The Future of Heavy Metal

Just another prediction post from yours truly.

This is just an abbreviated history to lead into my main point, a great resource is the documentary Metal Evolution: The Definitive History of Heavy Metal & Hard Rock

I often ponder, to the point of obsession, about the evolution Heavy Metal has taken. From the Proto-Metal roots in the Psychedelic/Acid/Progressive rock scenes, with bands like Iron Butterfly, Cream, The Kinks and guitarists like Hendrix and Robin Trower, even Surf guitar god Dick Dale. Then came the Unholy Trinity, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zepplin. These bands being, arguably, the first "Metal" bands, some other early Metallers being Blue Cheer, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Rainbow, and the mighty Judas Priest.

Metal transformed through the following decade into the NWOBHM, which in turn brought forth Thrash Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Black Metal, and even influenced Hair Metal.

Now I'm going to narrow down a bit. Thrash and Speed Metal brought about Death Metal. Death Metal combined with Hardcore Punk, becoming Deathcore. The sound seemed to always become more extreme with each successive generation of bands in the Black and Death subgenres. I kept thinking, "How much more extreme can this sound go? Are we topped out?" Then I heard a band open for Static-X (RIP Wayne Static), that band was The Browning. Their name is ridiculous, but I realized that they were the future of Metal. They were pioneering what was coming next. They combined the sounds of Deathcore/Metalcore with Dubstep. It only made sense that the deep bass laden sounds of Dubstep would eventually merge with Metal. Synthesizers are going to make a big comeback in Extreme Metal. Another band, PAIN, a side project of Melodic-Death Metal band Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tägtgren, has been fusing Metal and Techno/Electronic for almost 2 decades. But the Electronic music scene became heavier and weirder in the form of Dubstep, and it actually sounds really cool with the heavy and weird sound that Deathcore/Metalcore has become. I am a big fan of both PAIN and now The Browning.

Like I said before, this is just another prediction, but I'm willing to bet I'm right.

YouTube playlist contains PAIN and The Browning. Check out both bands!

New Judas Priest and Overkill Album Reviews

I'm very behind on reviewing the new albums by two of my favorite bands.

First there is Judas Priest's "Redeemer of Souls." This is the first album since the departure of founding guitarist K.K. Downing, the followup to 2008's "Nostradamus" album, and their first album since their announced "retirement". I saw the farewell "Epitaph" tour in 2011, and now they are coming back on tour this year (much like how I saw Scorpions' farewell tour in 2011...and 2012. And let's not even discuss the amount of KISS farewell tours). When I first listened to the album I was not that impressed with it. It sounded like a generic Judas Priest album, and nothing stuck out to me. Since then I've learned I was completely insane on that first listen. My father said, "[The album] gets better the louder you listen to it," and I completely agree! There is so much intricate and technical guitar work by founding guitarist Glenn Tipton and K.K.'s replacement Richie Faulkner that is lost when the album is not allowed to blast through the speakers. Songs like "Halls of Valhalla" and "Cold Blooded" are great examples of this guitar work. Added to that is the amazing drumming of Scott Travis and the heavy doomy bass of founding member Ian Hill. Then of course we have the Metal God himself Rob Halford, arguably THE voice of Heavy Metal. Halford's voice on this album is something special and different. After 40 years of hitting almost impossible notes with his vocal performances, his voice has taken on a more raspy sound as compared to his 70's and 80's style. While he still makes the amazing heights on the songs, this raspiness adds so much more "Metal" to his performance in my opinion. One song in particular is "Halls of Valhalla," in which there is a point he goes from the deep growling vocals reminiscent of Black Metal and then soars to the top of his range. What is different about this is the growling vocals (at around 4:20 in the video below). While it is only for a very short period during the song it was something he had not really done before, and I have a theory as to why he tried it. After 2008's "Nostradamus" album Halford had expressed a desire in making a Black Metal album with former Emperor frontman Ihsahn. While he's made solo albums since then, he has never made a Black Metal attempt. So my guess is that perhaps in exploring that style he tried it on the song "Halls of Valhalla," which is of a lyrical theme common in Black, Folk, and Viking Metal (Maybe lyrics he had left over from that desire in making a Black Metal album? And yes, by the way, Black Metal is not all about Satan. I mean most is, but almost all Black Metal bands have Viking themed songs or albums as well). The next song that sticks out vocally to me is "March of the Damned." The reason it sticks out is that it is almost like someone dared Halford to hold his voice back, and for some reason it is so exciting to me. But I usually enjoy when bands, especially vocalists, try something different (I'm going to admit that I love Van Halen III with Gary Cherone on vocals. Judge away). It is awe inspiring that a band that helped form and create Heavy Metal, can create such technical and heavy album, that it rivals and in most cases surpasses the Heavy Metal music being released by new bands today. Just like remaking a movie, the original is always better. So next to Judas Priest's 2005 "Angel of Retribution," this new album is my favorite JP album. Any fan of Judas Priest, and any Metalhead for that matter, must own this album. Oh and definitely get the deluxe edition with the bonus tracks, very worth it.

