The Accused-The curse of Martha Splatterhead

Southern Lord
2009

I remember a time when the worlds of metal and punk seemed very different to me. Being a a diehard metal fan I once thought punk rock was so alien and far off. Like a distant world and I am sure some punk rock fans had similar notions about metal. Around the mid-late 80's these two worlds started to come together to an extent rather than collide. We got the brief crossover movement which saw bands mixing hardcore punk and usually thrash metal. From this there was a certain acceptance from both sides. My first exposure to the Accused was when I head "More fun than an open casket funeral". There was something about the lyrics and the band's whole approach that very much appealed to me and they had much in common with what thrash bands of the time were like. Yet there was a certain noisy, harsh quality that had more in common with hardcore acts of the time. In addition to the above there was a certain groove squeezed in amongst the chaos. Forward two decades and this band has been through a lot, but they don't sound a whole different than they did when I first heard them. They still don't pause to hardly take a breath and they just rattle forward like a locomotive at full force. Maybe there is more of a metal influence to their sound this time around as I can heard some older Metallica and Anthrax influenced bits in the mix. They know to keep it short and simple, but it's still tight and brutal enough so as not to seem dated although the roots go back a few years. Whether it's splattercore, crossover or whatever this long running still know how to rip into their material like a hungry beast. They don't break any new ground, but they still know how to deliver intense and brief neck-breaking blasts.

Big hair, bad production and lost time

The first time I ever heard of Wrathchild was maybe late 1984 in a short article in Hit Parader. Then I never heard their music and didn't hear about until the lawsuit that involved this UK glam band and the one from my area who later changed their name to Wrathchild America. Over the last twenty some years I would occasionally come across some mention of these spiked haired, make-up wearing dudes and wonder what they sounded like. I came across a copy of "Stakk Attakk" on CD eight or nine years ago, but the $17 price tag was too steep for me to take a chance on them so their sound remained a mystery to me until now. Another re-issue this month and a lower price tag made me finally take the plunge. These guys formed way back in 1980 and had some demos and an EP over the next few years before finally putting out the full length "Stakk Attakk" in 1984. So what's like? Well, despite the numerous re-issue of this title it's obvious that no one has bothered to remaster it because most of the songs sound like 80's demo quality. I also think that Poison, Tigertailz and Pretty Boy Floyd all heard this album and pulled from it in their early recordings. There are a few songs here that sound a little like KISS and a few that sound somewhat like Twisted Sister, but mainly they are fairly original. I wasn't completely entertained by all that they did on this album, but largely it's decent. It's simple yet fun, but the first half of the album has a lot more power to it than does the second half. However, after the debut the band had some rough times as RCA noticed them and tried to get them away from their contract with Heavy Metal Records. All this tied them up and kept them releasing new material for several years. Finally in 1988 they re-emerged with "The Biz Suxx". Then they were involved in the above mentioned band name lawsuit and the American Wrathchild had to add on to their name while this band released "Delerium" in 1989. They broke up soon after. Three former members are currently in Psychowrath. Vocalist Rocky Shades has dug up the Wrathchild name this year and put together a new line-up that also includes former Tigertailz drummer Ace Finchum. So maybe we have not heard the last of this band. Now I have mostly heard that their debut is supposed to be their best, but the other two albums are now available so maybe eventually I will track them down as well. Until then I will keep wondering if influencing Poison counts as credit or blame.

Clash of the album covers

It is...

Atrophy-Socialized Hate

vs.


Realm-Endless war

***Which cover do your prefer?

Metal band mascots

The best

Iron Maidden's Eddie

Unless you have been living under a rock you know that Maiden's monster is hand's down the best mascot of all time. Not every image of him has been great (Dance of death), but most have been outstanding.

Runner-up



Motorhead-snaggletooth (AKA-War Pig)
Another great mascot is Motorhead's angry, snarling snaggletooth. I always felt that this one fit so well with Motorhead's image.



The rest



Dio's Murray
I like Murray for the most part. He is not as cool as Eddie of course, but he is not so in your face. The covers where he back and in shadows or mist seem to work best for him.



Overkill's Chalie
I think this one has been hit and miss over the years. The more basic the better. When they try to get him doing much action I think it begins to look worse.



S.O.D.'s Sargent D
An okay mascot at best. He looks kind of silly and he is the mascot for a joke band so I guess that make sense.



Gamma Ray's Fangface
Obviously influenced by Maiden and Motorhead, but not as impressive as either.



