Steve Harris-British Lion

EMI/UME
2012

 Steve Harris should need no introduction. Unless you are new to the genre known as heavy metal (in which case welcome to the family!) or have never bothered to read the line-up information that comes with your favorite NWOBHM albums (in which case I have to seriously wonder about you) Steve is best known as the bassist/chief songwriter for the one and only Iron Maiden. "British Lion" (which was the name of a band that Steve Harris had taken under his wing back in the late nineties) is the debut solo album/side-project from Steve Harris. As stated the album's roots can be traced back to a separate band, however, make n mistake about it-at the end of the day this is a Steve Harris project. All he did was pick up ex-British Lion member's  Graham Leslie (guitar) and Richie Taylor (vocals). If you are the curious type I've included the exact line-up information at the bottom. And speaking of being curious (if you're at all like me then I imagine you are) no, this does not sound like Iron Maiden even if you do have Iron Maiden's primary songwriter. In fact this has more in common with the likes of UFO and Thin Lizzy then Iron Maiden.Heck, there is even some Kansas love to be found along the way. It is the hard rock version of Kansas mind you, but still this is NOT one of those albums where you find yourself saying "You know what this album could use more of? It needs more Kansas!". There were moments here and there where the band gets things humming just right. Those moments? Well, here's the thing. As I sat down to look over my notes that I had typed up I noticed that some one (no names mentioned, but I'm pretty sure it was my son Matt as he was the only one here with me this past weekend!) had closed down the page without saving it. Do I really want to listen to the album all over again then? Not really. The few good spots (nice guitar solos and experimental bass techniques from Steve Harris) are not enough to counter the band spots (decent at best production and a very weak lead singer). This album did have the makings of something really good which is why I'm surprised that Steve Harris settled for a guy who sounds like he belongs in a cover band and thought that the album's self-production wouldn't be an issue. Being that this is Steve Harris I really wanted to be floored by the whole affair, but instead it's more likely to be one of those albums where I pick and choose a few songs to add to mix CDs and ignore the rest.

















Steve Harris-bass
 Richard Taylor-lead vocals
David Hawkins-guitar/keyboards (all tracks except 5, 6 and 8)
Grahame Leslie - guitar (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Barry Fitzgibbon - guitar (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Simon Dawson - drums (tracks 2, 4 and 9)
 Ian Roberts - drums (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Richard Cook - drums (tracks 1, 3 and 7)

The seven best hard rock/metal bands of the last seven years

Okay, to celebrate the seventh blogiversary I commited to coming up with a list of what I think are the seven best bands of the last seven years. So that allows us back to mid 2005. My task is selecting what seven hard rock metal bands have produced the best music since then. There were some bands who started that time period well, but have since broken up and that ended their chances (Ogre and Byzantine fall in this cateogry). There were the bands that did something great in the early part of the seven year time period, but  have not followed it up (Acid King, Celtic Frost). So here are my final choices in no real order.

 Ufomammut-This Italian outfit plays a combination of experimental/doom/stoner/noise and they have just gotten better and better with each album. They released my favorite album of 2010 and their current album is my favorite of 2012 so far.

Sigh-I have trouble thinking of Sigh as being a veteran outfit, but with more than 20 years in the business they are. Their sound hasn't as much changed over the years as it has evolved. I enjoy their earlier material, but I am mesmerized by their more recent efforts.

Between the buried and me-A prog band? What was I thinking? Sure, these guys have the technical skills, but the important thing is they put the rock into progressive rock and they are heavy to boot. It's also possible that they have not yet reached their peak.

Admiral Browning-Yes, I know you've probably never heard of them. They are a Maryland trio who play doom/stoner/progressive instrumentals. They are amazing and really mix up the tones and sounds.

Iron Maiden-What? This isn't the 80's, what kind of suck-up fanboy are you, Metal Mark? Stick with me here. Now granted Maiden's output isn't as frequent as they once were. This seven year period has seen them release A matter of life and death (great, one of their best and best album of 2006), The Final Frontier was a top five in it's year plus add in Flight 666 and En Vivo! and you see and hear a band that's still one of the best going.

