Trollheart

You're kind of right. I don't like music too loud but then there's also the practical considerations, like if the music is too high I may not hear my sister ringing the bell for me. So of necessity it has to be relatively low. Also I can't use headphones in the house for the same reason. This house was never one where you could blast your music. Once in a while I'd find myself first home and would then turn my Maiden or Manowar up really loud, but it would never last. When listening on headphones outside I generally do have it up loud, but that's more down to the crappy quality of mp3s and ipods really.

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Metal is not really a genre you hear of where bands get defined by one song, although of course there are some. Everyone's heard "Enter Sandman", "Run to the hills" and "Paranoid", but one song that has crossed over into just about every possible other genre and become almost part of the cultural consciousness is a single nobody would ever have expected to. Take the loudest, dirtiest band you can think of, ramp 'em up to ten, throw in a vocal that's barely discernible to the non-Metal ear, and slam down on the pedal until the speedo needle bursts through the glass, and what have you got?

Ace of spades
Motorhead
Released October 27 1980
From the album "Ace of spades"
Backed with "Dirty love"
Chart position: 15 (UK)
A dirty, growly, fast and loud metal song, scaling into the top levels of the charts? Unheard of, surely? Well, Iron Maiden would do it two years later, and indeed regularly trouble the charts, but this song was one of a kind. For those who hate Metal (may you all die groaning in pain and recanting your heresy) it epitomises everything they loathe about the genre. It's fast. It's loud. It's mean. It uses gambling metaphors and Lemmy admits --- gloats even --- that he doesn't want to live forever. It's got a blazing guitar solo at the beginning, middle and end. The drums are apocalyptic. There's no bridge. There's kind of no chorus really. It's definitely not a song written to break the charts, but briefly, for one moment in 1980, it did, and the cultured, polite and ordered world of studios like "Top of the Pops" were blown apart as three dirty, greasy rockers kicked their way onstage, pounded out what was to become their anthem, and fucked off.

I'm sure those who danced to it on TOTP had no clue what to do: it's seldom a Metal song gets near the charts and the sheep who gyrate aimlessly around to the latest pop sounds seem more under the influence of drugs than most metallers, but with a real sense of lethargy and apathy. But we Metalheads knew what to do, and possibly suffering the chart show for the first time we gritted our way through disco, new wave and teenyboppers, waiting for the moment when our heroes took the stage, to general disapproval from the "kids".

With its tough, uncompromising, fuck-you-if-you-give-a-fuck attitude, its blasting guitar and pounding drums, "Ace of spades" has gone on to become the archetypal song for everything from wars to races, from videogames to ultimate fighting and from zombie movies to cowboy films. It has featured in TV shows, movie soundtracks and the band even played it live on the anarchic comedy "The Young Ones". Seems any time there's a scene or section where something fast, loud and in-your-face with a devil-may-care attitude is called for, "Ace of spades" fits the bill. Though sick of the song by now, Motorhead continue to play it live, because it is firmly entrenched as one of their alltime classic songs. They even released a slowed-down, acoustic version to advertise, of all things, beer!

Ask any man in the street to name one Motorhead song, and you can be sure that no matter how much of a Poseur they may be, almost every one of them will know "Ace of spades". It's just had that much effect on popular culture. Who woulda thunk it?

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Human --- Death -- 1991 (Relativity)


Bet that surprised you, Batlord! Didn't expect to see this album reviewed here, now did you? Mind you, I'm sure you'll have the last laugh and it'll echo back through the dark caverns of the Batcave when you watch my head explode because I started messing with things I am in no way prepared for. I mean, Death? One of the, if not the premier death metal bands of all time? Am I crazy? Am I actually growing a set? Are my skinny arms becoming suddenly muscular and full of tattoos? Is this a big bushy beard I feel growing on my smooth hairless chin?

Or am I about to leap on the table screaming like one of those old fifties cartoons about a housewife and a mouse? Well, here goes...

Galloping drums and a snarling guitar open up "Flattening of emotions" as I wait in trepidation for the vocal, which I know (cos The Batlord told me) that no death metal band worth its salt has anything else. Everything speeds up then and the voice of the late Chuck Schuldiner growls (yeah) through my speakers, but you know, it's a growl but not as bad as some I've heard. Holy crap! I think I actually like this music. Well, like is perhaps too strong a term. But I don't hate it. Not yet anyway.