Helloween's Jack O' Lantern
Appears in different versions. Sometimes more cartoon like than others. Makes sense that their mascot is a pumpkin headed guy, but I think the results for how he works are mixed at best.



Kreator's Violent Mind
Has appeared often as a head and sometimes as a full figure. Decent mascot as I think he fits their image, but not outstanding.



Running Wild's Captain Adrian
He has appeared more often as a head only logo than as a figure. Above average and fits with the band's pirate motif, but not great.



Motley Crue's Allistair Fiend
Appeared more on t-shirts than anything else. Sported a haircut similar to the band members. I think he was hit and miss. I liked the Shout at the devil era Allistair, but as the band got more mellow over the next two albums he didn't work as well.



Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead
Like Eddie they tried to work in with different themes and slap various costumes on him. However he just looks lame. Like a light bulb with tacky accesories slapped on.




Manowar's Manowarrior
Usually this guy is well drawn, but it's pretty much Conan with his face covered so they don't get many originality points.



Anthrax's Not Man
Like Allistair Fiend he was mainly used on shirts. I think I liked him twenty some years ago, but really he is just okay. He looks like a cross between wrestling's Iron Sheik and the guy on the Pringles can.



Iced Earth's Set Abominae
I kind of like this one. Eddie influenced, but often he looks very active and alive.



Hammerfall's Hector
Okay, it's a big, tough phantom warrior dude, but he just kind of stands there or swings his hammer. Well drawn, but kind of dull.

***There you go. What metal mascots do you like?

D.O.A-The Men of action

Sudden Death/MVD
2009



Vancouver's long running hardcore band decided to celebrate their 30th anniversary with this DVD collection. During all those years they have gone through a few bass players although Brian Goble and Randy Rampage have covered most of the time. They have also gone through their share of drummers including Chuck Biscuits who also went on to play for Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Danzig and others. His brother Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery also sat behind ths kit for D.O.A years before his death in 1994 by a drug overdose. However my choice for best D.O.A drummer name would go to The Great Baldini who pounded the skins for a few years during this decade. The band has also had the occasional second guitarist. However the central figure of vocalist/guitarist Joey "Shithead" Keithly has kept the wheels turning for this band. Despite the line-up changes this band has primarily kept to their roots of being a no-nonsense straight forward act with a focus on anarchy. This DVD is comprised of 26 clips with the oldest being a live outdood clip of "Disco Sucks" from 1978 and the newest are from this year. A few clips on this set appeared on the "Smah the state" DVD that came out two years ago. Still this is huge collection of songs that cover the band's long career. Attitude has always been so much a part of D.O.A's approach and it has often times been a part of the fire that keeps their music going. This collection includes live performances recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and of course Vancouver. There are also music videos as well and they are of varying quality as some of the earlier ones are a bit silly, but humor has made it's way into D.O.A.'s image at times as well over the years. This band started out very raw and their skills have gotten better over time and they have tightened up some, but all of the clips show the spirit that has kept them going for all of this time. I didn't get into this band until around 1987 and they had been around for almost a decade at that point. So that made them veterans by punk rock standards yet here they are another two decades later still ripping it up. The audio is re-mastered on these discs so the sound is generally solid. There is also an option to watch all 26 clips with commentary from Joey Keithley. Sometimes his comments are relevant to what's on the screen and sometimes not, but he is very enthusiastic about giving his views. As a bonus this set also includes the band's most recent CD "Northern Avenger". I am not sure as to why this disc is added in because if you are a fan than you likely picked it up when it came out last year. In case you didn't it's another solid release and one of the heavier releases. Honestly I was overwhelmed by the amount of material on this disc and that is certainly a good thing. There are some great presentations of classics like "The prisoner", "Fucked up Ronnie", "World War 3" and piles more. The shoe-string budget video for "We're driving to hell 'n back" had me rolling as well. There is no dead weight here for sure. The sound quality is strong and for the most part so is picture quality. By putting in performances from so many different years they have managed to give a good overview of the band's career. "The men of action" is a must have for fans and it would be a great introduction for those unfortunate few who may not be familiar to this band.

What's coming up?

I still owe a review of Machines of grace so I'll have that out soon.

Reviews of...

