semi-growling and sneering backing vocals are evident courtesy of Eski… dark, creepy and a necessary Metal musical additive. I’m a sucker for the emotions that a keyboard can bring to music. Belle adds just this to She’s Slipping Away, with melancholy atmospherics in the background.

In Silent Agony concludes this Nightmares EP and does so with an Extreme Metal exclamation point. Eski is showcased on vocals throughout In Silent Agony, jumping out from the onset like a catastrophic furnace blast… no warning… and I’m not running, just consumed with Extreme satisfaction, Metal be thy name.

We live on a planet where there are quite a few Metal bands doing their thing and going with the flow… Morphine Killer is doing their thing alright, only their sound and diversity pushes them out in front of the up and coming Metal pack. Anytime a young Metal band creates quality songs through musical talent, while embedding slivers of Old School, I’m going to Metal endorse them to the fullest. It should not take the Metal world too long to grasp with their ears what Morphine Killer is creating here, a Metal sound that encompasses the dark and the light… which makes this Metal fanatic Extremely pleased with their discovery.

* You can purchase Morphine Killer – Nightmares EP directly on the Morphine Killer website or at Amazon.com.

MORPHINE KILLER – Official Website

Stone.

3 Comments »

OZZY OSBOURNE – “SPEAK OF THE DEVIL” 1982 LIVE ALBUM WAS ONCE BANNED!

Posted in hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal awards, heavy metal music, heavy metal news, metal odyssey, Music, people, personal stories, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 23, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

OZZY OSBOURNE – released his very first solo live album Speak Of The Devil back on November 27, 1982. I remember getting excited about this new Ozzy album coming out… it was live… it was Ozzy! My late sister Christine, she worked at a department store named Stars back in 1982. This Stars department store sold just about anything and everything, it was a store where you could find faucet washers or chain link that no other hardware store carried. From tampons to cookies to records, Stars had it all! It was our Walmart before we had… a Walmart. Well, this store did not have a very bright store manager… as you will soon find out.

You see, I asked my sister back in late November of 1982, if she could pick me up the new Ozzy Osbourne album for me… Speak Of The Devil. She said it would be no problem at all. Well, it did become a problem. Apparently, the store manager of Stars decided he wanted to “play the dictator card” and ban the Speak Of The Devil album from being sold at Stars. My sister was just as miffed at this as I was back then. She told me, “he” (the store manager), did not like Ozzy Osbourne and abhorred the album cover artwork of Speak Of The Devil, therefore, he did not want this album or any Ozzy Osbourne album for that matter, sold at Stars. The guy was a first class moron, a first rate censorship warlord.

I won’t mention this idiot managers name, (just to protect any of his embarrassed family members). However, his daughter did go to my high school, was a year or two younger than me and she was… a Metalhead. Poor girl, to have a dip-crap father like that… it’s no wonder she didn’t go insane. Plus, this censor police chief of a store manager wore… get this… polyester pants and… turtlenecks. F’n turtlenecks! That is probably where my absolute hatred for turtlenecks was sown. Turtleneck traumatized was I, at a very young age. Seeing that fart face store manager pacing up front of that store, man, the memory is so damned vivid now. Excuse me please, I think I want to go puke right now.

Anyway, to make a sad censorship story better… I did get my hands on Speak Of The Devil at a very non-censored store called Strawberries Records & Tapes. Kiss my Metal butt Stars and your third world nation store manager. My trips to Stars did continue even years after this censorship “issue” with the Speak Of The Devil and all Ozzy Osbourne albums. Stars later named another dude as store manager and he was cool. As for the censorship addict that once reigned as store manager there… well, I don’t really know what happened to him and really don’t give a maggot infested, moose crap either.

Heavy Metal took a beating back in the early days, especially the 1980’s, with censorship jackasses. Maybe this former store manager of Stars became a fan of the overly constipated PMRC? One never knows. All I know is that censorship is creepy, scary and wrong. Censorship of music, art, books or any other “freedom of speech” that America takes for granted has happened and can still happen at any time. Censorship is probably happening right now, in some shape or form, in yes… America. Freedom is fragile, sometimes it is too easy to forget that.