The guitar work from Paul Masvidal is great, very technical I assume for a death metal band, though I know little of such things. The vocal is angry and shouted, but I can make out the lyric, so that's not bad. Drummer's arms must be on steel pistons or something, the speed he's playing at. Well it just kind of stops in the middle then and we're powering into "Suicide machine" with another big heavy guitar, the drumming from Sean Reinert not quite as manic this time around. But still damn heavy. A slower track, grindier, crunchier than the opener. Great finger-burnin' solo there in the middle from Masvidal, another abrupt ending (they probably all end that way) and "Together as one" hits with piledriver force, Schuldiner's voice seeming to come up from the very depths of Hell itself.

I'm told this album displayed a change in musical direction for Death, where their music got a little more technical and less aggressive --- though this is pretty aggressive! --- and their lyrical inspiration changed. I'm not so sure about the lyrics but the track titles here could be on any metal album, unlike some of the titles from their first album --- "Mutiliation", "Regurgitated guts", "Denial of life" etc --- or even their second --- "Open casket", "Leprosy". These seem to focus more on general themes rather than, well, gory ones. "Secret face" is a little slower than the previous with some fine guitar work from Masvidal, including a really clear and technical solo.

Now no doubt The Batlord, who is never happy and will never consider me to be a True Metalhead, which I concede, will scoff and call me a pussy for not choosing "Scream bloody gore" or "Leprosy", and to him I'll always be a rock chick in high heels trying to be cool and Metal, but you know, fuck him. There's only so far I can go and this really is my limit. I could not say with any conviction that I would listen to Death for pleasure (good name for a metal band?) as this is not the sort of music I enjoy. But to paraphrase Nixon in "Futurama", I'm meeting you lousy metalheads half way!

The aim of Metal Month is to try to encapsulate, as far as possible, all shades of Heavy Metal and for me to indulge in and review albums and bands that would normally not cross my ears, so I've done my best to step outside my comfort zone and bring to you music you would not expect to see reviewed here in the Playlist of Life. If not going far enough makes me a pussy, then you'll excuse me as I put my knickers back on and fasten my bra: some sacrifices are just a little too great. But hey, I'm happy with whom I am and so far I'm happy with the chances I've taken with this section, the boundaries I've crossed. There are some paths it's just not advisable to walk in high heels, you know?

And while I've been droning on about myself and making many sly references to crossdressing, "Lack of comprehension" has come and gone without making much of an impression on me, sort of indicative of the album really. It doesn't repulse me but, to use one more of the above references, it doesn't quite blow my skirt up either. Maybe I am a pussy. But I know what I like, and in general this is not it. Which is not to say it's not good music: I can definitely pick out good moments, like just now I'm listening to a searing guitar solo from Paul Masvidal, and it is epic. But a lot of the tracks do tend to sound the same to me.

Luckily for me I guess, the album only consists of eight tracks, and the penultimate one, to my surprise and considerable delight, is an instrumental. No growling on this one! "Cosmic sea" is dramatic end epic, and shows what a really decent band Death could be. Almost neoclassical guitar at times, measured drumming and a sort of choir effect engendered somehow. Taken on its own, there's no way you'd peg this for death metal. Superb. Naturally I'd call this the standout, but considering what I think of the rest of the album I suppose that's not really much of a compliment is it?

Death didn't use synths, did they? Silly girl --- sorry, boy! --- no of course they didn't! Well then what made that keyboard-like sound about halfway through before the bass solo? Eh? Answer me that! Another fine soaring guitar solo, veering almost into space rock territory as the piece heads towards its final minute, and the album closes on "Vacant planets", with the return of our friend Chuck, bellowing out the vocals on another slower cruncher with elements of Sabbath and Metallica in it. Yeah, it's more of the same though.

TRACKLISTING

1. Flattening of emotions
2. Suicide machine
3. Together as one
4. Secret face
5. Lack of comprehension
6. See through dreams
7. Cosmic sea
8. Vacant planets

Death certainly deserve their place at the top of the death metal pantheon, it would seem, and there's no doubt modern bands of the genre owe a whole lot to them. It's just never going to be my type of music, and as I speak I can feel my beard disappear, my arms thin and the tattoos disappear and my voice lose that deep, earthy growl it acquired for this review. Guess there are some things you just can't change. Or would want to.

Now, where did I throw my skirt?

