Heavy Metal & Hard Rock thread

[kpic]

Reading the 'Old People thread' and the posts by Stryker & Dark Horse got me thinking that we need an official Heavy Metal thread (we can also add in 'Hard Rock' in here as there may be some crossing-over) - Depending on your age, I suppose some Punk cross-over would apply and though it's not really my thing, the Metal variations like Death\Black Metal and Glam if you like...

My introduction to Heavy Metal was through my older sister who took me to my first concert at some point around 1976 (Alice Cooper), I have no memory of the actual music other than being on peoples shoulders so I could watch (I would have been about 8) but I definitely remember the 'show'!

I got more into the music by 1982\1983 when I discovered Manowar, Judas Priest & Iron Maiden, thinking back I suppose that year (1982-1983) was a huge push for Metal with pivotal albums (yes I had the albums) by those bands, throw in Venom that had some wild Punk-Metal cross-over thing happening called 'Black Metal' and some 'new' sound from a band called Metallica.

Thanks to my sister and her friends I had a wide exposure to concert going, later on I had friends more around my age and more importantly driving age so we were able to hit numerous concerts.

I suppose it was helpful that we were in the central NJ area with so many venues around us...

We had NYC for a long haul if needed; L'Amour, Ritz\Studio54 & MSG (I went to CBGB but not for a concert), but Philly & NJ was our main-stay.

In Philly you had the Spectrum for the big shows, the Tower Theater for the mid-range shows\bands and then clubs like The Empire, Theater of the Living Arts (TLA) on South Street (still open!) and some others that I can't recall.

In NJ it was all clubs; the Satellite club was near us so that was our regular spot, City Gardens was in Trenton so not too far away, it was mostly a Punk club but had Metal there at times as well and though at that time there was a clear spilt from Punk to Metal music I had friends in both camps so I didn't care who I went with and who we saw (though oddly the only real Punk band I can recall seeing live was the Cro-Mags) I can't remember any of the others. The thing about City Gardens is that it was smack deep in an African-American neighborhood, the Metal crowd was a bit more subdued but when going with the Punk crowd, they were definitely more confrontational and I can remember several big fights in the parking lot with the locals, after it was over everyone would just go back to what they were doing and we'd head into the club! Oh yeah there was a club in Asbury Park as well but I can't remember what it was called.

Thinking back when I thought about writing this I went through my head thinking about the shows I've seen and yeah, it's a lot but here are some of my favorite memories;

These would be in no particular order but I suppose these first three are my favorite bands given I've seen them most often;

#1 is Manowar - I saw them for the Fighting the World tour, twice for the Kings of Metal tour and twice for the Triumph of Steel tour, but my best memory is during the KOM tour and in Philly (I think it was the Empire club), me and my friends got there early and on the billboard was 'Man-O-War', we saw a guy outside and told him about how it should just be one word and he thanks us and tells us the band is inside rehearsing why don't you just go in early and hang a bit - didn't have to tell us again - we head in and sure enough they are up on stage rehearsing and just some people milling around, afterwards it was very casual and so we went up and talked to Scott & Ross, they were way cool! Joey and Eric were doing their own thing so I never got to meet them but I was a member of their fan-club and on night Joey and Eric called me out of the blue just to say 'hey' and we talked for about 15 minutes, I told them about that story, they thought it was funny but they said they were more interested if I had any pictures of my girlfriend naked that I could mail them. So that connection there will always keep them #1 to me - As far as them being the 'loudest band in the world', yeah they definitely were in my book, I mean we're talking about 2-3 days after the concerts of just hearing a low hum. Now days when my wife when she tells me that my hearing is going bad, I just remind her how many Metal shows I've been to and five of those were Manowar, so yeah, of course it's bad!

#2 is Iron Maiden - Hearing Number of the Beast & Piece of Mind albums back to back (1982\1983), I mean they were just on another level! I saw them first for Piece of Mind tour, then again for Powerslave (this tour became the Live After Death album), Somewhere in Time, No Prayer for Dying and then there were a few co-headlining tours. These were all at the Spectum as expected for a band of their stature except for the last time I saw them in 2005 (maybe 2006?) was in Camden NJ at the Camden Waterfront.

#3 is Judas Priest - British Steel\POE was ok to me (I didn't like any of their earlier rock stuff) but Screaming for Vengeance was like a hit to the head! I wasn't able to see them on that tour but I did see them for Defenders of the Faith, Turbo (and yes I absolutely loved this album I don't care what anyone said at the time), Ram it Down & Painkiller twice + a later tour they were co-headlining with Alice Cooper. As with Maiden these were all at the Spectrum\NYC (MSG) as expected of a band their stature.

The rest of the bands I've seen & enjoyed (there are some I like and I am probably forgetting a lot I saw and not mentioning as I wasn't really there to see them but they were 'there')

Helloween, Armored Saint, Megadeth, Doro, WASP, Metal Church, King Diamond, The Mentors (uh, absolutely hilarious and totally offensive!), oh yeah GWAR too, though I remember more of the show than of the music

Motorhead - Oddly I likely have seen them a lot as they opened for a lot of the bands I listed.

