There has been much negative talk over the years in regards to Judas Priest’s 1988 album, “Ram It Down.” I agree that it doesn’t reach the heights of colossal albums like “Screaming for Vengeance” and “British Steel” nor does it even come close to two very underrated albums, “Point of Entry” and “Defenders of the Faith.” “However, I must give the album credit where credit is due, I thought it was better than “Turbo.”
It was plain from the opening title track that Judas Priest was determined to put their synthesized previous album behind them and get back to basics. “Ram It Down” comes out of the blocks at 500 mph with the determination of pounding your ears into submission. It also host the first of a number of great guitar solo tradeoffs between KK and Glenn. Then with “Heavy Metal,” following an interesting guitar intro, they try to recapture the formula which made those great albums mentioned in the first paragraph what they were. This track sounds a little like the bastard child of “Better By You, Better Than Me” and “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll.” There are many cool guitar riffs, hooks and solos in the song.
Judas Priest continue their all out assault over the next two songs starting with a cool drum solo to start, “Love Zone.” The chorus on the song is quite catchy and does bring back memories of their former glories. While critics said that the album brought nothing new to the table, on this track, it didn’t need to. Instead, they remind you of what they did to get you listening to them in the first place. I can pretty much say the same on “Come and Get It,” although that has a cool guitar intro and great riffs and solos throughout the song instead. Then we come to the hidden gem, “Hard as Iron.” Not only does this track capture the glory days, it does so without sounding like you’ve heard this all before. That chorus blows my mind away and the solo tradeoff is damn cool.
The second half of the album starts off with the more progressive metal sounding “Blood Red Skies.” The way out intro lets you know that this is going to be more than an assault on the ear drums. The acoustic guitars and Rob’s more sombre vocals stamp it as fact. The only problem is that after the intro synths and drum machines reminding you of “Turbo” do threaten to put one off the song. However, the guitars and Rob’s falsetto vocals spear any thoughts of a return to the previous album. Actually, the track is well placed as the change up keeps the interest and thought it’s nearly eight minutes long, it never gets boring.
If you want a song which is pure traditional Judas Priest, then I give you “I’m a Rocker.” While slammed for being nothing new, it is a great reminder of something old and after “Turbo,” I think this was what they needed. Following on is a cool cover of the Chuck Berry classic, “Johnny B. Goode.” This appears on the “Greatest Hits” album and I can see why it would be there. One question I ask about a lot of albums is why least strongest track is used as a penultimate track. AC/DC did this a lot and I have to say it’s the case here. “Love You to Death” isn’t a bad track but is the one which sounds a bit tired. However, “Monsters of Rock” closes the album out superbly. The song may have an impending doom feel but tells you that Judas Priest weren’t finished yet.
Track Listing:
Ram It Down
Heavy Metal
Love Zone
Come and Get It
Hard as Iron
Blood Red Skies
I’m a Rocker
Johnny B. Goode
Love You To Death
Monsters of Rock
Judas Priest
Rob Halford- vocals
Glenn Tipton- guitars, synthesizer
KK Downing- guitar
Ian Hill- bass
David Holland- drums, drum machine
Some people were ready to give up on Judas Priest after “Turbo” and even after this one. Fortunately, most of the masses didn’t and they are still out there blowing people away. “Ram It Down,” while no where near those classic from the late 1970s and early 80s, it was a step back in the right direction after what many called a misstep.
Next post: RATT- Reach For the Sky
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Writing the 80smetalman blog for nearly 12 years, (God, has it been that long?), I have come to this conclusion about British NWOBHM band Saxon. While they never achieved the commercial success of their contemporaries Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, (should I include Def Leppard here?), Saxon was a band who was well known throughout heavy metal circles on both sides of the Atlantic. Ask any metalhead around at the time and they would be able to tell you that Saxon was a great band. So, today’s question is: Does there 1988 album, “Destiny,” measure up to what I have just written?
My quick answer is, “Yes.” First, I will freely admit that listening to “Destiny” doesn’t want me to put more noted albums like “Denim and Leather” or “Wheels of Steel” on the shelf, it’s still a good album where Saxon does what they have always done. And no, this isn’t simply the case of an established band using the same old tired formula, they sound as fresh as they always have. The irony is that the album starts off with a cover of the Christopher Cross classic, “Ride Like the Wind.” Naturally, Saxon put their own spin on it and their version sounds really good. While I won’t waste typing fingers comparing the two versions here, I will say that it’s definitely worth an “Original vs. Cover” post, if 2Loud is willing to do so. If not, I could always do it.
“Ride Like the Wind” was released as a single and if you believe Wikipedia, it’s the only single from the album. This is not the case. What caught my attention in regards to the “Destiny” album was while watching “The Chart Show” on British television, during the show’s “Rock Week,” was the video for the song “I Can’t Wait Anymore.” For me, this track was better single material than the Christopher Cross cover anyway. It’s a mid tempo ballad and I love the lead guitar intro. Biff puts his soul into the vocals and the rest of the band provide the ground support. “Where the Lightning Strikes” makes a good bridge between the two singles.
