Revisiting: Kane Roberts' "S/T"

Welcome to the third installment in my brand new kind of review series. Damn, that headline doesn't look good no matter what I do with it. Oh well. Since I started off this series with Alice Cooper's excellent "Raise Your Fist And Yell" album, I thought it would be fitting to revisit and do a breakdown of this album as well. Let's go!

Band/artist: Kane Roberts
Album: Kane Roberts (S/T)
Release year: 1987
Style: Glam Metal

Quick introduction: I'm guessing most of you who read this are probably here because you were actively Googling for Kane Roberts. If not, then let me introduce the man. Kane Roberts was a promising guitar player who's mostly known for his work with Alice Cooper. He helped the Coop in relaunching his career during the mid 80's after years of alcohol abuse and some album flops. It was a successful collaboration. Alice's career took off once again, now playing more of an 80's heavy metal style compared to his earlier classic (shock/hard) rock sound.

Kane Roberts himself was also known for playing a guitar designed as a machine gun, as well as for being a body builder. This made him something of a "metal Rambo" in media and MCA (Alice's record company at the time) tried to capitalize on his looks and guitar talents, launching a solo career for the man. It seems, however, that it was more or less a flop as it's fairly hard to find his solo music or any information about him. Not even his time with Alice Cooper, despite being quite successful, seems to have much substantial information to find these days.

1. Rock Doll

This was an MTV video back in the day. For being a single it's ironically a track I kind of like the least on the entire album. It's not bad but I've heard it a thousand times before. It's just your typical run-of-the-mill party track, 80's glam style. Nothing too memorable.

2. Women On The Edge Of Love

This is better. It's not as rocking as the album's opener but it's a lot more melodic, which I prefer in this case. It's obvious you're in for a typical 80's album as it's got your trademark cheese keys, almost bordering on an AOR-ish sound. It doesn't matter, the song is catchy as hell. I like it.

3. Triple X

"Triple X! It's only sex 'til it crosses the line!" The lyrics might not be something worth remembering but then again, whenever were glam lyrics that memorable anyway? This song is great, though. Kane also does a great solo on this one. Now the chorus is stuck on my mind. It's super catchy!

4. Gorilla

Just another case of "your typical", this time in form of a short guitar instrumental. If you ever bought an album in the 80's with some kind of guitar monster featured, it always had a "wank track" like this. This is just not that exciting, though.

5. Outlaw

This is the heaviest track so far. Short and straight to the point. The guitar(s) sound great here, riffs as solo. It's also got some of those lovely 80's style gang vocals in the chorus. OUTLAW! Cool song.

6. If This Is Heaven

The album's most upbeat-sounding track to my ears. It's not overly upbeat but more so than the others. It's pretty much another 80's anthemic song. Not superb but good enough. The chorus is once again a catchy thing.

7. Out For Blood

Like you can probably guess from the title it's going for a heavier route again. This is definitely the album's heaviest and most uptempo track. Speedy riff and pounding drums all complete with a gang vox chorus and a long blistering solo. One of the best tracks on here.

8. Full Pull

This is the only track on the album to feature a collaboration with the Coop himself, who did some or all lyrical work. The song itself, however, is amongst the album's weaker ones. It definitely lacks the same kind of memorability in chorus and solo compared to the other tracks.

9. Too Much (For Anyone To Touch)

...And the cheese-keys are back. To put it very simply: this is as 80's as it gets. Imagine the most 80's-sounding metal song you can think of and this is right up that alley. But I'm not dissing, I think this track is great. It's extremely catchy and I used to strongly associate it with Kelly Bundy (Christina Applegate) from Married With Children, whom I had a mad crush on during my late teens.

10. Tears of Fire

"She had a hand in my sex education, took me down right by the river." These lyrics sure are something special. All accompanied by one of those extremely soppy 80's metal ballads, musically speaking. This song and its lyrics have been a standing joke between me and my buddy for a decade, even though we haven't heard it for years. "But I still remember baby when she came..." Yeah I remember it too, Kane.

11. Strong Arm Needs A Stronger Heart

At this point I'm really out of ideas how to describe it without repeating myself. It's just more of the same, but since it's catchy and super 80's sounding I guess it's a good thing, right?

Overall impression:

So this was Kane Roberts' first solo album. I think it's pretty safe to say it didn't left much of a mark in metal history, despite sounding like basically any other successful guitar-shreddy 80's glam album. Musically it's a very cheesy album most of the time, but it's also an extremely catchy and memorable album. Despite not having listened to it for a decade or so, I find myself remembering these songs very clearly. Most of all I find it a fun album to listen to. Isn't that what truly matters?

If I compare this to what Kane did with the Coop I've gotta say I prefer the Coop stuff. Well, maybe not the "Constrictor" album but definitely "Raise Your Fist And Yell". This album, however, has better guitar solos from Kane in my opinion. He really gets to show more of his musical abilities on here, while with Alice he did more odd stuff during solos. I suppose you can call Kane another 80's guitar virtuoso, but he's also not that over the top. Guys like George Lynch or Warren DeMartini would beat him any day, in my opinion.

Sadly Kane Roberts' never truly took off. He got a fair amount of spotlight while playing with Alice, but in retrospect it's perhaps not a generally favored era in Alice's career either. Say what you will about Kane Roberts - the man could certainly play guitar really well and he seemed to be quite a showman as well. It's also pretty safe to say that he was rather productive at the time, releasing three albums over two years time. Personally I really enjoy his stuff with Alice as well as his solo stuff.

My TOP-10 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Vocalists - Male Edition

One thing that's always been kind of strange for me is how huge my love is for the vocals in my music collection, yet I've never cared much for the lyrics of most bands. You see, a band's singer is super important to me since I'm mostly bored by instrumental music (often with lots of guitar wankery), but for some reason I'm always passive to the words. Instead the vocals are essentially just another instrument in the band's blend to me, giving the songs additional melody or perhaps even most of it.

Another thing about my preference is that I'm, like a true Swede/Scandinavian, prefer things to be "lagom" (meaning "just enough" in Swedish). I'm actually not that huge on some vocalists' styles like a lot of people tend to be. I don't like things to feel or sound overcooked. If a singer is in some way "overpowering" a band, then I'd like the band to be more overpowered as well. An example of this is a band like DragonForce - they simply take everything to the extremes. That's how I like it. Either do it extremely or do it stripped down, like AC/DC, but don't mix 'em.

So now you have a good idea about how I like and listen to singers in hard rock and heavy metal music. I might come across as picky but that's how I am. This list is not made to satisfy any of your tastes. It's my personal taste and I'm just sharing because the discussion is always interesting to me.

Let's dive into it!

10. Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Project, solo)

Devin has one of the most dedicated fanbases in the world but it seems like his vocals are somewhat underrated to me. If you speak with fellow fans of Devin they tend to praise his music, which certainly is great and very unique, but his vocal work plays such a huge part in what he does. With one of the most versatile voices in the business, he pretty much masters anything he tries on. Most of all, however, he does it exactly where it works and enhances the music.


9. Dave Meniketti (Y&T, solo)

One of the most powerful rock voices there are. Dave and his main band Y&T are both criminally underrated. Ever heard "Summertime Girls"? Forget that, it was a one-time thing. Y&T is so much rawer and rocking than that. Try stuff like "Black Tiger" and "Mean Streak" instead and hear for yourself. Not only is the music great but Dave outmatches any similar vocalists from bands of their scene back in the day. Radio played a lot of lighter stuff like Night Ranger, Journey and whatnot, when in reality they should've cranked Y&T up to ten.


8. Mark Osegueda (Death Angel, Metal Allegiance)

I used to think that Joey Belladonna of Anthrax was thrash metal's finest vocalist, but in recent years after three excellent Death Angel records I've changed my mind. Mark Osegueda has done what most vocalists do opposite - he became much better with age. The guy was never bad by any means. I think his early vocals on masterpieces like "The Ultra-Violence" was some great thrash vocals, but he's simply become more than a thrash screamer - now he's a singer. His voice sounds better than ever these days while still maintaining those essential thrash barks. Simply the best voice in thrash.


7. Rob Halford (Judas Priest, Fight, Halford, 2wo)

Rob Halford needs no introduction. Anyone who doesn't know him or Judas Priest is basically wearing a large sign over their face that says "poser". But what is it that makes Rob such a badass vocalist? His extreme range? Yes, and no. While he had an insane range and high octave in his youth, it was always the way he executed them that made me love his style. He uses what fits the music right and nothing else. His almost talkative style in "Electric Eye" is so fitting it's just killer, but his non-stop screaming in "Screaming For Vengenace" works just as perfectly for that one song. But best of all is how his voice has aged - with grace and great maturity, even if it's not as powerful anymore.


6. Joey Tempest (Europe, solo)

I was a massive Europe fan back in my teens and it was all because of Joey Tempest's voice and John Norum's killer guitar playing. "The Final Countdown" is a decent enough record but the band's first two are great hard rock albums. The band's latest three records or so are great as well, even if they sound a lot closer to Deep Purple and Rainbow these days. But Joey's voice is simply one of the best to come out of the Swedish scene. Perhaps he's not that versatile with it, but instead his voice suits anything the band ever played, from their early heavy metal days to their most AOR-ish sound.


5. Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath, solo)

If you've read posts on this blog before, chances are good you've seen how big a fan I am of Ozzy's. The man and his music, solo as with Black Sabbath, is my dearest number one of all time. There's just something about him. But what about his voice? His voice has perhaps never been a technically "good" voice in that matter, but it's certainly unique. Well, you obviously should know this already regardless of being a fan or not. For me, however, that uniqueness is just that great. What makes his voice even greater is that he's great at coming up with memorable melodies, as well as always having killer musicians to back him up.


4. Bob Catley (Magnum, Avantasia, solo)

Another terribly underrated vocalist from an underrated band. Magnum is simply one of the finest hard rock/AOR bands ever to grace this earth. Guitarist Tony Clarkin might be the band's chief songwriter and creative force, but Bob Catley's melodically powerful voice is what makes the songs sound magic. He's just that kind of singer that makes your listening experience blissful. If you're not familiar with him, or if you've only heard him in Avantasia (which is not really my cup of tea tbh), then you should definitely check out Magnum. Particularly the 80's and more recent stuff.


3. Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk)

This man should need no further introduction to anyone who's not living beneath a rock. Much like Devin Townsend, Mike Patton is a multitasker and mad creative force. Apart from Devin, however, Mike is much more oriented in the vocal department above all else. While he creates music of all kinds with all kinds of instruments and gear, it's always his voice that is the main focus. He's even done music exclusively made with his voice. His work with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle are my personal favorites and to be widely recommended. You'd definitely be in for a crazy treat.


2. Ronnie James Dio (Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf)

There only one word for this man: legendary. What he lacked in physical height he made up for a hundred times in vocal prowess. In my opinion there's just no one else that can match him. His voice was not only powerful but also extremely melodic, elegant and full of emotion. It was like an epic storyteller's voice. The bands and music he got to sing over was also a perfect match. He's just one of those vocalists who could front any heavy metal band and make it sound awesome. Inferior to none when it comes to metal music.


1. Freddie Mercury (Queen, solo)

What can I say? If Ronnie James Dio was untouchable in heavy metal, then Freddie Mercury was the equivalent in possibly all other musical styles. Queen played a lot of different styles and Freddie mastered them all. I'm not a huge fan of Queen itself but when I do listen to them, I listen to the amazing voice of the great, late Freddie Mercury.

Black Sabbath: All Albums Ranked Worst To Best

Black Sabbath might just be the most important band of all time to me. My parents grew up listening to Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio and all that stuff during the 80's, then I got to grow up with all that stuff during the 90's and early 2000's. By 2002, I had become interested in music myself and metal was, of course, the best shit in the world.

So where did I start off? It was Ozzy and his solo stuff that really got me into music as a whole, but with him Sabbath obviously followed. From there I discovered Dio (the band) and his previous works with Rainbow. I also kept an open mind towards the post-Dio eras of Sabbath and thus discovered that both Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes used to be in Deep Purple. You know, the list just goes on and on.

With Black Sabbath essentially being the centerpiece of my entire musical world, I just had to make one of these lists for their albums. That is all of their albums, i.e. anything labeled "Black Sabbath" which have guitars performed by Tony Iommi. So, let's begin!

Classic Sabbath: Geezer, Ozzy, Tony, Bill

19: Forbidden (1995)

 Last place and thus the worst album of Black Sabbath's career is none other than, surprise surprise, 1995's Forbidden. It's definitely the most disliked album of their career by the fan-base in general, and for quite obvious reasons in my opinion. I don't really find the album particularly bad like many others do. For instance, I don't really have a problem with the album's mix which tend to be a real earsore to some fans. I just think it lacks a lot of the essential things that make a Sabbath album being Black Sabbath. It sounds like one of those typically dated mid-90's metal records which tried too hard to be up-to-date at the time.

Favorite track: Kiss of Death


18. Born Again (1983)

The sole album featuring then former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan on vocals. This was where Sabbath kind of started to fall away from the public eye and it's quite easy to hear why. There's nothing wrong with Ian Gillan and his vocals at all, but he belongs in Deep Purple and not Black Sabbath. With that said, the bulk of the album itself was kind of lackluster and its horrible mix didn't help any of it one bit. It's still got a few great tunes, though.

Favorite track: The Dark/Zero The Hero

1983-'84: Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, (touring drummer) Bev Bevan, Geezer Butler

17. 13 (2013)

Sabbath's first Ozzy-fronted album in 35 years just didn't quite fare all too well with me. If I'm being completely honest, then I think it's actually a really boring album. It does nothing for me. On top of that there is no Bill Ward playing drums. Yes, I am the super-biased kind of fan. After all, if anything without Ozzy no longer is "Black Sabbath", then how can it be without Bill Ward? It was always Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill. That was Black Sabbath. This isn't. Whatever. Then we have Rick Rubin's awful production. It just sounds raw in the most plastic way and, of course, it's also brick-walled to high heaven. I hate the guy's production work. Ultimately I could've just lived without this "reunion album".

Favorite track: Methademic


16. Cross Purposes (1994)

At this point it already starts to get difficult to chose where to rank a few of the lesser great albums which remain. I'd say that everything from this one and below is pretty effin' great and only gets better and better, but you know, I decided to do this so I've got to make up my mind. This album, which really is quite cool, gets the 17th place for sounding a bit too dated. It's a good heavy metal record but it also sounds like a typical product of its time.

Favorite track: Cross of Thorns


15. Never Say Die! (1978)

Another album that's been quite bashed throughout the years. Initially I wasn't too fond of it either, but it has really grown with me in recent years. It sure is different from the earlier stuff with Ozzy but I for one welcome the evolving change of their sound at the time. There are some seriously overlooked gems on this record.

Favorite track: Junior's Eyes


14. Tyr (1990)

This is quite an interesting and unusual Sabbath release. First off, it's with the most excellent (and majorly underrated) Tony Martin on vocals, but it's also the only Black Sabbath to rely more on viking themes rather than christian ones. As a Swede I find these lyrical themes quite interesting and Tony Martin was also a good writer of lyrics. The one thing that makes it a less awesome Sabbath record, however, is how it tends to sound more like a power metal band rather than Black Sabbath. It's not really anything wrong with it. I mean, they pull it off masterfully, but it's not what I want or expect(ed) from a Sabbath record.

Favorite track: Anno Mundi

1990: Tony Martin, Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray

13. Vol. 4 (1972)

I know this one has a very dedicated fan-base who believes that it's Sabbath's very finest hour. I on the other hand always felt like it was lacking something. It was their fourth album in the span of two years and I think that it shows to some extent. Less memorable songs and the mix sounds more  primitive in a rushed kind of way. It's still a great record, don't get me wrong, but just not one of my favorites.

Favorite track: Snowblind


12. Dehumanizer (1992)

Sabbath's reunion album with Ronnie James Dio, at the time, and it's the heaviest shit they've cranked out since the mid 70's. The album itself, however, falls somewhat short in comparison to the earlier Sabbath records with Dio on vocals, as well as Dio's own solo material at the time. It's doomy and heavy as all fuck, but it just doesn't quite cut it anyway. It's one of those scenarios where you are just left like you expected something more.

Favorite track: Master of Reality


11. Seventh Star (1986)

It's up for debate whether this one should really be regarded as a Sabbath album or not. It was initially intended as Tony Iommi's first solo album, but record labels tend to be money hungry cunts without any respect for integrity. Still, seeing as Tony was the sole original member for most of the time after 1984, I view this as a Sabbath release anyway. It is quite different compared to most of the band's other albums, though. It's got a very melodic heavy metal sound which is quite typical of its time, but it's the exact kind of 80's sound I fucking love. Besides, Tony's rocking a mean guitar tone on this one.

Favorite track: Danger Zone

1986: Dave Spitz, Glenn Hughes, Tony Iommi, Eric Singer, Geoff Nicholls

10. Technical Ecstasy (1976)

I always thought this album was unfairly underrated for an Ozzy-Sabbath record. I love the bulk of this one, with a few exceptions. To me this is just another great Sabbath record, albeit a bit experimental but in a good way. Some moments on this one reminds me of Queen, in a good way. Some other stuff sounds like the typical riff-heavy Sabbath we all love. Bill Ward also proved to be a great singer on this record.

Favorite track: You Won't Change Me


9. Heaven And Hell (1980)

At this point it's become really hard to decide where to place the remaining albums. As classic and great as this record is, and I truly love it, it's got a few moments which don't hold up quite as well as the others. Regardless, it's more or less a flawless record and the band performs exceptionally. Bill Ward hits those drums like a beast and Dio's vocals are just as amazing as ever.