Metallica - I saw them open - yes open - for Raven on the "Kill Em' All for One" tour in 1983 (I was there to see Raven LOL!) but yeah Metallica were noticeably on another level. Never saw them live again (though I did end up seeing Raven again as an opener at a later concert!), I liked RTL and MOP a lot but the next one (And Justice??) I thought lost a lot of the sound I liked on the earlier stuff.

Slayer - Saw them a few times as opener\mid-cards and though I can't say it's really my taste, I do like a few early songs, I will say the crowd was wild for them and they shred for sure!

Venom - I liked their raw cross-over sound (though probably the least talented group on this list) they were outstanding live though, saw them twice in NYC (the Ritz\Studio 54) and once again later in 1990 in Philly with the revamped band line-up.

Hellion - Regrettably I only saw them once, I suppose as they were more an LA band - but my goodness, not only did I like them musically but Ann Boleyn was a total smoke-show, I'll never forget being right up against the stage looking up at her the whole time as she's singing, that's literally the only thing I remember about that night, I was completely ga-ga over her.

A couple I never saw but really wished I had; Exciter (sad, sad face on this one, though shockingly they still tour occasionally so who knows) & Accept\UDO!

[Buddy Rich]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

I used to feel the same way, then something changed for me when I heard my first melodic death metal album, Swamplord by Kalmah. It certainly isn't for everyone.

I still can't stand some harsh vocals. Especially deathcore/metalcore. The frantic/hysteric harsh vocals are a total no for me.

Opposite camp here. Most of that melodic stuff is way too produced and the formula of clean vocals/mellow playing then cranking it up and growling wears me out. If I want slick, I'll listen to old Steely Dan.

[ToxSocks]

This was on my Spotify New Release Radar this morning.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Buddy Rich

Opposite camp here. Most of that melodic stuff is way too produced and the formula of clean vocals/mellow playing then cranking it up and growling wears me out. If I want slick, I'll listen to old Steely Dan.

Yep.

When I first got into core, the growls and squeals were definitely not my cup of tea. Over time, I got used to it to the point where I even enjoy it.

For me that's not the issue that plagues core music - the problem is digital production, quantizing, and autotune. These guys are going in the recording studio approaching their craft as a math equation to be perfected, like a machine and it loses something when they do that.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by Stryker

If repeat - SUCK IT!

Anthrax - In The End

Holy shit...I'm embarrassed. I'm so out of the loop, I didn't even realize that Joey was back with Anthrax...

Great vocal on this. So much more in control and melodic than the out of control screeching that he used to do...not that I didn't love that shit, but this is fantastic.

Gotta get back in the swing. Loved this. Thanks for posting.

[GloucesterChief]

Joakim has one of the best voices going today.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHeaven

Holy shit...I'm embarrassed. I'm so out of the loop, I didn't even realize that Joey was back with Anthrax...

Great vocal on this. So much more in control and melodic than the out of control screeching that he used to do...not that I didn't love that shit, but this is fantastic.

Gotta get back in the swing. Loved this. Thanks for posting.

Joey was with the band when they recorded "Neon Nights" for the Dio all star tribute album. He actually did a really good job.

[KCUnited]

No one:

Me:

Anthrax had the best intros in the game

State of Euphoria is a clinic on thrash build up intros

I attribute it to regional style + Scott Ian who also played with S.O.D. who laid down the most iconic intro of all time on Speak English or Die

If you ever watched old school Headbangers Ball on MTV, that was Scott with S.O.D.

If you want a new iteration of Anthrax, the shit that kids who grew up listening to their dad blasting Anthrax are laying down right now then its Mindforce

Its what I mentioned up thread about how metal has crept into hardcore without the metalcore label

This is todays hardcore

The influence is regional, like BBQ, rap, anything

Same area of NY as Anthrax, just a younger evolution

Still slaps

[Buddy Rich]

I wore out Speak English or Die. Loved SOD and Anthrax.

[Stryker]

Manowar - Warriors of the World

[Stryker]

RATT - What You Give is What You Get

[Stryker]

For Dark Horse

DIO - Don't Talk to Strangers

[Stryker]

The Sign of the Southern Cross / Heaven and Hell (Live) (2000 Remaster)

[Stryker]

Heaven and Hell ~ Follow the Tears

[Fishpicker]

Originally Posted by Stryker

The Sign of the Southern Cross / Heaven and Hell (Live) (2000 Remaster)

the super deluxe box set of this is coming out june 2nd. another remastering and a remix on 4 cd or 4 LP.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Fishpicker

the super deluxe box set of this is coming out june 2nd. another remastering and a remix on 4 cd or 4 LP.

I’ve got about everything he ever did already but knowing me I’ll probably buy this too