Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Unknown Soldier · 10-21-2014, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

*The Batlord patiently awaits for Exciter*

You win the top prize because that is exactly the next album due up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

I'm thinking this is based on popular opinion (polls and such). Hearing an Alcatraz cassette for the first time in the 80's was by far one of the most 'elite' type of experiences I'd had up until that point in time, so I can see where it would be under the cut coming from that criteria. And yes, GH is one of his best work on that, without a doubt.

I've noticed that a lot of your tastes revolve around a lot of the stuff I like as well from this period like Dio and Michael Schenker, even though I was shocked to see that your favourite metal album was Built to Destroy

but I`m guessing that this was an album you probably really loved at the time.

As I'm not putting the Alcatraz album, its probably just that I put up the video of "General Hospital" here as it's such an epic song.

Unknown Soldier · 10-22-2014, 11:53 AM

16. Exciter Heavy Metal Maniac 1983 (Shrapnel)
Speed metal

The year zero for thrash metal.

The Lowdown
Speed metal had taken metal to a new extreme and its British examples like Tank and Raven with their rough `n` ready style, had a take that was somewhat different to that put out by a band like Anvil who bordered on more aggressive territory (check out reviews by these bands again courtesy of The Batlord’s index) therefore it was fairly obvious I think that the two styles would start fusing together, which would result in thrash metal as far as some of the speed metal bands were concerned and bands like Savatage and Exciter are the first two examples on this year’s list and were both bands that had entered into the turbulent territory of being either speed metal or thrash metal on a number of their tracks. Exciter were a Canadian metal band from Ottawa having formed under the name of Hell Razor before changing to Exciter, who operated as a three piece outfit like Tank and Raven, but in Exciter’s case vocalist Dan Beehler was also the drummer, a combo that I’ve never fully embraced but there are exceptions. They released their debut track “World War III” which appeared on the metal compilation U.S. Metal, Vol.2 before issuing their debut album Heavy Metal Maniac. The album starts with what sounds like hissing wind on the short “Holocaust” with its ambient but dominant guitar and this leads into the tracks “Stand Up and Fight” “Heavy Metal Maniac” and the best of the bunch in the blistering “Mistress of Evil” easily one of the best metal tracks of the year, these are all speed metal tracks driven on by the relentless and exciting riffs of John Ricci, whose electrifying riffs are a real characteristic of the band. This song is matched though by the “Rising of the Dead” which would’ve sounded so ****in cool on any number of 1980s zombie flicks. The band’s punk influences blend in with the beef of the band on a heavy and dense sounding track like “Iron Dogs” which lasts almost 6 minutes and again one of the best on the album along with its matching track “Black Witch” which demonstrates how well the band do when they slow things down, even though this track speeds up immensely at its final. Dan Beehler who could’ve been a weak link here isn’t and is solid across the whole album on both drums and vocals, and even gets to sound like Rob Halford in certain places like on “Under Attack”. “Cry on the Banshee” closes the album in frenetic style and future editions of the album would include “World War III” and “Evil Sinner”. Now I’ve referred to these above tracks as speed metal, but in reality they could easily pass as thrash metal due to their aggression and certainly approach the Slayer and Metallica debuts in terms of style, even though Exciter here display a far more one-dimensional approach to things than say Metallica do despite the fact that both bands were doing similar things, but the more varied approach of Metallica due to their outstanding musical dynamics is one of the reasons why they’re further up the list. Exciter were also ahead of rival bands like Annihilator, Slaughter, Sacrifice and Razor in releasing their debut, making the band about as essential as Anvil when it came to the Canadian influence on both the speed and thrash metal genres in this period. Overall I’d classify Heavy Metal Maniac as a violent and aggressive sounding thrashy speed metal essential, whose low production values work in the album’s favour. Also of note Exciter are the second band here after Steeler, to feature on the new guitar orientated label Shrapnel which had been founded by producer Mike Varney, who had also produced the Steeler album. On a footnote at the time of writing, I love this album more than ever and now wish I`d put it higher up on this year’s list, but when you put things in lists this type of **** happens, even though I may try and rectify this once the year has been completed and as Martin Popoff would say knock it back!

Dan Beehler- Drums/Vocals
John Ricci- Guitar
Allam Johnson- Bass

Production- John Belrose

The Batlord · 10-22-2014, 12:05 PM

I love that ****ing album. It's just trashy metal at its "best". Another one of those bands that would be ruined by actual class. "Heavy Metal Maniac" is just one of those songs that gives me a shot of adrenaline every time I hear it.

Unknown Soldier · 10-22-2014, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I love that ****ing album. It's just trashy metal at its "best". Another one of those bands that would be ruined by actual class. "Heavy Metal Maniac" is just one of those songs that gives me a shot of adrenaline every time I hear it.

All the songs are pretty ace on it including the title track, but I think the four songs I put above are even better.