The Accused-Curse of Martha Splatterhead
D.O.A.-The men of action
Slave Traitor-Man Infest Destiny


Clash of the album covers


Probably something about rating band mascots

Bleach, line-up changes and the dreaded melodic turn

A new record store had just opened near me in the summer of 1985. One hot Summer day my dad was going into the grocery store and I had enough time to slip down to the record store and just enough money to buy one cassette (yes, I know that was a bad format to choose). I remember looking at lots of choices. Most were bands I only knew by name or one song from one of the late night metal radio shows that I soaked in. Finally after much deliberation I settled on King Kobra's "Ready to strike" although I don't remember why. This band was formed by former Cactus, Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice and eventually rounded out by four bleached blond musicians. Their debut wasn't anything new, but I loved it then and still do. The pace and heaviness level is comparable to Dokken or Black and Blue, but for me the kicker was singer Mark Free. Years before his gender change he was a remarkable singer. You can really hear it on the "Motor City Strike" bootleg too because there are no overdubs and you are treated to his fabulous range.

Unfortunately a year later their label pushed them to create more radio friendly songs and the result was the more AOR leaning "Thrill of a lifetime". Mark Free still sounded good, but guitarists Mick Sweda and David Michael Phillips get shoved to the background and Carmine Appice's drum sound is thin and limp. Only the last three tracks had much life to them. After this album the revolving door began going on full motion. Their label dropped them, Mark Free left and was replaced by Marc Torien and bassist Lonnie Vincent replaced Johnny Rod who had left for higher ground as he joined WASP. It wasn't long after that point until the four blonds left Appice to form their own band. However David Michael Phillips didn't get along with Marc Torien so he soon returned to Appice while the other band would become the Bulletboys. King Kobra was soon completed with Johnny Edwards on vocals, Jeff Northrup filling in the second guitar spot and Larry Hart on bass. By this point it was 1988 and the band couldn't get signed so Appice released "III" on his own label and got some distribution help in the form New Renaissance. To me this album was a mixed bag that sounded like it was made up of leftovers and while Edwards was quite decent he was no Mark Free. The band did not tour for this album and soon they broke up. An album of unreleased demos called "The Lost Years" came out years later and unfortunately so did an ill-advised not really reunion album called "Hollywood Trash" in 1999. Truly a band that never followed up on their initial potential, but I still enjoy the debut and the bootleg.

Fury UK-VR

Rocksector
2009

My first exposure to this band was over a year and a half ago when I heard their "Salvation" EP. Largely this their second full length picks up on the general direction of their previous material. Perhaps they even come into their own even more this time around. The band consist of Chris Appleton on lead guitar/ lead vocals, Martin McNee providing the drums and Luke Appleton playing bass/backing vocals. Certainly they were raised on a steady diet of classic metal including the likes Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest as their sound revolves around. That style makes up the basis of their sound although they occasionally rise up to an early thrash style as well. The results are a powerful blend of pure metal that revolve around a solid foundation. Rather than just copying their influences, I think Fury UK have actually managed to channel the sound of metal's founders and some NWOBHM bands. Perhaps they are slightly outdated to an extent, but that doesn't slow them down. This trio charges into their songs and they have certainly tightened up around the edges. There were a few moments where I felt like they could have raised the intensity level, but I think that will come in time if they stick to the course that they are on. They are followers of the sounds of metal's past without a doubt. Still they know to incorporate the kind of stabbing rhythm and pounding beats that serve as the guiding pulse for this style of metal.


http://www.furyuk.com/

Clash of the album covers

It is..


Falconer-Among beggars and thieves

vs.


Hibria-Defying the rules

***Which cover do you prefer?

Circadian Rising-Drowned in exile

Self-produced
2009

Pennsylvania's Circadian Rising have been around for about two and a half years. I am certain exactly what I was expecting from the EP, but these guys certainly managed to make quite an impression on me with just four songs. Their influences include classic metal and early death metal. So rather than separate the two they make a valiant effort at combing the styles. The vocals are similar to the raspy style used by Chuck Schuldiner of Death. The music alternates between pounding early death metal attacks similar to Death and Obituary and swirling passages similar to prime Iron Maiden. I found this approach surprising primarily just because of the ease at which they manipulate the different sounds. The sound is slightly low in parts, but now that they are signed to Turkey Vulture records I imagine that their upcoming album will benefit from stronger production values. Circadian Rising wear their influences on their sleeves, but they are so smooth in their presentation that it is instantly likable. They manage to hammer out heavier parts as needed yet they put just enough finesse into the presentation to add some extra depth. The four songs managed to show me enough to have me ready to see what these guys can do on a full length effort.



