Heaven and Hell--My Review

 Greatest Metal Album of the 1980s?  Not sure, but certainly in the top ten.  My personal favorite when I was a senior in high school, if that counts as much.  

When I bought this on cassette, I took it everywhere and for a very good reason, it was so meaningful at the time.  Ozzy was out, Dio was in and the rest of the band had a solid kick in the ass to make something really new and really useful.  Opening track, Neon Knight started with that thudding bass and that was when we knew Sabbath was back.  Not only that but Dio was decipherable and his voice was melodic.  Lyrically, it was interesting:  "Bloodied angels fast descending, moving on a never bending light..."  

Track  2 was a brooding piece of foreboding as Children of the Sea wailed from the speakers.  Perfect, elegant guitar licks from Iommi rarely sounded this intricate.  Here the band took some serious movement from the "hair metal" and "pop metal" bands and actually created something with substance and meaning.  It was also here that I noticed the departure from the Sabbath of old--having scored less than successful albums with the last two.  Maybe Ozzy's departure was not as fatalistic as I thought.

Track 3, the weakest in my opinion, Lady Evil was more thudding bass openings and jingle-esque.  Yes, it is a catchy chorus and a bit of an earworm, but truthfully, it was too pop for me.  

Track 4 is the track that grabbed me and would not let go--I will use the word brilliant here, as cliché' as the word is, but no denying it--Heaven and Hell sounded like nothing I had heard before or since,  The bass by Butler build up to an incredible grove, the crashing symbols and drum rolls, the amazing riffs and Dio's voice--a voice that soared above all else only to grab and control the listener.  This became the greatest song I ever heard.

Side two, track 5 brought us Wishing well.  An up-tempo rocker that was also hooky and catchy and brought Wards drums to the front of the mix. Not as dark as most other songs, I consider this a Dio choice.  It seems at times a bit formulaic. 

Track 6, Die Young is one scary song.  Brilliant use of guitars and keyboards in this one and again, brings Sabbath into the realm of a serious band making serious music.

Track 7, Walk Away was another one that reaffirmed the past of Black Sabbath as a hard act.  This one sounds the most like "old Sabbath" to me--even Dio's voice is a bit a lower and the tempo is powerful and has the heavy quality of so many early Sabbath songs.

Track 8, Lonely is the Word, cemented this album as a powerful trip to a heavy metal sound that was rarely heard.  The band comes together on this track--the rhythm section are as one and Dio's voice is right up front, but listening to the echoing guitar riffs--almost Spanish guitar sounding, in the center, shines.  This is considered by many as a throw-away track, but I think it is perfect and the placing of it at the end of the album is brilliant as it resonates long after the album ends.

Check out my friend, Martin Popoff's review in the latest Goldmine:  

Secret Treaties--A Gem By Blue Öyster Cult

"Well I've opened up my veins too many times,

And the poison's in my heart and in my mind;

Poisons in the bloodstream, poisons in my pride;

I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies

Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire,

Imprisoned by the thought of what to do;

Is it any wonder that my joke's an iron,

And the joke's on you..."

From "Flaming Telepaths

by Sandy Pearlman

Glad to be back--I thought for first trip back, I would review one of my all-time favorite albums--Blue Öyster Cult's  Secret Treaties from 1974.

I acquired this album from one of those mail order record sites that advertised in the back of Cream, or Hit Parader, or Trouser Press magazines.  I think the company was Rather Ripped Records out of Philadelphia--either that or some mail order company out of San Luis Obispo, California that would send monthly catalogs.  At the time I was more into punk and new wave but the mail order company had a huge cut-out record section and I ordered the first three BÖC albums for seven dollars, so I gave it a try.  This turned out to be a smart move for a Junior in high school in Ottawa, Illinois in 1980, as these records were and still are, a treasure. 

I have to admit to being tainted slightly at the time to the point of a bias, as I had the On Your Feet and On Your Knees album--I would argue among the greatest live albums ever--so I expected the revved up, faster versions of these early BÖC songs.   Something of these albums on first listen seemed to be missing--the sheer speed of "Hot Rails To Hell" from Tyranny And Mutation, for example seemed to be so much more plodding on the studio album.  That characteristic of the music being less impactful compared to the live version continued with the first listen of these studio albums.  With time and repeated listens, I began to enjoy the intricacies and subtleness of the studio albums as well as the musicianship of the band. 