Granted, this story may come across as a “micro” incident in small town America, too long ago to even blink an eye at. Don’t be fooled… history does have a funny way of unfortunately repeating itself.

LONG LIVE ARTISTIC FREEDOM!

AND OZZY OSBOURNE TOO.

Stone.

9 Comments »

RATT – “INFESTATION” IS RATTASTIC RATT ‘N’ ROLL!

Posted in hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 21, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

RATT –  O.k., so I bought the new RATT album, um, CD yesterday, on it’s release date of April 20, 2010. Take my Metal word for it… RATT is BACK! Infestation has exceeded my Metal expectations and I am a better Metalhead for it. Actually, I’m in a damn good and cool mood because of this new RATT CD. That’s exactly what these new songs on Infestation does to me, they put me in an – everything is really fine in my world mood. No kidding. Take for example, today… as I drove around the city trying to accomplish some errands, I was cut-off and slighted by many self-entitled, turtleneck wearing, plastic people in their cars. Ah, did I care? Nope. I had the new RATT – Infestation blasting away in my car! All is well with the Metal world!

My favorite song on Infestation is, without a single Metal doubt in my Metal mind… as good as it gets. Whoa, this is RATT 2010 and I’m really, really, psyched out of my Metal skull about this song! While I have listened to this entire Infestation CD, I have come to the realization that this is NOT a RATT CD that needs to be listened to numerous times, in order to make an opinion on. Infestation will either grab your 1980’s Hard Rock and Hair Metal soul or it won’t. RATT has come out swinging, with 11 new songs that exemplify all the great things I remember about this band. Melodic, catchy and Hard & Heavy… RATT ‘N’ ROLL.

Stephen Pearcy has not lost any of his cool swagger with his vocals. Carlos Cavazo can still contribute like a Metal whiz kid, with writing music and playing guitar. Warren DeMartini has not skipped a beat as a lead guitarist. Bobby Blotzer hits the skins on Infestation like his life depends on it. Robbie Crane has arrived and conquered on bass. Metal be thy name. Holy crap, RATT was not fooling around with this comeback album.

Some may point the finger at me and say… “hey, dude, your on a RATT high”. My Metal response to such a remark is… damn right I am. Music… Hard Rock and Heavy Metal… are an all natural high for me or any human being to enjoy in life. RATT – Infestation is the new high on the Metal street. Gimme, gimme, gimme more sir. So lest it be written, so lest it be known, right here on Metal Odyssey, on this very day… that this calendar year of 2010 has been… RATTIFIED.

And I’m Metal gratified.

There always was and will be, those nay sayers out there that just don’t like RATT. Well, I don’t like sushi. I like my damn fish cooked please. For those Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fans out there, who do like RATT, love RATT or are just infatuated with this band since their RATT EP came out in 1983… rejoice and accept the rattaholic status you are currently in.

My name is Stone… and I’m a Rattaholic.

After one listen through with Infestation, you are either with the Ratt Pack or out of the Ratt Pack. If your out, there are plenty of ABBA, Jim Nabors and Boxcar Willie albums out there for you to, uh, enjoy. Or, instead, watch some reruns of Dr. Phil.

I feel like I’m on a roll today… RATT ‘N’ ROLL that is.

Track Listing For Infestation:

eat me up alive

best of me

a little too much

look out below

last call

lost weekend

as good as it gets

garden of eden

take a big bite

take me home

don’t let go

* RATT – Infestation was released on RoadRunner Records.

LONG LIVE RATT ‘N’ ROLL!

TURTLENECKS ARE NOT COOL. NOT AT ALL.

Stone.



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ASIA – REFLECTING ON THIER 1982 PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUM DEBUT

Posted in classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, progressive rock, progressive rock bands, progressive rock music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

ASIA – in March of 1982, the debut and self-titled album of this Progressive Rock supergroup was released unto the world… with a little help from Geffen Records. Being a sophomore in high school in ’82, I had my musical tastes ranging from Judas Priest to The Electric Light Orchestra with Cheap Trick, AC/DC and Foreigner in between. KISS of course, ruled my teenage planet. So when I first heard ASIA being played on my favorite FM radio stations, I instantly took a major liking to their sound. My infatuation with ELO and The Moody Blues made it very easy for me to embrace ASIA as a young teen… I can thank my late sister Christine for getting me “into” the Moody Blues.