www.myspace.com/circadianrising

Government Issue-The punk remains the same

DC-Jam
2009



Government Issue were one of the longer running DC punk rock bands of the 1980's as they were in existence for almost that whole decade. The were also one of the band's from that scene that progressed the most during their run. This five track EP was taken from two different GI shows back in the early 1982 and 1983. The sound quality is actually surprisingly good given the age of the material. Tracks like "Notch to my crotch" and "Snubbing" remind me some of fellow DC act Minor Threat with the straight shooting pace and to the point lyrics. The first four songs capture the spirit of early 80's punk rock and they chart in at a minute or two per song. GI save the best for last though with "Sheer Terror". This is the one song on the disc where they really push beyond the basic and begin to hammer out some rough, but interesting twist and turns. We get to hear traces of the kind of ideas that they would focus on just a few years later. The total running time for the disc is under ten minutes. For Government Issue fans it's a must have and a great example of where they were early in their career.

Remembering Blitzkrieg

I believe that I bought Blitzkrieg's "Ready for action" on cassette around 85 or 86 at my local record store. Obviously I didn't buy this EP for the cover because it looks like some sixth grader knocked it out during their math class one day. It seems like this originally had a big sticker with the claim "produced by Ron Keel" which I guess carried some weight in 1985. The production is average, but good enough. There doesn't seem to be a lot of background information on these guys for some reason. They were from LA and wore a lot of spandex and hairspray. I guess that description fit a hundred or so bands back then. It's the music that set these guys apart. I have memories of playing this over and over back when I was in tenth grade or so. The heaviness level is similar to early Motley Crue as they head directly into the meat of the material. About two years later my tape snapped while being played. I almost forgot about these guys until a few years ago when I picked it up cheap on CD. Hesitantly I slipped it into my player thinking that perhaps it hadn't aged well. It certainly wasn't perfect, but it still sounded pretty good. They definitely had some real potential and it's a shame they didn't stick around long enough to knock out another album.

What's coming up?

My wife and I have been watching a lot Bewitched episodes lately. Always liked it as a kid and still do.
I still owe a Fury UK review and I'll have that out in the next day or two. I have to have some minor surgery done tomorrow, but should be back to posting regularly soon. My oldest will start kindergarten next week as well. So a lot going on. Here is what I hope to have out this week.

GI-The punk remains the same
Circadian Rising-Drowned in exile
Machines of grace

Clash of the album covers

and maybe something about what's good and bad about different sub-genres of metal

***Have a great week!

Clash of the album covers

Here are two from some lesser known American metal bands from the mid-80's


Liege Lord-Freedom's Rise

vs.

Wyzard-Knights of metal

**Which cover do you prefer?

Blackout-Evil Game

Metal Mind

1984/2009



I know that I saw this album cover at some point in time in the back of some a stack of albums. It didn't impact me enough to buy it at the time, but something about must have made an impact because I remembered it. I knew nothing of the band or the music, but then I saw that Metal Mind was re-issuing it so I was interested. These guys were from Holland and originally came together as Godzilla back in 1983. They also started out their existence playing pop-rock. However, they soon decided that this angel was not working for them and they switched to metal. Good thing for us because a year later they knocked out this album. Even though they are from Holland, they still play a style similar to what was going on in the UK around the time. They may be a little more into melodies, but this is still a straight on assault of metal and hard rock not far off from NOWBHM acts. I can hear some Scorpions, Judas Priest and even a little Van Halen in their sound. Nothing completely different, but they fit in with the huge majority of metal that was pouring out of the time. I was instantly hooked even though I had heard this style many times before. They don't overstay their welcome and blend together a sound that pulls from both the late 1970's and the early 1980's yet they do not sound dated. I wish I had known how good they were back then when I viewed the black and white cover with the green snakes facing one another. At least the good folks at Metal Mind have re-issued it complete with a lyric book. So now I can enjoy this gem that I flippe past those many years ago.

