(Mom and Dad’s 50th anniversary – 2011)

For Father’s Day this year I figured I’d write a little about the relationship with my Dad and his impact on my wide ranging listening habits, as well as give you all a little insight around the title of my blog.  As a kid (and even to this day) my Dad and I rarely argued and when we did it was more the results of a spirited discussion where we may have more or less agreed to disagree.  He was never one to rule with an iron fist (sorry, no Motorhead puns here) but he more or less gave me the freedom to be who I wanted to be, even though he didn’t come right out directly and say so.  Sure, we had some basic ground rules that my brother and I would occasionally test but because we respected our Dad and the man he was (and continues to be) and we didn’t want to let him down.  Dad always did a great job of showing his sons off to his friends and those he worked with, telling everyone how proud he was of us.

Did I say “rarely argued”? Ha ha ha…  ’tis very true although we’d have animated discussions about various things, sometimes revolving around music.  I can remember having one of these discussions when I was ten or eleven and I was playing “Beth”, the classic ballad from KISS-  my dad…  “hey, who is that?  I’ve heard that before and kind of like that”…  me…  “that’s KISS Dad!”…  my dad…  “THAT’S NOT KISS!”…  me…  “yes it is!”…  you get the picture.  Or another time we somehow got into a discussion about the guitar virtuosity of Willie Nelson vs Eddie Van Halen (me…  “Willie Nelson IS NOT A GREAT GUITAR PLAYER!”  wellll….  no one really plays like Willie so he did have a point).  But mostly, Dad’s musical tastes have rubbed off on me.  Sure he’s more ballad oriented and loves more of a crooning style than, say, the outright rock and roll of Elvis Presley (who Mom adored and Dad likes the King’s softer tunes) but there’s nothing wrong with that.  He likes “Three Times A Lady” and I prefer “Brick House”…  he likes “I Want To Know What Love Is” and I’d rather hear “Hot Blooded”…  the funny thing is though, I like a lot of the songs he likes and I enjoy making him discs of his favorite songs and throwing in a handful of uptempo ones that I’m sure he’s heard in the past and totally forgot about (stuff like Chicago, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, etc).  And when I hear those songs on the radio that I know Dad loves always bring a smile to my face (and to my wife, because she likes a lot of what he likes!)

My all time favorite story though revolves around the title of this blog.  When I started putting this thing together a few years ago I was wracking my brain trying to think of a creative and unique title and striking out.  I was too busy overthinking and trying to be too fancy when it hit me-  how about making it more personal?  Once I made that decision the choice was easy as the “origin of Ironriot” was the accidental outcome of an animated discussion between me and my Dad.

I don’t remember the year exactly…  probably 1984 figuring the timeline, nor do I remember exactly what we were going on about.  It may have been something to do with school, it may have been me not playing basketball that year; hell, for all I know it may have been a minor quibble about what was the better TV show:  “Taxi” or “Mork and Mindy”.  At any rate I didn’t quite agree with something he was saying and his reply was the magic words that have stuck with me for all this years:  “ahhhh…  all you care about is that Iron Riot!”  Once I heard that I could not stifle my laughter and I had to say “no Dad…  it’s Quiet Riot and Iron Maiden!” (which happened to be the first concert I had seen the previous year).  I don’t recall his exact reply other than “whatever!” but his laughter about the incident quickly broke any tension we may have had about this particular discussion.

So on this Father’s Day, thanks Dad for everything and your inspiration for this blog.  I love you!

Wow, shame on me for having a blog and getting away from one of my original intents- turning folks on to newer artists and newer songs.  I’d been spending too many Shameless Plug posts pontificating on the wonders of some older tuneage but I’ve not spent a whole lot of time covering the new stuff.  Time to address that by turning you on to Rival Sons and a song from their 2012 album Head Down called “Until The Sun Comes”.

For classic rock fans, there is a lot to like about Rival Sons: songs with an old school vibe, killer musicianship, and a top rate vocalist in Jay Buchanan.  Hailing from California the band has put out five albums and an EP since 2009 of excellent retro rock, gaining them a number of fans over the years and also featuring as support act on a number of high profile tours (Black Sabbath’s “The End”, Deep Purple, AC/DC, etc).  While some critics think their style is too reminiscent of artists like Led Zeppelin (well…  “Pressure & Time” does feature the first four notes of that bands’ “Out On The Tiles), I think they do a fine job of spreading their influences far and wide across each album.  If anything, it’s the production techniques and live vibe of recording that hearken back to classic bands from the 60s and 70s.