Learning very quickly, that YES guitar great Steve Howe was in ASIA, just gave me the hint that this supergroup was to be reckoned with. I knew of some YES songs, thanks of course to FM once again. I did not own a YES album at all, back in ’82… yes, I do look back in disbelief over that one. It seemed as if everyone else I knew, had at least one YES album to boast of back then. With Carl Palmer on drums, I was familiar with his name being equated to the legendary Progressive Rock band – Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Once again though, I did not own a single Emerson, Lake and Palmer album in 1982 either.

When I learned that bass guitarist John Wetton was formerly with the incredibly diverse King Crimson, it was once again, a Rock Music history lesson for me. What took the Rock and Roll cake for me, upon learning quickly about the members of ASIA, was that Geoff Downes was half part of the New Wave sensation called – The Buggles! Just about every kid I knew, back in 1980, had heard the song – Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles. Heck, Video Killed The Radio Star was actually the very first music video that MTV aired on August 1, 1981! Now, if that isn’t Rock and Roll history… then I don’t know what is!

Well, with all of the ASIA band history aside, it was actually very fun for this sixteen year old in 1982, in becoming more informed about other great Rock bands, that were an indirect part of the formation of ASIA. For the life of me however, I just could not believe how astoundingly textured, layered and inspirational the songs sounded on this very first ASIA album. The bonus was that this debut ASIA album Rocked my ears off of this sixteen year old too! I singled out the song – Sole Survivor… very quickly. I must have dropped the turntable needle onto that Sole Survivor song… more times than I could ever imagine! That section of vinyl that Sole Survivor represented on the album, was for certain, the most worn!

Despite the FM airplay that Sole Survivor, Heat of the Moment and Only Time Will Tell received back in 1982 and into the years ahead, I never wavered away from playing them, in their entirety, on my turntable. As it stands to this very day in 2010, my favorite song from this ASIA album is Wildest Dreams. I like to reminisce about the ultra Classic Rock albums of the past, especially the one’s that made the biggest impact on my music loving life. ASIA is an ultra Classic Rock album for me. I can remember losing my thoughts, amidst the Progressive Rock brilliance of this amazing album. As I look back upon this ASIA album now, it was like music therapy for me as a sixteen year old.

Why I feel this ASIA album has stood the test of Rock Music time, is simply two words: quality musicianship. Once the quality is instilled, the rest seems to always fall into place, regardless of what project is being discussed. The songs on this ASIA album soothed, inspired and yes, as I stated before, Rocked me. I did realize at the time, back in 1982, what a profound Rock Music family tree that ASIA embodied. What I did not realize back in 1982, was that I would carry the same ecstatic feelings and emotions for this ASIA album so many years later into my life… and then be writing about it for the whole world to read in 2010, in an unbelievably vast place called the world wide web.

LONG LIVE ASIA!

Stone.

8 Comments »

ARMORED SAINT – “CHILLED” SONG FROM “LA RAZA” ALBUM CHILLS AND THRILLS MY METAL SOUL

Posted in hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

ARMORED SAINT – released their brilliant comeback album La Raza on March 16, 2010. An Old School Heavy Metal with shades of Hard Rock album is La Raza, an unreal quality listen. My favorite song on La Raza is Chilled. Currently, Chilled is a very strong candidate for Metal Odyssey’s song of the year. If I had to choose today, Chilled would be song of the year for 2010… Metal hands down. The lyrics coupled with the melodic totality of this song, just reaches into my Metal soul and shakes me up… in a most exhilarating way!

The vocals of John Bush with every second of Armored Saint’s music consistently heightens the emotion and realism of this song. I have not been this excited over one song in a very, very, long time.

