Metal Mayhem

Helloween, Straight Out of Hell (2013)

2013-02-05T15:04:00.002-08:00

Hello all,

First, I want to apologize for not being as active with my posting. I will do better in the future, but today I have a treat for you. I will give a brief review of the latest effort from power metal group, Helloween titled Straight Out of Hell.

Helloween is one of the most influential bands in the history of metal. In their nearly 30 years of existence, they can be considered one of the standard bearers of power metal: a sub genre of heavy metal that combines elements of prog metal, speed, and melody. Their most important albums are The Keeper of the Seven Keys, Parts 1 & 2, but I'm a huge fan of their debut album, The Walls of Jericho. Their current sound (new album included) seem to have an edgier, darker element which is a nice progression.

Straight Out of Hell is their fourteenth studio album, and one of their best. Every song exemplifies power metal. Fast and heavy with melodic vocals. I have literally listened to this album at least four times since I purchased it last week.

While I love this album, it is definitely not for everyone.

Here is the first track, "Nabataea."

And "World of War."

Thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 1: Iron Maiden

2013-01-24T17:46:00.001-08:00

1. Iron Maiden

We have made it to the number 1 spot on Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time. While I am certain that there are many arguments that could be made for other bands to occupy this spot, here is my argument for why I chose Iron Maiden as not only the greatest metal band, but the most influential.

I have been listening to metal most of my life, but more recently, I have been listening to metal like crazy. I have listened to just about every sub-genre of metal of bands of varying styles. The one constant was that the metal that most bands play seem to resemble the metal played by bands from the New Wave of British Metal which Iron Maiden was the greatest band. Bands that played during the New Wave of British Metal were incredibly important because this was the first case of metal bands eliminating any pretension of playing blues-based hard rock like earlier "metal" bands played (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple). As the prominent band of this era, Iron Maiden not only wanted to play heavy, like Black Sabbath, but they wanted to play fast.

This style of metal inspired every metal band that came after them. Bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, HammerFall, and Pantera were all heavily influenced by Iron Maiden more so than Black Sabbath. To take this one step further, established bands like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath were both influenced by the success of Maiden. For example, Black Sabbath fired Ozzy Osbourne in 1979. When they were seeking a replacement for Ozzy, they chose Ronnie James Dio which completely altered the sound of Black Sabbath. This alteration took Sabbath from a hard-bluesy style metal into a band in the mold of Iron Maiden . . . and Sabbath put out some of their best tunes as a result of this change. Additionally, Judas Priest released British Steel after the success of many bands of the New Wave of British Metal, and, in fact, became one of the flag bearers of the movement.

Some would say that Black Sabbath was the greatest metal band, but my argument against Sabbath is simple. After Ronnie James Dio left the band, Black Sabbath were a terrible band. That is all. That is why I placed them at number 2.

Back to Maiden.

Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band that formed in 1975 by bassist, and primary songwriter Steve Harris. In 1978, the band established the lineup of singer Paul Di'Anno, bassist Steve Harris, guitarist Dave Murray, and drummer Doug Sampson. In 1979, the band hired Adrian Smith to become the second guitarist in order to create a richer sound. In 1980, Iron Maiden released their self-titled first release featuring classic tracks "Running Free," "Iron Maiden," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Transylvania." The album debuted at #4 on the UK's charts. In 1981, Killers was Iron Maiden's second release. This led to Maiden's first tour of the United States supporting Judas Priest.

However, the band fired lead singer Paul Di'Anno due to drug problems and inner conflict between the singer and the rest of the band. Additionally, Steve Harris sought a singer with greater vocal range than Di'Anno. The band hired Samson's Bruce Dickinson in September 1981.

In 1982, Iron Maiden released their classic album The Number of the Beast which contained the classic tracks: "The Number of the Beast," "Run to the Hills," and "Hallowed Be Thy Name." The album sold extremely well despite American evangelists claiming that the band was Satan worshipers reducing radio play in the states. The band also hired drummer Nicko McBrain.

In 1983, the band released another classic album with Piece of Mind featuring "The Trooper" and "Flight of Icarus" which received some radio play in the states. In 1984, the band released the great album Powerslave featuring "Powerslave," "Aces High," "2 Minutes to Midnight," and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."

With the 1986 release of Somewhere in Time, this marked the beginning of the experimental phase of Maiden's career. This release marked the first time that guitarist Adrian Smith became a prominent songwriter for the band. This release featured one of my favorite songs, "Wasted Years." The next album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son marked the band's triumphant first attempt at a concept album. It is often marked as one of the greatest metal concept albums of all-time.

In 1989, Adrian Smith left the band and was replaced by Bruce Dickinson's guitarist Janick Gers. The band released No Prayer for the Dying in 1990 featuring their only #1 song on the UK chart, "Bring Your Daughter . . . to the Slaughter." In 1992, the band released Fear of the Dark which was a pretty underrated album by all accounts.

In 1993, Bruce Dickinson left Iron Maiden in order to focus on his solo career and was replaced by Wolfsbane's Blaze Bayley. I never quite understood the Bayley hiring due to his lack of vocal range . . . especially considering that they had already wrote an album for Dickinson, The X Factor. The two albums, The X Factor and Virtual XI, during the Blaze Bayley era were the lowest charting of their career despite the albums not being all that bad.