Hibria-Come on, Metal Mark the list is almost over and not one younger retro-thrash or retro-classic metal or retro-something. Okay, how about Hibria. Unfortunately their "Defying the rules" album falls about eight months before the cutoff, but their other albums are just as good. I could pick someone like Municipal Waste or Enforcer who have done a good job of channeling the vibe of old school metal. However Hibria do that plus they combine classic metal and power metal plus they manage to develop some of their own identity as well.

Gypsy Pistoleros/Gypsy Pistolero-What no glam bands on this list? Easily the best glam band in recent years. Creative, energetic and catchy. The only downside is they have really suffered from being unable to keep a stable line-up.


There you go. Love it, hate it, add own list.

Iron Maiden-En Vivo!

DVD
Universal
2012

Iron Maiden have several years between studio albums, but part of that is due to their extensive touring schedules. Of course they have released plenty of live CDs and DVDs along the way. Now we get En Vivo! take from a show on April 10th, 2011 when Maiden played in Chile's Estadio Nacional in Santiago in front of 50,000 fans. Iron Maiden have been around for well over three decades and they have been through ups and downs. However age hasn't slowed them down and the last decade has seen them get back close to the form they were in during the 1980's. Maiden fans have come to expect that live this band will go all out in stage show and performance. For this band it's never been about ego, but instead it's always been about giving their all in performing the music they believe in. Despite some less than great albums here and there over the years they still manage to shine live, they always have. The first disc on this set is the live show. Since this was the Final Frontier tour several tracks from that album are included in the first 2/3 of the set plus we get Eddie as an alien and a space ship stage set. When the DVD begins we hear the intro "Satellite 15" from "The Final Frontier", but on the DVD they show lots of clips of the band's stage being set-up and the fans waiting and then finally getting to enter the stadium. It does a fine job of setting up the excitement and then the band launches into the title track from the last album. As always the band is full of energy and let all that go into their performance. I'll just list a few of the highlights for me. "The trooper" is always highlight of any Maiden set. Bruce comes out in an army jacket waiting the British flag as band tears into this song. "The wicker man" isn't always one of my favorite Maiden songs, but they really go at it here and the crowd eats it up. "The evil that men do" is an incredible song and the performance here is tight plus we get to witness the sea of fans going crazy for it. "Hallowed by thy name" is a classic with it's haunting feel. It always translates well live as well as the tension builds gradually within the song. The sound quality is excellent, I don't think it could have been better. Bruce is slightly off in pitch on a few songs, but that's natural and I am glad they left rather than editing it to be perfect. The picture quality is sharp and consistent. I love the crowd shots that really capture the mood and the chaos. The lighting really allowed for some great shots. My only complaint here is when they go to split screen and try to cram several images into the screen at once. For me that doesn't work as well as a single image. I don't mind cutting quickly to different shots, I appreciate that. However give us one image on the screen, we want detail not little shots crammed in together. That doesn't help the viewing experience at all. Still this is a great show and the band shows they still have a lot to give. The main feature on the second disc is an 88 minute documentary called "Behind the beast". This shows all the background work that goes into getting ready for the tour and in keeping the shows going. We see a lot of the unsung heroes that help these shows get ready and keep them going. I found it quite interesting to learn all the details and preparation that goes into a production this size. They talk to roadies, sound people and more. I think this documentary shows the dedication of Maiden and their crew towards in giving the best show they can. The documentary covers the preparation for travel through the filming of this show to the end of the tour and several shows along the way. The pacing and all the different aspects they cover help it to be interesting. The second disc also includes the video and making of for "Satellite 15/The final Frontier" plus a world tour show introduction.Live Maiden releases are frequent, but the great audiences and extras like "Behind the beast" make this is essential for Maiden fans.

