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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.

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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 »

RAVEN – RETURNS WITH A METAL DROP KICK ON “WALK THROUGH FIRE”

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on April 29, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

RAVEN – This pioneering band representing the NWOBHM has returned with a very Metal memorable album of 16 songs – Walk Through Fire, (released on March 30, 2010, on Metal Blade Records). Raven has contributed in a huge way, in fueling my Metal exhilaration thus far, this year. Raven provides all the Old School, Heavy Metal that I could have hoped for on Walk Through Fire. Plus, it sounds like Raven really had a Metal ball recording this new album, the energy and excitement of three veteran Metalhead musicians seems to jump out at me. Maybe it’s just my personal Metal interpretation here, still, Raven sounds like they certainly are back in Metal form to my ears.

Just as the 2010 album releases of Krokus, Scorpions, Armored Saintand RATT have blown this lifelong Metalhead into a dizzying Metal tailspin of joy… Raven has done likewise with their new album! Sure, it has been about a decade since Raven has put out an album, (One For All in 2000), only the fact remains… quality Metal is not manufactured like dixie cups… quantity does not hold an upper hand to quality in my Metal world. Walk Through Fire is an album of straight forward, in your face, Heavy Metal that isn’t hiding any surprises of experimentation here… it’s Old School Metal done right.

Having 16 songs to listen to, on this new Raven album, is a fine gesture of Metal giving to the fans. The song Bulldozer, with its infectiously heavy riffs has been super glued into my Metal mind since my first listen. Trainwreck and Grip are two more standout songs that will infiltrate your senses and make you a believer that Raven isn’t about musical intricacies… they are about Metal. Live At The Inferno and Rock Until You Drop are both live songs… and these songs heaviness scream everything great about Raven. Mark Gallagher shreds it on guitar during Rock Until You Drop, his solo tears it apart!

John Gallagher on lead vocals and bass hasn’t lost an ounce of Metal muscle, his vocal highs are simply awesome. Raven covers the Montrose classic – Space Station #5 from their 1973 debut album. In my Metal opinion, John Gallagher does one hell of great job singing this song. He actually sounds a sliver like Sammy Hagar on Space Station #5 too… really. This was a really cool, Hard Rock classic for Raven to cover.

Joe Hasselvander on drums is his usual, explicitly great self on Walk Through Fire. If I was to start a Metal band from scratch and I could choose that one drummer… it would be Joe Hasselvander. This is a drummer that comes across as playing by pure Metal instinct. From the opening Intro to the last two live tracks and everything in-between… this is meat and potatoes Heavy Metal from Raven. Don’t be that Metal dude or dudette who needs to “think about” buying this new Raven album. Buy or at least get your ears into Walk Through Fire soon… for Raven is F’n BACK!

RAVEN ARE:

John Gallagher – vocals, bass guitars

Mark Gallagher – guitars

Joe Hasselvander – drums & percussion

_______________________________________________________

Walk Through Fire – Track Listing:

Intro

Against The Grain

Breaking You Down

Under Your Radar

Walk Through Fire

Bulldozer

Long Day’s Journey

Trainwreck

Grip

Running Around In Circle’s

Hard Road

Armageddon (The Beginning)

Attitude

Space Station #5

Live At The Inferno

Rock Until You Drop

_____________________________________

* For more info on RAVEN, click on the links below!

http://www.ravenlunatics.com

facebook: Raven

LONG LIVE RAVEN AND THEIR METAL.

Stone.

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MY FAVORITE HEAVY METAL ALBUM COVER IS…

Posted in 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal music, heavy metal records, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 25, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

My favorite Heavy Metal album cover, (of my entire Metalhead life), is… IRON MAIDEN’S debut from 1980 – IRON MAIDEN.Why? It’s Heavy Metal art, in all of it’s glorious Metal infancy. This was 1980 for Metal sakes, well before the multi-thousands of “other” Heavy Metal album covers came forth. Artist Derek Riggs made Eddie into this haunting and nightmarish creature of all things horrible. This mascot called Eddie symbolized an enormous turning point, in the way Heavy Metal was to be portrayed visually, for decades to come. The Metal of Iron Maiden on their debut album coincides with the album artwork with precision… melancholy and haunting are both. It’s probably best summed up this way… the Eddie artwork of Derek Riggs and the Metal of Iron Maiden, on this initial album, was always for me, a match made in Metal heaven.