If you have not listened to Chilled from La Raza just yet, here is your chance! As well written a song I have ever heard in my entire Metal life… in my Metal opinion. Just click on the box below and prepare to get Chilled! Oh, uh, don’t forget to play it LOUD too.

Armored Saint, as they appear on La Raza:

John Bush – vocals

Joey Vera – bass

Jeff Duncan – guitar

Phil Sandoval – guitar

Gonzo Sandoval – drums

Stone.

5 Comments »

D.R.I. – “CROSSOVER” ALBUM FROM 1987 REVISITED! “MILLENNIUM EDITION” RELEASES MAY 25, 2010!

Posted in hardcore bands, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, punk rock music, rock music, thrash metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

D.R.I. – (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) released Crossover back in 1987 on Metal Blade Records. To describe D.R.I. for those unfamiliar with them, they are an Old School Punk and Metal crossover Band that combined Thrash, Traditional Metal and thick Hardcore flavor with a Punk attitude to their overall sound. D.R.I. gets described as Crossover Thrash over the years too, which is just fine and Metal dandy with me. I can’t get too carried away here with the genre tags, just take my Metal word for it… D.R.I. is a Metal Band worth listening to. D.R.I. may not be the household name from the 1980’s, only they are as legit, credibly heavy and blue collar as any Metal or Extreme band that has walked upon planet Earth.

The Crossover album has always been a great listen for me, past and present. The extremities of Metal and Hardcore just seem to boil over on Crossover. Each time I listen to this D.R.I. album, I realize how closely linked Punk Rock and Metal really are, I get that same feeling each time I listen to the legendary Misfits as well. D.R.I. was not looking for any commercial hugs from the mainstream with their brand of Metal meets Hardcore, this band just blazed away with uncompromising attitude and astute, extreme musicianship.

D.R.I. has toured on and off, rather consistently for years, even into 2010, despite their last studio album Full Speed Ahead being released back in 1995. This is a band that would make my Metal day with a new studio album release… then again, their back catalog and especially Crossover, is a Metal and Extreme bounty that has and always will stand the test of time for me.

As I sunk my Metal ears into Crossover this past weekend, I found out once again, just how addicting D.R.I. really can be. After my third listen through to Crossover today, it felt like I opened up a can of Old School Extreme whoop ass, which slapped me in the face… and it set me straight.

** Crossover: Millennium Edition will be released on May 25, 2010, on Beer City Records!!

* Just a sample of where this CD is available for pre-order: You can pre-order Crossover: Millennium Edition on amazon.com and Best Buy.com. Amazon.com is selling it for $15.98 versus Best Buy.com’s price of $13.99… prices don’t include shipping.

* Check out all you need to know about D.R.I. by clicking on the two links below:

D.R.I. – myspace music page

D.R.I. Official Website

D.R.I. as they appeared on Crossover:

Kurt Brecht – vocals

Spike Cassidy – guitars

Josh Pappe – bass

Felix Griffin – drums

Track Listing For Crossover:

One:

Five Year Plan

Tear It Down

A Coffin

Probation

I.D.K.Y.

Decisions

Two:

Hooked

Go Die

Redline

No Religion

Fun & Games

Oblivion

* The word “dandy” was used on Metal Odyssey, in the first paragraph of this D.R.I. post.

Stone.

6 Comments »

KISS “UNMASKED” ALBUM POSTER FROM 1980 – CHECK IT OUT!

Posted in classic rock music, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

KISS – Back on May 20, 1980, Rock icons KISS released their 8th studio album – Unmasked. I honestly love this album, especially the songs Is That You?, Shandi, Naked City and She’s So European. I posted about how much I adore this KISS album back on September 3, 2009, you can check it out if you like by clicking the header below:

KISS “Unmasked” – 1980 album I listened to all Summer of 2009

This post is about the incredibly cool poster that came inside the album jacket of Unmasked. (Check out the pic below of me holding this KISS Unmasked poster gem). I never measured this poster for it’s exact dimensions, just by looking at the pic below will show you it’s big enough! I want to definitely frame this KISS Unmasked poster sometime soon. I’ve kept this poster safely tucked away within the Unmasked album jacket sleeve, along with the vinyl of course… since 1983!