The middle of the album is what distinguishes it as another great Saxon album. No nonsense power riffs launch “Calm Before the Storm” This is a pure cooker, guaranteed to get your head banging along to it. The keyboards at the chorus do nothing to change that fact as the power chords rule. I don’t know which guitarist cranks out the solo here but it’s damn cool. Next, they go a bit prog-metal, before it was a thing, on “S.O.S.” It begins with ocean sound effects before some heavy riffs kick in. I can’t be sure but I think it’s about a distressed ship but the backing vocals and bass line stands out particularly. It ends with a foghorn so I hope the ship was rescued.
Saxon change it up again on “Song for Emma.” The title and the mellow keyboard intro and soft first verse makes you think that this is going to be another ballad but the guitars kick in and the track takes off. Even though the second verse slows down, it can no longer be thought of as a ballad, it just kicks too much ass. It gets my vote for hidden gem, especially with that guitar solo. We can say that “Song for Emma” is definitely a climax but not a conclusion as the remaining tracks are quick to remind you. No, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is not a cover of the Metallica classic but it’s a good song in its own right. However, I am reluctant to have the two songs in a “Songs with the Same Title” competition because as much as I like this Saxon number, it doesn’t quite measure up to Metallica. Then again, I could let you all decide.
Things go more 1980s with “We Are Strong” with the keyboards in the song. Maybe they needed one song which sounded contemporary and it’s a good song, if unspectacular. Biff’s unmistakable voice and the guitar hooks let you know that it’s definitely a Saxon song. However, they return to more mainstream metal with “Jericho Siren.” A straightforward metal tune and a cool penultimate track to set up the closer. With that, “Red Alert,” I wonder if Saxon were in the CND movement. This isn’t the only nuclear war song they’ve made. “Fire in the Sky” off the “Denim and Leather” album is another one. Still, it’s a great way to end the album.
Track Listing:
Ride Like the Wind
Where the Lightning Strikes
I Can’t Wait Anymore
Calm Before the Storm
S.O.S.
Song for Emma
For Whom the Bell Tolls
We Are Strong
Jericho Siren
Red Alert
Saxon
Biff Byford- vocals
Graham Oliver- guitar
Paul Quinn- guitar
Paul Johnson- bass
Nigel Durham- drums
Additional Musicians:
Steven Laws Clifford- keyboards
Dave Taggart, George Lamb, Phil Caffery, Steve Mann- backing vocals
Throughout the 1980s, Saxon kept cranking out great albums, it’s just a shame they weren’t more commercially successful. They definitely are a great band as “Destiny” proves.
Next post: Anthrax- State of Euphoria
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
For some, Slayer’s “South of Heaven” album was controversial back in 1988. Some of the die-hard Slayer fans were put off because it was slower than the previous three thrash-fest albums while others were impressed that Slayer was able to slow it down a bit. Reading a little of the history, I can see where the band was coming from when they recorded this album. They didn’t want the album to sound exactly like their previous “Reign in Blood” album, no matter how fantastic that album was. Therefore, they slowed it down quite a bit.
That slow down comes through with the opening title cut. Doom metal wasn’t a thing back in 1988 but if doom metal bands wanted something to base their music on, then the song “South of Heaven” provided the perfect blue print. In spite of it being many miles an hour slower than what Slayer fans were used to, it has this hypnotic vibe which you can’t help bobbing your head along to. While not as slow, the best known song from the album follows along this path. However, the fact that they played “Mandatory Suicide” three of the four times I saw them live and they might have played it the fourth time but I only caught twenty minutes of Slayer at Download 2017. The post on that day explains why. Anyway, while not quite as slow as the opener, it still draws you in with those hypnotic chords and while it might not sound like thrash metal Slayer, the lyrics let you know that it is indeed a Slayer song. Not many other bands would sing about such topics back then. While not as spectacular as “Mandatory Suicide, ” “Live Undead” is in the same vein although the speed does increase in places, especially at the end.
With everything said, Slayer don’t totally abandon the sound which made them a household name in thrash metal. “Silent Scream” bears witness to that and while I wouldn’t call “Behind the Crooked Cross” a thrash song, it is still faster than many of the other songs and it’s a good metal tune in it’s own right and the King-Hanneman guitar solo trade off is fantastic. They do go more full thrash on “Read Between the Lies,” which is another song which takes a dig at TV evangelists. Well, they made themselves a prime target for metal bands. I do love the guitar work on this song and Dave’s drumming is noteworthy here as well.
Now it’s time for the song which I not only consider the hidden gem of the album but the hidden gem of the entire Slayer discography. I’m talking about “Ghosts of War.” Most people associate anti-war songs with a hippy type playing an acoustic guitar but Slayer proves that you can use thrash to get your point across. “Ghosts of War” is the thrashiest, headbanging song on the album and I love everything about it. From the cool intro to the pounding chords, Tom’s vocals being as good as ever, the guitar solo tradeoff and even when they slow the song down toward the end, that power is not lost. Okay, it’s my all time favourite Slayer song and I admit that I was a little disappointed, (I stress a little), when they didn’t play it any of the times I saw them live.