Top of the Heap: Iron Maiden

Andy says-

As I suspect that Metal Mark will ch
oose Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" as his entry in this series I have decided to play devil's advocate and choose "Killers" as my top serving. The second album for Iron Maiden is nowhere near as heavy or raw as their debut and yet it still retains some of the almost punk edge that made these NWOBHM masters such a driving force. Vocalist Paul Di'Anno was sent packing after this release and his replacement would of course prove to me more than capable. True as it is that "Number..." is a shinning example of heavy metal in it's prime this album showcases Paul's ability behind the mic proving that he was no slouch either. I won't argue who is better because Bruce would win that contest with little effort. But for Paul and the band "Killers" is a album that deserves special appreciation for the impact it had in the day and still has. As I stated it is not as raw or heavy as their debut and yet it still has a thunderous appeal to it that cannot be overlook. With veteran producer Martin Birch on board and new guitarist Adrian Smith the band went on to produce their next masterpiece album in their short career. The song "Wrathchild" is a defining heavy metal number. It is a timeless heavy metal song still played to this day on the radio and in concert by not only Iron Maiden but in countless cover versions. Also featuring two instrumental numbers in "The Ides of March" and "Genghis Khan" (as well as the epic "Murders in the Rue Morgue") the album is an early example of how heavy metal suddenly became a classic genre. This album (along with it's followup) would put Iron Maiden into the same category as Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and AC/DC as forefathers of the hard rock/heavy metal movement. While not as popular as it's follow-up album "Killers" remains one of Iron Maiden's top moments and is a favorite of mine.

Metal Mark says-

If you hadn't heard me say it before or couldn't guess it from the top of my blog well then I'll say it now-Iron Maiden are my favorite band of all time. There are plenty of great metal bands and there's Maiden-the best of the best. Now choosing a best album from them isn't easy. I think their first seven plus "Dance of death" and "A matter of life and death" are all great. When I narrow it down to finding the best from that group I would A matter of life and death at three, Killers at two and The number of the beast at number one. No albums is perfect, but "The Number of the beast" comes pretty damn close. We've all heard the mesmerzing title track, the instantly likable "Run to the hills", the haunting "Hallowed by thy name" many times over. The surging "Children of the damned" gets a great deal of recognition too. The other songs don't alwasys get as much rcognition but they deserve it. "22 Acacia Avenue" is a prime example of the band's strong songwriting skills. "The Prisoner" demonstrates their mastery of controlling the pace. "Invaders" and "Gangland" are frequently overlooked, but both are powerful in your face kind of tracks plus Maiden didn't do this kind of song a whole after this album unfortuately. The Dianno albums were great and Killers marked the band's first huge leap in songwriting. However bringing Bruce in to front the band made a huge difference and allowed the band to reach out and do songs they could not have attempted with Dianno. This isn't just my favorite Maiden album, but rather my favorite album of all time.

***What is your favorite Iron Maiden album?

Iron Maiden-From fear to eternity:The best of 1990-2010

EMI/UMe
2011

Iron Maiden are no strangers to best of albums that's for sure. This time around we get material from "No prayer for the dying", "Fear of the dark", "Brave new world", "Dance of death", "A matter of life and death" and "The Final Frontier". The songs from the Blaze Bayley are live versions and we get Bruce singing them. This album goes along with the band's current set list as they are featuring more recent material while on tour. The 1980's was without a doubt Maiden's best decade. The
1990's however saw the band losing their grip and their writing began to crumble badly. Fortunately we get some of the better tracks from that time included here such as "Tailgunner" and "Afraid to shoot strangers". Unfortunately they also included "Bring your daughter to the slaughter" which had so many Maiden fans scratching their heads as to why they recorded it. The Blaze Bayley era saw even more problems with the sound and it wasn't all due to Bayley although I don't think he was the right choice for the band. The writing became even more mellow. Although the live versions included here with Bruce on vocals help the songs to sound a bit stronger. By 2000 Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith had returned to the fold for "Brave new world". Some of the better songs from it including the title track and "Blood Brothers" are included here. So is the "Wicker Man", but it's not one of my favorites. "Brave new world" was a huge improvement over their four albums from the previous decade, but still it lacked the spirit from Maiden's prime. However better days were in store and 2003's "Dance of death" finally saw this band hitting their stride again. The songs were a little longer, but the spirit was there and the old sound was being combined with some new ideas and resulting in some brilliant songs. On this collection we get some strong entries form this album including the title track, "Rainmaker", "No more lies" and "Paschendale". Not only did Maiden keep up the quality, but they became even more impressive with 2006's "A matter of life and death" which is easily one of the best albums of this band's long career. Here we are treated to "Different World", "These Colours Don't Run", "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" and "For the Greater good of God". All of these songs are standouts on this album. Fans had to wait four long years before getting another Iron Maiden studio album, but at last "The Final Frontier" came out in 2010. Not quite as impressive as the previous two releases, but impressive none the less. Less than a year old, but "Coming home", "El Dorado" and "When The Wild Wind Blows" represent "The Final Frontier" on this new collection. I doubt we needed another Maiden collection and as I said earlier the 90's were a low point for the band. Still they choose mostly decent selections from those albums and "Brave New World". However it's the tracks from the last three albums that have me thinking it's been too long since I have heard the whole albums and need to pull them out and give them a spin. Also if you have been living under a rock and have not heard any of Iron Maiden's material in the last 21 years then it is a good sampler.