I obtained this KISS Unmasked album and poster from a trade I made with a high school classmate… back in 1983. This dude wanted my Billy Squier – Emotions In Emotion album in exchange for this KISS Unmasked album! Back in 1983, when this dude requested this trade, I simply said… no problem! Man, it was a no brainer! I already had KISS Unmasked on 8 track… yes, 8 track, hey, this is 1983 we are discussing here. Therefore, my wanting KISS Unmasked on vinyl made perfect sense at the time… plus I knew the Unmasked poster was included with the trade too.

Don’t get me wrong, I really dig Billy Squier, always have and always will. That Emotions In Motion album is pretty solid, in my Metal opinion. Everybody Wants You and She’s A Runner are my two favorite songs from Emotions In Motion. However, this is a Metal trade that served me right!

I never hung this poster up on a wall, sounds crazy, yet I never had enough room to showcase all of my Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal favorites back in the ’80’s. As I look back now, I’m glad I never did hang up this poster, it probably would have gotten ruined from thumb tacks and sun rays beating on it. This KISS Unmasked poster has been carefully preserved within it’s respective Unmasked album jacket sleeve, after all these years.

Here’s what my KISS Unmasked poster looks like:

This KISS Unmasked poster still has a nice glossy sheen to it too.

Here is the front cover to my KISS Unmasked album. There is some wear along the edges and corners of the album jacket, it has has been played/enjoyed many a time over the years!

Here’s what the back cover of my KISS Unmasked album jacket looks like:

LONG LIVE KISS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!

Stone.

13 Comments »

REVOLVER MAGAZINE’S “THE ART OF HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL” SPECIAL ISSUE IS WORTH OWNING!

Posted in hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

REVOLVER MAGAZINE – has put out a very, very, cool special issue: The Art Of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal. This mag is out now and worth every Metal penny to own! Many past regular issues of Revolver, has included an article pertaining to the history behind a classic Heavy Metal or Hard Rock album cover. This history behind these album covers involves the artist and what thoughts, stories and details surrounded the artwork – from concept to finish. I always state… one can never take in enough Heavy Metal or Hard Rock history, this magazine is Metal knowledge that can only benefit me and you.

I came upon this Revolver Special Issue today, as I was grocery shopping at my local supermarket called Weis. Deciding to take a chance as I meandered down the magazine aisle, hoping that maybe, just maybe, there would be a worthy magazine to pick up, that covers the music I love… and I’m NOT talking about Rolling Stone either. That stroll down the magazine aisle served me right! There it was, this Revolver special issue, with Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie on the front cover… depicted from their vintage 1981 album cover Killers. The cover price for the magazine is $6.99 (U.S.)… not a shabby deal at all for Heavy Metal and Hard Rock history.

A sampling of album covers that are featured in this Revolver Magazine special issue are: Quite Riot – Metal Health, Megadeth – Peace Sells But Who’s Buying, Sepultura – Chaos A.D., Pantera – Far Beyond Drive, King Diamond – Abigail, Motorhead – Motorhead and Slayer – Reign In Blood. Whoa, unreal great and historic album covers all. A huge Metal kudos to Revolver Magazine for unleashing such a spectacular special issue!

If you can’t locate a copy of Revolver’s – The Art Of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal at retail, click on the link below that takes you right to Revolver’s website, where you can purchase it right there on their online store:

REVOLVER MAGAZINE

Stone.

5 Comments »

PETER STEELE – MAY HE REST IN PEACE

Posted in gothic metal music, hard rock music, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

1962 – 2010

REST IN PEACE, PETER STEELE.

Metal Odyssey extends condolences to Peter Steele’s family, band mates, friends and fans. Thank you for the music, Peter Steele. God Bless your soul.

Stone.

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MORPHINE KILLER – “PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL” – TAKE A METAL LISTEN!