For me, the final three songs, while all good song, aren’t as strong as the rest of the album. Saying that, “Cleanse the Soul” has a cool intro before going more traditional Slayer thrash metal. Following that is a cool cover of Judas Priest’s “Dissident Aggressor.” They do it justice. The album closes on a slower note with “Spill the Blood.” It opens with a very un-Slayer like acoustic intro before heading back into the realms of doom metal. Believe me when I say that it’s a smashing way to end the album.
Track Listing:
South of Heaven
Silent Scream
Live Undead
Behind the Crooked Cross
Mandatory Suicide
Ghosts of War
Read Between the Lies
Cleanse the Soul
Dissident Aggressor
Spill the Blood
Slayer
Tom Arraya- vocals, bass
Kerry King- guitar
Jeff Hanneman- guitar
Dave Lombardo- drums
Here’s a little hint when listening to “South of Heaven:” Forget “Reign in Blood” or any of their previous albums and listen and judge it on its own merit. While not a thrash fest, I think it’s a great album, even if Kerry King doesn’t think so.
Next post: Mass- Take You Home
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
My stepson, Teal, recommended the film, “Metal Lords,” to me and in the past few weeks, I’ve seen it twice and now I’m going to plug how good the film is here. Without spoiling the entire plot, “Metal Lords” is about two socially displaced high school kids, Hunter and Kevin. Hunter is a total metalhead who dreams of hitting the big time as a great metal guitarist. Kevin, the drummer, although not a metalhead in the traditional sense, follows Hunter’s lead because Hunter saved him from a bully in third grade. Together, they form the band, Skullfucker.
All the heavy metal cliches are in the film but the thing was, I don’t care because they are all the truth. There’s the being picked on by the jocks, singled out by teachers and late in the film, Hunter’s father has him committed to a clinic because as we all know, only insane people listen to heavy metal. In addition, Kevin gets a girlfriend, Emily, who plays the cello. With the band still not able to find a bass player, Kevin tries to pitch Emily but Hunter rejects it saying that the cello is not a metal instrument. This eventually leads to a falling out between the two friends and Kevin joining the bubble gum pop band, Mollycoddle. It all leads to what some will call a predictable ending but it’s all done a great metal form.
My strange ability to pick out the small details in films, I found it amusing that when Kevin is in Mollycoddle, he finds playing the drums to their songs a lot easier than being a metal drummer. Even if he does nail, “War Pigs.” Then there’s my favourite scene when Kevin is in the pool and about to cheat on Emily, he is visited by Scott Ian, Tom Morello, Kirk Hammett and Rob Halford who all (Rob even more so) remind Kevin what a great girl Emily is and he shouldn’t cheat on her. Then again, if those four Gods visited me, I would do anything they said. One last point, “War Pigs” sounds excellent played on the cello.
Kevin being visited by Scott, Tom, Kirk and Rob
Of course no metal film would be worth its weight if it didn’t have a killer soundtrack.
Skullflower- Machinery of Torment
Judas Priest- Metal Gods
Iron Maiden- The Trooper
Avenged Sevenfold- Hail to the King
Judas Priest- Painkiller
Metallica- For Whom the Bell Tolls
Black Sabbath- War Pigs
Mastodon- Blood and Thunder
Judas Priest- Grinder
Ozzy Osbourne- Dee
Motorhead- Ace of Spades
Metallica- One
Pantera- Cowboys From Hell
Metallica- Master of Puppets
Zeal & Ardor- Trust No One
Guns ‘N’ Roses- Since I Don’t Have You
Metallica- Whiplash
Pantera- I’m Broken
Performance of the song in the film
I urge everyone to watch “Metal Lords.” It may be a little predictable but with all of that metal, who the hell cares?
Next post: Original vs. Cover
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Damn my Swiss cheese memory! A few years back, I posted my top 15 live albums and for some reason, “Live…Priest” wasn’t on said list. This is particularly shameful as I have seen the mighty Judas Priest live three times and I know how good they are in concert. This live album totally catches the essence of this legendary band.
“Live…Priest” was recorded live in Atlanta, Georgia the previous year when Judas Priest were touring for their “Turbo” album. However, many songs from their previous albums are represented too and only three songs from “Turbo.” For those who had disliked that album, this wasn’t a bad thing. Of course, they play “Turbo Lover” but they also play the more metalized “Parental Guidance” and they knock that one out of the park. The third track is “Private Property” and again, it sounds a hell of a lot better when played live that it did on the album. It helped that the crowd was singing the chorus along to Rob. Then again, you can count on Priest to nail any song live.