Favorite track: Die Young

1980: Bill Ward, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iomii, Geezer Butler

8. Headless Cross (1989)

Another album with the excellent Tony Martin on vocals. Sadly I don't think this album would made it as far up in ranks on most other fans' lists. I am a fan of Black Sabbath regardless of what era we're talking. Tony Martin's voice is one of my favorites of all time as well. This album is yet another slightly different kind of record for Sab, as it features some typical AOR-esque influences which were popular at the time. I guess one way to describe it would be a "satanic Whitesnake and/or Blue Murder". There certainly are some traits of those kinda bands on this record, while still sounding like Sabbath of course. Tony Iommi also brings out some of his greatest guitar work on this one.

Favorite track: When Death Calls


7. Black Sabbath (1970)

Black Sabbath's debut album is as classic as it gets. It also marks something of the "official" birth of heavy metal. It's without doubt one of the greatest records of all time, still it ends up on 7th place on my list. I really think that says something about it, the band and the overall quality and impact of their music. The title-track, as well as the first Sabbath track, amazed me in a way no other song has ever done when I first heard it. I didn't really know any metal at that point, nor any other "extreme music" for that matter. I was 12 in 2002 and heard it for the first time. It could've been 1970 for all I know. To me it was so dark and sinister in a really uncomforting way, yet so chilling and amazing.

Favorite track: Black Sabbath


6. Paranoid (1970)

"How come you place this as low as 6th?! It's the best!!" Well, first off, I am a Black Sabbath fan. I listen to everything they ever put out, not just this one album. Unfortunately, it seems like this is the only album a large majority of listeners go for. Looking at Last.fm, for instace, confirms this as well. I dunno. It's their "hit record" for sure, but these songs were never their "hits" to me personally. I always liked a lot of other songs more. As fuckin' great as this record is, it's just not that extra ordinary special to me.

Favorite track: Electric Funeral


5. The Eternal Idol (1987)

"Watt fockin' album's thiz?!" You see the title above. It's also the first album with Tony Martin. Inititially this was going to feature the late Ray Gillen on vocals but I'm glad they ended up with Tony Martin instead, seeing as I like his voice slightly more. Possibly the most underrated album of Sab's entire catalogue. It's not perfect but it's a damn good record. Powerful vocals, riffs and solos. Some more notable background keyboards as well. The mix is pretty much the only downside about this one. It sounds more like a rough mix rather than a finished product. I dunno. It works but it could've sounded better. The songs, however, are really good in my opinion. I just love this album!

Favorite song: Ancient Warrior


4. Mob Rules (1981)

My favorite Sab album with Dio on vocals. Just a great heavy metal record. Unfortunately it's a somewhat underrated/overlooked one as well. The band themselves, as well as fans, seem to think lesser of this compared to Heaven And Hell. I always thought this was a better record and the songs are really fuckin' good. Some more doom and groove on this one. I guess that appeals to me more. Vinny Appice is also one of my favorite drummers. The best drummer Sabbath ever had after Bill Ward.

Favorite track: Voodoo


3. Master of Reality (1971)

For a long time this used to be my favorite Sab album. I guess I wore it out to a slight extent while the top two grew on me more. Nonetheless this is still an amazing album to my ears. The songs with their heavy riffs, Ozzy's trademark vocals and the excellent rhythm section with Bill and Geezer is just a perfect combination. Definitely one of the most classic metal albums of all time.

Favorite track: Children of the Grave


2. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

This one also used to be my favorite for a while. This one had more variety than the previous records without going into the quite experimental routes which later Ozzy-Sabbath records did. It's just an amazingly mastercrafted piece of music. Ozzy also reached his vocal peak around this period of time and I always loved his nasally ways of singing.

Favorite track: Spiral Architect


1. Sabotage (1975)

And the winner is none other than this masterpiece right here. Initially it wasn't made favorite, as I've already pointed out, but it has grown and grown and grown on me over the years and it's just grandeur. Every single note is nothing but perfection. It's just the perfect Sabbath album in all ways imaginable. It's got great songs, a great flow and all the members are really peaking performance-wise. It's just a perfect mix of everything Sabbath was with Ozzy during the 70's.

Favorite song: Megalomania

That's a wrap, folks! I hope you enjoyed my list! And remember, it's just my personal opinions. Nothing to get butthurt over if they don't agree with your own.

Black Sabbath might be over now but their music and legacy will live on. Whereas their run has ended, my has merely begun. But at least I know that they will run with me until the day my own run ends, and hopefully beyond as well!

Recommendation of the year: Sumerlands

So I wanted to do a little bit of a fan promotion right now. There's a relatively new band out there right now called Sumerlands featuring names such as vocalist Phil Swanson (Hour of 13, etc.) and musicion/producer Arthur Rizk (Eternal Champion, War Hungry, Power Trip, etc.). They come from Philly (Philadelphia), Pensylvania and they play some good old school-influenced American heavy metal.

If I were to describe their sound, I'd say they sound a lot like (80's) solo-era Ozzy Osbourne and also post-Ozzy Black Sabbath. Particularly the vocals are very reminiscent to that of Ozzy's, albeit a lot more cleaner and greater in vocal ranges. Phil Swanson simply sounds amazing! But then again, Ozzy and Sabbath are my very great musical idols, I love that kind of sound.

The guitar work is also very much in the same vein as Ozzy's solo stuff, particularly that of Randy Rhoads and maybe slightly more from Jake E. Lee. Influences of other bands such as Savatage, Queensrÿche and maybe even some Mercyful Fate are to be found here. But I think the band manage just fine to still make the music their own and with a unique touch to it.

Overall the sound is very organic as well as dynamic. The guitars are filled with details and a bit playful in their approach, kinda like Van Halen if you know what I mean? The drums are also very hard-hitting and provides a ferocious stampede throughout the album's run. They're also produced with a heavy 80's sound which I just love.

If you're a fan of Ozzy's "The Ultimate Sin" album and Sabbath's albums with Dio, Tony Martin and the others in between, then this will most likely appeal to you. Fans of other US heavy/power metal bands will likely also like this, as there are some influences of Manilla Road and the other bands which I mentioned before.

To give the album a try, simply use YouTube, Bandcamp or Spotify down below:

YouTube

Spotify

Bandcamp

To purchase the album you can go to Relapse Records or Bandcamp. I ordered the black vinyl edition from Relapse myself.

Sumerlands shop @ Relapse Records

My Top-10 Best Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time [2016]

On December 13, two years ago, I did my first list consisting of my ten (10) favorite heavy metal albums of all time. I'll tell you; it's fuckin' hard coming up with only ten albums which are supposedly the ten best. I have 3300-something played artists on my Last.fm, with the majority of the artists being some kind of metal. Then have in mind most of them did at least a few to many albums each, as well. That's quite a lot to choose from.

Another thing I did which I found rather weird was how I chose one album to represent the artists respectively as a whole. Looking back on it now, it's more like a "best heavy metal artist and their best albums respectively"-list. With that said, I decided to re-make a list and actually keep true to the list's purpose. Besides, my opinions have changed a bit during the last two years. So here ... we ... go!

Extra note: Only classic heavy and traditional metal, and NWoBHM will be included in this list. Not the "general understanding" that heavy metal means "all" metal.

--------

10. Saxon - Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)

Saxon is one of the greatest, hardest working and long-lived classic NWoBHM bands ever. They have made a large amount of records and still to this day they put out a record every two years. Another great feature of theirs is that they never put out a bad album. Some albums were obviously not-as-good as others, but I never disliked or got truly disappointed by a Saxon album. I feel secure when I say they're the only band on this list to have that feature.

Speaking of this particular choice of album. It's probably what you'd call their "second most commercial" release. The winner being Destiny (1988), of course. This was an attempt to break into the American market, which ultimately didn't succeed. I think it's still very much British heavy metal here, with a few touches of American influences. It's mostly the production that sounds American - huge arena-like soundscape, but that's exactly one of the features I love about 80's metal - lots of reverb all around. The songs just sound so huge on this record.

9. Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (1986)

My first favorite band for a few years when I first started listening to heavy metal. I'll love Iron Maiden to death, but I do think the massive hype around them is overrated. I mean, in the long run their stuff just tends to be somewhat repetitive, especially Steve's songs although his the master at writing epic songs. But Maiden still deserves a lot of credit for what they've done throughout their career.

I'm one of those fans who prefer the old stuff. Mostly because I love the actual 80's sound so much, and I also think Bruce's voice was in much better shape back in his younger day. But one thing that was so great about Maiden in the 80's was how they constantly evolved into something better, in my opinion. This album was where they truly reached their peek in my book. I just love the sci-fi themed Blade Runner-esque setting from the cover art to the guitar-synths gracing the musical landscape.

8. Madison - Diamond Mistress (1984)

One of those more "odd" or "unheard" choices on this list, I imagine. Madison was an old Swedish band much in the vein of Priest, Maiden and speed metal. They only did two records with this being the first one. Their second album, unfortunately, followed the band Europe's success and did a glam metal album, which was rather bad.

This album was a great heavy metal. From the fast guitars and drums to the young and somewhat naive, but still great vocals from Göran Edman (later in John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen's bands respectively, and more). Like many other Swedish bands in the 80's, there are also hints of ABBA influences in the bands music. As a Swede, you can kind of here that as you largely grow up with ABBA here (for reasons I'll leave obvious). It's just an amazing record!