The Killer Robots

Self-produced

2009

This band's Myspace page says they are from Orlando, Florida. However they look and try to sound like they just flew in on their spacecraft from the outer reaches of some distant galaxy. Perhaps they saw too many low-budget sci-fi movies or maybe they just had overactive imaginations. Either way, they strapped on their costumes, assumed their robotic identities and penned "Space Trash", "Pleasurebot" and "Motorgod". The whole sci-fi theme not only finds it's way into their music, but it actually becomes the driving force. They sound like a cross between Gwar, Devo, Ramones, KISS and others only as filtered through their robotic minds and voices. They toss in lots of sound effects and spoken bits between songs and the credits refer to those parts as "Atomic sci-fi theater". Some of the parts are amusing and others are tedious. With their stage antics and consistent theme, they will likely be seen as a space age Gwar. They smack around at their instruments as they grind out some fairly simple punk rock that oftentimes gets covered in layers of distortion and effects. So the Killer Robots certainly are not that original, but they are fun and the pace is brisk enough that this disc was fairly enjoyable. Based on their sound and the pictures in the booklet I am sure that they come across even better on stage. This isn't an album I would want to hear all the time, but it's too much of the same thing and their novelty might wear thin after a while, but when taken in small doses I think the humor and steady attack of this album does enough to entertain. So lock up your motor oil, hide your spare gears and get ready to abosrb the cosmic energy of the killer robots.

www.myspace.com/killerrobots

Interview with Panzer Princess

Panzer Princess hail from Sweden and recently released "Oh, no it's Panzer Princess". I recently had the chance to talk to them and find out more.

Hello, please introduce the members of your band and what instrument you play.

Tank Hooker - Guitar, backin voc, 26 year old boy

Kelly Mourge - Vocals, Harmonica and other instruments we find funny to use on stage... 24 year old

Sir Alex - Bass, backin voc, 26 years old

Simon LaRue - Drums, 24 years old



-Who are your musical influences?
Of course old punk bands and garage rock..n..roll bands...




-Tell us some about the history of your band.
see www.panzerprincess.com... there is the "history" we got so far


-You have a new album out called “Oh, no it’s Panzer Princess”. Tell us about it?
Its our debut album and its recorded late 2008 and released in spring 2009, with a release party in Stockholm, Sweden together with the Swedish bands Sister, Leaded Fuel, The Scams
The album was recorded really fast... and even thou Simon had a broken hand we manage to it.


-There was a long gap between you demo/E.P. and the new album. What was going on during that time?
Well... we..ve been playin a lot and was spending all the time we had doin shows, travelling and rehearsin for gigs... and our singer injured one of his lungs, Simon fucked up his leg and broke his hand so... it took quite some time...
But we..ve already started writing new stuff for the next album right now so next CD we release will probably not take this long time to get out... if we don't injure us again or something else happens


-Where did you come up with your band name?
All the coolest have two part names with something cool and hard and then something soft and sweet so...hehe

-You have a few shows coming up soon. Any big Summer touring plans?
No not right now... maybe and hopefully soon, but we do everything on our own and we..re not that good on booking shows, cause we don't have the contacts
But we will probably make a few shows in Germany, Spain and also hopefully get back to UK again this fall.

-When people talk about hard rock/glam bands these days your country of Sweden often comes up first. There seem to be a lot of bands popping up in Sweden playing that type of music. Why do you think that is?
Well... there is a lot of bands coming from Sweden now that play all kinds of music really... and people has always always played this kinda music i guess, but its maybe just until recently that people dont have to be embarrassed doin this stuff...


-Who are some of the best bands playing in your area right now?
well apart from our CD we don't think a really good album has been released since like 1990...

-So what are you guys doing that sets or will set you apart from other bands playing this style of music?
Well we leave that up to the audience to decide... but one thing is maybe that a lot of the band playin right now from Sweden is influenced of and listen to a lot of the 80s glam bands... but we mostly listen to kinda the band that those 80s band were influenced from and listened to themselves...


-What are some of the most memorable shows that you have played so far?
Well we played support for Crashdiet in Sweden and that was really sick walking out on stage to that audience...
And we have a lot of good memories from Spain and UK to... but really all the shows we do it fun and memorable so...


-What should someone who comes to see you live expect?
A good show, energy and probably some drinkin...

-Is this the only project for you guys or is anyone currently working on any other projects?
No this is the only thing we do right now...



-What else do you hope to accomplish in 2009?
Hopefully everyone gets to loose their virginity this year... but but maybe we can just settle with more shows and that our music spreads to more people.

-Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked them.

Vain of Jenna or Crashdiet
VAINS OF JENNA

Cinderella or Poison
CINDERELLA

Hanoi Rocks or Motley Crue
HANOI

Aerosmith or KISS
AEROSMITH

-What are some of the best albums that you have heard so far this year?
Dropkick Murphys - Meanest of times

-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?
Not that we think of right now

www.myspace.com/panzerprincess

***Here are my reviews of their albums if you missed them the first time around.

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2009/04/panzer-princess-oh-no-its-panzer.html

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2008/02/panzer-princess-legacy-of-ignorance.html

Clash of the album covers

The idea of turning into an animal has spawned more covers than you may think. It is...