Needless to say, all of the best known Judas Priest songs of the time appear on the live album but they do sound so much better. “Breaking the Law,” one they always play live comes in as the fourth track and it’s well placed after “Metal Gods.” Another boring point in the life of 80smetalman is when I saw them live in 1986, I don’t remember them playing “Love Bites.” They more than make up for it here! And of course, they play my second favourite JP song of all time, “Some Heads are Gonna Roll.” By the time this song comes around, I am wanting to break out the cigarette lighter and hold it high.
Now I could go on with the remainder of the songs on the album but they are all classics which any Judas Priest fan, casual or hardcore, will know anyway. Let’s talk about the band’s performance instead. The album sounds like Judas Priest were on fire that night and they had the Atlanta crowd eating out of their hands. Robert Halford’s vocals sound fresh all through the album and he shows what a great frontman he has always been. Of course, Glenn and KK weald their axes with precision and there are some great guitar solo trade-offs between the pair. So many, I can’t choose a favourite. Dave Holland provides some brilliant drumming as well but in regards to Judas Priest, I don’t think Ian Hill gets the accolades he so richly deserves. When I saw them, he stood at the back and I was glad when I saw them again in 2009, he was allowed to join the others at the front. On this live album, I can hear his bass plugging along, providing that crucial rhythm the band depends on.
Track Listing:
Out in the Cold
Heading Out on the Highway
Metal Gods
Breaking the Law
Love Bites
Some Heads are Gonna Roll
The Sentinel
Private Property
Rock You All Around the World
Electric Eye
Turbo Lover
Freewheel Burning
Parental Guidance
Livin’ After Midnight
You Got Another Thing Comin’
Judas Priest
Rob Halford- vocals
Glenn Tipton- guitar
KK Downing- guitar
Ian Hill- bass
Dave Holland- drums
Honestly, did you expect anything less from a live Judas Priest album? I can’t believe how much I ignored this album for so many years. I’m rectifying that now.
Next post: In memory of Meatloaf’s passing. Meatloaf- Live at Wembley
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Back in 1987, there weren’t so many subgenres of heavy metal. Sure, there was glam metal and there was thrash. Anything in between was considered simply to be mainstream metal. While all these subdivisions normally send my head into a spin, in the case of Helloween and their album “Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I,” the term ‘power metal’ fits perfectly. Some called them thrash back then because they did play faster than mainstream metal bands such as Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. However, they weren’t in the same area as Slayer or Anthrax either. Plus, their image would have been more in line of what is considered the traditional heavy metal look. Therefore, I can say that this album was the first power metal album I listened to.
After short introductory opener in line with their previous album, “Walls of Jericho,” the album goes speeding through the next three tracks. The question of how new singer, Michael Kiske, would sound on the album is quickly answered. He was brought on board because Karl Hansen stepped away from vocal duties as he found it difficult to sing and play guitar at the same time. On a separate note, that explains why good shredders such as Dave Mustaine and Mille Petrozza demoted themselves to rhythm guitar. Anyway, those songs cast aside any worry that Kiske wouldn’t be up to the job as his vocals are just superb. Another positive from Karl stepping down from vocals is his being able to solely concentrate on guitar results in some great solos, especially on “Twilight of the Gods” where he and Michael Weikath do a cool guitar solo tradeoff.
Helloween must have recognized that we the listeners needed a short break after those opening songs as things slow right down for the ballad, “A Tale That Wasn’t Right.” It’s a decent power ballad but not totally mind blowing. The band do everything right here, vocals, bass line and a cool guitar solo but it doesn’t catapult it into greatness as far as great power ballads go. However, following “A Tale That Wasn’t Right” is the best song on the album, “Future World.” Lyrically, it sounds like a song for kid’s show and with some of the laser sound effects in the middle, it sounds like it even more. But with the great power chords and massive guitar solos, it is a phenomenal song.
What I hate about listening to the album on Youtube is the fact that the only the cut for video portion of “Halloween” is played. Therefore, eight minutes are cut from this thirteen minute long blockbuster. Fortunately, I have that full length version of this great song elsewhere, which makes up for it. Even though “Halloween” is so long in length, the constant changes in tempo and swirling guitar solos as well as the power chords make it no less interesting. The other good thing is that after such a long song, the album goes out very appropriately with a closer that is less than two minutes long.
Track Listing:
Initiation
I’m Alive
A Little Time
Twilight of the Gods
A Tale That Wasn’t Right
Future World
Halloween
Follow the Sign
Helloween
Michael Kiske- vocals
Karl Hansen- guitar, backing vocals
Michael Weikath- guitar, keyboards and backing vocals
Marcus Groskopf- bass, backing vocals
Ingo Schwichtenberg- drums
I figure that if “Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I” was my introduction to power metal, then I have had a great introduction. Thank you Helloween.
Next post: Black n Blue- Nasty Nasty
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Not a bad haul. I must have been a good boy this year.
I hope everyone had a good Christmas! As you can see, Santa was good to me this year. Not only did I get the new AC/DC album, I got a few albums I wasn’t expecting. The Metallica, Ozzy and Thin Lizzy, which for some reason isn’t in the photo, were upgrades as I had all of these on either cassette or vinyl. FTR, the Thin Lizzy was “Live and Dangerous.” Anyway, I hope all of you had good hauls as well.