7. Accept - Balls To The Wall (1983)

Accept is probably my favorite band coming from Germany, and there are a lot to chose from. They had a really great run in the 80's, not so much in the 90's, but then again in the 2010's (or currently). Just like with many other bands in this list, they've had such great records it's rather hard choosing one as the better. This has got to be it for me, however, as I just love the heavy sound of it. The drums in particular are real heavy and kick-ass.

The songs on this album are all great. Perhaps there isn't a real "hit", if you want to call it that, but as an album in its whole I think it's one of the strongest ones ever made. The guitars are heavy and loud, drums pounding, bass deep and Udo's vocals are in great shape. Udo even manages to do the album's ballad "Winter Dream" without sounding out of place, despite his unique vocal style.


6. Enforcer - From Beyond (2015)

I would suppose a lot of you are familiar with the Swedish band Enforcer which is currently very active and rocking throughout the world. They're a young band taking on the very best of old school metal. The recipes are all available today and Enforcer just takes that opportunity to re-do and refine the recipes, in my opinion. For not being one of the "old originals", I think they're very competent in what they're doing. Without a doubt the best band among the "revival/retro bands" these days, because they simply make it sound original again. #makeheavymetalgreatagain






5. Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008)

I'm a huge Priest fan and love most of their catalogue except for the Tim "Ripper" records. I've got nothing against the fact that it's Ripper who sings on the two albums in question, I just didn't like the actual music on them. Other than that, I love everthing from Priest's 70's stuff to their modern stuff.

So here I come and present a rather strange choice in most fans' eyes, I suppose? The truth is, when I bought this album soon after its release, I've been amazed by it ever since. I've always thought that keyboards add a lot more to records, if done properly of course, but who can deny the quality work from a master such as Don Airey (Ozzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Priest, etc.)? This two-disc release is just an epic musical journey which I love to experience. It's like all the greatest JP ingredients being enhanced. Master craftmanship.


4. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

The almighty (Black) Sabbath, the "start of it all", as we say. Tony Iommi a.k.a. the riff maker no. 1 has driven this band to great heights throughout its career, whether it being musical or commercial heights. It doesn't matter, I love all eras of Sab and I'm a fan of all their records, even though some are not up-to-par with some others, like with most bands.

I had a really hard time choosing a favorite from Sabbath, because I love so many of them dearly, but I always keep going back to this particular one. I honestly can't say why that is exactly, but the music is just great and perhaps there are one or two extra special songs which are dear to me. It's hard to say. Nonetheless, it's an amzing record from an amazing band and it's a great record to experience the band through.



3. Dio - Holy Diver (1983)

Dio (the band) is one of my favorites of all time, and so is Ronnie's amazing voice. Everything from the raw guitar riffs, live-feel drumming, stellar bass and keyboard soundscapes. It's a band that really managed to make their music sound like "pictures", if you know what I mean? It's impossible to just listen to the music itself. You hear it and it's like making up your own fantasy movie with Dio's music as its soundtrack, and that's exactly what I love about their music.

There are many great records done by this band and I've been going back and forth throughout the years about which one is my favorite. Right now, it's this one, but at some points I favored other albums (note, plural). They were such an amazing band and RJD is actually my very favorite vocalist. The man had such an emotional and powerful voice, and it truly saddens me that we'll never hear his voice grace some new wonderful heavy metal again.

2. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1984)

The most sinister and evil heavy metal album ever made. This is one of those few gems that are just flawless. Everything from King Diamond's ghostly falsetto to his darker and twisted screams. All that in company with some amazing and Judas Priest-esque twin guitars, courtesy of Hank Shermann and Michael Denner. I just simply love their style and sound, and I've never heard any more evil-sounding guitars on a heavy metal album than those found here. The ultra-distorted guitar sound is just mindblowing and most unique, as I've never heard any other band using this particular sound before or after (some black metal bands have come close, though).

This one is one of the most definitive, perfect and most amazing metal albums of all time, no matter what sub-genre we're talking. It's got all of the essential ingredients of what defines a great heavy metal record. From the classic and powerful cover art, which just suits the musical content perfectly, to every band members' creative efforts and skills. This is one of those truly immortal classics, and also one of my true holy grails in my vinyl collection.

1. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman (1981)

And number one ...*drum roll*...*tss!*... Ozzy Osbourne! The Godfather of heavy metal, and the one and only who made my interest for heavy metal explode back in 2002. I owe so much to Ozzy, his music and the countless hours I've been enjoying his legacy, from Sabbath to his most recent solo stuff. However, my favorite work of his lies in his 80's solo career, or more specifically up till the No More Tears album. Most of his records up till that point was awesome, with the exception of Bark At The Moon (whose title-track is still kick-ass as fuck).

This album is the perfect example of what I love about Ozzy's music: his unique voice (in awesome shape on this record, just listen to "You Can't Kill Rock 'n' Roll"), his musicians (particularly the amazing Randy Rhoads) and the songs themselves. This is truly the man's finest hour, especially with his own singing efforts in mind. This is the one album I'd chose to have with me on a deserted island.

--------

Honorable mentions (bands) which were ultimately rejected for not quite meeting the list's criteria or simply outdone:

Motörhead - (Several)
Danzig - Danzig (1988)
Twisted Sister - Come Out And Play (1985)
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound (1981)
Thin Lizzy - Thunder And Lightning (1983)
Ozzy, Sabbath, Dio, Priest, Saxon, Maiden, Enforcer - (More choices)

In retrospect: Ronnie James Dio

Hi and welcome back to a new round of "In retrospect:". This time I'm tackling the career of Ronnie James Dio, although not all of his career. This might sound weird, but truth be told - the man's legacy started way before Elf, which is kind of the first band people usually know him from. Back in the 1950's and 1960's, Ronnie James Dio was already an active singer, but since this was in a time long-before hard rock and heavy metal, the music was more what you could imagine from that time.

Judging by the fact that Dio's pre-Elf career is too hard to fully trace, not to mention having an interest and patience in hearing it all, leaves me determined to not include his early, mostly unknown career in music. Actually, the same goes for his first little-to-fairly-known band Elf, which I simply haven't heard enough from, and what little I've heard didn't really interest me that much either, I'm afraid.

What I will cover is Ronnie's well-known career and legacy, from Rainbow to Black Sabbath to his solo act Dio. The only releases I will exclude from these bands are live and compilation albums, since they rarely interest me anyway.

A small shoutout before I begin, however, for Rainbow's "On Stage" album which in fact is a good one. Nonetheless, I will not include it in the list, but it's very worth checking out.

Here we go...

---------------------------------------

Rainbow


1975 - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Ronnie James Dio's first well-known album, and his first mainstream introduction to the public, is quite a landmark. Though this album was a major factor in Dio's career, it was also important for band leader and legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had left Deep Purple to form his own band. The release itself, however, is not quite as good to my ears as many other people think. Truth be told, I always found Deep Purple and Rainbow to be somewhat of a hit-or-miss kind of bands. It's solid and got some great tracks, but nothing awesome as a whole.


1976 - (Rainbow) Rising

Now this is a lot better than the band's previous effort, I believe. If anything, it's certainly heavier and more to my taste. While it's got a shorter amount of songs (six in total), half of the album is made-up of eight-minute songs. Back in my early teens many years ago, I was often bored of lenghty songs, but as I grew older I really started to appreciate those musical-journey style songs many bands do. This album really has got that, with music just as epic as the most classic album cover art. One mighty fine hour in Dio's career, not to mention in the rest of the band members' careers as well.


1978 - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll

Dio's last album with Rainbow has got quite an ironic title, doesn't it? Not because rock 'n' roll died, at least not as early as 1978, but because it was the last album of Dio-Rainbow. It doesn't quite matter that Rainbow switched members from every record to record (at least up until "Difficult To Cure", after that I'm not sure), the Dio-Blackmore collaboration was all that counted, really. The album itself is a good closure for Dio's tenure in Rainbow with some of both Dio's and Blackmore's best songs ever.


Black Sabbath (take 1)


1980 - Heaven And Hell

Starting off his career in a band like Rainbow, only to then go on and replace Ozzy Osbourne in the mighty Sabbath. That is one hell of a career move, right? Well, Dio had the chops to did, and he bloody well did. As a major fan of Sabbath I love every album they did with Ozzy except for "Never Say Die!", which is a bit bland. I can understand why some people didn't like a few more of their last Ozzy-fronted albums, though. Anyway, with Dio in the fold, they put themselves back on the map - big time. This album is one of the best albums of all time, particularly within the metal community. Anyone denying its mastercrafted heavy metal sound of grandeur is an idiot. Dio himself stated at several times that this was his very favorite album, as well.


1981 - Mob Rules

While it doesn't really seem like an unknown album, it's certainly underrated and overlooked in comparison to its predecessor. I sometimes wonder if I don't even like this one slighty more, but it's a close call any way. Where this album perhaps went by more quietly, however, it was an important career step for Dio, who met his future long-time drummer Vinnie Appice who plays drums on this album. This would also be the last Dio-fronted Sabbath album in ten years to come, but what a great closure of Dio-Sabbath (mark one) it was. Very heavy and powerful album!