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_%28metal_band%29

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is for

BATHORY: Swedish Extreme Metal band whose founder and mainman, Quorthon, died in 2004. Very influential on the Scandinavian metal scene. Bathory (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BAYLEY, BLAZE: Best known for his stint with Iron Maiden, during the period Bruce Dickinson left them and before he returned. A polarising figure in the band, he is often blamed for the decline of Maiden in the years 1994-99, when the albums were just not up to scratch. He was probably the fall guy though. Blaze Bayley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BELLADONNA, JOEY: Vocalist for Anthrax (see yesterday's section on A) Joey Belladonna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLACKFOOT: Heavy Metal band who use generous amounts of Southern Rock in their music, and are concerned with the Native American heritage, mostly due to the bandmembers having the blood of various tribes in their ancestry. Blackfoot (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLACK METAL: A style of metal characterised by superfast tempo, growled or screamed vocals and usually lyrics referring to or dealing with Satanism and the Occult. Black metal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLACKMORE, RITCHIE: Founder of Rainbow and previous member of Deep Purple. One of the most respected and influential metal guitarists in the business. Ritchie Blackmore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLACK SABBATH: Regarded widely as the godfathers of Heavy Metal, Sabbath came out with a totally new sound in 1970 that created a whole new subgenre in Doom Metal, and can be honestly said to have influenced just about every single Metal band since. Also the title of their debut album and the title of the first track on that album. Pioneers, of the very finest kind. Black Sabbath - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLUE OYSTER CULT: Usually styled BOC, they're probably not really Metal but we'll let them in the door. Best known for their massive hit "Don't fear the Reaper". Blue Öyster Cult - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BONHAM, JOHN: Drummer with classic proto-Metal band Led Zeppelin. John Bonham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BUDGIE: Heavy Metal band from Cardiff, Wales and a big influence on the NWOBHM and later scenes. Budgie (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BUTLER, TERRY "GEEZER": Bass player with Black Sabbath (see above) Geezer Butler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BYFORD, BIFF: Lead singer with NWOBHM megastars Saxon.Biff Byford - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Batlord

I've never listened to much Annihilator but I've always meant to listen to the rest of their first two, which from what I hear are the only two classics in their catalogue. If you dig that album then Alice In Hell is worth your time. The vocalist has a fair amount of 80's cheese about him but he's bags of fun as far as I'm concerned.




And yes the song and the album have different names.


And yes you are a pussy for not listening to Scream Bloody Gore.

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The Batlord

Dude, you could always wait till after she's rung the bell and you've helped her, and then put the headphones on and blast for a few minutes. I imagine you'd be good for a little while. Maybe you don't care to do that but if I were you I'd take any opportunity I could to level my eardrums.


@ mods - you can merge this with my other post. I only posted this afterwards and...you know.

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Unknown Soldier

The first two albums are the only essential listens. The rest of the discography is mostly average material. If you have to listen to another album then I'd say Carnival Diablos is the best. The Double Live Annihilation is also good as is the EP Bag of Tricks.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Trollheart

Like most of us, I was not born playing an air guitar or with the sound of Iron Maiden in my ears. IHeavy Metal music only became known to me around the time I hit my fourth or fifth year in school, and then only slowly. We've all memories of our first Metal band, our first Metal album and our first Metal concert, and in this section over the next few weeks I'll be looking at the albums, artistes and influences that shaped my interest in the heaviest music of all. One of the kids in school once crowed "If you're into Pink Floyd then you're a headbanger!" Shows what he knew!

But I'd like to take a look back now at some of the music that opened the door to the wonderful world of Heavy Metal for me, even if, unlike others here, I didn't quite step all the way through. Even then, as now, I knew what I liked and more importantly what I didn't, but nevertheless what I discovered was pretty awe-inspiring. To go from chart songs (come on: we all started there, just admit it!) to progressive rock and thence to Metal was an amazing step for me, and afforded me access to a world of music I had hitherto not even been aware of, or if I was aware, was somewhat in awe and perhaps even a little afraid of. Hell, I used to be scared of The The!

Some of the albums that impressed me so much over that early period in my life have already of course been reviewed, like Iron Maiden's "The number of the Beast", the review of which you can read here http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1199777. But there was a period in my life when really, all I listened to was Heavy Metal. Some of it was bad, some of it was very good. I'd like to take a personal trip back in time now and share with you some of

Although Iron Maiden were my gateway into the world of Metal, there were other bands who influenced me just as much, and one of these was Saxon. I went to their gigs, bought their albums, ate up everything they had to offer. My brother was into the Scorpions but at the time I didn't really like them: the harsh German accent and somewhat shriller tones of Klaus Meine got on my nerves. But Biff! Biff had a deep, growly, very English voice and he said "fook" a lot. Scorpions' music was polished and precise compared to Saxon's raw, heavy tunes, and they were the one for me. This was one of the first albums of theirs I ever bought.