Repeating what many other people have said, 2020 was a bust. Fortunately, I had my music and a lot of music which many of you have shared on your blogs. We all seemed to pull together and help each other get through, which was good to see and although there is still more shit ahead, the end might be insight. This past year was the first year since 2014 where I didn’t go to any live gigs. The lockdown meant that Hells Bells couldn’t come to town and my plan to go to Bloodstock for the Sunday was also put on hiatus. However, the good news about Bloodstock is that most of the line up planned for 2020 will be there for 2021. That means Judas Priest will still headline on the Sunday with Saxon on right before them! Additionally, and this has me considering coming out of retirement and going to Bloodstock for the full three days, Mercyful Fate is now headlining on the Saturday. Devin Townsend headlining the Friday makes it even more tempting.
Since, I will be working over the New Year’s period, I would like now to wish all of you an Happy New Year and may your 2021 be a joyous one.
Next post: Vyper- Afraid of the Dark
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
We are all reflecting on 2018 as the year comes to a close. For me, the year has been a roller coaster of triumphs and tragedies. The tragedies being losses in my own personal life as well as some in the music and entertainment world. Although it happened in 2017, the effects of the passing of my mother in law were felt for several weeks into the new year. Then, when I thought Mrs 80smetalman and I had gotten over it, my mother died in early March. Losing both mothers barely two months apart is something I would not wish on any couple. After putting that behind us, my wife’s aunt suddenly died. No one was really expecting it but it was not the way anyone wanted to see the year end.
Like 2016 and 17, 2018 has had its share of people we love from the music world departing this world, including two I only just found out about. Those were Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy from The Blues Brothers and former Jefferson Airplane/Starship lead singer Marty Balin. Saying that, the list I found them on did not include Huntress lead singer, Jill Janus, which I’m a little peeved about. Here’s a list of some of the others who passed on.
Vinnie Paul
Bruno Sammartino
Blues Brothers with Aretha Franklin
It’s rather ironic that Aretha Franklin and Matt Murphy, they played husband and wife in the Blues Brothers film, both died in 2018.
Marty Balin
The only decent shot I got of Jill Janus and she has her back to me
Ed King
Fortunately, there were many triumphs in 2018 as well. The best of those was becoming a grandfather, thus ensuring a third generation of metalheads in the LeFevre family. In addition, two weeks ago, I got to see my daughter receive her master’s degree, a proud moment.
Grandfather and grandson
Needless to say, there were a lot of musical highs in 2018 as well. In February, I was invited to the album launch party for the band Black Emerald. A band I had seen at Bloodstock in 2013 and impressed me so much, I wrote a post as to why they should be signed. Someone must have read it because this year saw the release of Black Emerald’s debut album, “Hell Can’t Handle All of Us. I have listened to the album several times now and it’s brilliant. I hope this is the dawning of great things to come for this band.
Although my trip to the US, was due to tragic circumstances in March, I still got to experience what I called “America’s best kept secret” in the form of blues guitarist and singer Hannah Wicklund and her band the Steppin’ Stones. This was another album from this year that I enjoy more with each listen.
Hannah Wicklund
Hannah wasn’t the only lady in rock to turn my head in 2018. Not long after, I got to experience Lebanese metal maidens Slave to Sirens. Last report I heard, they are working on a full length album and I will definitely be picking it up when it comes out.
Slave to Sirens
No year would be complete without going to a music festival or two. In June, I went to the Sunday at Download where I was awed by the likes of Iglorious, Shinedown, Black Veil Brides, Marilyn Manson and Ozzy himself. I was also introduced to up and coming new band, Puppy but the best part for me was after a more than thirty year wait, I got to see German thrashers, Kreator. It was definitely a day to remember.
Mille leads Kreator onto the stage
Ozzy’s kick ass show
One festival wasn’t enough so in August, I went to Bloodstock for the full three days. Each day brought both the expected and unexpected. On the Friday, Suicidal Tendencies, Judas Priest and Doro all performed as well as I thought but I was further impressed by Kamelot and Feed the Rhino. Likewise on Saturday, Gojira proved they earned the headlining slot but I was also wowed by Orden Organ, the pirate metal of Alestorm and Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners Orphaned Land. I am currently listening to Orphaned Land’s new album, “Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs” and so far, I’m very much liking what I am hearing. However, you can’t forget Sunday, which could have been called Scandinavian Day as most of the bands were from Sweden or Finland. Still, Fozzy was brilliant as always and Mr Big showed they could play Bloodstock and Devil Driver was one big mosh pit. On the other hand, I was very grateful for my introductions to Amaranthe and Nepalese metalers Underside. This was a great way to end my festival career.
Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock
ST comes on stage
Doro on the Sophie Stage
Levermann and Kersting leading from the front.
Alestorm on stage with a lot of flying inflatable objects.
Orphaned Land
A shot of the entire band
Amaranthe won me over
Underside show that you can rock in Nepal.