In 1999, Iron Maiden brought back both Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, thus making the band a three guitar unit for the first time. In 2000, Iron Maiden released one of their best albums of their career with Brave New World which featured "The Wicker Man," "Blood Brothers," and "The Mercenary." During their Brave New World Tour, they played for 250,000 fans at the Rock in Rio festival which turned into their great live album Rock in Rio.

The next two releases, Dance of Death and A Matter of Life and Death, were both solid albums. However, their 2010 album The Final Frontier marked the band's first and only Grammy win for the song "El Dorado."

Hopefully, we will have new Iron Maiden music in the near future!

Here are some great Maiden tunes!

"Phantom of the Opera."

"Hallowed Be Thy Name."

"The Trooper."

"Powerslave."

"The Evil that Men Do."

"Man on the Edge."

"Dream of Mirrors."

"When the Wild Wind Blows."

What are your top metal bands?

Thanks for reading!
Marty

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 2: Black Sabbath

2013-01-18T17:00:00.002-08:00

2. Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is arguably one of the greatest bands in history. They have been accredited with inventing the genre of heavy metal. While an argument can certainly be made to put Sabbath as the number one band, i believe that honor belongs to another band (I'll explain on the next post).

Black Sabbath formed in 1969 at Birmingham, England by vocalist John "Ozzy" Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler. The band has gone through many lineup changes with Iommi being the only constant.

The band released their first album Black Sabbath on Friday the 13th, 1970 which was wildly successful despite critics trashing the future classic featuring "Black Sabbath" and "NIB." In 1971, they released a quick follow-up in Paranoid which would prove to be even more successful. It featured classic tracks like "Iron Man," "Paranoid," "Fairies Wear Boots," and "War Pigs." The band would continue with great success with the release of Master of Reality and Volume 4.

In 1973, Black Sabbath released their first critically-acclaimed album Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. This album was a bit of a departure due to the band's experimentation with keyboards, strings, and more complex arrangements. For the next album, Sabbath released one of their strongest albums with 1975's Sabotage. For this album, the band abandoned any semblance of experimentation and made a rock and roll album.

Their next two albums were the uninspired and basically awful releases Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! These albums seems to have lacked direction, and could be attributed to drug problems within the band and hostility between Ozzy and the rest of the group.

Ozzy Osbourne was officially fired in 1979 by Tony Iommi. The band would replaced him by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who completely reinvigorated the band. Their 1980 release, Heaven and Hell, was easily one of Sabbath's best albums featuring classic tracks "Neon Knights," "Children of the Sea," and "Heaven and Hell." It was also during the Heaven and Hell tour that Bill Ward left the band being replaced by Vinnie Appice. In 1982, Black Sabbath released The Mob Rules, which was another incredible album; however, RJD and Appice soon left the band due to conflict with Butler and Iommi.

From 1983-1991, Black Sabbath was a shell of their former selves with some terrible albums like Born Again, Seventh Star, The Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, and Tyr. They went through a who-cares list of vocalists like Tony Martin, Ian Gillan, David Donato, Glenn Hughes, and Ray Gillen. The band was so awful and their albums performed so terribly that they were booted from their record label. Imagine that! Black Sabbath dropped from a label!

In 1992, Sabbath reunited with Ronnie James Dio to release the wonderful comeback album Dehumanizer. This is one of my personal favorites. However, the reunion was short-lived as Sabbath and Dio decided to go their separate ways. Sabbath rehired Tony Martin and released two more awful albums, Cross Purposes and Forbidden.

Black Sabbath reunited with Ozzy Osbourne in 1997 for a long and successful reunion tour, and released a live album and a few compilation albums.

In 2007, the Dio fronted Sabbath reunited under the name of Heaven and Hell because they did not want to confuse their fans, but, more likely, they didn't want to burn any bridges with Ozzy. They released a wonderful album titled The Devil You Know which turned out to be RJD's final album.

In 2011, It was announced that the original Black Sabbath sans Bill Ward were working on a new album due for 2013 release. I am looking forward to that!

Here is "Paranoid."

"Children of the Grave."

"Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath."

"Heaven and Hell."

"I."

"Children of the Sea."

Thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 3: Judas Priest

2013-01-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

3. Judas Priest

Judas Priest is a British heavy metal band that formed in 1969 by guitarist K. K. Downing,bassist Ian Hill, and drummer John Ellis. It wasn't until 1974 that the band settled on Rob Halford as lead vocalist due to the urging of Hill's girlfriend . . . Halford's sister. That same year, they added second guitarist Glenn Tipton establishing their unique double guitar sound and their classic lineup.

Priest is famous for their powerful double guitar attack, operatic vocal style, heavy theatrics, and S & M attire. Although originally a bluesy based rock band, they moved away from that style toward a more edgier, hard rock style. Their first few albums, Rocka Rolla, Sad Wings of Destiny, Stained Glass, and Killing Machine were all progressing to something, but were still in the mold of Black Sabbath style metal.