As I said near the bottom, I'm probably going to move it up the list once the year is finished, as its far better than the 16th spot I've given it.

The Batlord · 10-22-2014, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

All the songs are pretty ace on it including the title track, but I think the four songs I put above are even better.

As I said near the bottom, I'm probably going to move it up the list once the year is finished, as its far better than the 16th spot I've given it.

**** you, you *******! You're just trying to give me more work.

Unknown Soldier · 10-27-2014, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

**** you, you *******! You're just trying to give me more work.

That's what you're here for.

Unknown Soldier · 10-27-2014, 10:09 PM

15. Raven All for One 1983 (Neat)
Speed metal

Athletic speed served up all raw and juicy.

The Lowdown
Raven were typical purveyors of the rough 'n' ready speed metal attitude that was typical in the UK and had issued their third album All for One on August 1983, after having released a few years earlier their debut album Rock Until You Drop. This is an album I always think of as being one of the first bona fide speed metal albums out there (see review) Their second album Wiped Out despite gaining a number of plaudits, didn't make my 1982 list as it's an album I always enjoyed less than the two albums either side of it. Rock Until You Drop is often regarded as the band's best album, but All for One is the one I'd certainly go with as it's their most aggressive and most exciting outing, making it another one of those speed/thrash metal albums of the year that straddled the speed metal and thrash metal line, making it essential listening along with Venom, Savatage, Exciter, Tank and almost anything by Anvil as the perfect auderb for the main thrash dish that was soon served up. All for One is a great album thanks to its manic opening barrage of tracks headed up by "Take Control" which really combines the beef of the NWOBHM with a more aggressive tone, that was being put out by bands like Anvil and results in being one of the best tracks in the whole Raven discography. Second and sixth track "Mind Over Metal" and "Hung Drawn & Quartered" sound like a manic metal throw-up, that would even have the likes of Dave Mustaine struggling to cover their manic rantings... hell this is really explosive stuff being dished out here by the band! You also know that this is a quality album when late album tracks sound as great as "Seek and Destroy" which has a song title that sounds like a perfect thrash offering and "Athletic Rock" a name that the band used at this time to describe their own sound is no slouch either. Songs like "Sledgehammer Rock" are placed perfectly, as they enable the band to take their feet off the accelerator and slow things down a tad, without ever losing anything of the album's raw power outage. The album also displays across a number of its tracks like "Take it Away" amongst others, a tendency to work with a strong chorus, hinting that the band weren't exactly world away from glam metal in that respect. There are certain songs that don't work despite their energy, like the title track "All for One" which despite its pounding chorus, has the band touching a bit on the inane side of things. I'm undecided on "Break the Chain" which on some listens comes across as a simplistic glam metal track but on another listen it sounds like a standout album cut. Brothers Gallagher both John and Mark sound razor sharp here along with drummer Rob Hunter who doesn't seem to miss a beat over an explosive 40 minutes of speed and aggression. Despite this being a proto-thrash album of sorts, our Geordie trio smack of humour as opposed to the aggression that would be put out by thrash (Anthrax aside) and show that this music could've relied on the lighter aspects of subject matter as much as its more brutal side, as long as the lighter side didn't tilt too much into ludicrous sounding territory. A future re-issue of the album would include three bonus tracks that were highlighted by a cover, of the much covered song "Born to Be Wild" which featured a guest vocal spot by Udo Dirkscheneider of Accept. All for One would also be the band's last recording for the fledgling Newcastle based Neat label that did so much for NWOBHM bands from that region, as after this the band would go up a league after signing with a major label in Atlantic, sadly though this would also see a reduction quality wise in the band's future recordings. In hindsight the career of Raven seems somewhat disappointing, because of all the British NWOBHM bands out there, they come across as one of the bands that really could've emulated the very best American thrash metal bands that were flowering around this time.

John Gallagher- Bass/Vocals
Mark Gallagher- Guitar
Rob Hunter- Drums

Production- Michael Wagener

Necromancer · 10-27-2014, 10:30 PM

That's really some good stuff Soilder.

You should be writing for a magazine, on the internet, or something already.

Unknown Soldier · 10-28-2014, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Necromancer

That's really some good stuff Soilder.

You should be writing for a magazine, on the internet, or something already.

Thanks and I thought this was the internet

...... I know what you mean though. I find there is much better written stuff than this on the internet, but probably not as long or as in depth as this.

Necromancer · 10-28-2014, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Thanks and I thought this was the internet

...... I know what you mean though. I find there is much better written stuff than this on the internet, but probably not as long or as in depth as this.

You have quite an impressive portfolio going for yourself here at Music Banter.

10-27-2014, 10:30 PM	#728 (permalink)
Necromancer Divination Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,655	That's really some good stuff Soilder. You should be writing for a magazine, on the internet, or something already.