Dio


1983 - Holy Diver

One of the most legendary metal albums of all time. The debut of Dio's solo band really showed the world that the little man with the big voice could make it on his own. An album that surely helped out a lot with putting American heavy metal on the map, because after all, Ronnie James Dio was American. While Dio himself was American, however, his new and sensational young talen Vivian Campbell came from Ireland. Viv Campbell is today more known as one of the guitarists in Def Leppard, something that is quite far away from the style of Dio. Anyway, this album showed everyone that the Dio band was just as good, if not better, than both Rainbow and Black Sabbath had been with Dio. Most worthy of mentioning is also Dio's classic rhythm section with Jimmy Bain on bass and Vinnie Appice on drums. Just one of the great rhythm sections of all time, what a band!


1984 - The Last In Line

For a long time this was my favorite Dio album. I don't know if it still is, but it's one damn good album to say the least. Coming from "Holy Diver" which largely lacked keyboards, something which was pretty crucial and prominent in the soundscapes of Dio's former bands, this one saw keyboardist Claude Schnell recruited and a lot of more keyboards being present in the music. I believe this really helped cementing the Dio band's sound, especially with Ronnie's fantasy-themed lyrics which fit the 1980's heavy metal scene very nicely. This album is a very heavy and atmospheric journey of heavy metal music that everyone should own. A great mix of heavy, speed, and poppy metal.


1985 - Sacred Heart

Somewhat unintentionally controversial, this album would prove to be the last album featuring the classic Dio line-up. Guitarist Vivian Campbell and Ronnie had clashed by this point, for whatever reasons (they are widely discussed throughout interviews if you're interested). It's a most typical Dio album in a musical sense, but it does perhaps feature a somewhat more commercial sound. The album's lead singles are quite poppy and the fans were largely split with opinions about this one. This fact along with the ultimate demise and departure of Vivian Campbell's tenure in the band made it somewhat of the controversy it is. But I am one of those fans who love this album. A few tracks do tend to sound a bit more filler than usual, but still - it's a pretty fucking good album anyway.


1987 - Dream Evil

Marking the first album without guitarist Viv Campbell, this was the first (and ultimately at the time the only) album to feature Craig Goldy. I've always been very fond of this album, especially considering it's Craig Goldy who plays on it. That might come across as I don't like the guy's playing, but I'll come back and explain that on later albums. What this album sounds like is a mix between Dio's previous three solo albums and his Rainbow albums. Goldy seemed to be very influenced by Ritchie Blackmore, and perhaps even a bit too much so. The guitar playing is just phenomenal but not really as original or interesting as on previous albums. At the end of the day, however, this release does feature some of Dio's most underrated songs, and for any fans who loved Dio in Rainbow, this one would surely be the album to check out from Dio's solo records.


1990 - Lock Up The Wolves

Dio's fifth album once again showed a change within the band, albeit a much larger one this time around. For this album, Dio had changed out his whole backing band. Some of the old guys got fired for whatever reasons and the rest felt uncomfortable playing with the replacing guys. I can only suppose it was inevitable and a much needed change at the time. But how does it affect the album then? Well, it sounds quite different (obviously). Compared to the previous albums, this one is way much more guitar-driven, with hardly any prominent keyboards at all. Perhaps a sign of the times as the 80's was over, I dunno. The guitarist here, Rowan Robertson, was infamously only seventeen years old at the time he joined the band, and boy was he full of great talent! Ultimately, it's not the strongest Dio release. It took me a few years to truly get into this, but when I finally did, it became a very good more hard-rock/glam metal-influenced record than its predecessors.


Black Sabbath (take 2)


1992 - Dehumanizer

Dio let-go of his solo band in favor of rejoining Sabbath during the early 90's. I suppose the reason was that both the Dio band as well as Black Sabbath had been struggling somewhat throughout the last few years, and while they assured everyone it wasn't about the money, well ... I beg to differ, especially considering how ill they spoke of each other during the 80's. But it all happened anyway, and the end result was one hell of a heavy album. Perhaps even the heaviest Sabbath album of all time, but in the end I always felt this album fell somewhat flat in comparison to Dio's previous Sabbath-albums. It's a solid album, but nothing too spectacular. Sabbath simply did better doom metal with Ozzy in the 70's (without disrespecting Ronnie's performance or place in the band). This reunion was, however, very short-lived.


Dio (take 2)


1993 - Strange Highways

Without a doubt this is the most overlooked and underrated album of Dio's career. I suppose the reasons for it were maybe not all that surprising, though. Seeing as how the 90's obviously changed the music market for this kind of metal, and Dio and his solo band were largely associated with "dragons and rainbows", I just guess nobody was interested anymore. Well, that sure as hell was their huge loss, because this album is fucking awesome. Once again, the old trademark-keyboards are almost completely gone on this one as well, and it's way heavier than any solo record Dio ever did. This one is a lot more like Sabbath's Dehumanizer, p. 2. The only difference is - I think this one turned out way better, to be honest. For this album, Dio used his new guitar player Tracy G. along with former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, and his former long-time drummer Vinnie Appice came back to the fold as well. Some fans ultimately disliked Tracy G. and his playing (strongly), but I guess it's mostly because the guy played his own solos on old Dio and Sabbath tracks when they played live. Otherwise, I think the guy had a great guitar tone and I love his "loose" riffing style.


1996 - Angry Machines

And without a doubt this is Dio's worst album of his (more well-known) career. I've tried to get into this but I just can't. It sounds like a further exploration within doom metal, this time taking an even heavier approach. The end result is just plain bad. The songs are boring, uninspired and most of all - it doesn't sound very much like a Dio album. I can only suppose that for those who disliked Tracy G., this album did nothing but further cement that opinion of theirs. This was ultimately the last album to feature Tracy G. (as well as Vinnie Appice), who left some years later due to even Ronnie getting tired of his solo-style during live performances. I liked the guy and his personal playing, but this album was pretty bad. Him not playing the older songs' solos properly either, well ... fans were obviously gonna be pissed.


2000 - Magica

This album marked four noteworthy things: the return of guitarist Craig Goldy, as well as drummer Simon Wright (who played on "Lock Up The Wolves") and the former classic and long-time bassist Jimmy Bain, and most of all: the return of Dio's trademark fantasy-style metal. The end result, however, is a bit hit-or-miss. Seeing as it was 2000, with new ways of making digital recording cheaper to use, as well as Dio having not had any greater success for almost ten years by this point, the album sounds rather cheaply recorded. The production is very flat-sounding. On top of this, Craig Goldy's return to the band is more of a disappointment than it is a success. The riffs just tend to sound very much the same over and over. His old Ritchie Blackmore-influenced style of riffing is long-gone on here, and while it was maybe Ronnie who wrote the riffs, it's still a pretty boring performane from Goldy. Simon Wright's stellar-rather-than-loose playing style (if compared to Vinnie Appice) just further makes this album stiff and a bit lifeless. It's sad because this album really had potential in its songs.


2002 - Killing The Dragon

Following much in the same vein as "Magica", this album is more of a success to my ears. It sounds more inspirated and more true to Dio's 80's albums than any Dio album has done post-80's. Maybe this was because of guitarist Doug Aldrich, who temporarily replaced Craig Goldy for a few years while the latter became a father. Still present, however, is the somewhat of the stiff sound from the previous album. It's not nearly as much, however, as the production is a bit more "full" and the guitars (especially) are more varied and alive on this one. Not really a superb album, but without a doubt the best album Dio did after "Strange Highways" in 1993.


2004 - Master Of The Moon

Ultimately what would become the last Dio album, this one once again sees the return of bassist Jeff Pilson as well as Craig Goldy(!), and along with him comes (once again) a more stiff performance like "Magica". Now these two albums have really left me wondering sometimes what this guy did to lose his amazing performance-style from "Dream Evil". It's just sad to see such a promising guitarist become so uninspiring and boring fifteen-to-twenty years down the line. This particular album itself, however, is not bad, but not very good either. Just like with "Magica", this is somewhat of a hit-or-miss kind of album. It's a bit more keyboard-oriented which is nice, but otherwise there's not really one single track that truly stands out as memorable.


Heaven & Hell (a.k.a. Black Sabbath, take 3)


2009 - The Devil You Know

Sometime soon after the mid-2000's, Ronnie once again reunited with his former Black Sabbath bandmates. Sabbath had not too long ago stopped playing with Ozzy Osbourne, whom they had reunited with in the late 1990's. Needless to say, Sabbath was most likely facing another rather unsuccessful bunch of years ahead of them, while Dio had already been working too hard for too little for several years at this point. The guys reunited once more, opting to change their name after the legendary "Heaven And Hell" album this time instead. They released their first and ultimately only full-length album in 2009, which I suppose was successful (judging by time of illegal downloads, etc). The album itself is also a very good one, being the best album by the Sabbath guys (Tony and Geezer) and Dio (with Vinnie Appice) in a long, long time. It's a very heavy doom metal album and a great way for Ronnie James Dio to (sadly) end his career.