Wheels of steel --- Saxon --- 1980 (Carrere)

Okay, so the album cover betrays a worrying sense of Nazi Germany, but to my knowledge that's purely coincidental. After all, the Romans were the first ones to use the eagle as their sigil, and Saxon are a British band, and so far as I know, have no connections whatever with Nazism or fascism. I should point out too that this album has already been reviewed in part by me in my series on the NWOBHM, but here I'd like to take a deeper look at an album that really helped introduce me to the rawer side, for me, of Heavy Metal.

"Wheels of steel" began a cycle of four excellent albums for Saxon, and discounting their lacklustre, self-titled debut shows a band in a strong position. Sadly, after "Power and the glory", released in 1983, they would fade somewhat from the public eye, although they would go on to record, to date, another fifteen albums, with their latest released this year. Of course, it's hard to quantify their output in terms of charts, as generally speaking Metal albums seldom do well there anyway, but it seems to me that the years 1980-83 were the times when Saxon were big, commercially. Maybe it's just how I remember it, but I recall seeing them on TV more times during those four years than I ever did since. Perhaps their later albums did well, I don't know; chart performance records don't seem to be readily available. It could also be the fact that I stopped buying Saxon albums after "Power and the glory".

Anyway whatever the reason this was the first of four that set me on my way as a fan of this band. As you would expect for a song called "Motorcycle man", the opener starts with the sounds of a motorbike roaring past, then fast guitar and heavy percussion cut in before Biff Byford's echoing voice comes through. Biff has that sort of voice that is just in the right register: he neither screams nor growls, but has that sort of high-pitched roar that sounds manly and powerful without even trying. Great guitar work from Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn on the twin axe attack, and it's a fast, punchy opener, piling into "Stand up and be counted", one of those us-against-the-world, stand-up-for-your-music anthems that were so popular during the heyday of the NWOBHM, when Metallers affirmed their allegiance to their heroes and dared anyone to gainsay them. Yes, I'm a pussy for using a word like gainsay, but who cares?

With a guitar riff not two light years removed from ZZ's classic "Tush", the song belts along with some great guitar and a rollicking drumbeat and a great snarly vocal from Biff, then we're into the big single, "747 (Strangers in the night)" with its almost Lizzy-like opening guitar solo which then drops down to grinding guitar and this time Biff's voice is clearer than it has been up to now. Also some vocal harmonies coming through, for the first time on the album. Great riff in the chorus, very ominous and dark, presaging a real feeling of danger. As a choice for a single it's an odd one, not because it's not a great song, which it is, but due to the length. The original track is almost six minutes long, and even cutting that down for a single left it five minutes running time. Not ideal for the radio.

The title track is up next, and one of a number of songs that became anthems and signature songs for Saxon. With a big angry guitar riff with boogie overtones, it rocks along like Status Quo on crack, and Biff's voice is in fine fettle as he belts out the chorus. Sure, it's a simple song, and nothing Saxon wrote was really all that groundbreaking, although the previous track broke the mould a little, but it's great fun and the riff is just totally infectious. When Biff snarls "When I'm toolin' down the freeway/ I don't give no lifts!" you tend to believe him. It's the longest track on the album, just shy of six minutes, and while a little repetitive and a little overlong at that it never gets boring. The shivery guitar solo in the third minute is a pure joy to behold, and while it could probably end on the fifth minute, with the final one basically a reprise to end, it's such a great rock song that you really can't get enough of it.

Now, while I mention this album as one of the ones I grew up on, that nurtured my love of Heavy Metal, I don't for a moment suggest it's perfect, because it is not. Like many albums I've listened to, and reviewed, over the years, it has its cutoff point, and we've reached it. The first four songs --- well, three of them anyway --- are Heavy Metal perfection, but that's sort of where it ends. The closing five are not terrible by any means, but this is the point where the album begins something of an inexorable slide downhill, rescued occasionally by better tracks, but all the really good stuff has been put on side one, as it were. A pity, because it really unbalances the album, and after "Wheels of steel" you're ready for more. But what you get is...