Late in the year, AC/DC tribute band Hell’s Bells made their annual trip to Stroud and were as good as always but the year ended with seeing Slayer, Anthrax and Lamb of God in Cardiff. This is supposed to be Slayer’s farewell tour and it was a great night for them to go out on.
Obviously, I got closer to the stage for Hell’s Bells
Anthrax in Cardiff
Lamb of God
Slayer appear!
Yes, 2018 was a year of triumphs and tragedies for me. The important thing is that I got through it with many great memories. Likewise, 2019 is also looking very promising. On the personal side, both of my sons are getting married this year. My younger one in February and my eldest is getting married in December. While I have retired from going to three day festivals, I think I will go to Bloodstock on the Sunday with the Scorpions headlining that day and Dee Snider playing as well. However, the band I want to see most that day is Queensryche. I’m already looking forward.
So, I wish all of you a very happy 2019! I look forward to continuing my tour through the golden decade of heavy metal as well as talking about relevant events and I look forward to reading what you all have to say in 2019.
Next post: I think I’ll put on some of the music from the bands I mentioned here.
To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://c-newfreepdf.cf/olddocs/free-download-online-rock-and-roll-children-pdf-1609763556-by-michael-d-lefevre.html
A place to get your air mattresses inflated. I didn’t have one.
At previous Bloodstock Festivals, I always had to leave on the Sunday night due to work commitments. Because I wanted to see so many bands on the Sunday, I made sure I sorted things out so I could sleep Sunday night and leave Monday morning. Monday mornings seem to be an anti-climax at Bloodstock and probably most other weekend festivals. Although, I could hear people partying away on the Sunday night, the campsite seemed deathly quiet when I woke up at 7:15 on Monday morning. Most of the tents were still up although I could see that some had packed up and left in the middle of the night. Therefore, I got Teal and Joe up with no problem, my offer of a MacDonald’s breakfast was good incentive, and we took down the tent, packed and joined the slow but steady procession of people leaving the grounds. There was no conversation, it seemed everyone, like us, was focused on leaving. The whole process only took an hour.
I was totally serious when I said Bloodstock 2018 would be my last ever three day festival unless of course I win the lottery and then I’ll rent a mobile home and go glamping at Bloodstock and Download. The thing is that I’m getting too old to be laying on a piece of ground for an entire weekend. I also felt my age in other ways. After standing to see a couple of bands, I definitely needed to sit down as I felt the aches and pains. While you’re never too old to rock, I have to admit that I’m getting too old for all the other bits that go with it. However, it’s not just me getting old, many of the bands I grew up with and rocked out to are calling it a day as well. Twisted Sister has retired and supposedly so has Ozzy and though Judas Priest claim they will be back, will they be the same without Tipton and Downing bending the six strings? That remains to be seen.
One thing I can say that if this was my last festival, I’m going out on an absolute high. Bloodstock 2018 was fantastic, don’t ask me if it was the best because all of them were that good. At 2018, I got to see personal favourites Suicidal Tendencies, Judas Priest and Doro, all of which put on a magnificent show. On top of that, I got to see Mr Big, a band whose material I have plenty of but never saw live. They proved to doubters that they did belong at Bloodstock. Also, after seeing Gojira twice as a non- headliner, I saw them take their rightful place at the top of Saturday’s lineup and they made the most of it. What I can say what was great about this year’s Bloodstock was that I got to see many bands I had heard little or nothing about and get totally blown away by them! Feed The Rhino and Orden Ogan definitely come to mind here and now that I know more of them, I am delving more into Amaranthe and Nightwitch.
Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock
Levermann and Kersting leading from the front.
Amaranthe won me over
Of all the bands, there are two which I have a special place with me on account of where they’re from, Orphaned Land and Underside. Orphaned Land, from Israel, explained that with all the hatred in the Middle East at the moment, there seems to be a unified hatred for heavy metal there. I have touched on this in past posts, especially with the band Confess who faced long term prison time in Iran for playing the music they loved so much. On the other hand, not all Middle Eastern nations are like Iran as the lovely Lilas Mayassi from Slave to Sirens pointed out to me. Lebanon is a liberal and tolerant country. Furthermore, Underside are from Nepal and they thanked me on Facebook for the kind words I wrote about them. It fills my heart to see that heavy metal is even making its way into small mountain countries. What we as metalheads need to do is to embrace these metal artists coming out of such regions and give them the ear they so desperately seek. Only this way can metal establish world dominance.
Orphaned Land come out under the lights.
Underside finally emerge
Some final observations from the historic weekend was that I noticed and forgive me if I’m not being politically correct here, that there were more persons of colour attending the festival. The New Yorker who was into At The Gates was African American. I’m not just talking about those of Afro-Caribbean origin, there were also people of other races there too. This is good because it has been a concern of mine ever since I read Laina Dawes book, “What Are You Doing Here?” In order for metal to progress, we must kick racism and sexism out of it. That reminds me, it turns out that Underside’s great female bassist whose playing totally rocked, isn’t officially a part of the band. It would be great for them to take her on full time.