Secret Treaties opens with "Career of Evil' which does not sound evil at all--kind of a bouncy jaunt through a formulaic song.  The ever-present keyboards add to the ambiance of the "safeness" of the song.  Still a highlight of this track is the "I will not apologize" line.  The effect is fantastic as this jaunty song breaks for the full impact of the line--perhaps the true mantra of the band.

Immediately following "Career" is the ominous beginning of "Subhuman"--a tour de force on "On Your Feet," here more melodic and a bit more complicated with duel guitars clashing through a web of power.  Adding to the song's impact is Buck Dharma's guitar solo on the bridge--one of his better of the early albums.

Next up is "Dominance and Submission" with drummer Albert Bouchard handling the vocals--including the low pitched understatements in breaks.  This device seems humorous now, but the robotic voice feeds adds to the heaviness to the song--with Bouchard's emphasis on "Submission" giving the song an evil-esque quality; still one of my favorite songs, as the clash between guitars and keyboards takes the listener on a wild ride.  

After the "Dominance and Submission" romp comes a Chuck Berry-like number "ME 262."  One of the most spirited songs in the early BÖC cannon.  This type of song is somewhat expected on an album from 1974--as a rocker that plays an homage to the past with sound effects of explosions and sirens--a cool song, but not a classic in my mind.

With side one ending on a spirited note, side two opens with a speedy rocker, albeit an odd song--"Cagey Cretins," perhaps the least known song  on the album.  Bizarre chorus with falsettos and an ever-present up-tempo drum beat that keeps the listener interested, but a song out of the norm for the band.  I would wager this was a throw-away track as the album only clocks in at 39 or so minutes--so I can only imagine a producer coming in and saying we need another three or four minutes, and this was whipped up for a quick 1970s genre inspired sound.

Following the oddness of "Cagey" comes the absolute joy of the Heavy Metal classic "Harvester of Eyes."  Dark, heavy, an incredible bassline and an interplay with  the guitars and keyboards, make this among the best songs in the BÖC catalogue--especially the solos and the ending chorus.  That riff at the end is simply a moment of metal mayhem, followed by the slow grind of bass and energy-laced guitar crescendos. 

"Flaming Telepaths" is the next cut and is an incredible, powerful, and advanced song by the band.  This song is impactful and sounds as if it could have been recorded today.  Crisp guitars, an urgent singing voice by Bloom--'I'm after rebellion, I'll settle for lies."  That incredible subtle keyboard and the swirling guitars makes this a moment to cherish.  The first time I heard this, I was shocked at how it came together: the chorus, the power; and then the urgency takes over.  Fantastic lyrics abound on this song alone and the mixture of mysticism, folklore  Aleister Crowley-esque imagery and a sinister quality makes this a classic.  I would safely argue, this is the best song that Blue Öyster Cult has ever done. 

Following "Telepaths" is Blue Öyster Cult's most complicated song and perhaps their most beautiful.  A calm voice and piano solo open the track with the subtle basslines backing the intro.  Then the power of "Astronomy" comes into a controlled guitar clash and a refrain that perpetuates and brings the song together.  Written almost as an Edgar Allen Poe poem tribute, this song exudes a sense of dread and decay with a narrator trying to come to grips with life, death, and the wonders of the universe.  This is a beautiful, yet ultimately sad song.  The last refrain is just so memorable and so glorious, words do not do it justice.  The wind effects enhances the song as well.  

The trilogy of "Harvester," "Telepaths," and "Astronomy," are among the best paced and best placed songs on any BÖC album and gives Secret Treaties  the recognition as one of the best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal albums ever made.

Blue Öyster Cult:

Eric Bloom: Vocals; Stun Guitars; and Keyboards

Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser:  Lead Guitar

Alan Lainer: Keyboards; Rhythm Guitars; Synthesizers

Joe Bouchard: Bass; Vocals

Albert Bouchard: Drums; Vocals 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qttI6oytqpw

Decided to come back

After much debate and some rethinking, I have decided to restart my hard Rock/Heavy metal blog once again.  Just a quick note to inform all that I am back and will post more metal moments soon!

Just Saying Goodbye

Alas, this is my last post on this site of my own creation. As regular readers can tell, since my stroke, I have not kept up this site very well. Physically I am fine; it is not anything medical, its just my musical tastes have changed. Before the stroke and before that, my life while I was going through a divorce, I was needing a musical source to let out my frustrations. I am proud, glad, and thrilled to say hard rock and metal took me there and back again.