Heavy Metal Thunderdome

Time again to throw two albums into the thunderdome and let you pick which one you prefer based on the music. Doing something different this time around by choosing two albums by the same artist. So here are two Maiden albums to choose from.


Piece of mind

vs.


Powerslave

***Based on the music which album do you prefer?

Favorite Iron Maiden songs pt.2

So I set out to figure out my favorite songs on the second half of Maiden's catalog. The first four albums were tough to pick a favorite from because there just were not that many good songs there. Brave new world had a few more choices, but no great songs. The last three were tough to choose from because there were so many great choices to choose from.

No prayer for the dying-Run silent, run deep

Fear of the dark-Fear of the dark

X-factor-Sign of the cross

Vitual XI-Futureal (I guess because this is such a bad, bad album)

Brave new world-The wicker man

Dance of death-Paschendale

A matter of life and death-For the greater good of god

The Final Frontier-The man who would be king

Clash of the album covers

The third and final clash of Iron Maiden week ....



Run to the hills

vs.



The trooper

***Which cover do you prefer?

Favorite songs on Maiden albums pt.1

I am pinning myself down and picking my favorite track on every studio album starting with the first half of their catalog.

Iron Maiden-Phantom of the opera
Great album, but an easy choice for favorite track. Never get tired of this song.

Killers-Murders in the Rue Morgue
Love Dianno's vocals on this song.

The number of the beast-22 Acacia Avenue
My favorite album and my favorite song changes often, but right now I'd say it's 22 Acacia Avenue. Bruce's vocals get me every time.

Piece of mind-Still life
This song gives me chills from time to time. Always a good sign.

Powerslave-Rime of the ancient mariner
Actually a tough choice because I love the title track and Flash of the blade too, this song just has it all.

Somwhere in the time-The loneliness of the long distance runner
A great example of Maiden's mastery of the pace.

Seventh son of a seventh son-Only the good die young
Lots of good choices on this one, but this has always been my favorite track.