Don’t get me wrong, the ensuing Iron Maiden album covers of Killers, The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind and Live After Death are ultra legendary. I choose the debut Iron Maiden album cover for it is just that… the first appearance of not just a mascot and symbol of Iron Maiden, arguably Eddie was then and still is now, a mascot and symbol for all of Heavy Metal as well. Back in 1980, who would have predicted the rise and Metal proliferation of Iron Maiden? With Eddie being a prominent and symbolic fixture of the band spanning four decades now? It all had to start somewhere, commercially, for Iron Maiden. It started with their influential debut 1980 album and this cover, with Eddie as the macabre centerpiece, with those demonic eyes, standing underneath a moonlit creepy sky, amongst eerie street lamps.

Back in 1980, (when my Mom forbid me to have this album for its “bad news” cover), I would still seek it out at the Caldor Department Store… and stare at it in sheer bewilderment, (when my Mom wasn’t looking). The shock and awe this cover instilled in me back then, still gets my shock and awe meter ticking now. Sometime around 1985, my Mom was much more schooled on Heavy Metal… she bought me the Iron Maiden debut album one day, on a whim!

It’s funny how times have changed over the years and decades. Back in 1980, I’m certain there were a ton load of nervous parents out there, who fixed their eyes upon this Iron Maiden debut album… only to be handing down parental mandates to their sons and daughters, stating that this was the second coming of the anti-christ. It’s weird now, looking back on 1980, as a much more “innocent” time. As a parent of ten-year old twin daughters in 2010, there are many times I want to “shield” them from seeing and/or hearing what I deem inappropriate. They are only ten years old after all!

I witness for myself, the over sexed and gory album covers of today, with the infinite number of television, print and movie media’s sexual and violence laced appeal. I guess, after all this time, I can sympathize with my Mom’s feelings back then, in 1980. Regardless, I am anti-censorship when it comes to artistic freedom, our freedom of speech and to assemble as well!!

Picking out one’s favorite Heavy Metal album cover of all time can be difficult, I found this to be quite easy. Sure, Judas Priest and KISS, (just to name a credible twosome), had some incredible album covers in the 1970’s… before this Iron Maiden album was released, yet the visual impact, that this Iron Maiden cover had on me since I was straight out of eighth grade has never wavered. Oh… and every song on this Iron Maiden album, made just as equal an impact on me too. What is your favorite Heavy Metal album cover?

LONG LIVE IRON MAIDEN!

LONG LIVE EDDIE!

LONG LIVE DEREK RIGGS!

* My favorite song on this Iron Maiden debut album is – Remember Tomorrow. This song seems to drift along in such a dreamscape and melancholy way. A true chameleon of a song, if there ever was one… the mellowness and somber mood, changes over to heaviness… and then repeats itself all over again.

I could go on and on about this Iron Maiden album cover… the pleasure I derive from looking at this artwork is worth its weight in Metal gold.

Stone.

20 Comments »

SAXON – “BACK ON THE STREETS” APPLE SHAPED PICTURE DISC FROM 1985!

Posted in 1970's heavy metal, 1970's heavy metal bands, 1970's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal picture discs, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal music, 1985 heavy metal music, 1990's heavy metal bands, cool album covers, current heavy metal bands, feel good stories, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1985, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal on vinyl, heavy metal picture discs, heavy metal record finds, heavy metal records, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal, old school heavy metal, picture discs, power metal bands, power metal music, rare heavy metal records, rare picture discs, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

SAXON – Back On The Streets, (die-cut), shaped picture disc FIND!  This past week, I entered yet another antique mall and I stumbled upon this unreal great Saxon picture disc! I was in Metal glee, upon my eyes becoming affixed, to this piece of Saxon vinyl memorabilia. The price I paid for this Saxon find was $10, (U.S.), Metal money worth spending. I don’t know the actual value of this picture disc on the open Metal market, yet I have a funny feeling it is worth more than the $10 I spent on it. Looking around the world wide web, I did not find one dealer/site that has this Saxon picture disc for sale. (Now, can I honestly say it is not available anywhere on the internet? Of course not… I just have not seen one just yet). I will have to think, with Metal certainty, that this Saxon picture disc must be scarce. Oh, the feeling of making a Metal score like this! Why I feel so psyched is that this is a picture disc from 1985, it’s not as if it’s a current/newly released picture disc. Plus, the sheer fact that this is a Heavy Metal band that I really do like makes it only better.