I have mellowed to a degree, and I really do not play hard rock as much. I still love Kamelot, but without Roy Khan, it is not the same. I still love Deep Purple, but I prefer the classic Ritchie Blackmore days, which is going on 40 years ago. I still love Nazareth, but the new albums are not half as good as the others. Classic Black Sabbath and Classic Blue Oyster Cult will always be among my favorites, but the production from those bands over the last few years have been minimal at best.

I cannot stand the thrash, the screamer, the falsetto deep leather voice junk that is permeating metal today. No sense fighting it, but the power metal I like (Savatage, Rough Silk, Kamelot, Stratavarious, and the like) are not putting out the volume they once did and the music actually has sounded unoriginal and reduntant to me, as of late.

I have embraced more Americana Music as of late and have been enjoying more blues and folk music.

My very special thanks to my internet friend Martin Popoff for his guidance, his books, and his encouraging words. Martin is the best writer/critic in the hard rock/heavy metal music world. No one is better.

My special thanks to my friends who have visited and to all who have chanced by to read and take an interest.

Any and all comments are welcomed. if you enjoyed this site, please send me a comment. if you thought this site was annoying or silly, also let me know.

Fo my final blog post on Sweetwood's Metal Moments, I offer my top 30 Hard Rock/Metal albums. They are in No particular order other than the first three are numbers 1-3 as the greatest hard rock/metal albums, ever! Well at least in my most humble opinion.

1. In Rock--Deep Purple
2. Sabatage--Black Sabbath
3. British Steel--Judas Priest
4. Lights Out--UFO
5. Fire of Unknown Origin--Blue Oyster Cult
6. Blizzard of Oz--Ozzy Osbourne
7. Rising--Rainbow
8. The Black Halo--Kamelot
9. The Metal Opera I and II--Avantasia
10. Machine Head--Deep Purple
11. Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken--Hammerfall
12. Alive--Kiss
13. Circle of Life--Rough Silk
14. Streets A Rock Opera--Savatage
15. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath--Black Sabbath
16. Epica--Kamelot
17. Moving Pictures--Rush
18. The Number Of The Beast--Iron Maiden
19. Eric the Red--Tyr
20. Hair of The Dog--Nazareth
21. On Your Feet Or On Your Knees--Blue Oyster Cult
22. Winterheart's Guild--Sonata Arctica
23. Ghost Opera--Kamelot
24. Gutter Ballet--Savatage
25. Screaming For Vengence--Judas Priest
26. Heaven and Hell--Black Sabbath
27. Soundtrack to Heavy Metal (the movie)--various Artists
28. Signals--Rush
29. Infinite--Stratovarious
30. Power Of The Dragonflame--Rhapsody

Older metal and hard Rock will always be with me. ROCK ON!

Feeling Some Deep Purple This Week

“I’m a Speed King, you go to hear me sing,
I’m a Speed King, see me fly.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0rAP87B7UA

My Deep Purple fix was reached this week; as Martin Popoff sent me his latest book, The Deep Purple Royal Family. I decided to combine my review of it with Purple’s most important album, In Rock, from 1970.

When I first heard this thunderous clash thay was the distortion of sound that commanded attention from Deep Purple on the opening of “Speed King” from in Rock, I was taken aback. Then the song reaches a respite with the aid of Jon Lord’s keyboards—then we “hit it” with the Good Golly Miss Molly screeches from Ian Gillian and the song is under the command of the first truly metal band as this is the first truly metal album. Lord’s keyboards enhance the surreal as Ritchie Blackmore takes the guitar to a new level of controlled chaos and Ian Paice’s drums pound a relentless rhythm that drives home the sound. The true hero, on this album as well as this song, is Roger Glover as his bass soars. Not regulated to a background instrument, Glover’s bass gives the “drive” that IS heavy metal. Song after unrelentless song, Glover delivers.

Bloodsucker follows and is not the champion that Speed King is, but it strikes a harsh nerve. Again, it sounds as if Deep Purple is the absolute most important thing on the planet in this song, as the fever hits and the band delivers.

The sublime Child In Time follows, sublime, if only for a moment. The band breaks in some jazz infusion moments in this song until the pace quickens to Blackmore’s total control of the Stratocaster. Keeping us grounded the entire time is the fore-mentioned Roger Glover. Slightly after midway through this song, Jon Lord takes us back to a state of bliss, added to the controlled vocals of Gillian. Hang on metal fans, Ritchie shows us soon enough why he is the master.