It wasn't until the late 1970's when the New Wave of British Metal-style of metal, that Judas Priest found their signature sound. While the band was groundbreaking as far as they were one of the first metal acts to drop the blues element from their sound, they were heavily influenced by bands like Iron Maiden (Maiden and Priest often inspired each other), Diamond Head, and Saxon. The result was Judas Priest first signature album, British Steel in 1980. This classic album featured such classics as "Breaking the Law," "Metal Gods," and "Living After Midnight." The next signature album came in 1982 with the release of Screaming for Vengeance which includes the classic "You've Got Another Thing Coming" and "Electric Eye." These two albums should be in any metal fans collection.

Over the years, Priest released a number of excellent, yet underrated albums like Turbo, Ram It Down, and Painkiller. However, Rob Halford left the band in May 1992 due to internal tensions within the band. Some have speculated that this had to do with Halford being a homosexual, but this has never been confirmed.

They replaced Halford with Priest cover singer Tim "Ripper" Owens in 1996 to very little fanfare or support. The Owens-led Priest released two relatively decent albums in Jugulator and Demolition, but fans clearly wanted Halford back.

In 2003, the band rehired Rob Halford, thus ending the Owens Era of the band. In 2005, Judas priest released their first concept album Angel of Retribution to rave reviews by fans and critics. In my opinion, an incredible album. In 2008, Judas Priest released their best album since Screaming for Vengeance with another concept album titled Nostradamus which featured many symphonic elements that the band had never used before. It is an incredible feat that a band that had been around as long as Priest could make such a dramatic departure and still be incredibly effective.

In 2010, the band announced plans to retire following their World Tour, but I doubt that will last as Halford has recently mentioned that the band is working on new material. However, founder K. K. Downing retired from the band in April 2011.

Anyway, here is some great Priest tunes!

Here is "The Ripper."

"Breaking the Law."

"The Hellion/Electric Eye."

"Painkiller."

"Burn in Hell."

"Nostradamus."

Thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 4: Metallica

2013-01-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

4. Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles that formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an ad in a newspaper by Lars Ulrich which read, "Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden." Eventually, the band settled on the lineup of vocalist/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, bassist Cliff Burton, and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. Right before the band went to record their first album, they fired Mustaine due to drug and alcohol problems and replaced him with Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett, thus establishing the classic lineup.

In 1983, the band released their first album, and only true "thrash" album Kill 'Em All which featured metal classics like "Hit the Lights," "Whiplash," and "Seek and Destroy." While raw in comparison to their later albums, Kill 'Em All has to be considered one of the great thrash albums.

The band immediately released Ride the Lightning the very next year. This album is where Metallica became more of a progressive metal band than straight-up thrash. In my opinion every track is a classic, and this could possibly be their strongest album if not for their next album, Master of Puppets.

In 1986, bassist Cliff Burton died in a bus accident in Europe. The band brought on Jason Newsted of Flotsam and Jetsam. The first album after Burton's death was . . . And Justice for All which was Metallica's most commercially successful album up to that date. It was also their first taste of heavy airplay and video rotation on MTV.

In 1991, Metallica released their self-titled album, or "The Black Album," which has caused some controversy among fans. While this album brought the band millions of new fans due to its shorter and less edgy sound, it alienated many fans who thought that they sold out. Even though its not their best effort, I always enjoyed the Black Album. I think that Metallica got a raw deal from their supposed "hardcore" fans.

This is where Metallica hit a rut . . . in my opinion.

Over the next several years, they released Load (average), Reload (average), Garage Inc. (decent), S & M (lame), fought against Napster over illegal downloads, cut their hair (oh no!), replaced Jason Newsted with Robert Trujillo (so what?), released the god awful album St. Anger, and released great documentary Some Kind of Monster.

They released a comeback album titled Death Magnetic in 2008. It was a return to their earlier style while maintaining some of their gentler material. It was a combination of the best of their earlier stuff with the best of their newer material. I loved this album! In 2011 the band released an album with Lou Reed titled Lulu which was excellent, and an EP titled Beyond Magnetic in 2012 . . . also very good.

Anyway, Metallica has been included as one of the "Big Four" of American thrash metal along with Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 where James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, the late Cliff Burton, Jason Newsted, and Robert Trujillo were all honored.

I could go further, but I will let the music talk for them. Enjoy!

Here is "Seek and Destroy."

"Ride the Lightning."

"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

"One."

"That Was Just Your Life."

Thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 5: Slayer

2013-01-10T10:45:00.002-08:00

5. Slayer

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time will be a brief look at perhaps the greatest thrash band ever, Slayer.

Slayer is an American thrash band from Huntington Park, California that formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They are often credited as being one of the "Big Four" of American thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. While not as commercially successful as Metallica and Megadeth, Slayer has been the most faithful to the thrash genre which, in my view, makes them the greatest thrash band ever!

Their album, Reign in Blood, is one of the most important thrash albums to be recorded. Plus, it kicks ass!
As great as Reign in Blood is considered, I could argue that Seasons in the Abyss is just as awesome. In all honesty, I can't think of one sub par Slayer album.

One description that I once heard of Slayer's sound, and I am paraphrasing, is that if Hell had a soundtrack, it would be compiled by Slayer.

I could go on and on about Slayer's greatness, but I'm gonna let their music do the talking.