Scorpions-Savage Amusement

vs.


WASP-Inside the electric circus

***Which cover do you prefer?

What's coming up?

A while back I did a list of the top 25 hard rock/metal bands of the 1980's. At some point I will try to tackle doing one of those lists for the 1970's. As for now I hope to have the following out this week.

Reviews of ...
Fury UK-VR
The Killer Robots
Blackout-Evil Game

Interview with Panzer Princess

Clash of the album covers (maybe two)

and maybe one other topic

***Have a great week!

Interview with Praying Mantis

Praying Mantis were formed back in the 1970's by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in the mid 70's. They were very much a part of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement. However the Troy brothers moved onto some other projects before reviving the band again in the early 1990's. They are still at and recently released an outstanding album called "Sanctuary". I recently had the pleasure of interviewing bassist Chris Troy.



MM-Hello. You guys have a new album out called “Sanctuary”. Tell us about it.

PM-I think its safe to say we are quite proud of it. When the songs are in their infancy its always difficult to know how exactly the final version will sound like. A few times I have had these visions of songs being classics and yet by the time they have gone through the recording process, they seem to fall by the wayside. Here it was the opposite and each track seemed to come up to the mark. We knew after all these years that if were going to release an album it had to be good and I think we have hopefully achieved that.

MM-How do you think “Sanctuary” compares with your previous releases?
PM-Personally I think it surpasses anything else we have done. I think by the reviews we have had for this album I think that the press and fans seem to think so as well.

MM-Did you approach the writing and recording for new album any differently than with your previous releases? If so then how?
PM-Not really. The songwriting normally starts with foundation of the musical format and then we experiment with the melody lines and this can be a long process. If the melodies do not make the grade then the chords are changed or the song binned ...we tend to be quite ruthless now to ensure that there is a high quality.

MM-Who are your musical influences?
PM-Believe it or not it goes back to two bands which were Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash , both which were big on twin guitars and great songs.

MM-You guys actually started out well before the NWOBHM started, but you normally get put in with that movement. So what were your early club days like in the 1970’s?
PM-The times were superb then , its like the rock clubs had such a brilliant buzz and people actually got on with one another. Nowadays they just seem to want to go out and fight over something. Utterly mad !!.

MM-Why do you think so many up and coming bands popped up at that time?
PM-There is no doubt that as the NWOBHM formed there seemed to be bands that were created to fall into it .I think that is a natural trend where people see an opportunity for fame/ money :-)....we cannot be part of that as we already existed !!

MM-Why do you think that you didn’t make it bigger in the early 1980’s than you did?
PM-That's the 64,000 dollar question ! ..suppose we will ever really know , but I still put it down to pathetic management that really did not have a clue about the business, how it worked or where they were supposed to be taking the band. During this time we lost all the momentum that was created. I am pretty sure that with better direction at the time we could have maybe carried on alongside Iron Maiden and the heights that they achieved.



MM-How did you come to do “Stratus” with Clive Burr? What do you remember about that project?
PM-Its a strange one that. I think when Clive joined us after having been with Maiden we thought we would take a lightly different direction and as such thought the name change would be more appropriate . It was good fun at the time and I quite enjoyed the new direction where we were going. however that project didn't really gain much steam and the Mantis aspect re-emerged.

MM-You reformed in 1990 (for the 10th anniversary of NWOBHM) with Paul Di anno & Dennis Stratton and recorded “Live at last”. Did you know going into this that you were going to revive the band for more studio albums or did that come as a result of this show?
PM-We were asked by a big promoter in Japan at that time to do this joint venture of mantis/ ex-maiden members where we would do songs from both bands. It went down an absolute storm !! from there it generated the Live at last album. Because of the success of that, there is no doubt that it regenerated the name of mantis and we have been going pretty strong since that time .



MM-Where did you come up with your band name?
PM-Tino came up with all those many many years ago. The band was originally called "Junction" -........Yuchhhh !! How on earth did we ever come up with that name . Anything would have been better than that , as it was I think its a great name standing the test of time !.

MM-How do you keep yourselves motivated at this point in your career?
PM-Sex and of course drugs !!....of course the music is a huge drug. Will never ever really let it go..