Thank you for letting an old man rant but I hope the wisdom of my years shows through here. I will take memories of Bloodstock to my grave with me because it is a great metal festival and I enjoyed each and every one I’ve been to.
I finally got a song from Underside for you, enjoy!
Next post: Los Lobos- How Will the Wolf Survive
To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Roll-Children-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1609763556/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535371510&sr=1-3&keywords=michael+d+lefevre
Even having a crap night’s sleep the previous evening didn’t dent my enthusiasm for the first full day at Bloodstock. We started with a hardy bbq breakfast because we couldn’t have one the evening before on account of the waiting to get in and the brief rain. Therefore, we had it in the morning. After a breakfast of champions like that, which was washed down with beer, we decided to head for the arena.
Keeping with my established tradition, I made it a point to be present for the very first band out on the Ronnie James Dio Stage. That band happened be British punk band Feed The Rhino. If there is a textbook on how the opening band of a festival should act, then Feed The Rhino followed it to the letter. They exploded on stage at 300 mph with a song that grabs you by the throat and makes you listen to it nor did any of that energy dissipate after the first song. However, some purists may argue that the band broke protocol by organizing a mosh pit and then a wall of death. Whoever said opening bands weren’t allowed to do that? Especially when the lead singer, Lee Tobin, did a little crowd surf towards the wall. It was amazing and when they left, which was too soon, Feed The Rhino had set the mood not just for the day but for the entire weekend!
Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock
Lee Tobin carried by the crowd
In spite of the fact that I had seen and heard three bands I had never heard of previously who totally blew me away, I still went to the New Blood Stage to seek out more. Playing at my arrival was the band Garshkott. While they weren’t bad, their sound was in the vein of Feed The Rhino and Bloodshot Dawn, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were ever signed, in my mind, they didn’t measure up to the two bands I have just mentioned. Then again, those two bands set the bar astronomically high.
Garshkott giving it their all
Heading back to the RJD Stage, I thought I should see Onslaught. I had seen them at my first Bloodstock in 2010 but I didn’t remember anything about them. Seeing them again, I remember why I didn’t remember them, there’s really nothing about them to remember. While their music was okay and I have since discovered from Youtube that their recorded material sounds pretty good, they just didn’t do anything for me when I’ve seen them live.
Onslaught coming out to play
Another shot of them
The uneventfulness of Onslaught meant that when the rains came down in the final minutes of their set, I fled for cover. The closest was the New Blood Stage. Providing the entertainment in my new found refuge was Democratus. They weren’t thrash but good solid metal. The singer did a great job in getting those in the tent to sing along. He would sing out, “Is this what you call?” and the audience, me included, would shout back, “Democracy!” Very relevant at the moment and I thought they were pretty good. If I was a scout, I would have signed them before the previous unsigned band on the day.
Democratus
Still raining down in buckets outside, I decided to stay in the New Blood Tent to remain dry. It turned out to be the will of the metal gods because coming on stage next was Vulgore. Of the three unsigned bands I had seen so far, these guys were the best. Their music was loud and brash but the guitarist could shred a little too. Still, their music is not for the faint hearted. They announced they have an EP coming out titled “Bliss.” I might have to hunt this one down.
The guitarist from Vulgore
More Vulgore
Vulgore made the rain stop, so after their departure, I headed outside. On the Dio Stage at the time was Memoriam. I only caught the last two songs from their set but they sounded all right. Plus, I noticed that the lead singer’s hair probably made many ladies jealous.
Memoriam, but this photo doesn’t show the singer’s hair properly.
Still looking for the music, I headed for the Sophie Lancaster Stage where I was treated to the doom metal sounds of Godthrymm. This trio was doom metal in the true sense of the word, even more than Black Sabbath. Most of the songs were about death. I remember one lyric, “Oh God, you lost your only son,” I think that explains a lot. Guitarist hammered out some good solos and he shared the lead vocal duties with the bassist. Godthrymm proved a great change of pace on the day.
Godthrymm playing doom
I’m not sure what this picture was. I think it was this person dressed up going through the crowd during Godthrymm
After a brief but necessary break, I returned to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the first band I truly wanted to see. Before that band came out, I caught the last few minutes of Swedish death metal band Bloodbath. They sounded okay and I was amused at the shirtless guitar player whose torso was covered in fake blood.
Bloodbath, not sure if you can see the guitarist covered in blood
Then came the big bombshell. It was announced that Suicidal Tendencies were running late and wouldn’t be up next. They were re-scheduled to play at the Sophie Lancaster Stage two hours later. I had caught up with Teal and Joe and we decided to get some dinner. I kind of regret this in hindsight because swapping places with ST was the all female death metal Japanese band Love Bites. I heard they were really good and I’m liking what I’m hearing thus far. Oh well, I’ll put a song of theirs in tribute.