Sorry about the brief nature of this post, but I have been super busy.

Here is "Raining Blood."

"War Ensemble."

"Disciple."

"Hate Worldwide."

"The Antichrist."

Thanks for reading!
Marty

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 6: Pantera

2013-01-01T23:00:00.002-08:00

6. Pantera

Pantera was an American thrash-groove metal band from Texas-Louisiana that formed in 1981 by brothers, Vinnie Paul and Diamond Darryl Abbot, and original singer Terry Glaze. While originally a glam metal band, they released three albums under this format, Metal Magic, Projects in the Jungle, and I Am the Night. In 1987, Pantera fired Glaze and eventually replaced him with Louisiana native Phil Anselmo forming the classic lineup of singer Anselmo, guitarist Dimebag Darryl, drummer Vinnie Paul, and bassist Rex Brown.

They released their first album together called Power Metal. While this album did contain some of the thrash elements that made the band famous, it was still mainly a glam metal album. In 1990, Pantera released their first classic major-label album with Cowboys from Hell (containing my favorite Pantera tune, "Cemetery Gates.") which was a transitional album from their glam style toward their trademark kick-ass, balls to the walls, Southwestern groove-thrash metal.

In 1992, Pantera achieved their trademark sound with the classic album Vulgar Display of Power which contained many favorites like "Walk," "A New Level," "This Love," and "Hollow." Their next album was even heavier with their 1994 release Far Beyond Driven.

The main thing that I always liked about Pantera was that you always knew what to expect from them. They always put out the heaviest, ass-kickinest (is that a word?) metal on the planet.

If you never had the chance to see them live, then you really missed out. I have never been to a show as intense with more energy. I highly recommend their live album Official Live: 101 Proof.

While their has been discussions and rumors of a reunion between the living members of Pantera to tour with Zack Wylde, I actually hope that it doesn't happen. I like Wylde as a guitarist, but he is no Dimebag.

Here is "Cemetery Gates."

"Walk"

"Becoming"

"You've Got to Belong to It"

"Power Metal" . . . rare shit here!

As always, thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 7: Dio

2012-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

7. Dio

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top Metal Bands of All-Time brings us to Dio at number 7.

Dio was an American heavy metal band that formed in 1982 by Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice after the two had quit Black Sabbath. The band had released ten studio albums with Ronnie James Dio being the only member throughout. The band officially ended in 2010 with the death of RJD from stomach cancer; however, the remaining band members formed The Dio Disciples to honor the legacy of RJD.

The thing that I enjoy about anything that RJD attaches himself to is his voice. He had an incredible talent. While he always surrounded himself with fine musicians, the greatest asset of the band Dio was, in fact, Dio.

In my opinion, his albums, Holy Diver, The Last in Line, Dream Evil, and Magica are all classics. While some of his other albums aren't regarded as highly, I love the music and concept of Angry Machines and Master of the Moon.

Dio was truly one of the most under-appreciated metal bands in the history of metal, and should be recognized for the greatness of their singer, Ronnie James Dio.

Here is "Rainbow in the Dark."

"Don't Talk to Strangers"

"Sunset Superman."

"Institutional Man."

"Metal Will Never Die."

Thanks for reading,
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 8: Megadeth

2012-12-27T18:56:00.001-08:00

8. Megadeth

Megadeth is an American metal band formed in 1983 by former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine and Dave Ellefson. While Megadeth is often regarded as one of the pioneering bands of the American thrash metal movement, with other great bands such as Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, their sound has evolved over the years into a hybrid of thrash and progressive metal. In this way, they are similar to Metallica, but they were never quite able to completely abandon their thrash roots quite like Metallica did beginning in the 1990s.

Over the years, the band has consisted of roughly 20 members with Dave Mustaine being the only constant. Their first two albums, Killing is My Business . . . and Business is Good (1985), and Peace Sells . . . but Who's Buying (1986) are both classics in the thrash genre, but are both incredibly raw due to the small production budgets.

In my opinion, their best albums were Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992) where you can virtually hear the increased production budget, and it sounds good. For my money, there aren't too many thrash-progressive metal albums that can compete with these two records. Their new progressive style, in my view, made Megadeth a more complete band unlike, say . . . Exodus.

They have released 8 more albums since Countdown with varying levels of success. I enjoy Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings, and Thirteen.

Megadeth is, without a doubt, one of my favorite metal bands!

Here is "Mechanix."

"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"

"Symphony of Destruction"

"99 Ways to Die"

Thanks for reading,
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 9: Dream Theater

2012-12-27T12:31:00.001-08:00

9. Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band that formed in 1985 by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy under the name Majesty. The band was forced to change their name in 1986 due to a possible lawsuit by a band in Las Vegas who also called themselves Majesty. The band decided on Dream Theater and the rest is history. Along with Queensryche and perhaps Fates Warning, they are the prominent progressive metal band from the United States.

The band is known for being technically proficient with their instruments. Each member is considered a master of his instrument while lead vocalist James LaBrie is one of the best metal singers in the business. They are also known for their huge live shows with extended cuts of their songs . . . many of which are already pretty long.

