Developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, heavy metal, a genre of rock music was declared dead and buried since in each and every decade. Formed in 1999, in Atlanta, Georgia, Mastodon with roots back in blues rock and psychedelic rock, with raw sludge riffs and powerful post-grunge flavors, delivering complex, multi-layered songs, but also memorable and cutting riffs, merging progressive elements with pure rock energy, prove once again that the heavy metal in its purest essence remains strong and fresh, capable of reinventing itself. Mastodon managed to sound classy and traditional being modern and creative, looking further.
Moved to Atlanta from Victor, New York, drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher teamed up with bassist/singer Troy Sanders and guitarist/singer Brent Hinds and formed the band in late 1999. They recorded their first demo in 2000, which featured the band’s first lead singer, Eric Saner on vocals, but he left the band for personal reasons after just a couple of months and Troy Sanders take over most of the vocal duties. Read more Mastodon – The Hunter (2011)
heavy metal
Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming (2011)
Bach is back. 43 years old, eventually heavier with a few pounds or “just” wiser, but still and stubbornly wild. Skid Row had sold 20 million albums worldwide in the beginning of the 90s and Bach was one of my favorite singers along Mike Patton and Devin Townsend (mainly for his brilliant vocal performance from Vai’s “Sex & Religion”). Bach was kicked out of the band in 1996 when he booked a show where Skid Row would have opened for KISS while the other band members told Bach that Skid Row was too big to be an opening act. Ironically enough, four years later, Skid Row was one of the opening acts for the 2000 Kiss Farewell Tour with new lead vocalist Johnny Solinger. About a future reunion with his formal band Bach recently said: he’s not “youth gone wild” any more.
Well, fortunately “Kicking & Screaming” sounds pretty wild and Bach seems to be the same energy full heavy metal singer who he ever was. Read more Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming (2011)
Kiss – Animalize (1984)
Kiss officially appeared in public without makeup for the first time on a September 18, 1983 on MTV for the release of the band’s album “Lick It Up.” “Lick It Up” became Kiss’ first gold record in three years, but guitarist Vinnie Vincent who replaced Ace Frehley in 1982 did not get along with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and left the band at the conclusion of the tour in March 1984. Vincent’s replacement was Mark St. John. Before joining Kiss, St. John (Mark Leslie Norton, February 7, 1956 – April 5, 2007) was a well known and respected teacher and guitarist for the Southern California cover band Front Page and after leaving Kiss, he formed a band called White Tiger.
“Animalize”, the 12th studio album by Kiss and the second album of the “unmasked” period, was the biggest-selling Kiss album since 1977’s “Alive II” and it was certified platinum only in four months.
When asked what “Animalize” meant, Stanley said that people were starting to become more like computers – and that “making music by pressing buttons” was no fun. Read more Kiss – Animalize (1984)
Judas Priest – Painkiller (1990)
It was the 12th studio album by Judas Priest, and the original LP, cassette and CD versions were released on 3 September 1990. “Painkiller” was the first record with drummer Scott Travis, who was recruited from the band Saints Or Sinners and replaced Dave Holland who was behind the drum kit for two decades since 1979 and also it was the last record with founder member and lead singer Rob Halford who after the end of the Painkiller tour in 1991 left the band and to form the group named Fight under the heavy influence of bands such as Pantera and the new metal subgenre: groove metal. Scott Travis became drummer both for Judas Priest and Fight and Priest bring to the microphone the talented young American singer Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens for the following two albums “Jugulator” (1997) and “Demolition” (2001). Judas Priest and Rob Halford announced they would reunite in July 2003 and a new studio album, Angel of Retribution, was released on 1 March 2005. Read more Judas Priest – Painkiller (1990)
ReinXeed – Swedish Hitz Goes Metal (2011)
This is fun. And eventually an excellent way to market the band and a product. ReinXeed a Symphonic/Power Metal band from Boden, Sweden, formed in 2004 by vocalist Tommy Johansson. They released four albums, I admit, never listen or heard about them before. Johansson take inspiration from different movie soundtracks – such as Lord of the Rings -, cartoons and bands like Helloween with Michael Kiske, and Rhapsody of Fire. On their official YouTube Channel you will find lot of covers from cartoon tunes to Tina Turner, Helloween or Celin Dion. “Swedish Hitz Goes Metal” is a collection of covers from three classic, exclusively Swedish bands: Abba, Roxette and Ace Of Base.
Singing mainly high, Tommy Johansson have an extremely powerful voice. Classic Heavy Metal fans – Helloween, Judas Priest – will be delighted. Read more ReinXeed – Swedish Hitz Goes Metal (2011)
Doctor Midnight and The Mercy Cult – I Declare: Treason (2011)
When Hank von Helvete – vocals (Turbonegro), Tim Sköld – bass (Kingpin, Shotgun Messiah, Skold, KMFDM, MDFMK, The Newlydeads, Ohgr, Marilyn Manson), guitarist Anders Odden – guitars (Cadaver, Satyricon, Celtic Frost, Apoptygma Berzerk, Magenta) and Audun Stengel – guitars (Apoptygma Berzerk, The Kovenant) and drummer David Husvik – drums (Extol) decide it to play together in 2009, it was obvious we’ve got our self another supergroup. The band made its live debut in Helsinki, Finland on May 11th, 2011 at club DOM and released on May 9th, 2011 their debut single “(Don’t) Waste It” followed by the released of their first full-length album, “I Declare: Treason” on June 6th, 2011.
