Probot, 2004
I remember hearing that Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) was going to do a metal album and I probably laughed. Then I heard that he was having guests and a lot of the names I heard were guys I grew up listening to between 85-90. After it came out several people said it was good so I picked it up when the price was right. Overall the music is good and much of it is geared toward the style of the guest vocalist. The music is somewhat basic and lacks guitar solos, but it's overall mid to late 80's styled metal. My main concern was that it would be nu-metal or something and it's not. It's not spectacular, but true enough to underground 80's metal. So since the music is overall decent, how good a song is here ultimately depends on how good the vocals are. So here is a song by song breakdown of the vocals.
1. Centuries Of Sin ( W/ Cronos / Venom)
Cronos' voice has gotten a bit deeper than it used to be. It's not bad at all, but just not as distinct as it once was.
2. Red War ( W/ Max Cavalera / Soulfly, Sepultura)
I never saw the huge deal with Sepultura. Yet Max sounds pretty good.
3. Shake Your Blood ( W/ Lemmy / Motörhead)
Lemmy is always on, count on it.
4. Access Babylon ( W/ Mike Dean / C.O.C.)
Mike Dean has been C.O.C's bass player for all, but one album. Yet he only sang on one lp and one ep and both were done in the mid-80's. I loved his vocals then, but here he sounds like he has nothing left to give.
5. Silent Spring ( W/ Kurt Brecht / D.R.I.)
Never a singer with a lot of range, but he sounds about like he did in 1988 so his voice has aged well.
6. Ice Cold Man ( W/ Lee Dorrian / Cathedral / Napalm Death)
Dorrian does his Cathedral vocals here and it sounds like early Cathedral which means it's a little dull.
7. The Emerald Law ( W/ Wino / Place Of Skulls / The Obsessed/ Saint Vitus/ Hidden Hand)
Wino's voice has changed a little over the years depending on which project he is with. He sounds fairly solid here.
8. Big Sky ( W/ Tom G. Warrior / Celtic Frost)
I was actually surprised how good Tom G. sounds on the new Frost album because he sounds very weak here.
9. Dictatorsaurus ( W/ Snake / Voïvod)
Never been a huge Voivod fan, but the vocals are strong here.
10. My Tortured Soul ( W/ Eric Wagner / Trouble)
Wagner sounds good overall, but a little less agressive than in his prime.
11. Sweet Dreams ( W/ King Diamond / Mercyful Fate)
The King doesn't have the crazy range he once had, but still very on.
I like the album, but it's not one I listen to all that much. My fear is that non-metal fans would think Grohl was throwing a bone to some metal hasbeens. Keep in mind that all of these vocalists are now and have been active in the metal scene.
1. Centuries Of Sin ( W/ Cronos / Venom)
Cronos' voice has gotten a bit deeper than it used to be. It's not bad at all, but just not as distinct as it once was.
2. Red War ( W/ Max Cavalera / Soulfly, Sepultura)
I never saw the huge deal with Sepultura. Yet Max sounds pretty good.
3. Shake Your Blood ( W/ Lemmy / Motörhead)
Lemmy is always on, count on it.
4. Access Babylon ( W/ Mike Dean / C.O.C.)
Mike Dean has been C.O.C's bass player for all, but one album. Yet he only sang on one lp and one ep and both were done in the mid-80's. I loved his vocals then, but here he sounds like he has nothing left to give.
5. Silent Spring ( W/ Kurt Brecht / D.R.I.)
Never a singer with a lot of range, but he sounds about like he did in 1988 so his voice has aged well.
6. Ice Cold Man ( W/ Lee Dorrian / Cathedral / Napalm Death)
Dorrian does his Cathedral vocals here and it sounds like early Cathedral which means it's a little dull.
7. The Emerald Law ( W/ Wino / Place Of Skulls / The Obsessed/ Saint Vitus/ Hidden Hand)
Wino's voice has changed a little over the years depending on which project he is with. He sounds fairly solid here.
8. Big Sky ( W/ Tom G. Warrior / Celtic Frost)
I was actually surprised how good Tom G. sounds on the new Frost album because he sounds very weak here.
9. Dictatorsaurus ( W/ Snake / Voïvod)
Never been a huge Voivod fan, but the vocals are strong here.
10. My Tortured Soul ( W/ Eric Wagner / Trouble)
Wagner sounds good overall, but a little less agressive than in his prime.
11. Sweet Dreams ( W/ King Diamond / Mercyful Fate)
The King doesn't have the crazy range he once had, but still very on.
I like the album, but it's not one I listen to all that much. My fear is that non-metal fans would think Grohl was throwing a bone to some metal hasbeens. Keep in mind that all of these vocalists are now and have been active in the metal scene.
posted by Metal Mark at
12:15 AM
4 Comments:
From my perspective, I didn't know many of these singers, so I found some songs really spectacular, and thus found Trouble and some Celtic Frost, and some Mercyful Fate only from this CD :) I think Grohl did an amazing job of capturing the sound of these bands!
I have to agree. I like the album and it's diversity (more solo would be nice) but like Joerg I too have only heard maybe half of the singers so I had nothing to compare. It's not something I'll listen to a lot, but I think I'll throw it now ....
I was impressed by the idea of this, but unimpressed with the blah result. The Lemmy song was OK, and a few others, but I never listen to it anymore.
-- david
Joerg-If it helped you to find those bands then that's great.
dpth international-I am glad that you heard some of the veterens through this project.
David-It's not great, but I like it.
I guess it was different for me because I listened to all of these guys when their bands were in their prime
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