While their first album, Image and Words, has been their best selling record to date due to the popularity and MTV play of their only hit single "Pull Me Under," they have released a number of classic progressive concept albums. Their most famous album is Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory which many people consider the single greatest concept album of all-time. My personal favorite Dream Theater album is Train of Thought which I consider to be their best due to it being a more straight-forward metal album full of great songs like "Endless Sacrifice, "In the Name of God," and "As I Am." Their 2008 album Black Clouds & Silver Linings is also a significant album, but I don't believe that they have ever released a bad record.

Here are a few tracks. While some of these songs are long, I encourage you to give them all a listen, then go out and buy these albums.

Here is "Pull Me Under."

"Endless Sacrifice."

"Through Her Eyes."

"In the Name of God."

"A Nightmare to Remember."

Thanks for reading,
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 10: Scorpions

2012-12-24T08:46:00.001-08:00

10. Scorpions

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time takes us to #10 Germany's own, The Scorpions.

The Scorpions are a German power metal band that formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker (only constant member). They are the greatest selling German band in history with over 150 million units sold throughout their epic career.

Even though the band formed in 1965, they are more widely known for their string of hits during the 1980s. While many misinformed people lump the Scorpions in the category of "Butt-Rock," Scorpions clearly fits better in the power metal sub-category along with contemporaries Accept.

Their albums Blackout and Love at First Sting are considered the band's landmark albums. For me, their best album was Animal Magnetism with the sole reason being that "The Zoo" is on it.

In my humble opinion (I can't back this up), without the success of Scorpions many of the great German metal bands may not have even picked up a guitar. Bands like Rammstein, Kreator, Sodom, and the like may be singing David Hasselhoff tunes. I hear he is very popular in Germany. jk

Here is "The Zoo."

And "No One Like You."

And "Rock You Like A Hurricane."

And "Wind of Change."

Thanks for reading!
MS

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 11: Danzig

2012-12-18T08:17:00.002-08:00

11. Danzig

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time takes us to Danzig.

Glenn Danzig was the founder of classic punk band The Misfits, but due to a lacking work ethic, Danzig decided to leave the group in 1983. After the breakup of The Misfits, he started a new band called Samhain which was originally envisioned as a punk rock super group. They had a much darker theme than The Misfits as they blended aspects of horror punk, metal, and gothic metal. After receiving endorsements from Metallica's Cliff Burton and James Hetfield, they were signed to a major label and changed the band's name to Danzig.

The band recorded their first album in 1987 under the guidance of super producer Rick Rubin. The result was their classic album Danzig. The followups, Danzig II: Lucifage and Danzig III: How the Gods Kill are both equally as good as their first release. The band, in various forms, has recorded nine albums. In my humble opinion, they are all gems due to the powerful, bluesy voice of Glenn Danzig.

Simply put, I love Danzig!

Here is "Mother."

And "Not of This World."

And "Long Way Back From Hell."

And "Dirty Black Summer."

And "Cantspeak."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 12: Motörhead

2012-12-18T07:45:00.002-08:00

12. Motörhead

This installment of Metal Mayhem's Top Metal Bands of All-Time takes us to the number 12 band on the list:
Motörhead.

Motörhead is an English heavy metal band that formed in 1975 by bassist and singer Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister. Often included as one of the earliest members of The New Wave of British Metal, Motörhead has influenced countless bands throughout their nearly 40 years of making music.

The signature sound of Motörhead is a hybridization of the power and heaviness of metal with the speed and social awareness of punk. This was typically the case with most of the New Wave bands, but Motörhead was one of the best.

Their signature album, Ace of Spades, should be part of every metal fans collection. Period!

The coolest thing about Motörhead is their front man Lemmy. He is a badass! You get gems like this.

Question: "Who would win in an arm wrestling match, Lemmy or God?"
Answer: "Trick Question. Lemmy is God!"

Anyway, Here is "Ace of Spades."

And "Orgasmatron"

And "Born to Raise Hell."

And "Iron Fist."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 13: Tool

2012-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

13. Tool

On this installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, we are looking at the 13th greatest metal band, Tool. I should probably write a more extensive post about this band, but I'm gonna make this quick and dirty . . . just like Maynard would want.

Tool is an American progressive rock/metal band from Los Angeles that formed in 1990 by singer Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey, and bassist Paul D'Amour (who was replaced by Justin Chancellor in 1995). They released their impressive debut album Undertow in 1993 which is one of the best progressive metal albums of all-time. I can honestly state that Tool has never released a bad album.

One thing that differentiates Tool from other metal bands is that they are a thinking man's metal band. I like to describe them as the modern-day and heavier version of Pink Floyd. I also really enjoy the vocal work of lead singer Maynard James Keenan. There aren't too many singers as good as Keenan.

Here is "Prison Sex."

And "Stinkfist."

And "Schism."

And "Rosetta Stoned."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

The Five Best Metal Albums of 2012

2012-12-10T21:11:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

This has been an exciting year for Metal Mayhem, and I have had a blast. While the heavy metal genre has been less popular than in recent years, there were several strong releases. Bands like Kreator, Sybreed, Coheed and Cambria, Marilyn Manson, Soundgarden, Epica, Delain, Testament, Iced Earth, Slipknot, Kamelot, AxeWound, Dragonforce, In This Moment, Down, Steve Harris, Geoff Tate, and even a live album by Iron Maiden. I have listed what I feel were the best metal albums of the year.