A big drum solo intro that sounds like a train coming at you and then a hard guitar rocker which goes under the name of "Freeway mad". Now, considering Saxon are English this was obviously an attempt to break America, since we don't have no freeways over here, as was remarked upon by the annoying American in the Fawlty Towers episode "Waldorf salad" when he grumps "Couldn't find the freeway, had to take some little backroad called the M4!" It's a decent enough song but a little derivative, and given that we've just listened to a song about motorbikes it's maybe a little unoriginal. Then again, the album is called "Wheels of steel", so three songs about motor vehicles I suppose is acceptable.

"See the light shining" is another fast rocker, heads-down, pedal-to-the-metal as Biff and the boys charge on. It changes tempo though halfway through and take a sort of slow boogie turn, bit of early Lizzy in it. One of the better tracks on the second half of the album. "Street fighting gang", on the other hand, is not; a pretty basic, by-the-numbers metal track, it hasn't too much to recommend it. But then comes "Suzie hold on", a rarity in a Saxon slow song. Not a ballad by any stretch of the imagination, but as close to a lovesong as these guys get. The vocal is restrained, the guitar still heavy but more in a "2-4-6-8 motorway" manner than an "Ace of spades", and the drumming is pretty downbeat. A good song certainly, then the album ends on the very mediocre "Machine gun", which has power and energy but not a lot else.

TRACKLISTING

1. Motorcycle man
2. Stand up and be counted
3. 747 (Strangers in the night)
4. Wheels of steel
5. Freeway mad
6. See the light shining
7. Street fighting gang
8. Suzie hold on
9. Machine gun

Sure, there's nothing subtle about this album but it was a hell of an introduction to Saxon and led me on to albums like "Denim and leather", "The eagle has landed" and "Power and the glory". Saxon were another of the big NWOBHM bands but unlike Maiden and Leppard and others they never quite made it commercially. Of course, they're legends in the Metal community, but ask anyone outside of that brotherhood who they are and you'll be greeted by blank stares. I'll always be grateful to them though, for creating some of the Metal that made me.

Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_%28band%29

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Dante XXI --- Sepultura --- 2006 (SPV)


I knew that if I was running Metal Month I would eventually have to tackle at least some death metal bands, so with The Batlord's advice ringing in my ears that "ALL death metal bands are growlers, dude!" I steeled myself and began looking. Having heard good things about Sepultura I was intrigued to find that they had an album based on the concept of Dante's "Inferno", and as I've read this I thought this might be interesting. So I'm starting off with this one.

The first two tracks are almost totally instrumental, in two different ways. The intro, "Lost", is nothing more than creepy sounds with a voice either backwards masked (though I think I caught the words "are you ready" a few times...) or heavily effected muttering, and this goes on into "Dark wood of error", which for much of its just over two minutes features pretty much nothing other than the hammering drumwork of Igor Cavalera, who apparently was playing his swansong on this album. Then hard punchy guitar kicks in and finally the vocals. Now, this is as everyone knows, not my cup of Tetley, but for growlers Derrick Green is not the worst. It's still all shouted nonsense to me, but then I've never made my dislike of death metal a secret.

On we go into "Convicted for life", and the guitars are certainly screeching and grinding, with thumping percussion. You know, looking down at the personell on this album I was amazed to see a credt for horns and strings --- on a death metal album? Well, we shall see. This is a little slower --- though not much --- and Green's vocal still puts me in mind of a man suffering some sort of mental breakdown, but let's just accept I hate any sort of death vocals and just leave it at that, shall we? I'm sure he's great at what he does, but this is not singing I would want to listen to for any sort of protracted period.

"City of Dis" has a nice, almost melodic guitar opening, with something akin to a sitar sound there too, then Green's vocal screams across it as Cavalera's almost machine-gun drumming pounds along. Hmm, almost a rap vocal here, stylistically. Interesting. Must say I don't see the Dante connection so far, though when you can't really understand the vocalist it's probably going to be hard to work out any lyrics at all. "False" opens on another strong guitar riff before Green bellows all over it and the drumming thunders along again: you can certainly hear the anger in this! Jesus man! Have a Strepsil! You'll need one after all that roaring.

Can I go out on a limb at this point and say I don't expect any ballads on this album? "False" almost fades away on the second minute of its three, but then comes pounding back on a chugging guitar riff. To be honest I could probably enjoy this if it wasn't for the singing. Oh well, that I suppose is death metal for you. Very Black Sabbath opening to "Fighting on", and it's mercifully almost a quarter of the way through before Derrick Green decides to join us. Surprisingly enough, when his voice drops to a low, gutteral mutter it's a lot more palatable to me, though of course I guess you couldn't expect anyone to sing a whole album like that. Still, it's better than the roaring. There's cello and violin then for the short instrumental "Limbo" before we piledrive into "Ostia", and Green is with us from the beginning. Oh no.