***Part 2 coming soon.

Iron Maiden-The Final Frontier

UMe
2010

If someone told me in the mid-1980's that 25 years from this point that Maiden would still be going strong I would have went along with it for sure because they were in the middle of a great run at the time. If someone told me in the mid-1990's that Maiden would still be going strong in 15 years then I would have been much more doubtful because they were in a serious slump at the time. A few years later Bruce and Adrain rejoined the fold and by "Dance of death" they were now back on track and beginning a new era of greatness for the band. In 2006 "A Matter of life and death" added on to that streak and Iron Maiden were once again back to the top. So now we have a new album and of course my expectations are high. A new Iron Maiden album coming out is almost like Christmas except of course Christmas comes along far more often than the last few Maiden albums. I eagerly unwrapped it and popped it in the player. After some brief spacey squeals "Satellite 15" comes on as a steady and repetitive barrage of drum beats and slightly odd guitar riffs. It becomes obvious that Maiden are making us wait a little longer for their return. Then Bruce slowly comes on and "The Final Frontier" starts up and we get some simple, but punchy beats with a chorus that's going to be burned into you brain right away. Like everyone else I played that free download of "El Dorado" over and over, but it seems different coming after another song as opposed to just being played by itself. This song works much better as a chapter of this album rather than standing on it's own and that's not a knock on it. Rather the upbeat sound goes along with the other tracks and the overall flavor of the album. The flowing rhythms come on with "Mother of Mercy" and Bruce Dickinson shines on this one. It's a very smooth song keeping much in the style of the previous two albums. "Coming Home" gets into the heart of the track relatively fast, but seems a bit light and simple by the high standards that Maiden have set for themselves in previous releases. It's a decent song, but I could feel the energy draining some at this point. That feeling gets quickly wiped away as "The Alchemist" comes roaring on. Those who long for the faster songs of Maiden's past like "Back in the village" and "Flash of the blade" are going to be in for a treat with this one. It breaks things up a little too as we prepare for the second half of the album. "Isle of Avalon" has a floating type atmosohere for around the first half and in many ways reminds me of some tracks of off Seventh son of a seventh son. The passages around the middle of the song are far more of a prog-rock style than the usual Maiden fare. "Starblind" gets my vote as song that took me the longest to warm up to, but after half a dozen plays it finally sunk in. It took me a while because of the amount of pieces that squeezed into this track. It's a roller coaster ride with plenty of twists and turns, but it took me a while to absorb it all. Only three tracks left, but it's almost half an hour of music to go. However I think it's the three strongest tracks on the album. "The Talisman" begins with Bruce doing a spoken-type intro before the song really kicks into gear. As with most of the second half of this album it's a track where we get both quantity and quality. The band again brings so many parts to the mix and when Bruce gets rolling he delivers another fine performance. "The man who would be king" is possibly the most different track on the album as in different from Maiden's past. It's also the most interesting track as well, but I doubt that everyone is going to take to it. We hear more of Steve Harris than we do on any of the previous songs and we also hear some great melodies and again and incredible amount of pace changes. This is an amazing song and one where I think I will continue to discover aspects about it that I enjoy the more I listen to it. Remember back when Maiden did one epic song per album? Now in recent years the amount of epics almost equal the non-epics. That's fine with me because no one does these type of songs better than Maiden and they show that again with the final track "When the wild wind blows". This is an almost 11 minute monster, but again Maiden know how to make these songs both treats and journeys rather just being long songs. They pull out all the stops for this one with melodies, hooks and tones popping in and out all along the way. A fantastic finish to an album that finished better than it started. This album is of course going to at least initially be compared to "A matter of life and death" because it follows it and because AMOLAD was a spectacular album even by Maiden standards. Is the Final Frontier as good as A matter of life and death? No, but it is a great album. The whole mood is much more upbeat than either of the previous two albums and that was actually startling at first, but because it's consistant throughout the album I got used to it around the second time through. To some extent Maiden have always had to compete with and be compared to their past efforts because they are the best at what they and have done so many mind-blowing albums. Yet for the most part the band has never been bogged down by or felt the need to totally rely on their past. Here in recent years they have have built upon their past success and added to their sound by reaching out and taking chances with some different sounds and ideas. Most bands don't even attempt that particularly not this far into the game. This isn't just any band and thirty plus years after their start Iron Maiden are still pushing the boundries of metal and creating some power and stunning musical landscapes for fans to enjoy.

Iron Maiden week update

About half-way through Iron Maiden week now. The rest of the week will hopefully see these topics:
Thursday-The Final Frontier review
Friday-Favorite song from each studio Maiden album
Saturday-The importance of Iron Maiden and round three of the Maiden Clash of the album covers

Clash of the album covers

Round two for Iron Maiden week. It's two early ones...


Sanctuary

vs.


Women in uniform

***Which cover do you prefer?

Battle of the bands

So the big question is who can even be a decent match=up for Iron Maiden? I remember back in the '80's when metal magazines would occasionaly bring up the Maiden vs. Priest question. Maybe around 84-85 that would have been a fair match-up, but Priest have dropped greatly since then. Another one that pops upis Black Sabbath vs. Iron Maiden. Not bad, but you get inot the very different line-ups and sounds of Sabbath that kind of make it hard to judge. No, I think the best match-up is....


Iron Maiden

vs.