SAXON – Back On The Streets – Shaped Picture Disc Specs:

Side A: Back On The Streets

Side B: Live Fast Die Young

* To the best of my Metal research, Live Fast Die Young has never appeared on any Saxon studio album. Maybe it has appeared on a Saxon bootleg? Anyone with further info on the song Live Fast Die Young is welcomed to comment. If this is to be the only Saxon recording that Live Fast Die Young is found on, man, that makes this picture disc all the more Metal important.

* This is a U.K. import, the picture disc code, (found at the bottom of Side B), is: RP 6103.

* Directly below the picture disc code is a small logo witch reads: Parlophone.

* Other text found at the bottom of Side B, reads: SAXONGS CARLIN MUSIC CORP., (and), 1985 Original Sound Recordings Made By EMI Records LTD., (and), 1985 EMI Records LTD.

The single Back On The Streets is from the Saxon album Innocence Is No Excuse, (released in 1985).

Saxon, as they appeared on the 1985 album Innocence Is No Excuse:

Biff Byford – lead vocals

Paul Quinn – guitarist

Graham Oliver – guitarist

Steve Dawson – bass guitarist

Nigel Glockler – drums

This super fine picture disc is shaped like an apple, with the stem actually protruding out at the top! Here is what this Back On The Streets – shaped picture disc looks like:

Side A:

Side B:

I thank my wife for taking the pics for Metal Odyssey… she is quite a Metal asset for me in more ways than I can count, I honestly don’t know what I would do without her… that is a Metal fact!

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GRIM REAPER – “SEE YOU IN HELL” 1984 VIDEO EXPLODES OLD SCHOOL HEAVY METAL!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal bands, 1980's metal music, 1984 heavy metal albums, 1984 heavy metal bands, 1984 heavy metal music, cool album covers, current heavy metal bands, hard rock music, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1984, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1984, heavy metal videos, heavy metal vocalists, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal, old school heavy metal, old school heavy metal bands, rock music, scary album covers, vintage heavy metal albums, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 16, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Grim Reaper – See You In Hell. This album was released in 1984, (on RCA Records). I was a senior in high school and in dire need of some Metal “pick-me-up” on a daily basis… Grim Reaper delivered with this album and song. Metal truth be told, See You In Hell was my very own anthem, that I would sing under my breath to my antagonists, back in those days. See You In Hell is still a very inspirational song for me today… and why not? It’s more polite to sing these lyrics under my breath at those who irritate me, than to say f**k off to them. I am a considerate Metalhead after all. Looking back on this debut album – See You In Hell from Grim Reaper, it just screams Old School Heavy Metal from every dark corner. Raw. Very raw. Grim Reaper later polished their Metal up a bit with their next two albums: Fear No Evil (1985) and Rock You To Hell (1987). Nonetheless, this debut album from Grim Reaper remains my favorite out of their three studio albums. I can remember catching this video for See You In Hell on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, it was absolutely a favorite Heavy Metal Music video of mine, back in the ’80’s… it still is.

At the end of the Metal day, See You In Hell is an album I look upon with the fondest of Metal memories. This wasn’t a superstar Heavy Metal band, instead this was a blue collar Metal band that brought the heavy goods to an eighteen year old who needed it most back in 1984. Grim Reaper was not built on selling their looks and style for GQ magazine… they were built on Metal. I understand lineup changes occur over the years, still, I sincerely hope for Steve Grimmett and Grim Reaper to maybe consider a strengthening of their Metal reformation – into a new album of headbanging songs… that would make my middle-aged Metal day.