As a fan of the band I like quite a few of their songs but one that should have been a hit and turned quite a few people onto the band young and old alike is the rocking fun of “Until The Sun Comes”.  Not as bombastic or atmospheric as some of their other work, “Until The Sun Comes” features a punchy riff, an understated yet breathy Buchanan vocal, and an awesomely cool singable chorus over the course of three minutes.  This is a song that drips a sense of 60s garage rock/maximum R&B cool and once it’s over you’re ready to hit the repeat button a couple more times to soak in more of the goodness.  Think a cross between The Romantics/Monkees/Rolling Stones with some slithering, bad ass bass grooviness and you’re in the ballpark.  Compact, concise, not too much over the top, but with enough wallop to please the senses should make this one your new favorite.

Now tell me… who doesn’t want to dance until the sun comes up?  Download it now!

It’s always easy buying my brother a gift for his birthday or Christmas- ever since we were kids it’s always pretty much been music related.  Sure, there may be something a little different that shows up in the pile o’ presents but since we both have similar tastes it’s easy to get something that I know he’d like.  So as he was approaching his 47th birthday in March I asked him a few weeks in advance what he’d like to celebrate the occasion.  After giving it some brief thought he said…  “how about tickets to see Testament?”  Ahhhh yessss…  a mighty fine choice indeed.

I have to say that I was slightly surprised but not too much so considering that we’d seen the band a couple of years earlier performing a set that consisted of material from their first two albums plus one from third LP Practice What You Preach.  That was an incredible show (see previous Showtime article on that gig with Exodus!) and me thinking he may not want to see them again so soon should have been far from my mind, especially considering how strong their latest LP Brotherhood Of The Snake is.  Plus we’d have the extra bonus of seeing Sepultura or Prong in concert as part of this show, two bands that we’d never seen before.

And what a show it was!  Prong kicked off the night with oldie “For Dear Life” and played a brief set of eight or so songs, covering mostly their classic early period up through Cleansing with a couple of new tunes added for good measure.  Frontman\lead guitarist\chief songwriter Tommy Victor has been the band’s mainstay since day one and put on an entertaining show, hopping around vigorously like a man half his age.  The same could be said about his bandmates, who while obviously much younger than Victor also brought their “A” game and added their own spirited touch (drummer Art Cruz is a powerhouse, adding a bit more flair and panache to the songs- no knock on original great Ted Parsons).  As a Prong fan from the early days, I was pumped to hear “Unconditional”, “Whose Fist Is This Anyway?”, and that ol’ chestnut “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck”.  Unfortunately, their thirty minute set was far too short and left me wanting more.

After a quick changeover, Sepultura came out for a 45 minute set heavy on material from their latest release Machine Messiah.  While the show was good and the band’s overall performance was impressive, I have never been much of a fan of the band regardless of the era.  Granted, I came to know the band via their Roots and Chaos A.D. CDs but I only know and like a handful of their songs and I’m not at all familiar with their material released with new singer Derrick Green.  And, I’m not one of those guys who says “it ain’t Sepultura without the Cavalera brothers” either.  Major props to this version of the band though-  Green is a commanding presence on stage and did a great job leading the band, plus Andreas Kisser is a fantastic guitarist and the rhythm section is solid.  “Refuse/Resist” and “Roots Bloody Roots” were two that I knew and both featured at the end of the set, but by that time I was wishing that Prong had played the longer set instead.

As always with a show, my bro and I ALWAYS try to inch just a bit closer to the stage.  After a quick restroom and beer break we weave our way through the crowd to get as close as possible, ending up less than ten feet from the barrier.  Yeah!  Soon the houselights go out and the band’s intro tape begins before coming full force with the first song of the night (the self titled from the new LP Brotherhood Of The Snake) and from there things did not let up-  heavy thrasher “Rise Up” from the last LP and two heavies from Brotherhood in “The Pale King” and “Centuries Of Suffering” before getting a minor breather with a lengthy Alex Skolnick solo piece.

By this point the pit had got a little too manic for my tastes and I’d lost my brother, so I skipped just to the rear of the madness to avoid a kick to the back of the head or an unwanted ACL tear and caught the remainder of the show.  I’d seen Testament before with this lineup and they are outstanding, but I must admit that I’d never realized just how well that Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick play off each other-  Skolnick the more fluid and versatile and Peterson the abrasive and cutting, but at the end of one of the songs they stood side by side on stage and NAILED the melodic ending to (I think?) “Throne Of Thorns” with such precision that likely made even those non-guitar fans take notice.  These guys were ON all night and it was a thrill to watch.