Flight of the Rat continues the guitar power that Blackmore is capable of reaching. It sounds as if the producers put Gillian’s vocals in the background so Blackmore’s guitars and Paice’s drum will be the centerpiece. Notice the fills of Glover’s bass in this unheralded song. This bad boy thunders along quite nicely. Considered by many as a “throwaway” number, this song is proof that there is no such thing from a Deep Purple album at this time.

Into the Fire starts with a perfect blend of keyboards/bass/guitars in a moment of power until Gillian screams his articulate voice. I think this song, if no other, shows how incredible Ian Gillian truly is. This song is his showstopper. True Ritchie Blackmore riffs hard on this one, but Gillian stretches the vocal chords far and thin.

Living Wreck starts with Paice’s drumming talent, followed by Glover’s control. This is one song that comes off some highs from the first side, only to show the listener that this is a band, not a Blackmore/Gillian showpiece. Lord’s keyboards reach a new height of power on this track. Can the keyboards be a metal instrument? In the hands of Jon Lord, the answer is a resounding yes.

Hard Loving Man, starts off similar to Speed King with the crash crescendo, follow by the signature heavy metal guitar riff that I would argue Ritchie Blackmore created. This song also has the heavy metal scream often copied by groups like Judas Priest, as Gillian is nothing short of incredible on this track. This is the way to end an album.

Newer versions of this CD include the bonus track/single Black Night. Whereas it is a great song, it would not do justice to the hard rocking/metalesque pace of the other songs on In Rock.
Ok, I feel better getting that off of my chest.

Martin Popoff has written another great Deep Purple book called The Deep Purple Royal Family, which includes ads, concert bills, reviews, and all of the incredible tidbits of information surrounding the band. This first volume (and Martin says on his website that he will write a second volume covering the latter years) ends in 1979. The excitement for me was looking at all of the incredible pictures and historical documentation offered by Popoff to give the reader and music fan the complete picture of what the entire era was like. I have always enjoyed how Martin has included the posters/ads/ and collectable memorabilia of a group in his books, such as those shown In His Black Sabbath—Doom Let Loose; Judas Priest—Heavy Metal Painkillers, and Rush—Contents Under Pressure books. This collection goes way beyond what he has previously done. Buy this book at his site, http://www.martinpopoff.com/ and treat yourself to the complete picture which is Deep Purple.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ehh

Sorry for the delay in posting—married on October 30, 2010—and that has taken time away from many other things. Plus work this year was at times a bit stressful, so I decided on the first day of Summer Break—at least until Monday when I teach summer school again, I would blog.

I won a Kindle last week as a door prize for a teacher appreciation night and I enjoy it very much. It gave me an idea, especially after reading a book on it, to comment on some good, bad, and “ehh” books on metal.

Let’s start off positive with The Good:

Castle Full of Rascals—Deep Purple ’83 to ’09. Everything you wanted to know about the rebirth of Purple is here. It covers Gillian’s solo stuff, Rainbow and other side projects. As with many of Martin’s other books, the chapters are divided by the abums that came out during the time. Each album is carefully diagnosed, tour information is included, band members are interviewed, and the book “takes the reader there” as to the moments of the band. As a fan of Deep Purple and Martin’s style and approach, I loved this book. This book is especially helpful for those who thought Come Taste The Band was the last Deep Purple album.

The insider’s view that Popoff shares is nothing less than impressive. This is a must-have for all Deep Purple and Hard Rock fans. As always with all of Martin’s books, as I read each chapter, I listen to the album highlighted. It is a recommended way to savor Poppoff’s books because the writing is so much ore clear as the subject matter is flowing in as many senses as possible.

Now the Bad

Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Bad may be a bit of an overstatement here, as Eddie strikes me as a genuine and personable guy. The problem I have with this book, which I bought for the kindle, is that this volume is less about the music or the bands, and more about Eddie’s encounters with the band for his radio show or his VH1 shows.

I think the personal flair that Eddie’s writing encompasses would do well by mixing in some critical reviews of the albums or the tours or even more about the music itself. Instead, often times, it reads as if it is a "fanboy" interpretation of Eddie’s favorite artists. Nothing wrong with that per se, but if a writer is going to use that approach, the title should not be “Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.”

Whenever anyone has a "pick or choose" music genre book, interpretations are open as to band selection; but as a fan of the music, and as someone who is exactly the same age as Eddie and pretty close to the same age (a year or two divides us) as Martin, I can relate to the authors’ experiences. I stopped more than a few times and asked myself, "How could an essential hard rock and metal book miss 'such and such' band while including 'that” band?' As an example, no chapter is devoted to Blue Oyster Cult, but a chapter is devoted to Bon Jovi!? I understand the difference in tastes, but Bon Jovi? Anyway this is not a “bad” book, but it left me a bit frustrated at times.