The See You In Hell video below just explodes everything Old School Heavy Metal. From the overall production to the Metal of Grim Reaper… this was back in the day when the song and Metal mattered the most and not the smoke and mirrors of a visual experience.

To learn all you want about the career of Steve Grimmett, (lead vocalist of Grim Reaper, Onslaught, Lionsheart and The Steve Grimmett Band, click on his MySpace Music Page link here: Steve Grimmett/Grim Reaper/Solo Artist – MySpace Music Page

Here is a cool Grim Reaper – Tribute Site to check out: GRIM REAPER – Tribute Site

Grim Reaper, as they appeared on See You In Hell:

Steve Grimmett on vocals

Nick Bowcott on guitar

Dave Wanklin on bass

Lee Harris on drums

Track listing for See You In Hell:

See You in Hell

Dead on Arrival

Liar

Wrath of the Ripper

Now or Never

Run for Your Life

The Show Must Go On

All Hell Let Loose

LONG LIVE GRIM REAPER!

SEE YOU IN HELL!

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HEAVY METAL FLASHBACK: MONSTERS OF ROCK, U.K. 1980, CONCERT POSTER!

Posted in 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's hard rock bands, 1970's heavy metal bands, 1980's hard rock albums, 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's hard rock bands, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal bands, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's heavy metal music, classic hard rock, classic heavy metal, classic rock, classic rock music, collecting heavy metal albums, concerts, current heavy metal bands, hard rock music, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal concert posters, heavy metal history, heavy metal memorabilia, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1980, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal, new wave of british heavy metal bands, old school hard rock, old school heavy metal, old school heavy metal bands, rock music, vintage hard rock bands, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 2, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Here is a Heavy Metal blast from the past! Man, I wish I attended this Heavy Metal festival! This vintage poster promoted the inaugural Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington Raceway, Derbyshire, U.K., August 16, 1980. I was a freshman in High School back in 1980, plus I did not live in the U.K. either. Regardless, this is as fine a lineup of Heavy Metal bands that you could possibly ask for… going back to 1980. Rainbow headlining, with Graham Bonnet on lead vocals! Obviously, the Down To Earth Tour for Rainbow. Judas Priest, whoa, they were supporting their now ultra classic – British Steel album. Scorpions… wow… their Animal Magnetism album was already in the hands of fans when this festival took place. April Wine was out there supporting their Harder… Faster album, classic. Just how much praise can be said for Saxon? Tons! Saxon was out there, sandwiched in between supporting their Wheels Of Steel album, (released in May 1980) and their upcoming album – Strong Arm Of The Law, (released in October 1980).

Riot was out there supporting their Narita album, (an October 1979 release), while their Fire Down Under album was on the Metal horizon for a February, 1981 release. Touch was a relative newcomer, a melodic Rock/Hard Rock Band, they have the distinction of being the first band to open for this Castle Donington, U.K., Monsters Of Rock Festival. Touch was supporting their debut album, aptly titled… Touch. Neal Kaye I really do not know much about… maybe someone out there does? Drop a comment if you do, it would be Metal welcomed and appreciated.

This is without a Metal doubt, a vintage Heavy Metal concert poster I would love to own, an original printing would be preferred by me too. Aw, heck, I wouldn’t mind owning a reprint as well. I just really get into researching this stuff… it is Heavy Metal History, Rock History. Reading about and reflecting upon Heavy Metal History makes for a strong and great Metal mind. It is these concerts, festivals and the Heavy Metal Bands from yesteryear that played them… that make up the building blocks of what Heavy Metal is today… in 2010. Heavy Metal as we all know it today, would not be the same, without these legendary bands that played this historic Monsters Of Rock festival, back in 1980.

Judas Priest, Scorpions and Saxon are still Heavy Metal powerhouses… ’nuff said about their incredible legacies to Heavy Metal. Rainbow, despite not having a long standing band lineup or lead singer, is nonetheless as important as any Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band from their generation. Every Rainbow band lineup, will forever hold a special place in my Metal heart. From Ronnie James Dio fronted Rainbow to Doogie White at the mic, Rainbow… Rocks. Riot and April Wine may not have received the commercial acclaim of the other bands I have mentioned, regardless, they both are very important contributors to the historical development of Heavy Metal Music… in my Metal opinion.