Posted in extreme metal music, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Here is an up and coming Metal Band from California that crossed my Metal path on Wednesday… MORPHINE KILLER. This song you can listen to below, (by clicking on that magic You Tube box) – Pride Comes Before A Fall is from their Nightmares EP, released in October 2009. This song is heavy, with an infectious groove happening from the opening riff. With co-vocalists Belle Roko and Eski, this song shimmers with crooning and rages with Metal extremity as well. I hope you like this Morphine Killer song as much as I do… so give it a Metal listen and crank it LOUD mutha’s!!

I’ll be posting a larger review on Morphine Killer in the very near future… stay Metal tuned!

Morphine Killer is:

Belle Roko – vocals, keyboards

Eski – vocals, guitar, bass, drums

Find out more about Morphine Killer by clicking on this link below:

MORPHINE KILLER – Official Website

Stone.

1 Comment »

DEATHSTARS – “NIGHT ELECTRIC NIGHT” ILLUMINATES THE DARK SIDE OF HEAVY GOTHIC METAL

Posted in black metal music, gothic metal, gothic metal albums, gothic metal bands, hard rock music, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal music, Metal Reviews, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 14, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

DEATHSTARS – This Gothic/Industrial Metal band from Sweden has been stalking about the planet for several years now. Their first studio album Synthetic Generation had a 2003 European release. Termination Bliss followed in 2006 and now Night Electric Night has been available for your Metal listening enjoyment since January of 2009. Deathstars play and promote their Gothic and Industrial styles well, exhibiting their Black Metal influence and roots within their Metal.

Mark Of The Gun is my favorite track on Night Electric Night, it really grooves along with all of it’s ultra proficient Gothic and Industrial glory. Deathstars can deliver some heavy grooves within their Metal and that is one quality I like about this band. Lyrically, dark themes and topics are explored… of course. It’s very easy for me to embrace Deathstars affinity for melodic songs, as well as dynamic verses that keep their music interesting and far from boring.

Whiplasher Bernadotte on vocals makes the songs on Night Electric Night illuminate the dark qualities they encompass. It’s difficult for me to imagine any other vocal style attempting to sing these songs… this music was meant for Whiplasher to sing, undisputedly so. The Fuel Ignites is another standout song on Night Electric Night, seamlessly escalating a rhythmic flow, highlighted and enriched by very infectious keyboards.

The electronics/keyboards are incredibly necessary for Deathstars, adding a consistent, textured sound and feel that elevates each song to even darker majesty. Venus In Arms is standout song #3 for me, brandishing it’s stomping rhythm section, coinciding with the atmospherics, making for a semi-epic sound. Deathstars cohesiveness as a unit is their greatest strength. Your not going to hear riveting guitar solos, what you hear is guitar proficiency that melds within the layers of Deathstars Metal.

Gothic Metal, Industrial Metal and Extreme Metal fans surely know Deathstars by now… hopefully. If you are a fan of Metal Music and are looking for something new to order off the Metal menu, then Deathstars comes recommended by Metal Odyssey. Deathstars Night Electric Night is not an album you should listen to once and pass judgement on, there are just too many musical elements that need to be heard.

DEATHSTARS – as they appear on Night Electric Night:

Whiplasher Bernadotte – vocals

Nightmare Industries – guitars & electronics

Skinny Disco – bass

Cat Casino – guitars

Bone W. Machine – drums

* Night Electric Night was released on January 30, 2009, on Bieler Bros. Records.

* Night Electric Night was produced by Nightmare Industries.

Track Listing For Night Electric Night:

Chertograd

Night Electric Night

Death Dies Hard

Mark Of The Gun

Via The End

Blood Stains Blondes

Babylon

The Fuel Ignites

Arclight

Venus In Arms

Opium

Stone.

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SAIGON KICK – “THE LIZARD” 1992 ALBUM REVISITED!

Posted in hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 10, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

SAIGON KICK – Back in 1992, I did not buy this Saigon Kick album. Nor did I buy it in 2002 either. Instead, 19 years after it’s release, I bought The Lizard CD used at an indoor antiques market. The price set me back 3 dollars (American). I have always been familiar with the huge hit single/ballad – Love Is On The Way, it’s a good song, even though it’s still a ballad! The lyrics are positive and inspirational, so it’s not one of those ballads that makes me feel like the end is near and no one loves me.