-----------------------------

That was it for this time, guys. These are my reflections and presentations of Ronnie James Dio's albums in short. I hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

//J.

In retrospect: Magnum (UK)

Welcome to my second round of "In retrospective:", which today will feature non other than the excellent British band Magnum. If you're European, especially British, German or Scandinavian, then there's a good chance you know about these guys. If you're American and never heard of them before, then I wouldn't be surprised. Magnum tried and they failed at breaking the American market back in the day, but in Europe they were fairly successful or at least well-known with a dedicated fan-base.

My introduction to Magnum was through my old man, who was a big fan of Magnum as he grew up in the 80's. When I grew up and got a liking to hard rock and metal music in 2002, I eventually discovered his old vinyl stash, and with practically every Magnum album from studio to compilation being included (except for "Chase The Dragon", sadly), it wasn't long before I was another fan of the band.

The thing I've always loved the most with Magnum is the vocals. Bob Catley's such an amazing artist with a most passionate voice full of emotion, like Ronnie James Dio for instance, but with another character to it of course. His stage presence is also rather unique, as my girlfriend pointed out after watching old and new live videos of them. Then of course we have guitarist and song-writer Tony Clarkin, who is yet another (sadly) way underrated veteran in the genre. Writing all the music and lyrics for Magnum, I think his talent is very apparent, especially if you consider how all the other members the band has had throughout the years, were alright with him being the sole writer.

Musically speaking, Magnum is usually referred to as simply hard rock, or more often (and probably correctly) melodic hard rock or pomp-rock. Personally, I dislike the latter because of the word pomp's meaning in my native language; Swedish. I don't know how many ways and meanings you use it for in the English language, but in Swedish the word pomp, which is translated into "pompös" or "pampig" most of the time, can have both a positive and a negative meaning. Generally, however, I believe the word is mostly used in a more negative sense, like describing something or someone who is pompous in a bad or irritating way.

But enough of my talk now and let's instead go into their discography. Just like last time, I will present their releases (excluding some compilations and live albums) and make brief comments about my opinion regarding them, but also try to add a fair score to each and everyone of them. Let's go!

------------------------------------
Album / (year) / score (out of 10)
------------------------------------

Kingdom Of Madness (1978) - 7.0

Comment: The debut album which was actually recorded in 1975 already, but delayed for three whole years. I can only assume it was because of label bullshit, or a lack of one altogether perhaps, but this album is rather special in their discography. It doesn't quite sound like the classic Magnum, leaning more towards a progressive rock sound and sounding quite like a product of its time. Some tracks are really good, especially the title-track (though it was later remade) which is a classic live-staple of theirs. A solid release but the best is yet to come.


Magnum II (1979) - 8.5

The band's second album a lot closer to the classic Magnum sound, although still leaning a lot towards the progressive influences. This album was done before the band's long-time and classic keyboardist Mark Stanway joined the fold, but it's still a very keyboard-driven album. Actually, I would even say that it's at times more keyboard-driven rather than guitar-driven, and the keyboards do not rarely give me vibes of how the likes of Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis or Tangerine Dream sounded at the time. A very good album.


Marauder (1980) - 7.0

A rather classic release from the band, this one happens to be a live album. To be honest, I am not too big a fan of live albums but I do enjoy some classics, with Judas Priest's "Unleashed In The East" being the perhaps best live album ever made. So, with that said, this is not a bad one by any means, but it just doesn't quite interest me that much either. However, I thought it was important to include this one since it appears to be well-appreciated among the band's fans, not to mention that several of the live takes on here are featured on several compilation albums instead of their studio-album counterparts. But once again, like always with live albums, I have no clue how much of this album is actually recorded live (or not).


Chase The Dragon (1982) - 9.8

Just like the debut record, this one was recorded in 1980 but delayed until 1982 because of label bullshit. This is in several ways somewhat of the "real" debut album for the band, as it was the first to feature long-time keyboardist Mark Stanway, which would cement the classic ever-going trio of Catley-Clarkin-Stanway. The album itself also features the true trademark sound of Magnum, not to mention it's heavier (perhaps their closest one to being heavy metal, without quite being that). The songs are all just excellent compositions and Bob Catley's vocals are really powerful on here. Why he didn't get more recognition for his amazing voice is beyond me. Needless to mention to other Magnum fans, this album also features several live-classics for the band, with particularly "Sacred Hour" being in mind, and what an amazing intro it's got!


The Eleventh Hour (1983) - 8.5

This one always struck me as being a classic release by the band, but from what I've come to understand through several fans and the band themselves, this album is many times closer to being "disliked". I personally can't imagine this to be very true. Sure, the band themselves were quite bitter at their label during this album's release, and thus maybe associate it and its music with bad times, but for me as a fan, this one is just another great album. What I particularly like about this one is how it once more manages to sound different while still maintaining Magnum's trademark essence. Musically, I always thought this album sounded like "English pub folk-rock music", something that would fit perfectly into the painting for the band's next album.


On A Storyteller's Night (1985) - 9.2

The band's first breakthrough came with this one, featuring classics like "Just Like An Arrow", "Les Mort Dansant" and particularly the ever-going live-staple epic "How Far Jerusalem". While it's certainly a somewhat more easy-accessible record and cleaner-sounding in the production department, I think it still manages to maintain a complete Magnum trademark sound, not to mention it feels like a natural progression for the band. Perhaps this one is more AOR-oriented, but it's still driven by a duel between guitar and keyboards, with heavy pounding drums and Bob Catley's fantastic voice in a very good performance. This would probably, really, be the best introduction you could get into the band's music.


Vigilante (1986) - 7.0

Another classic to many, somewhat of a sell-out to others, but to me this one is most of all a typical sign of the times album. Featuring an ultra-clean(ed up) production and lots of rather cheesy keyboards, this one was very much a typical 80's AOR album. Compared to the band's previous efforts, this one has more in common with the likes of Bon Jovi rather than Magnum themselves. Sure, some of the tracks are really good and well-worth getting the album for alone, but some tracks sound like leftovers from Billy Idol's then-new "Whiplash" album. Not bad, actually pretty good for what it is, but far from Magnum's finest hour (or trademark sound).


Wings Of Heaven (1988) - 6.0

At its time, this one was the band's most successful record in England, but in most other countries as well, I believe. I always found it rather ironic, however, that their most commercially successful album would prove to be the one I like the least (at least thus far). Once again, it's not at all a bad album, but its particular ultra-80's AOR sound doesn't really appeal that much to me.


Goodnight L.A. (1990) - 6.5

A continuation of the band's more easy-accessible sound, and also their most American-friendly release. Specifically aimed at the (north) American audience to try and break there, it does sound like a mix of recent Magnum albums with some typical American radio-rock. I actually prefer this one over the previous album since this at least is a bit rockier again, but it's kind of a hit-or-miss album. To summon it as best as I can; if I look at the album's track-list, I recognize a few songs all of which I like. The rest I cannot even recall what they sound like.


Sleepwalking (1992) - 6.8

A good step away from what the band (or label, rather) tried to do over the last three albums. This is certainly sounds more like the good ol' Magnum again, but in a somewhat more "mature" approach. I mean, the guys were like 40 years or so at this point, so it's understandable the sound matured a bit with them. But overall this is not something that I truly appreciate, yet. Some songs are really good and while the album maintains a better standard than the previous few albums, it's simply (still) not quite appealing to me.


Rock Art (1994) - ?

I don't recall ever listening to this on or its tracks. I don't have in my collection either, so I'll let this one pass for now. (After a quick Googling, I found out at the band themselves are very fond of this particular album, looking back on it today. I will have to get my hands on it.)


Breath Of Life (2002) - ?

The second (and last) album from Magnum which I currently don't have. I have heard some stuff from it, like the two songs which are featured (remixed or re-recorded) on the Evolution (2011) compilation, and a snippet or two perhaps, I don't remember. From what I've heard about this album from the band themselves, however, this album doesn't really sound like Magnum, but rather a mix of Mag and Hard Rain (the band Tony and Bob were in with current bassist Al during the 90's). I haven't heard the Hard Rain records either, so I don't have many clues about what this album is like, but the band themselves don't seem too interested in this one these days. I'll leave its rating blank for the moment.


Brand New Morning (2004) - 7.0

Widely considered to be the first "real" Magnum album since their reformation in 2001 by the band and fans alike. To my ears, it sure does sound like a modernized Magnum as well. The album itself, however, is not really their strongest effort since their reformation. Apart from perhaps Breath Of Life (I wouldn't know), this is their weakest post-reformation album. Some songs on this one, like the opening/title-tack for instance, are the best songs by Magnum since 1985. Some other songs just tend to not be as strong, and that's both alright and understandable, but at this point, Tony Clarkin and Magnum were just getting started with crafting their modern sound which we're familiar with today.