Now for Overkill's new album "White Devil Armory". Overkill has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them in Junior High School, as I've posted before, so I'm going to be biased when it comes to their music. Even knowing I'd enjoy anything they released, I was still shocked at how great this album was. The intro track "XDm" spoke volumes from the start, it is a style that this straight forward band hasn't done before. While the playing on the album has the classic Overkill sound, there is just something more technical in the music that I can't explain. I think it is the drumming on the album. It feels like the band is performing at the same Thrash Metal speed that they've always had, but the drummer is trying to go faster than the rest of them. The song "Where There's Smoke..." is a great example of this. You may think I'm crazy, but I feel like the blast beats from the drum are quicker than on previous recordings. Drum theory aside, this album is truly amazing; any fan of Thrash and Speed Metal will be very pleased with this album. It has that classic sound of eastcoast Thrash that Overkill and Anthrax had of a high pitched singer, as opposed to westcoast Thrash bands Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer's bass toned and growly vocalists. Another treat I got was a bonus track on the album. I was listening to the album while I was doing stuff in my apartment when suddenly I thought, "That sounds like Nazareth's 'Miss Misery'," and I was right. Normally I hate cover songs, but hearing one of my favorite Classic Metal songs turned into a Thrash Metal song was pretty awesome. The song features Mark Tornillo, who was in another 80's New Jersey Thrash band called T.T. Quick, and is currently the singer of the reformed Accept. Unfortunately I could not find a video for "Miss Misery" on YouTube, but trust me its good. I would recommend this album to any fan of Thrash.

Concerts 2014

Here's the shows for 2014 so far:

1. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
2. Amon Amarth / Enslaved / Skeletonwitch
3. Dark Tranquility / Omnium Gatherum
4. Children of Bodom / TYR / Death Angel
5. Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour: Lacuna Coil / Sick Puppies / Cilver / Eyes Set To Kill
6. Faster Pussycat
7. Slayer
8. Cage The Elephant / Foals
9. Powerman 5000 / Knee High Fox
10. KISS / Def Leppard
11. Mushroomhead
12. Jack Russell's Great White
13. Mötley Crüe / Alice Cooper
14. Boston / The Doobie Brothers

15. Deep Purple
16. Faster Pussycat
17. The Pretty Reckless
18. Combichrist / William Control / Davey Suicide

Lifetime total: 173

Concerts 2013

Better late on posting this than never I suppose. Here is the list of shows I saw in 2013:

1. The Who
2. Sabaton
3. Testament / Flotsam & Jetsam
4. Black Veil Brides / William Control
5. GWAR
6. Bon Jovi (in SLC)
7. Bon Jovi (in Las Vegas)
8. Alice Cooper / Marilyn Manson
9. Green Jellö
10. Dick Dale
11. Ted Nugent
12. Rush
13. Gigantour: Megadeth, Black Label Society, Hellyeah
14. Whitesnake
15. Danzig / Doyle
16. Havok
17. Andrew WK
18. Kamelot / Delain
19. Dokken / Firehouse
20. Helloween
21. Watain
22. Living Colour
23. Rob Zombie / Korn
24. Overkill / Kreator
25. Faster Pussycat
26. Mike Tramp

Lifetime total at the end of 2013: 155

Scorpions / Geoff Tate

On June 11th I went with my Padre to see the almighty Scorpions on their "The Final Sting" farewell tour... but I also saw them in 2010 on their "Get Your Sting & Blackout" farewell tour. I'm pretty positive that I'll see them again one day, I don't think it will be a long retirement.

It started around 8 with Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche. It was suppose to be the entire band, but apparently the other members up and started a new band, leaving Geoff behind. The new band is called Rising West and is fronted by the singer of Crimson Glory. But here's what I don't understand: the band Rising West only does covers songs from the first 5 Queensrÿche albums... why not just stay with Geoff and say, "Hey man, I wanna play more old stuff"? Anyways, Geoff did something pretty cool. He did an acoustic Queensrÿche set with his solo band. It was very bluesy and much slower paced, but his voice was amazing. That's all that really matters. I would pay big bucks to hear Geoff Tate sing even acapella, so acoustic was fine by me.

Around 9 Scorpions came out on stage. Their set was interesting, it was extremely different from their 2010 set, which is cool. They are such great musicians, they are one of my favorite bands. I just hope they make at LEAST one more amazing album, because (as I've posted before) I don't feel like "Sting In The Tail" was a good farewell album. It took a couple of songs for Klaus Meine's vocals to get warmed up to the range we all love, and for a man who is 64 at the time of this concert he is still an amazing Metal vocalist. They played for about 1.5 hours and did a 3 song encore. The only two things I didn't enjoy about the concert were that they didn't play long enough and they weren't loud enough!

So Scorpions, please enjoy a few years off, but at least one more album and tour before you get too old. That would be much appreciated, sincerely The Metal Missionary.

RJD Day

Two years ago today, May 16th, Ronnie James Dio passed away after a battle with stomach cancer. Last year and this year on the anniversary of his death I have taken the day off of work and for the entire 24 hours of May 16th I listen to every single Dio song. The Elves, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and every solo album; its all playing all day.

His music really helped me define who I am as a person today. As soon as I heard "Rainbow In The Dark" when I was in the 7th grade (on the "The Very Beast Of Dio" album my dad had bought) I was a Metalhead. Yeah I had Van Halen's debut, Metallica's "Black Album", Def Leppard's "Vault", and Saigon Kick's "The Lizard" all memorized early in elementary school; but that was the first time that I really labelled myself as a Metalhead. Once I had something that defined me I really came out of my shell, I had something I was passionate about! A decade later I'm still as passionate, if not more so, about all of Ronnie James Dio's music and the entire genre of Heavy Metal that he helped spread. I'm very saddened that I never got to see him perform. But am very grateful for the career he had.

Long Live Rock And Roll.