For those who have no idea what Saigon Kick sounds like, this was a band that captured Rock, Hard Rock and mainstream Heavy Metal styles, while stitching in a bit of modern sound for their time. Mr. Big and Extreme are two bands that come to mind, when comparing Saigon Kick to any of their peers of the day. Extreme added plenty of funk to their hard & heavy sound back in the 90’s, yet Extreme also had the mainstream appeal and a smash hit ballad too with More Than Words, (1991). Mr. Big could play the hard & heavy songs too, while they also had the mellow ballad with To Be With You, (1991). Similarities sure, all three unique bands just the same.

The one song on The Lizard that I don’t quite understand is My Dog. This song is extremely short, (probably under one minute, I did not time it). My Dog has a heavy flair, still it tends to be out of place within The Lizard. Maybe My Dog meant something to lead vocalist/lyricist Matt Kramer or to guitarist Jason Bieler, who wrote the music. It would be interesting to find out the story behind the song… My Dog.

There are 16 songs on The Lizard, which is a commendable amount for a full studio album. The opening track – Cruelty, is an instrumental, filled with atmospherics of distant shouts. Cruelty also has a groovy guitar lead that makes for an interesting intro for this album. Sleep is also an instrumental, at track #11, acting as almost a necessary intro to All I Want. Another positive song lyrically, All I Want was another popular song from Saigon Kick, heard just about everywhere back around 1992.

Saigon Kick does let loose the hard and heavy with songs such as: The Lizard, All Alright, Miss Jones and Body Bags. All Alright and Body Bags happens to be my two favorite songs on this album, they both just “hit” me the right way! These four songs exemplify why Saigon Kick could be included in 1990’s Heavy Metal conversations. The Lizard is an album that definitely exhibits the versatility of Saigon Kick, this surely is an album from them I recommend to Rock, Hard Rock and 1990’s Arena Rock and 1990’s mainstream Heavy Metal fans. (Gee Metal whiz, did I cover enough genres there?). Truly, the musical diversity of this Saigon Kick album – The Lizard, is appreciated by this music nut.

This Saigon Kick lineup emitted a bounty of musical talent, in my Metal opinion. Jason Bieler on guitar is standout, (to my ears), providing plenty of melodic moments throughout The Lizard. Jason’s soft and heavy guitar playing compliments each and every song I hear on The Lizard. Matt Kramer on vocals never goes over the top, my ears enjoy listening to his voice… he really can sing. The Lizard, one fine album.

We live in an era of band reunions, if this Saigon Kick lineup reunited to create a new album, it would probably sound pretty damn good… and diverse too. What possibly could be wrong with that?

* The Lizard was released in 1992 on Third Stone/Atlantic Records.

Saigon Kick, as they appeared on The Lizard:

Matt Kramer – lead vocals

Jason Bieler – guitar

Tom Defile – bass

Phil Varone – drums

Track Listing For The Lizard:

Cruelty

Hostile Youth

Feel The Same Way

Freedom

God Of 42nd Street

My Dog

Peppermint Tribe

Love Is On The Way

The Lizard

All Alright

Sleep

All I Want

Body Bags

Miss Jones

World Goes Round

Chanel

Stone.

10 Comments »

EXODUS – “EXHIBIT B: THE HUMAN CONDITION” RELEASES MAY 18, 2010!!

Posted in heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, thrash metal albums, thrash metal bands, thrash metal music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

EXODUS – Are back with a brand new studio album! Releasing on May 18, 2010, Exhibit B: The Human Condition, proving once again, Exodus and Thrash Metal lives! I can’t wait to sink my Metal ears into this one! 2010 will have Old School Thrash Metal once again!

Track Listing For Exhibit B: The Human Condition:

The Ballad of Leonard and Charles

Beyond the Pale

Hammer and Life

Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)

Downfall

March of the Sycophants

Nanking

Burn, Hollywood, Burn

Democide

The Sun is My Destroyer

A Perpetual State of Indifference

Good Riddance

Stone.

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