LONG LIVE HEAVY METAL!


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JUDAS PRIEST – “A TOUCH OF EVIL LIVE” 2009 ALBUM IS LIVE AND LEGENDARY PRIEST

Posted in 1970's heavy metal bands, 1970's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal bands, 1980's metal music, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's heavy metal music, Album Review, cool album covers, creepy album covers, essential heavy metal albums, essential heavy metal songs, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal bands, heavy metal bands from england, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 2009, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, live heavy metal albums, metal music, metal music albums, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal bands, old school heavy metal bands, old school metal bands, rock music, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 22, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Judas Priest is one Metal Band that I cannot ignore, especially when they release a new album. These Metal Gods can release a studio, greatest hits and as in this case, a live album and I will eagerly buy it. A Touch Of Evil Live is live with all the glorification of Judas Priest’s heavy history… and why shouldn’t this legendary Metal Band be glorified? The guitar duo of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing is dominant on each and every song, with the Metal God himself, (Rob Halford), showcasing his vocal exuberance. Ian Hill on bass guitar and Scott Travis on drums are in Metal sync together, they add all the more Metal fuel to these live Judas Priests songs. As I listen to A Touch Of Evil Live, understanding that this is live recordings from 2005 and 2008 fills me with total Metal wonderment, that this band has not grown old, only grown better. In my Metal opinion, Judas Priest sounds as heavy, fast, hard and vicious as they did in the early 1980’s. I would lay it on the Metal table and be truthful, if A Touch Of Evil Live sounded like a bunch of half enthused, Metal musicians, going through the motions. Judas Priest IS Metal, captured live with all the power and mystique that I have appreciated from them, these past three decades.

The song list on A Touch Of Evil Live is a very strong representation of vintage Metal, showing just how many great songs are in the Judas Priest catalog, dating back to 1977. This live album may not have the household hits from Judas Priest, instead, it encapsulates the deep album cuts that made Judas Priest legend. Dissident Aggressor, from the 1977 album Sin After Sin, is brought forth to live sensation three decades after it’s initial release. Beyond The Realms Of Death is re-energized live, giving a nod to the unreal great 1978 album – Stained Class. Eat Me Alive comes across live, with the same Metal nastiness that The Priest originally set out to convey, from their 1984 album Defenders Of The Faith. Painkiller, A Touch Of Evil and Between The Hammer & The Anvil are three potent Metal songs from the now classic Judas Priest album from 1990 – Painkiller.

Judas Rising and Hellrider are the first two songs on A Touch Of Evil Live, both songs cementing the Metal foundation to follow that is patented and hell bent Judas Priest. These two opening songs, have me appreciating the reunion album Angel Of Retribution from 2005… all the more. Riding On The Wind is a great choice to represent the Screaming For Vengeance album from 1982. Riding On The Wind deserves all the Metal acknowledgment it can derive, being a deeper track from such a monumental Judas Priest album. Prophecy and Death are the two songs taken from the newest Judas Priest studio album released in June 2008, the concept album – Nostradamus.

* My favorite song on A Touch Of Evil Live is… A Touch Of Evil. The thunderous Metal charge, that this song pounds away with, gets me 100%, certified psyched out. Trudging with flares of being an anthem, A Touch Of Evil IS as bona fide a Judas Priest song you can ever ask for.

I have always been a fan of live albums, especially when they are not tweaked apart to death, this live album from Judas Priest is not tweaked over, in my Metal opinion. A Touch Of Evil Live has all the hard and heavy that I have come to expect from Judas Priest, they give these songs that extra Metal power – live. Hey, this is not the greatest Judas Priest album ever, nor is it the greatest live Metal album ever made either. What A Touch Of Evil Live does demonstrate, is that Judas Priest has kicked some Metal butt the past five years, reestablishing themselves as one of the Metal elder statesmen that do and should command Metal respect. Since 2005, one thing has been Metal certain… The Priest Is Back! A Touch Of Evil Live is a very good, live Metal album from an ultra great and Metal historic band… Judas Priest.

A Touch Of Evil Live Was Released On July 14, 2009

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