Five things in music that I am thankful for in 2008

Okay this is the third year that I have done this and it's always a joy to give words of praise to those who deserve it so here we go in no real order.



Metal Mind productions-Yes, I did pick them last year as well and they have earned it again. This European record label has always done a fine job with all of their re-issues and 2008 was no exception. This year saw great re-issues of album from Artillery, Lillian Axe, Slaughter (the Canadian thrash band), Dragon, Defiance, Tank and others. Now just that they re-issued them, but they often add bonus tracks and lyric booklets with bios, photos and more. Just a great label that seems to be getting even better.



Journey-Here's a band who was on their third singer in just over a year and it had been some time since they did a very good album. Yet they reached down and knocked out their best album since 1983's "Frontiers". In a year where a number of other big name veteren acts fialed, Journey stepped up and put out a fine album.



BNR Metal pages-I have been visiting their site long before I started my blog. I still stop by often to look at new entries and I frequently go there to check dates, album titles and band members for reviews I am doing. A few months ago a reader sent me a song hoping I could identify it or them and I couldn't, but I told them to contact BNR and sure enough they were able to give him an answer. Great site and a great resource.
http://www.bnrmetal.com/v2/main.php



Universal Music and everyone who worked on Iron Maiden's Live After Death DVD-I was just happy that this was coming to DVD. However then it came out and a huge pile extras on top of the remarkable 1985 concert. Amazing job by all involved.



Randy Piper's Animal-Guitarist Randy Piper was in WASP for their first two albums and while those are classic that was well over twenty years again. Now I never heard 2006's "Violent new breed" from this band, but it got good reviews. However I didn't have high expectations for this album because Randy Piper hadn't done that much in a long time. Yet their new release "Virus' is killer old style metal with Piper playing like a madman and he put together a good band around him.

There you go, have a Happy Thanksgiving!