Motorhead

***Which band do you choose?

Iron Maiden s/t- A reflection

Hard to believe that Iron Maiden's debut is thirty year's old this year. It wasn't one of their first that I heard though. I believe that I had heard The number of the beast, Piece of mind and Powerslave before finally hearing the debut in late 1984 as a fellow Maiden fan taped it for me. It would be another few months before I would hear Killers. My opinion at the time was I am sure much different than those lucky fans heard this album when it exploded in 1980. By 1984 Bruce Dickinson's stamp had been put on the band's sound and they were off and running a direction that was fairly different from where they were with Dianno at the helm. For 1980 the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene was exploding and Maiden were one of the scene's real leaders. So let's take a look at each song

Prowler-That twisting riff comes on and you know this is something different. Dianno's voice is prefect for this one and is obviously completely comfortable ripping his way through it. Love the part leading up to the solo just before the halfway point.

Remember Tomorrow-It's slows down a bit and the mood changes gears. The pace picks up to a furious explosion around the halfway point again and then goes slows back down and picks up again. Love the solos on this one.

Running Free -A staple for early Maiden and Dianno makes the most of this him. This song plays to his strengths and it's one of his best moments. It's very basic by comparison to where this band would be in a year or too, but a fine song no doubt.

Phantom Of The Opera-I imagine this one blew some minds when they first heard it. Understandably so because that riff was well ahead of where your typical metal band was at the time. The band has as a whole really takes off on this song. It's the strongest example on the debut of the kind of potential that the band had.

Transylvania-Powerful instrumental with a solid pounding sound. Each band member really shines and gets their time to contribute. Love the bass licks towards the end. This song is a good example of Maiden's ability to show how good of musicians they were, but yet you never feel like they are showing off.

Strange World-The opening notes come on right after Transylvania for another slow one. It's one of the more dated tracks for sure. A decent attempt at a slightly different sound, but just alright overall compared to the rest of the album.

Sanctuary-Another song that plays to Dianno's strength as a vocalist. It's also the kind of slightly rough edged hard rock that would would be gone from the band's sound by Killers when they headed in a different direction. Like Running Free it's kind of basic, but the energy is contagious on this one.

Charlotte The Harlot-A Dave Murray penned tune with a punchy kind of rhythm guiding it along. We get a surprising slow down before the two minute mark and I think it helps the song overall. The band tears it up around the three minute mark. Not the kind of lyrical content they would hold onto for much longer, but a tight song for the time.

Iron Maiden-A great closer as the band has a whole just puts forth all kind of energy. Fantastic guitar sound and some tight playing from everyone.

Overall still a fine album that holds up very well. Changes were soon going to be made with Adrian Smith coming into the fold and the sound on Killers were take on a slightly more serious and complex approach. The passion, the power and the ideas were very much put out there for all to hear on Maiden's debut. Right away they established themselves as one of the band's going.

Clash of the album covers

It's a battle of the Powerslave singles for Iron Maiden week.



Aces High

vs.



Two minutes to midnight

***Which cover do you prefer?

What's coming up?

I am pushing my other reviews away for this week because next week will be Iron Maiden week. Features will include....

Review of The Final Frontier (spinning it now)
Song by song breakdown of their s/t debut to honor it being 30
A Maiden Clash of the album covers
A Maiden related Lesser of two evils
Maiden will take part in this week's Battle of the bands
My top ten Maiden songs (right now) or maybe favorite song on each of their studio albums
Something about the importance of Iron Maiden

So stop by take a look, chime in and hopefully enjoy the festivities!

Pick a replacement

So to go along with the replacement post form the other day I thought that I would ad a topic about replacements you might have picked to fill a position. When Iron Maiden were looking for a singer to replace Bruce Dickinson in the 90's the idea of Michael Kiske then of Helloween was tossed around in some circles. His voice was of a similar style, but in the end Maiden went for a different approach in Blayze Bayley. Slash was auditioned for Poison prior to being in G-n-R, but the spot went to CC Deville. So if you could control the metal universe and reach back and change history is there any replacements that you would have put in a band differently than what really happened?