MM--What are you guys doing that sets or will set you apart from other bands playing this style of music?
PM-That's a hard one...hopefully the fact that the melodies and songs are strong enough to have continued this long. Some people say that on the new album there are no album "fillers "which I hope applies for most albums we have done.



MM-What else do you hope to accomplish in the remainder of 2009?
PM-Get back to japan !...I think we are back there in November and its a long time since we played there.

MM-If someone could only afford to buy one of your albums then which album would you recommend and why?
PM-Of all the albums we have ever done the two I would pick are Sanctuary :-) and Cry for the new world ....that to me is still a really good one even after 16 years.

MM-Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked them.

Thin Lizzy or UFO.........Ha ha ..Thin lizzy of course !!

Samson or Tygers of Pan tang..... Hard one that, but Paul Samson as he was a good friend and a great songwriter...Miss you mate wherever you are !.

Iron Maiden or Judas Priest..... suppose I have to go with maiden after all these years with that association with them!

MM-What are some of the best albums that you have heard so far this year?
PM-There is a Norwegian band called Jorn who i really like .

MM-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?
PM-We have been here for some 34 years and will go on for as long as it takes to make the perfect album...however I think we are getting pretty close :-)
Best regards Chris Troy

www.myspace.com/prayingmantisrock

Freestone-The Temple of Humanity:The music of Freemasonry

PINK
2009



I remember being a kid and seeing the symbol for Freemasonry and wondering what it was. I don't recall if I ever asked my dad what is was or not. If I did then I don't think he gave me a great answer because I still didn't understand it. Apparently other people were interested in it as well because here we get a disc all about Freemasonry. Personally this is one topic that wouldn't have struck me as a likely topic for a whole album, but indeed it is done in an intriguing manner on this disc. This band pulls from elements of smooth melodic pop, progressive passages and even some hard rock at times. The seamless blend of styles helps to give the music a definite texture. Despite being somewhat mellow, there is still definitely an element of surprise here. There were several moments where they went in directions I wasn't expected and and it almost always added to what they were trying to accomplish. The lyrics are simple, but they approach the topic from different angles. They help to define what Freemasonry is and shed the spotlight a little on it's history, but they still keep alive some mystical elements that I think have always surrounded this topic. I certainly wouldn't presume or pretend that this was a small undertaking. However, I am certain that Freestone have succeeded in creating an album that is consistently interesting and well-crafted.

Spartan Warrior-s/t

Metal Mind
1984/2009

The NWOBHM was such a massive movement that some bands were inevitably left behind and even forgotten to an extent. One of those overlooked bands is Spartan Warrior. Even though it is self-titled this was actually their second full length offering. The thing that struck me first about this band was that they cross the line between hard rock and metal. Not so much a blend, but more that they take on one style on one song and then dip into the other style on the next track. The influences are definitely varied as they show shades of Saxon, Scorpions, Ted Nugent and a handful of others. There is definitely some 70's hard rock flavors tossed into their mix, but they sound like some other bands from the NWOBHM as well. The bass is often pumped up enough to really add some support. The drum sound is loud, but not always as heavy as it could be. The vocals are perhaps the part of their sound that adapted easiest to the different approaches that they attempted. Above all else they approach most of the songs with a rough and dirty feel to them no matter what the pace is. That's what really helps to set them apart. If there is a shortcoming it's that several songs are more basic than they needed to be. I found myself hoping they would take a few more chances and dig a little deeper, but that didn't always happen. Still Spartan Warrior are certainly one of those bands that perhaps were unfairly overlooked back at the end of the NWOBHM scene.

Starting out young

I had a woman who was maybe in her late 50's come into my place of work (public library). She had a list of bands that her 13 year grandson was looking for and it was all metal. Some of the bands were not surprising as they were big names like Ozzy and Maiden. Then she got to Motorhead followed by Manowar, Testament and even Death. Now unfortunately we don't own any titles by those last three, but we do own several by the first three. Still it refreshing to hear of a teenager today with an interest in old metal. The only downside was Dragonforce were on the list too and what's worse is the library system I work for owns more Dragonforce titles than they do Motorhead discs.