Princess Alive And The Broken Arrow (2007) - 8.8

This is officially, to me and many other fans alike, the best Magnum album in a very long time. To me, it's the band's best since 1985, but some fans hold this one as the band's best album, period. It's a bloody fantastic record which shows the return of the band's long-time artwork maker Rodney Matthews (one of my favorite artists, I might add). The album continues in a very similar direction like the previous album, but with more focus and better songs, I believe. Some of the band's strongest tunes to date are present here, and this was luckily just the start for a completely reborn Magnum.


Into The Valley Of The Moonking (2009) - 8.0

A slight step down from the previous record, but it's neither surprising nor a bad thing. It was kind of expected considering how good the previous one turned out. What is a bit weird, however, is why they chose "Cry To Yourself" as an opening track. I honestly have a hard time coming up with another example of opening tracks this inappropriate. It doesn't suck you in at all and it's a rather low-pace, ballad-esque tune. Otherwise, this album is very strong. It's a bit more ballad-esque overall I think, but they're all strong songs. The more rockier numbers also give me strong vibes of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, which is a good thing. Another thing I've gotten the impression of is that this album is somewhat overlooked among Magnum fans. No one seems to talk about or listen to this one, and that is very odd considering how good it is.


The Visitation (2011) - 8.0

Another just-as-strong effort from Magnum, and yet another proof that the new-born Magnum is a force to be reckoned with. Compared to the previous album, this one is both less Rainbow-esque and ballad-esque in its approach and sound. The rockier numbers, particularly the opening track "Black Skies" are heavy-riffing melodic hard rock and has a similar vibe to (the track) "Brand New Morning", both of which in turn remind me of Led Zeppelin somehow. Overall, however, this album manages to vary itself more compared to the previous one, but instead loses somewhat of Moonking's consistency. At the end I'd say they're both equal in quality, though.


On The 13th Day (2012) - 8.2

Once again Magnum takes a slight turn musically and once more delivers a more varied album, but also a very colorful one. This album has got an excellent album art once again done by Rodney Matthews and it's full of lovely colors in almost a carnival-esque setting. The music sounds very fitting in relation to the album art, for sure. So this basically covers several areas in a wider stretch compared to most of the band's albums. There are some typical Magnum anthems such as the opening track "All The Dreamers", classic Magnum ballads, and even a real heavy one this time around in "Dance Of The Black Tattoo". It's got a lighter atmosphere at times compared to the recent three albums or so, but also darker moments. Overall a very good mix.


Escape From The Shadow Garden (2014) - 9.5

In a way, this is Magnum's very finest hour in my opinion. There are a few of their records that come close, but the only one that would possibly beat this one is Chase The Dragon, and that's out of a sheer nostalgia factor. This album is absolutely lovely and somewhat of a contrast to On The 13th Day. If that one was mostly light and joyful, then this one is darker and viler. I just love everything about this one from the tunes to the very dark artwork (by Magnum standards). Most of the guys in the band were around 65 when they did this one, and they rock harder on this one than they've done in a long time. It's an absolutely fantastic record and every song is great, making the album all-around very consistent and interesting.


Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies (2016) - 9.0

The band's most recent album as of today. I honestly didn't doubt they would come back with yet another great album, but I maybe expected another 8:er. I certainly did not expect the band to follow up their previous triumph with an album worthy of a solid 9, but they did. This album kind of follows the last one in style and sound/production, but it's not quite as dark-sounding this time around. Still, the songs aren't really as colorful as On The 13th Day, either. What it is is a melodic hard rocking journey through Magnum's lovely trademark keyboards and riffs, with some (still) amazing vocals by Bob Catley. Seriously, the man's voice is still as passionate as ever, and it's a crime by everyone who doesn't acknowledge his chops.


...

If you're knew to Magnum and love 80's hard rock, melodic rock, AOR or NWoBHM, I suggest you check out Magnum. Either use this guide to buy an album or two, or go digital via iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. It's a lovely band with lovely music, and it's a great shame that they never made it bigger.

Top-10 Best Metal Records By Each Year 1980-1995

I decided to put together a list of my favorite ten metal records of each year for every year between 1980-1995. Well, I tried anyway. It was easier said than done, but I managed and I think it turned out somewhat accurately presentable. I simply chose the years 1980-1995 because those are the years from which most of my music has come from.

To do an extended list beyond 1995 would be a rather difficult task as I found the 2000's in particular to provide little metal of interest, with Chimaira, Lamb of God and DevilDriver a few worthy of mention. Even for the 1970's it would be quite hard to find ten albums for each year, because I simply never really fell that much in love with the 70's sound, and it would only be the obvious bands like AC/DC, Sabbath, Priest, and so on.

Anyway, here is my list of my favorite 10 records of each year between the years 1980 to 1995. It will be an overall collection of metal - heavy, NWoBHM, thrash, death, black, etc. Anything that I simply love and regard as something extraordinary from those individual years will be listed by their release years down below.

I hope you enjoy my personal favorites-list, even if some of the choices are nothing unique or surprising, though I hope you'll find some surprises at least and perhaps even introduce some new bands to y'all.

Later //J.

--------------------------

This list is presented in a somewhat correct order. The top-listed records for each year is my favorite album of that year, but after that there's not necessarily a certain order. To be honest - it's way too hard to actually rank them in a certain order.

1980:

Black Sabbath – Heaven And Hell

Saxon – Wheels Of Steel

Motörhead – Ace of Spades

Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz

Iron Maiden – S/T

Diamond Head – Lightning To The Nations

Judas Priest – British Steel

AC/DC – Back In Black

Angel Witch – S/T

Tygers Of Pan Tang – Wild Cat


Comment: The start of the almighty 80's. Musically this was a very important year for music (overall), but especially for us metal fans - it was gonna change and expand the metal scene forever. However, apart from a few albums on this list that I will forever regard as some of the very best metal records of all time, the best was yet to come in later years.
 

1981:

Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman

Black Sabbath – Mob Rules

Tygers Of Pan Tang – Spellbound

Iron Maiden – Killers

Mötley Crüe – Too Fast For Love

Accept – Breaker

Venom – Welcome To Hell

Van Halen – Fair Warning

Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry

Thin Lizzy – Renegade


Comment: An improvement from the previous year, which still was a damn good one. Ozzy makes his best album ever (imo), Sab release their best one with Dio, and Tygers release their best album as well. I'll let this top-10 speak for itself.

1982:

Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance

Accept – Restless And Wild

Plasmatics – Coup d’Etat

Iron Maiden – The Number Of The Beast

Diamond Head – Borrowed Time

Venom – Black Metal

Scorpions – Blackout

Motörhead – Iron Fist

MSG – Assault Attack

Kiss – Creatures Of The Night


Comment: Not much change here, around the same quality as '81. Some bands (Motörhead) do, however, release some less-good albums than before. Overall this year maybe wasn't as strong as the previous two anyway. This list kind of marks the finest moments of the year, and I think that was pretty much "it". NWoBHM was already on a downfall and American heavy metal was slowly starting to arise.

1983:

Accept – Balls To The Wall

Dio – Holy Diver

Def Leppard – Pyromania

Mercyful Fate – Melissa

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark At The Moon

Thin Lizzy – Thunder And Lightning

Mötley Crüe – Shout At The Devil

Slayer – Show No Mercy

Iron Maiden – Peace Of Mind

Exciter – Heavy Metal Maniac


Comment: Wow! This was quite a year! A very rich year musically. Many bands release their finest albums this year (Accept, Mötley Crüe, Dio...) while there are a lot of interesting newcomers (Exciter, Slayer, Mercyful Fate...). A good year, a very good year indeed.
 

1984:

Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break The Oath

W.A.S.P. – S/T

Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith

Dio – The Last In Line

Madison – Diamond Mistress

Warlock – Burning The Witches

Metallica – Ride The Lightning

Queensrÿche – The Warning

Iron Maiden – Powerslave

Ratt – Out Of The Cellar


Comment: Wow!, pt. 2. Not much changes quality-wise from the previous year. Bands like Dio, Priest and Maiden continue to put out really strong records, while newcomers W.A.S.P., Warlock, Queensrÿche and Ratt releases great debut (full-length) albums. Metallica keeps on changing the metal industry and Mercyful Fate releases their very best record, as well as one of the most sinister metal records of all time.

1985:

Saxon – Innocence Is No Excuse

Anthrax – Spreading The Disease

Slayer – Hell Awaits

Twisted Sister – Come Out And Play

Dio – Sacred Heart

Fate – S/T

Treat – Scratch And Bite

Ratt – Invasion Of Your Privacy

Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion

Warlock - Hellbound


Comment: After the excellent '83 and '84, or simply after a great half-decade of metal bands/records, I always felt that 1985 was kind of a "sabbatical year" for metal. Yes, the quality dropped quite a bit I have to admit, with some bands (Dio, Ratt, Warlock...) releasing not-as-strong albums as previously. But the biggest thing is that it just felt like a like a poor year, if counting actual records released during the year. I guess most bands just were getting really big and toured throughout, or that they needed their first lengthier break in many years. Not a bad year, but perhaps the weakest year of the decade.

1986:

Iron Maiden – Somewhere In Time

Dark Angel – Darkness Descends

Ozzy Osbourne – The Ultimate Sin

Crimson Glory – S/T

Metallica – Master Of Puppets

Megadeth – Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?