Replacements

Nowadays pretty much any hard rock/metal band has gone through a number of line-up changes. Some more than others as bands like LA guns and Krokus have gone through more than their share of changes. However there have been times when a replacement comes in and there is perhaps a time of uncertainty. It depends on the musician and sometimes how big the shoes they have to fill are. Music critics are always quick to point to Van Halen and AC/DC changing front man and selling more albums with the replacement, but I always prefered Diamond Dave and Bon Scott. Whenever I think of replacements I also focus in on Iron Maiden. Here is a band that in 1981 were on the rise, the replace Dianno with a much different vocalist in Bruce Dickinson and to say it worked out would be a massive understatement. Years later when Bruce decided to leave Maiden and they were faced with filling the singer spot again. This time they of course the expectations from fans were higher because they were now a major player although in a somewhat turbulent time in the not so metal friendly 1990's. Rumors swirled about who they would get and again they went for a singer different from the predecessor in the form of Wolfsbane vocalist Blayze Bayley. Only this time the results were not as favorable. It wasn't all Bayley's fault as the writing suffered too. Still looking back it doesn't seem that he was the right guy for the job. Maybe that's just hindsight. Then again Maiden are back on top in recent years and Bayley's recent solo efforts have been solid. Another replacement I come to is Ripper Owens in Judas Priest. These were some huge shoes to fill. Halford was the metal vocal god. We knew Maiden without Bruce, but Priest without Rob. Priest went the opposite route of Maiden. Instead of getting a different style they went for a guy who had been in a Priest cover band. The head scratcher for me was they get a guy with the same vocal style, but then change the music to a sound that doesn't really compliment the vocals. The result was two bad albums. Then when Halford came back they came out with two more bad albums with the writing still suffering. Owens has found steady work since, but bounced around as more of a journeyman vocalist. That's the downside. On the upside a surprising one for me was Brian Robertson in Motorhead. Okay he was in Thin Lizzy and he was a solid hard rock guitarist, but a very different style and image from Motorhead. We have all heard the stories of Lemmy complaining about him taking too long in the studio and Robertson still only lasted one album. However "Another perfect day" was a real gem and too often overlooked in their long catalog. So he was a surprise in how well he worked out in the end product.

***Any replacements that you hated or loved in hard rock/metal bands?

What's coming up?

Well, this winter has been kind of rough with more snow than I have ever seen, my mom has had some health problems and the kids have been sick. Despite all that 2010 has just gotten a lot more promising with the annoucement that Iron Maiden will be putting out a new studio album towards the end of summer. Never mind the fact that it's called "The Final Frontier" which unfortunately brings to mind images of Keel mand they are not a band I want to picture or hear. It also brings to mind Star Trek V: The Final Frontier which was far and away the worst of the Star Trek movies. Still after the last two Maiden albums being so spectacular I have to believe the upcoming album will follow along the same track. It was already promising to be a decent year with releases of High on fire, Scorpions, Armored Saint and others, but Maiden's announcement eclipses any other releases for sure.



For this week I hope to have out reviews of the latest from Gamma Ray, Uriah Heep, Hansel and maybe one other. Also I am sure that Clash of the album covers will pop up too. I may write some more on genres if time allows. If the kids feel up to it maybe I will start doing the first of a possible monthly segment where I have my kids (the Metalgirl and the Metalboy) give their thoughts on a classic metal album.

***Have a great week and remember only like 4-5 months until the new Maiden album comes out. Whoo-hoo!

Golden Turd Award for 1990

I always like to explain what this award is. It's not a worst album award, but more a combination of being bad and disappointing in some way. I have given one a year for each of the years of the 1980's and now am on to another decade. Now when I was thinking about the award for 1990 I first thought it would be Slayer and they put out a poor album in 1990 for certain. However the disappointment factor had me thinking that Iron Maiden was the more likely choice here. Slayer were coming off of two great albums and two good ones before that. However Iron Maiden had done seven albums in the 80's and I think five were great and the other two were very good plus they did the greatest live metal album of the 80's and maybe ever. So for them to put out an album like No prayer for the dying was stunning. "Hooks in you" and "Bring your daughter to the slaughter" are painful while several other songs come across as filler. Even the epic "Mother Russia" is corny and forced which is something that Maiden had never been not even for a minute in the 80's. Unfortunately the 90's was going to get even worse for Maiden and their fans. Although the band has certainly turned it around this decade.