Acid Drinkers-Fishdick

Metal Mind
1994/2009



By 1994 Poland's craziest thrash band Acid Drinkers had knocked out four studio albums. They were no stranger to cover songs having already slipped their versions of tracks by the likes of Metallica and Deep Purple on their releases. Fifteen years ago doing an album of all covers (or just about all covers in this case) wasn't quite as common of a ritual as it would soon become. Although I liked their previous covers, I would not be too hot on this idea. The reason being that their covers were frequently bizarre and very much different from the originals. While they worked amidst the originals would they get old on an album of just odd covers? Unfortunately the answer is yes. The band slices and dices up covers of songs from Motorhead, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and of course KISS with varying degrees of success. Their cover of Sabbath's "N.I.B." with it's basic rap bits and animal like noises works well. Their cover of "Another brick in the wall" manages to be fairly engaging with calculated pacing. However others like "Ace of spades" and "Highway Star" just had me thinking how much better those covers by Sodom and Metal Church were. I guess that means there was a certain novelty to their covers when they appeared amidst primarily studio material. Here it's like they have an EP full of likable covers and the other half sound rather bland. This re-issue contains a different version of "N.I.B" as a bonus track.

The year 1987 wasn't the best year for hard rock and metal. There were definite standouts and the releases from Guns -n- Roses, Anthrax, King Diamond, Kreator and Celtic Frost are some of the top ones that come to mind. However there were some highly overrated albums that came out that year as well. Two in particular as they came from artists who had bot given some of the best hard rock releases in the first half of the decade. Only this time around both bands had lost their edge and they were more gloss than rock. Both of these albums still bother me to this day because they both should have been much better. Let's toss these sewage bombs out there and see which one stinks less. It is...

Def Leppard-Hysteria

vs.


Motley Crue-Girls, girls, girls

***When I do veteran bands I replace the originality/production category with the disappointment factor.

Vocals

Vince Neil against Joe Elliot in one turned out to be the tightest of the five categories. Neither guy is giving their best performance on these albums nor are they giving bad performances. Vince Neil actually sounds slightly better than he did on Theater of pain as a whole. Joe Elliot is decent too, but all the choruses lead much of the vocals to just sound the same from song to song. Neither guys was giving their all, but by the end of the albums I think Vince was slightly better.
Point to Motley Crue

Guitars

It's Mick Mars versus Steve Clark and Phil Collen. Mick Mars comes across as being even more repetitive on this album than on the Crue previous releases. I don't know it they thought that it made heavier or if they just ran out of ideas. Either way it doesn't help the album. The Def Leppard duo should have been slapped for losing the hooks they so easily pulled off on the previous albums. They hide behind slick production here, but they don't bore me quite as fast as Mick Mars does.

Point to Def Leppard

Rhythm section

We have Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee taking on Rik Savage and Rick Allen. If the slick production tones down the guitars than it practically makes the bass non-existent on both albums. Rick Allen's drum beats are basic and the sound is loud, but not really engaging. Tommy Lee is one of the best hard rock drummers of all time, but this wasn't his best work primarily because it's so basic and the production robs it of some of what could have been. Still there are moments where you hear Lee's mastery of rhythms come through.

Point to Motley Crue

The disappointment factor

Motley Crue were following up Theater of pain which was a very average album. The band were insisting that Girls, Girls, Girls this was to be a return to their heavier style (they lied). Still I don't think that my expectations were that high for the Crue at this point due to the fact that Theater of pain wasn't that good. Still it had been a commercial success so deep down I didn't think they were going to become much heavier. Def Leppard were following up a far better album in Pyromania. They were also coming back after a four year gap and Rick Allen's accident. Still most people believed they were going to get back to form this time around. Then they push out this fluffed up piece of polished pop that sounds as sickening today as it did twenty-two years ago.

Point to Motley Crue

Who rocks more

If the bands rocked at all when they recorded these songs then the production certainly managed to suck the life out of what little might have actually been there. Def Leppard probably hit a song or two that's better than anything on the Motley Crue album, but they also have a couple that are even worse than anything that the Crue clunk out on their album. I don't think either band rocks nearly enough to please me or to really be that much better than their opponent in this category. So let's call it a...

Tie

The Crue take it 3-1-1 in a fairly close battle. Neither of these have albums have gotten any better over the years and both bands should be ashamed of themselves for putting out this gunk. Motley Crue tried to look and talk tough. Instead they sound tired and limp. Del Leppard thought that giving a long crappy album would be better than turning out a normal length crappy album. They were wrong and we all had to suffer hearing their lifeless songs on the radio over and over as well. I have given both of these albums chances over the years and the most I have gotten out it is nauseous. Here's hoping that my ears don't have to be assaulted by these two poor excuse for albums for some time.