More punching guitar with a somewhat restrained (for Sepultura, that is) line in drumming, track a little slower but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in power. Violins come back in rather unexpectedly about halfway as the song really slows down for a nice instrumental piece before it's all blown to hell by Green's scream and the guitars take over again. Hey, it was never going to last, we all knew that. But it was nice. Speaking of nice, there's a really effective echoey little bass line to finish, and then "Buried words" opens with what sounds like fires crackling --- maybe that ties in to the "Inferno" concept? --- before it takes off on busy guitar again and growled vocals from Green.

Sounds like there may be horns in this? Decent song to be fair and for once Green's vocal actually complements the lyric, very angry as he sings "Your words are dead/ I buried them/ They're dead!" A real raw grinder then in "Nuclear seven" with a sort of Megadeth vibe to it, and Green's voice not as grating as it has been up to now. "Repeating the horror" has a great threatening guitar riff running through it, very ominous, and again that weird sitar sound, plus almost conga drums there for a second. And some sort of crazy metal rap! And congas again at the end.

There's another short instrumental then in "Eunoe", a real cello fest that lasts all of thirteen seconds then "Crown and miter" pushes the destruct switch and we're off at full volume, speed and roar as the album approaches its end. One more tiny instrumental consisting of mostly a single echoey drum stroke and the album comes to a close on rather surprisingly, again, acoustic guitar with some sort of chant in the background as "Still flame", the longest track on the album at just under five minutes --- this is death metal, after all! --- seems to be ready to let us off lightly, though I'm expecting a mad ambush at any moment. Right now though it's soft, almost ambient piano with attendant violins and cellos, gentle percussion and so far no vocal. And we're halfway through.

The first real sounds of electric guitar insinuate themselves into the melody, but not harshly, and with only one minute to go I'm convinced there will be no singing on this final track, nor does there seem to be time for a big BOO! from Sepultura, as we're fast approaching the final seconds. No, it's a big horn and cello ending with dramatic cinematic drumming, oh and then a final growl from Derrick Green to send us on our way. Guess he has to have the last word!

TRACKLISTING

1. Lost (intro)
2. Dark wood of error
3. Convicted in life
4. City of Dis
5. False
6. Fighting on
7. Limbo
8. Ostia
9. Buried words
10. Nuclear seven
11. Repeating the horror
12. Eunoe
13. Crown and miter
14. Primium mobile
15. Still flame

This will forever be the stumbling block for me with death metal bands. While the music is still not what I would listen to of choice, it's not bad and were it not for the gutteral, often savage and sometime unintelligible singing I could perhaps grow to like it, or at least tolerate it. But to me, if you're having a fit you should be in hospital, not on stage, and that's certainly how Derrick Green comes across to me for the larger percentage of this album. It doesn't quite ruin it for me, but it sure as hell doesn't enhance it.

Guess that makes me a pussy, eh, Batlord?


Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepultura

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The Batlord

The Batlord approves of this message.

When I was first getting into metal it was the same as most people around my age. I heard Metallica on the radio. Then I went on to the rest of the Big Four and Iron Maiden. Then I bought a book called The Sound of the Beast that pretty much gave me a crash course in all things metal. I have a clear memory of reading the introduction and then downloading the first two bands I saw mentioned: Celtic Frost and Saxon. Don't ask me why they were mentioned together. I checked out CF first cause, come on, Celtic Frost is one of the best band names ever, but I wasn't too thrilled by To Mega Therion so I went on to Wheels of Steel. Blew my mind then and still does. The second half may be kinda meh, but the first half is one of my favorite things to listen to on Earth. I've been obsessed with the riff to the title track for over a decade and I still get pumped when I turn it on.

And "Suzie Hold On" is wonderful. It shows them to be working class numbskulls who don't really know how to express that kind of strong emotion, but it has an honesty to it that still gets to you.



I know you didn't want anyone telling you that you should have listened to this or that album over the one you reviewed but you really shouldn't have picked this one. Sepultura hadn't been relevant for about a decade by this point and they'd lost their original vocalist to boot. You pretty much just started listening to Iron Maiden by listening to The X Factor. I doubt you'd like them regardless, but Beneath the Remains or Chaos A.D. would have been far more appropriate.

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