Also, if your needing something to look forward to in 2013, then how about this. Both Black Sabbath and Coheed and Cambria will have new albums at the beginning of the year. Looks like metal music will have a strong start to 2013.

Without further ado, here are the five best metal albums released in 2012.

5. Kreator, Phantom Antichrist

4. Epica, Requiem for the Indifferent

3. Testament, Dark Roots of Earth

2. Coheed and Cambria, The Aftermath: Ascension

1. Marilyn Manson, Born Villain

What are your favorite metal albums of 2012? Let me know!

Thanks for reading, and have a great new year!
Martin Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 14: Queensrÿche

2012-12-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

14. Queensrÿche

For today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, we have Queensrÿche at number 14.

Queensrÿche is an American progressive metal band that formed in 1981 near Seattle, Washington. Their classic lineup included singer Geoff Tate, guitarists Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson, and drummer Scott Rockenfield. Along with Dream Theater, they can be considered one of the greatest progressive metal bands in history.

One of the things that makes Queensrÿche great is the vocals of Geoff Tate. He is possibly the most versatile singer in all of metal. His use of low pitched singing with high pitched screams are incredible. I also love the guitar work of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton especially on Operation Mindcrime.

Over the years, the driving force behind the band were Tate and DeGarmo. During this period, they released some of the best progressive metal albums of all-time: Queensrÿche, Operation Mindcrime, Empire, Promised Land, The Warning, and Rage for Order.

However, DeGarmo left the band in 1997 leaving a creative void in the band. Over the last fifteen years, they have released six albums with varying levels of success. I have really enjoyed the albums: Tribe, Q2K, and Operation Mindcrime II, but their last two albums, American Soldier and Dedicated to Chaos were terrible albums.

During the summer of 2012, the band voted to fired Geoff Tate which led to much confusion and lawsuits. What ended up happening was that Tate released a solo album in early November that was pretty good, but before the release, he announced a "new" Queensrÿche. But wait, what about the band that fired him? They have their version of Queensrÿche as well.

The Tate led lineup features himself as lead singer, Kelly Gray (former member) on guitar, Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot) on bass, Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) on drums, and Randy Gane (Myth) on keyboards.

The other version of Queensrÿche includes Todd La Torre (Crimson Glory) on vocals, Michael Wilton on lead guitar, Parker Lundgren on rhythm guitar, Eddie Jackson on bass, and Scott Rockenfield on drums.

Despite the weirdness of their current situation, the classic Queensrÿche was one of the greatest metal bands to ever take the stage!

Here is "Queen of the Reich."

And "Spreading the Disease."

And "The Thin Line."

And "I Am I."

And "Open."

Thanks for reading!
Martin Sabin

Sybreed, God is an Automaton (2012)

2012-12-05T20:58:00.002-08:00

Hello everyone,

Today, you are in for a treat. We have a guest post by fellow blogger and music enthusiast, Brad Mathews. He and his wife, Kristy, have a great music blog that explores multiple genres. I am a fan of their blog, and you should definitely check it out at Think Musik.

Here is Brad's review on Sybreed's latest effort, God is an Automaton.

I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I do,

Marty Sabin

Sybreed-God is an Automaton

Some bands adhere to rigid standards created within the confines of a musical genre they choose to perform. Others take such guidelines and bend them to create a fresh perspective on said genre. A precious few throw out all conventions of said genre(s) and build a style of music that is exclusive to them alone.

Swiss extreme metal group Sybreed fit the latter category. They have coined the term ‘deathwave’ which is said to combine elements from new wave and death metal. The result is an exciting sound that is so easy to enjoy that you can’t help nod your head to the rhythm. This music straddles an imaginary line between extreme metal and new wave. It is less extreme than most typical melodeath bands, but much wilder than your average new wave artist.

Sybreed brings a heavy low-end bass sound to meet with sweeping synths that range between atmospherics and all-out symphonic moments while chugging complex riffs and blast beats permeate the foreground.

I became interested in Sybreed when their first album, “Antares” was released. That album blew me away by how heavy and catchy it was at the same time. The vocalist of this group switches from furious screams to angry bellows to amazing cleans all in the same song in most tracks. The band’s next release, “The Pulse of Awakening”, was powerful, but incorporated much more clean singing. “God is an Automaton is the third full-length disc from this band. It marks a return to darker, more savage landscapes hinted at with “Antares”. The synths are just as powerful and as uplifting as ever, while the heavier aspects of the music are unrelentingly brutal.

This is a band which has to be experienced to be appreciated. They are criminally underrated in my opinion and deserve every helping of love bestowed upon them. The music is progressive-styled alternative metal with occasional blast beats and synths that most other bands can only dream of producing.

The cover art, depicted above, is darker than previous albums and was created by Seth Siro Anton of the symphonic death metal band SepticFlesh. This man’s artwork is incredible, which deserves special props.

If you like your metal with extreme passages and progressive synths, then you will enjoy Sybreed’s latest offering. Check out a couple of choice tracks from “God is an Automaton” below. Thanks for reading and enjoy –brad mathews.