Queensrÿche – Rage For Order

Cinderella – Night Songs

Onslaught – The Force

Kreator – Pleasure To Kill


Comment: Wow!, pt. 3. After the kind of "pause" year of '85, the musical quality returned this year with a lot of awesome records. Not only just that either, but now the latter half of the 80's will be a change from the previous half. Almost gone is the NWoBHM scene, at least as far as any releases worth of mention go (only Maiden pretty much continue to be relevant or good/appreciated). Thrash metal makes an official entry and this also marks the strongest year in thrash metal records. Opposite thrash we now also start to see an increase of glam metal bands, with only a few like Cinderella that are of any greater (musical) interest to me personally.

1987:

King Diamond – Abigail

Dio – Dream Evil

Testament – The Legacy

Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction

Bathory – Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

Coroner – R.I.P.

Overkill – Taking Over

Savatage – Hall Of The Mountain King

Anthrax – Among The Living

Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence


Comment: Another really strong and interesting year, although not quite as strong as '86. The thrash vs. glam battle is still a bit on the rise, although it's already quite big. You know, it's just metalheads in a fucking nutshell - you can't like everything, like I do, but you must choose sides. If not, then you're either a poser (glam) or a fucking hobo (thrash). Fuck that. I rage and fight to thrash, and I fuck and party to glam.

1988:

Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest For The Wicked

Danzig – S/T

Testament – The New Order

Bathory – Blood Fire Death

Vicious Rumors – Digital Dictator

Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking

Metallica - …And Justice For All

Overkill – Under The Influence

Anthrax – State Of Euphoria

Crimson Glory – Transcendence


Comment: For many years I thought of this year to be somewhat of an "odd" year, I couldn't quite wrap my mind around what I thought of it. I guess I did in fact not like the music released this year that much, but in latter years I've really discovered or rethought my feelings of what was actually released in '88. These days I really think it was a good year in metal music, although not the best year of the decade. Some new favorite bands of mine like Danzig and Jane's Addiciton really came through this year, and Bathory semi-started a new era.

1989:

W.A.S.P. – The Headless Children

Faith No More – The Real Thing

Cro-Mags – Best Wishes

Coroner – No More Color

Sepultura – Beneath The Remains

Overkill – The Years Of Decay

The Almighty – Blood, Fire & Love

Babylon A.D. – S/T

Black Sabbath – Headless Cross

Blue Murder – S/T


Comment: Last year of the great 80's. Not the decade's strongest year, but an improvement from the previous year, perhaps over '87 as well. The thrash vs. glam battle is at its largest at this point and I would probably think that few was expecting what was lying around the corner, waiting... Anyway, while there were simply too many bands in (particularly) the thrash and glam scenes to count, some of the more unnoticed bands (The Almighty, Babylon A.D., Coroner...) of both sub-genres released some of the best albums of the year. Bands like Faith No More, W.A.S.P. and Sepultura release their strongest works (imo), while Black Sabbath makes their best record in many years.

1990:

Alice in Chains – Facelift

Spread Eagle – S/T

Danzig – II: Lucifuge

Anthrax – Persistence Of Time

Entombed – Left Hand Path

Nocturnus – The Key

Sleeze Beez – Screwed Blued & Tattooed

Warrior Soul – Last Decade Dead Century

Jane’s Addiction – Ritual De Lo Habitual

Pantera – Cowboys From Hell


Comment: With the 80's officially over and the 90's started, I figure many people were expecting some huge changes to all kinds of media. In metal, there were some larger changes indeed, but I would say that they had already been developed in the last years of the 80's, and just kind of broke out of the underground during this year. Of course I'm talkin' about death metal. Thrash metal is pretty much a thing of the passed 80's now, and death metal is its successor - freshly so. I would also argue, I think, that this year was the best year in death metal? Anyway, death metal and alternative music (Faith No More, Jane's Addiciton, etc.) are at large as the 90's kick off, but soon there will be another uprising as we all know.

1991:

Dismember – Like An Ever Flowing Stream

Mordred – In This Life

Entombed – Clandestine

Overkill – Horrorscope

Type O Negative – Slow, Deep & Hard

Skid Row – Slave To The Grind

Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears

Coroner – Mental Vortex

Mr. Bungle – S/T

Sepultura - Arise


Comment: Grunge. Well, fuck that. I never were a big fan of grunge. It just felt like a shittier style of...everything. You know, the grunge bands just never appealed to me (apart from the heavy and awesome Alice in Chains...and earlier Soundgarden). Grunge just exploded in '91 thanks to fucking Nirvana. While it actually was a strong year in the metal music department, all that was pretty much overshadowed by Nirvana, Soundgarden and some others. They were like shittier versions of punk bands, of rock bands, of metal bands. Just fucking...shit.

This year was like the final nail in the coffin for most glam and thrash bands still lurking around, and death metal was largely held back because of this musical change as well, and don't even get me started on fucking Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and what they did to the scene during this year.

1992:

Faith No More – Angel Dust

Danzig – III: How The Gods Kill

Alice in Chains – Dirt

Cro-Mags – Alpha Omega

Fear Factory – Soul Of A New Machine

W.A.S.P. – The Crimson Idol

Saigon Kick – The Lizard
Malevolent Creation - Retribution
Pantera – Vulgar Display Of Power

Rage Against The Machine – S/T

Comment: Grunge is still at large, unfortunately. Most of the last few (notable) traces of glam and thrash bands are to be found in this year - many of them released their final albums (at the time) and broke-up. If not, they changed to adapt to the style that Metallica had made famous the previous year (Testament, Megadeth, etc.). Fortunately for me, a few bands managed to actually held back grunge a bit and showed 'em how it's done. Faith No More and newcomers RATM and Fear Factory were all modern, but were not grunge bands but instead mixes of several other styles that would prove to be very, if not more so than grunge, influential to future bands of the 90's.

1993:

Life of Agony – River Runs Red

Carcass – Heartwork

Dismember – Indecent & Obscene

Coroner – Grin

Benediction – Transcend The Rubicon

Dio – Strange Highways

Dissection – The Somberlain

Saigon Kick – Water

Death – Individual Thought Patterns

Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses


Comment: While grunge was still the biggest thing at this point, together with Metallica and RHCP of course, there actually were opportunities for other styles to shine again. Many of the greatest death metal records were released in this year, many of which were rather successful. Some other bands such as the crossover-groovy Life of Agony and the gothic Type O Negative really came on and put in new influences for future groove and alternative bands respectively. Not an exceptional year, but a very good one nonetheless. Oh, and fuck grunge.

1994:

Septic Flesh – Mystic Places Of Dawn

Machine Head – Burn My Eyes

Megadeth – Youthanasia

Danzig – 4p

Bolt Thrower - …For Victory

Running Wild – Black Hand Inn

Testament – Low

Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger

Pantera – Far Beyond Driven

Body Count – Born Dead


Comment: R.I.P. Kurt Cobain, and pretty much the whole grunge scene with you. While I never were a big fan of Nirvana, or most other grunge bands, I did not have anything against people like Kurt Cobain personally. But with his tragic death, so went grunge with him, kind of. I guess that is just the sad reality of people - they fanboy/girl one person rather than the actual legacy of his/her. I really do believe so was the case with Kurt as well. I mean, what are the odds?  He died - grunge died. There were lots of better grunge bands than Nirvana, but he was like the God of it, and when he was gone, so was the whole musical genre basically.

Besides grunge's last breaths, death metal was not really prevailing this year either. Instead the year was rather filled with new styles such as rap/nu metal, groove metal and some more underground black metal stuff that was slowly rising up.

1995:

Face Down - Mindfield

Fear Factory – Demanufacture

Dissection – Storm Of The Light’s Bain

The Gathering - Mandylion
Death – Symbolic

Hate Squad – I.Q. Zero

Dismember – Massive Killing Capacity

White Zombie – Astro-Creep 2000

Grip Inc. – Power Of Inner Strength

Suffocation - Pierced From Within


Comment: The last awesome year of the 90's, to me. After this year, I honestly have a rather hard time finding more than ten albums a year that appealed to me, at least until 2003. I know I could find it for 1996 and 1997 as well, but it's just, literally, scraping the good out of the pile of shit.

1995 showed us as well as set the bars for what the remainder of the 90's would pretty much come to be like. We get more groove metal as well as industrial metal, which at this point had become a popular (and rather commercial) style of metal. Death metal is pretty much over, at least as far as records worthy of listening to goes. Death, the band that pretty much started the whole sub-genre, are the last to be really good at it, so at least that was a fitting touch. 

Otherwise there not really overly much of interest during this year in my opinion. I really do like the massively overlooked bands like Face Down, Hate Squad and Grip Inc. - all of who played groove/post-thrash metal. The Gathering's "Mandylion" was also a rather simplistic but just wonderful and beautiful album that expanded the goth scene.

----------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed my lists and thoughts about the years. Check out my new list that covers the years 2003-2015, if you did enjoy this one. Peace!