Sweetwood's Metal Moments: March 2008

“Hey listen don't you let them get your mind;

Fill your brain with orders and that's not right.

They're playing at a game that draws you closer;

Till you're living in a world that's ruled by fear.

Always takin' baby out that's o.k.;

What they're givin' maybe it's out of phase with me.

Told you one you're never gonna win the race;

Same old no tomorrow kicked in the face.

We are screaming, screaming for vengeance--

The world is a manacled place.”

--Rob Halford, “Screaming For Vengeance, 1982.

You must forgive my neglect on this review, as I meant to do it months ago. Martin Popoff has written another fantastic book on Heavy Metal that must be read by the masses. His latest book Judas Priest: Heavy Metal Painkillers is a fantastic look at the true pioneers of metal and hard rock. Whereas most comments about Judas Priest pretty much follow the band’s most successful albums like British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, Popoff devotes equal time to all of the Priest moments: harkening back to their early days and following the prolific mid 1970s periods, which includes my favorites of the band: Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Hellbent For Leather, and Stained Glass.

Popoff delivers in a style familiar with his regular readers of dividing the history of the band by albums and reviewing each record while sprinkling interesting band history information, concert information, tour stories and the like as each album acts as a milestone of sorts.

Since the awesome Black Sabbath book of Popoff’s, his oversized books also capture memorabilia of the time and fantastic band pictures with high gloss paper and beautifully coloring and graphics.

Martin personalized mine as a tribute to me on my 44th birthday. Good guy, that Martin is, of course.

Here is my recommendation to add to the pleasure. As I read each chapter of his book, I play the album associated with it. It helps develop a feel for the pacing and the emphasis Martin Popoff offers. This was a bit tough to do with Rock and Rolla, through no fault of Popoff--it is just a really wretched album.

Aside from the familiar albums and stories some fans of Priest may already know, the Angel of Retribution chapter was excellent as Priest explains how they re-meshed, how they decided to endure, and what the future may hold. The Epilogue was equally interesting.

Closing the book is a nice discography. Also included in the book was Halford’s solo material. All in all a very complete and complex history of Judas Priest, with 378 pages of beautiful text, pictures, and wonder. How Martin Popoff is able to have the band open up and tell stories otherwise long forgotten is perhaps Popoff’s greatest strength as a writer and Metal historian. There is a skill to good interviewing techniques and Popoff has it perfected.

And if you do not think Judas Priest is the most metal of the Heavy Metal bands, seriously, read the book to find out why you are wrong.

Regular Sweetwood Metal Moments readers know how I will shamelessly hawk Martin’s books for him. In the third of the Ye Olde Metal Series, Martin sent me an email describing what to expect for Ye Olde Metal 1976:
“The chapters this time (less of them but they are quite a bit longer)

Max Webster – Max Webster: my fave Canadian band of all time. Amazing album – I got Kim in here, Pye, Terry

Scorpions – Virgin Killer: I talked to Klaus, Rudy and Uli about this record, the blasphemous German cover art etc., the concept of a “virgin killer”

Point Blank – Point Blank: Rusty, John and Philip talk about being Bill Ham’s second banana ZZ Top

Angel – Helluva Band: one of the greatest albums of all time; amazing stories about the business muscle behind the signing of the band. Frank and Mickie dish the goods.

Rex – Rex: OK, Rex is one of the most entertaining guys I’ve ever talked to. His stories about the mob and singing on the lunch room tables… funniest thing I’ve heard in years. A lot of Leber and Krebs in here too.

Moxy – II: Buddy and Earl on struggling in Canada and then saying, screw it, and playing heavy next time.

Teaze – Teaze: heaviest Canadian album of the ‘70s – bloody ‘ell, you should know about it.

Lone Star – Lone Star: What happens when your whole band becomes scientologists? Plus you’ll love Kenny’s Peter Grant/Led Zeppelin story.

Starz – Starz: OK, Rex is the best, but his brother Michael Lee is pretty funny too. Cool Kiss/Sean Delaney crossover stuff here.

Ted Nugent – Free For All: OK, the best story in here, bar none. I talk to the whole band on one of the most cherished albums of my youth. I’m jaded, so it doesn’t matter, but I hope this 16,000 word expose doesn’t destroy your faith in the Tedinator.

Boston – Boston: I had the privilege of talking to Brad Delp at length about this album before his shocking suicide. Tom provides some great stuff as well. As tribute, Brad is on the cover of the book.

Foghat – Nightshift: bloody LOVE this album, and Roger and Craig do it justice.

Kansas – Leftoverture: talked to Steve, Kerry, Phil and Robbie here. Good overview of what Kansas was getting at, and Steve let’s us get a good look at his state of mind.”

Visit Martin’s site and buy them personally from the man, and I promise that he will sign it for you and write a unique personal message. His books are also a great gift for friends as well as owning them for yourself. Do not wait; go here to order your books now: http://www.martinpopoff.com/html/bookslist.html

And in also ran news, I was sent this very kind email from a former student of mine:

Hey there Mr. Sweetwood. I don't know if you really remember me or not, but this is C. (editorial note 1: uh, nope no real names for former students on this site) I was in a few of your classes two years ago and I now am at (editorial note 2: an Illinois College and I will not list it either for the privacy of my great kids). I was randomly searching the net and I stumbled upon "Sweetwood's Metal Moments". I thought, this can't be him. But it was! Anyways, kudos on the cool website and I hope all is well.

Always a pleasure to hear from the kids—I only have the best ones and C was a great student who will be a great success in life. I only share his email because he was probably privately shocked that his former History/Psychology/Sociology teacher was a closet “Metalhead.” You just never know.

“Settle for the journey…
Sail across the seven seas…
Carried by the spirit of the brave…
Join the New Allegiance now,
And pledge your sacred heart…
A history that no one can forsake”

--Youngblood of Kamelot, Fourth Legacy from the album Fourth Legacy.

Kamelot’s Fourth Legacy is a fantastic album that I have recently decided to replay and replay and replay again.

The true gems include the cryptic Fourth Legacy, Silent Goddess and Desert Reign/Nights of Arabia. These are the songs that set the stage for their further epics found on Karma, Epica, and Black Halo.

I also believe this was the album that set them up as the true kings of Power/Melodic/Speed Metal.

The obvious Middle Eastern Musical influences are here as well as the “epic” quality of such classics as Fourth Legacy and Alexandria.

Thematically, this is their album of searching and yearning, whether it be about a singular soul or the band searching for their identity. I think they found it.

Easily their most accessible of the “early” Kamelot albums, this is a proud step forward for the band and one that few have dared to take. The quality of the performance of Fourth Legacy and Nights of Arabia cannot be underscored.

Glad I took the time to rediscover this one.

Kamelot’s Fourth Legacy:
New Allegiance
The Fourth Legacy
Silent Goddess
Desert Reign
Nights Of Arabia >mp3
The Shadow Of Uther
A Sailorman's Hymn
Alexandria
The Inquisitor
Glory
Until Kingdom Come
Lunar Sanctum