P.S. please visit us at ThinkMusic.blogspot.com where we cover various genres of music and offer up generous helpings of new music, less famous artists, and links to free downloads.

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 15: Ozzy Osbourne

2012-12-03T20:17:00.002-08:00

15. Ozzy Osbourne

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time takes us to the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," John "Ozzy" Osbourne. As most people know, he was the original lead singer of the iconic metal band Black Sabbath until drugs forced the band to replace him. After encouragement from his soon-to-be wife Sharon, he began his solo career after discovering his musical soul mate, guitarist Randy Rhoads.

In 1981, Osbourne released his classic album Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. The duo of Ozzy and Rhoads was metal magic . . . albeit brief. While they only released two albums together, they will always be considered Ozzy's two greatest solo efforts. Unfortunately, on March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads was killed in a plane crash.

Despite the loss of Rhoads, Ozzy moved on releasing some decent albums in Speak of the Devil, Bark at the Moon, The Ultimate Sin, and No Rest For the Wicked. The later of these albums featured the debut of Zakk Wylde. With Wylde as his lead guitarist, Ozzy recorded the best music since the Randy Rhoads' era with the albums: No More Tears, Ozzmosis, and Black Rain.

On a personal note, I have always been a huge fan of Ozzy ever since I first heard "Crazy Train." In my opinion, there has never been another metal artist who has transitioned into a solo career as flawlessly as Ozzy. If there was one individual that epitomizes the metal genre, it's Ozzy Osbourne.

I love Ozzy! There I said it! I have seen him in concert on three occasions, and he was amazing each time. He is and always will be one of my favorite singers.

Here is "Crazy Train."

And "Over the Mountains."

And "No More Tears."

And "Perry Mason."

And "Not Going Away."

As always,

thanks for reading!

Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 16: Marilyn Manson

2012-12-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

16. Marilyn Manson

Today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time brings us to shock rocker Marilyn Manson, and his eponymous band. Originally named Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids, they formed in 1989 by Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner) and Daisy Berkowitz (Scott Putesky). The band has underwent many lineup changes, but Manson has been the only constant.

There wasn't a band more controversial during the 1990's than Marilyn Manson, yet controversy sells. They were incredibly popular during this period. Manson was often criticized for themes including anti-religion, sex, drug use, and violence. He was a huge target for the religious right during this period often picketing his shows throughout the country.

I witnessed this first hand when I saw the band at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in 1996. While he was known for incredibly vulgar and outlandish shows, I thought the show was nowhere near as bad as I was informed. There was no defecation, body dismembering, or acts of violence. That said, I imagine the misinformation probably helped sell albums and concerts tickets.

In my opinion, Manson has released four stellar albums: Mechanical Animals, Holy Wood, Born Villain, and, one of the best concept albums of all-time, Antichrist Superstar.

What I like about Manson, is that he not only creates controversy, but embraces the fact that he is a rock star. He lives the rock and roll lifestyle to the fullest without apology. Without Manson, the world would be pretty damn boring. The music world could use more Marilyn Manson and less Nickleback if you ask me.

Here is "Wrapped in Plastic."

And "The Beautiful People."

And "The Dope Show."

And "The Nobodies."

And "Children of Cain."

Thanks for reading!

Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 17: Anthrax

2012-11-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

17. Anthrax

For today's installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, we are looking at number 17, Anthrax. This band is considered to be part of the "Big Four" of American thrash along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.

The band formed in 1981 at New York City by guitarist Scott Ian and Danny Lilker; however, there have been many lineup changes in the band since its inception with Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante have been the only constant members. They have had three lead vocalists over the years: Neil Turbin, Joey Belladonna, and John Bush. The Belladonna era has often been considered their golden era, and, in fact, he returned to the band with the release of their 2011 album Worship Music.

In my opinion, the band has released four albums that every metal fan should own: Spreading the Disease, Persistence of Time, State of Euphoria, and Worship Music. One of the main themes that one may notice is that these albums are fronted by Belladonna. I wouldn't say that the albums by the other Anthrax vocalists are bad, but they aren't nearly as good as the Belladonna records . . . period. The main reason that I prefer these albums is because of a greater focus on melody that doesn't exist with the other singers, and there isn't this infatuation with r & b/rap influences that are persistent in later albums. If they hadn't dabbled exploring other genres, I may have ranked Anthrax higher because they are truly one of the greats of metal, but I hated that era so damn much.

Anyway, they make it to number 17 . . . no too shabby.

Here is "Madhouse."

And "Schism."

And "Only."

And "Fight "Em 'Til You Can't."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Soundgarden, King Animal (2012)

2012-11-28T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Today I am looking at the latest album by Soundgarden, King Animal. This is the band's first full-length album of original material since Down on the Upside in 1996. Yes, folks . . . that's 16 years.

To say that I have been excited about this release would be an understatement. I have always been a huge fan of Chris Cornell's voice, and the underrated guitar work of Kim Thayil. While Nirvana has often been credited as the most important band of the grunge era, one could certainly make the argument that Soundgarden was the best.

Anyway, on to the new record.

There are good things and bad things about this album.