This is a very classy, old-school like, but extremely breathing heavy/speed metal product, reminds me somehow of Sanctuary and their 1988’s “Refuge Denied” and Alice Cooper’s “Brutal Planet” from 2000, but DMTMC have some catchy modern up-dates, bring some good tricks out of their magic hats, actually, it’s been a while since I didn’t heard so many taste riffs gathered together on a single album, they wrote some pretty dark themes and a few very good songs. Read more Doctor Midnight and The Mercy Cult – I Declare: Treason (2011)
Vicious Rumors – Razorback Killers (2011)
There’s no future without past, and maybe for some youngsters it may seems incredible, Vicious Rumors are on the heavy metal scene for 32 years, being one of the true “defenders of the faith”. And not only accidentally I quote the 1984s Judas Priest album’s title, on “Razorback Killers” introduced him self for the first time on a Vicious Rumors album vocalist Brian Allen, another old acquaintance from the mid 80s when he was the front-man of the band Malice and they stroked with albums such “In the Beginning…” and “Licence to Kill”. Back then Brian Allen were widely compared to Metal God Rob Halford and his voice still have the same power and characteristics.
While composer and guitarist Geoff Thorpe is the only constant member right from the beginning, “Razorback Killers” is “only” the band’s tenth studio album, but features several guest musicians including former guitarist Mark McGee. Read more Vicious Rumors – Razorback Killers (2011)
Channel Zero – Feed Em With A Brick (2011)
Often referred to them as “the Belgian Metallica”, “Feed Em With A Brick”, the band’s fifth studio album comes after “Black Fuel” released 14 years ago, engineered and produced by Attie Bauw, a Dutch producer who worked previously with Fight (Rob Halford). Channel Zero split in August 1997.
Singer Franky De Smet Van Damme, drummer Phil Baheux and bassist Tino De Martino are back with full force while original guitarist Xavier Carion due to a traumatized ear will be replaced by Mikey Doling (ex-Soulfly). And “Feed Em With A Brick” is another classy, powerful and groovy metal album, fans will be delighted. Read more Channel Zero – Feed Em With A Brick (2011)
Queensryche – Dedicated To Chaos (2011)
I cut the crap and I’m gonna tell you directly what to aspect: if you’re looking for a quality and quite exciting hard rock album, “Dedicated To Chaos” might just fit your taste. Those who still waiting for what actually meant till ’88/’90 (the genius “Operation: Mindcrime” (1988), respectively “Empire” (1990), well, maybe it’s time to accept that “this” Queensrÿche is not “that” Queensrÿche anymore and probably they will never be again. On the other hand, while I was absolutely disappointed by their previous effort, the quite pale “American Soldier” released two years ago, “Dedicated To Chaos” is an absolutely fair material, a mixture of hard and heavy schemes with maximum taste and the unquestionable skill of writing and playing of these guys from Seattle. Because it’s almost impossible to avoid comparison, it’s somewhere between “Promised Land” (1994) and “Empire” (1990) with a taste of experimental sounds from “Tribe” (2003). And I must say: this is far the best Queensrÿche album for almost two decades. Read more Queensryche – Dedicated To Chaos (2011)
U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor (2011)
“Balls to the Wall” back in ’83 was a wall breaker, demolition metal anthem. Accept was the most powerful Teuton answer for the NWOBHM. Accept’s beginnings can be traced back to 1968, when Udo Dirkschneider and Michael Wagener formed a local band called Band X, which in 1976 changed its name to Accept. But Udo left Accept in 1987 and a large fan community followed him to U.D.O., proved to be continuously pure heavy metal without any Trend-Sound influences.
At the beginning of 90s, Accept and Dirkschneider met and spontaneously decided to relaunch the band with the core members Hoffmann, Kaufmann, Dirkschneider and Baltes.A new album, ” Objection Overruled” was released worldwide in 1993 followed by “Predator” in 1996, but the chemistry between Accept and Udo was again strained and Udo left once again. Later, asked if there will be another Accept album with him as vocalist, Dirkschneider replied: “That would be a problem. You know, it’s easy to play the old songs, because they already exist. Especially for me it was easier, because I still do those classics with U.D.O., but for some of the guys it was a bit harder. But everybody did a great job on stage. I understand that people want a new Accept album, but composing songs together would have been a disaster. That way we would destroy more than we would create. We have a good relationship now and it’s best to keep it that way.”
But fans have U.D.O. and Udo never disappointing his fans, “Rev-Raptor”, the 13th studio album of his band sounds just the same as his debut, “Animal House” 24 years ago. Read more U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor (2011)