Returning from our late afternoon bbq, I followed Teal’s suggestion that I go with him to check out prog metal band, Kamelot. Full marks to his wisdom here because I thoroughly enjoyed them. I was duly impressed with the guitar work of Thomas Youngblood but I won’t take anything away from the rest of this band, they’re that good. They brought a female singer on for a few songs as well which made them more diverse. Let’s say I was very impressed.
Kamelot
A better shot of them
Thomas Youngblood jamming
I tried to get the female singer in this one
Instead of Kamelot following Suicidal Tendencies, we had Suicidal Tendencies following Kamelot. Which way around didn’t matter as we joined the throng heading for the Sophie Lancaster Stage. There was talk that the sheer weight of numbers in ST fans would knock the Sophie Tent off its foundations. Suicidal Tendencies exploded onto the stage with “Don’t Bring Me Down.” Almost immediately, Mike Muir had the crowd in his hand with everyone singing the chorus. The band darted around stage and Mike did his little dance. It seemed that the opening song might go for the entire set because every time it sounded like it would end, the band would pick it up again. When the song did end, the audience was screaming their appreciation. Afterwards, they played songs “I Shot the Devil,” The War in My Head” and “Subliminal.” When they played the “Skater’s Song,” Mike announced that the band had been inducted into the Skater’s Hall of Fame. A young boy was brought up to play drums along side of Dave Lombardo for one song and they also let a man in a wheelchair onto the stage. ST are definitely a class act! In between songs, Mike talked about not letting things get you down. His advice was to “Get up, stand up for yourself and you will be the person you want to be.” Great words of wisdom. When they left, the crowd was on a major high and it was also announced that it had been the largest crowd the Sophie Lancaster Stage ever had. They were phenomenal and like Teal converting me to Kamelot, I converted him to ST. It didn’t even matter that they didn’t play my two favourite songs again nor the fact that they pretty much played the same set they had at Download last year.
The crowd heading to the Sophie Stage to see Suicidal Tendencies
ST comes on stage
Guitarist Dean Pleasants can still jam.
Another shot of Dean
Mike leading the charge
After feeding my face some more, we all headed back to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the main even, Judas Priest. They had a massive stage set up with what looked like cacti which lit up on the wall behind. When the band came out, Rob Halford looked like a bent over old man but he quickly straightened up when they started playing. They opened with “Fire Power” and played two more songs from the album. It was the fourth song that was the big thrill for me when they revealed their all time hidden gem, “The Ripper.” I think I was the only one in the crowd who went absolutely nuts at it. Both Teal and some young lady in front of me both stated, “You’re excited about this song.” Next, they revealed that it was the 40th anniversary of their “Stained Glass” album where they played “Saints in Hell” as a tribute. Other Priest greats included “Turbo Lover” and “Freewheel Burning.” While Rob was the great show man he has always been for more than four decades, I was impressed with guitarists Richie Faulkner. He seems to have learned from his mentors and if the band was to continue, he is more than capable to carry them on. Scott Travis was pretty cool too and I loved how he and Richie traded solos. Things seemed to end with an extended version of “You Got Another Thing Comin'” and “Painkiller,” both drawing large cheers from the crowd. But Judas Priest weren’t done. Obviously, there would be an encore and that’s when they sprung a surprise. Glenn Tipton came out to play with them for the four encore songs. He did look a little frail and Rob kept coming over to him but he stayed the course. He even played a solo on the closing song, “Living After Midnight” which followed on from “Breaking the Law.” When the mighty Priest did leave, it was to much adulation and a brief but cool fireworks display.
Blasted light show kept me from getting decent pictures of Priest
See again!
A little better
Even taking a photo of the big screen didn’t work.
I kept trying though
Teal and Joe called it a night but I had one more act to watch. As soon as Judas Priest was finished, I high tailed it over to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to catch Doro. My timing was perfect because as I entered the tent, she was performing one of my favourites, “I Rule the Ruins.” That wasn’t the only one she treated me to, a few songs later, I got to hear “East Meets West,” where she brought out a former guitarist Tommy Bowen. Therefore, for the rest of her show, she had a three guitar attack behind her. Sounded real good when she played “Burning the Witches.” Doro engaged the audience really well throughout and while her light show was nothing like Priest, it was still pretty cool. “All We Are” got the crowd really going and it carried on until she left the stage. When she came back out, Doro asked the audience what song they would like. I was too far away so she couldn’t hear me calling out for “I’ll Make It On My Own,” so she said, since nobody came forth with a song, she’d pick one, which she did. A second song was asked for and she picked one from a young lady in the front and that’s how the night ended, with loads of bows and “thank yous” before leaving. It was a great way to end the first day!
Doro on the Sophie Stage
Better pics with Doro
Tommy Bowen on guitar
Doro mesmerizes the crowd
Note: You may have noticed that I haven’t posted songs from every band I saw. I thought to do it with the ones I had never heard of before and now you have.
Next post: Saturday
To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: http://mediahubb.net/14510967/rock-and-roll-children.html
80smetalman's Blog 