The good: First, Soundgarden is making new music together again. I believe that their has been a huge void in my music life without this band. While Cornell's solo albums are okay, and Audioslave was decent, I needed Soundgarden. This brings them back. Second, this album is not just an older band trying to relive their past glory by releasing the same albums over and over again. This album shows significant growth by the band, which was to be expected. It has less of a grunge or metal sound, and employs a more bluesy/garage rock sound that I like.

The bad: Chris Cornell's vocals aren't as solid as before. Understandably, a singer's voice doesn't last forever due to a number of reasons such as smoking, excessive touring, and/or age. While his vocals aren't as great as before, they are still solid.

The standout tracks on the album are "Been Away Too Long," "Non-State Actor," and "Blood On the Valley Floor."

I rate this album as a B +.

Here is "Blood on the Valley Floor."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 18: Deep Purple

2012-11-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

18. Deep Purple

On this installment of Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Metal Bands of All-Time, I am looking at one of the most important and influential bands in the history of hard rock. Due to time constraints, this will be fairly brief. I mean no disrespect to this truly amazing band.

Deep Purple not only influenced hard rock, but along with Black Sabbath, they were perhaps one of the biggest influences of early metal bands like Judas Priest, Saxon, Mercyful Fate, and Iron Maiden.

Deep Purple are a British hard rock band that was formed in 1968. Because the band has had a recurring cast of band members, the different versions of the band are known as Mark I, II, II, and IV. The band has included some of the greatest musicians to have ever performed such as guitarist Richie Blackmore, bassist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Satriani, guitarist Steve Morse, singer David Coverdale, and singer Ian Gillan.

There song "Smoke on the Water" is one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock history, and I particularly love the song "Highway Star." Great band! It's a travesty that they aren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Here is "Smoke on the Water."

And "Speed King."

And "Highway Star."

And "Stormbringer"

As always, thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Geoff Tate, Kings & Thieves (2012)

2012-11-25T21:15:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

Today we are taking a break from the Metal Mayhem Top 100, and are taking a brief look at Geoff Tate's latest solo effort, Kings & Thieves.

I have been excited about this release ever since Tate announced the album of That Metal Show. Tate stated that the album was going to contain heavier riffs than the last few Queensryche albums. This excited me. When the first single, "Dark Money" was released on YouTube, I genuinely enjoyed it.

I was determined to have this album when it came out in early November.

After the first listen, I was rather disappointed due to the broken promise of a heavy album by Tate. Before I decided to write a bad review, I thought I should give it another listen, but keep an open mind. First, this was not a metal album, but a progressive rock album by a talented, multifaceted artist who wanted to experiment with different sounds rather than be put into a corner. Tate combines elements of metal, alternative, and jazz among others.

It's a pretty solid album, but for me, it took a few listens to appreciate it. I give Geoff Tate's Kings & Thieves a B-.

Here is "Dark Money."

Thanks for reading,

Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 19: Mercyful Fate

2012-11-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

19. Mercyful Fate

Mercyful Fate is a Danish metal band from Copenhagen that formed in 1981. They are not only the greatest metal band to come out of Denmark, but have served as a huge influence on many sub-genres of metal such as death metal, thrash metal, black metal, power metal, and progressive metal. Bands like Metallica, Megadeth, and Testament have all stated that Mercyful Fate played an important role in the evolution of metal.

As influential as Mercyful Fate was in the metal world, that is how unique the vocal work of King Diamond is/was. Known for an extensive vocal range, his use of falsetto is definitely different, but in an awesome way! I can honestly say that there is no singer quite like King Diamond.

Thematically, the band tends to focus on traditional concepts in heavy metal. Topics such as Satan, devil worship, witchcraft, the occult, and did I mention Satan. That said, over the years they have taken a slightly more progressive approach to metal after their initial hiatus. Their albums Melissa and Don't Break the Oath are two of their classic albums that should be owned by any serious metal fan.

Since the early 1990's, they have been more of a progressive metal act releasing concept albums focusing more on horror themes than Satanism. The best of these albums is Into the Unknown.

Here is "Satan's Fall."

And "The Oath."

And "Kutulu The Mad Arab Part 2."

And "Last Rites."

Thanks for reading!
Marty Sabin

Metal Mayhem's Top 100 Bands of All-Time, 20: Mastadon

2012-11-16T11:30:00.003-08:00

20. Mastadon

Mastodon is an American progressive metal band that formed in 2000 by bassist/singer Troy Sanders, guitarist/singer Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor. The band employs a combination of clean vocals with animistic harsh screams that provides an interesting contrast that I enjoy.

While I am relatively new to this band, it seems that they are fearless and ambitious in terms of creating the music that they want to make. They don't embrace what is popular, they do what they find interesting.

I love their now classic concept album Leviathan (2004). This album is loosely based on the Herman Melville novel Moby Dick, and is example #1 why they are one of the most innovative metal bands today. Looking at it blindly, one would ask who in the world would have thought of combining a novel about a whale hunt and metal? When you understand the Moby Dick is about man's obsession and how that obsession can consume him, then it makes perfect sense. It is simply a brilliant album!

Mastadon is one of the few truly great metal bands that have formed since 2000.

Here is Leviathan, the full album!

Thanks for reading!

Marty Sabin