Lastly, the “Ehh”

The Collector’s Guide To Heavy Metal Volume 4. Sorry Martin, but I have to be honest; I was disappointed in this book. Martin’s reviews were fair, even though I may disagree with him on occasion; I have always appreciated his fairness. That is not why I give this an “ehh” rating. My problem with the book is the co-writer David Perri absolutely despises the entire “Power metal” genre. I understand that Perri is a Thrash/Death Metal fan, something that I am not. I have a feeling that Martin is not either, so he incorporated Perri to write on a genre that is frankly, probably a bit beyond his generation—which I respect.

That said, Perri’s reviews of some of the European power metal bands and albums are downright harsh. I remember when The Rolling Stones Record Guide in 1978 referred to Nazareth as “dog food” and “utterly wretched,” some folks felt it was entirelly too vicious. The band later made jokes about it, but I think nazareth's 40 year career says more than a biased review of their material. I guess if you are going to pan something, that is a way to do it, but Perri’s absolute disdain for some of the power and symphonic metal stuff is utterly unfair. Not all of those bands are Helloween rehashed just the same as not all thrash is Slayer revisited. On this blog, I will not write on or review much Thrash.

I truthfully do not care for Thrash as much as I enjoy other genres of hard rock and metal. That said, I am able to appreciate some of the bands and albums. for example, I like the “Black album” by Metallica, one I know many Metallica purists hate, but I also can appreciate Master of Puppets and a song like Battery. To me, all of Slayer’s stuff sounds exactly the same, still I have listened to, and I have appreciated some of the moments in Reign in Blood, and like-minded albums. I have at least listened open-mindedly. I truthfully do not believe Perri has done so, especially with the cruelness at which he comments on Sonata Arctica—a band tha regular readers know to be a favorite of mine.

My point is that if a reviewer has a pre-determined bias already, perhaps someone else should do the review. As stated previously, I think Popoff is much more fair in his reviews. The book has some excellent reviews and is a guide for what is available, biases aside.

Now, it felt good to “get that off my chest…” and I will continue to update more often this summer.

Rough Silk: The Greatest Band You've Never Heard Of Before, Part II

“So you were born where the black cats stray,

Back on your feet - that's the price you got to pay,

For daylight dreams in the midnight hour…

Intelligence is power!

To find a rose way down below,

Scared to death where egos grow;

Whenever a wish cuts like a knife,

Then life goes on,

On and on - tomorrow I'll be gone,

But life goes on”
From “Life Goes On,” from the album Circle of Pain, 1996

I have not shied away from stating that Savatage is just about my favorite band over the last year or so. Now, I have discovered one that could be called a carbon of Savatage, and I do not mean Trans-Siberian orchestra. Rough Silk is the next of my groups you have probably never heard of before series. Rough Silk combines classical, symphonic elements with straight ahead hard rock/metal. They are very piano friendly, notice not keyboard, but piano friendly.
They sing about life and the components therein, and their Circle of Life CD is perhaps the best of the lot.

Their music has an ebb and flow that will cause anyone to feel the pulse of the bass mixed with the sophistication of the guitars, the pound of the drums, and always the piano and keyboards accentuating the lot. Their vocalists are clear and sharp, but lead vocalist Jan Barnett has a deliberately fragile quality to his range. Just when you think he might lose the control of the voice; bang, he delivers with a passion and power. When Jan left, Thomas Ludolphy took over. After he departed, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg assumed command.

This band is one of the finest German Power Metal bands there is. Aside from the fore-mentioned Circle of Pain album, I really enjoyed Mephisto, despite its bizarre cover. I also grew to enjoy Beyond The Sundown, as it arguably has the best cover. The band at times can have the vocal arrangements of Meatloaf and at times, they remind me of George Harrison in the choruses, and no, I am not kidding. There are comparisons to be made with Queen as well, especially on the Symphony of Life album, even more especially on the song “Under the Guillotine” Still in the background, there is a not-so hidden homage to Savatage, so much so, that Jon Olivia is a guest on the Symphony of Life album.

Their albums are not the easiest to find, but seek them out. They are power metal at its best.

The Rough Silk official website: http://www.rough-silk.com/index.php