Oh yeah, the songs…  “Into The Pit”… “Low”… “Stronghold”… “Seven Seals”…  and on and on.  After a slew of great albums, these guys have a lot of old and newer classics to choose from and did a great job mixing in all periods of the band for the evening’s show.  As for the other band mates?  Chuck Billy was in incredibly fine voice, showing everyone why he is a (the?) top tier vocalist in the thrash realm; Gene Hoglan was spot on behind the kit with precision and heft; and bassist Steve DiGiorgio fits like a glove and adds fine tenacity to the thrash proceedings.  These guys are an incredible live unit and if you’ve never seen Testament before and they are within two hours of where you live, you MUST go check them out.  You will not go away disappointed!

I was in Dallas on a business trip a couple of months ago and on my way back to the airport to return my rental car I decided to flip on the radio to try and find some music representative of the great state of Texas.  I thought I’d find some local blues, Texas swing, maybe a little Tejano, but no…  station after station I heard a mishmash of the hits of today.  I kept hitting the seek button and finally came across something that caught my ear-  a song that sounded like an old classic but fresh and new at the same time.  However, after listening to it I got to thinking…  whatever happened to the good old days of corporate radio?

The song in question was “Rock and Roll Honky Tonk Ramblin’ Man” from Bruce Robison & the Back Porch Band, a countryesque ditty with a fun lyric and lazy cool vibe.  Oddly enough, my mind immediately flashed back to my younger radio listening days where the local top 40 station had an eclectic mix of songs from various genres-  everything from new wave (Gary Numan), country (Eddie Rabbit), disco (KC and the Sunshine Band), rock (Paul McCartney and Wings), R&B (Earth, Wind, & Fire) and on and on.  My first thought was…  how is this cool little song going to be heard by the general public when corporate radio playlists are so tight and follow the same formula?  There is no big production here; no big guitars, no click track, and no autotune but plenty of soul and a lot of feel.

Yeah, yeah, I’m sure some of you are saying…  you STILL listen to the radio?  Not really, and that’s part of the point-  I’ve given up on radio BECAUSE of the formula and tight playlists.  Too much of the same and not enough different and unfortunately, that is not going to change ever since regulations were relaxed in the 80s and even more so when President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act in 1996.  This latter act removed restrictions on how many stations a company could own nationwide as well as in a single local market, essentially allowing larger companies with the most money to buy up as many stations as they pleased.  Unfortunately, this has led to a handful of large corporations controlling the bulk of the media outlets-  in my radio example, Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) went from a little over 40+ stations before the Telecommunications Act to as much as 1200+ in early 2000 (it now owns roughly 900+ stations).  In second place is Cumulus Media, which owns approximately 450 stations (a paltry number in comparison).  The remaining 30%(!) of stations are owned by multiple companies, of which only one owns more than 300.

As someone who loves (loved?) the industry and was a brief part of it in the late 80s (did a summer internship with Jacor Communications), I realize that “money talks” and the likelihood of change is slim to none.  Radio was an important gateway to my love of music but the depth and breadth of station playlists are a thing of the past.  Fortunately the internet has essentially saved the day for me and my fellow music nerds, but radio obviously still plays a huge part in breaking new artists to the general public.  Unfortunately, you’ll likely never hear an eclectic mix of artists like Blackberry Smoke, The Roots, Clutch, Rival Sons, Bruce Robison, Gary Clark Jr, Vintage Trouble, or Maggie Koerner on any ONE corporate owned radio station and RARELY on ANY corporate owned station.  While the independent radio stations are fantastic with what they do, they don’t have enough pull (nor the $$$) in the media world to give these artists their just due.  And that makes me shake my damn head…

I don’t know what to say…  words cannot express my utter shock and sadness around the death of the great Chris Cornell, but when someone this young dies unexpectedly and they are ONLY a couple of years older than you it’s often a time for reflection- especially when they have an impact on your life, however small that may be.  All I can really say is…  THANK YOU for the music you created.  Your voice and songwriting skills had a major impact on me and you will be greatly missed.  My condolences to friends, family, band mates, and fellow fans.

Thought I’d change things up with the Shuffle musings-  this time I’m going to offer up a few words on the first ten artists instead of the individual songs, plus give my top three songs well worth your money to download.

Y&T

California’s Y&T are a fine hard rock band that really have never been given their just due.  Fronted by lead singer/lead guitarist Dave Meniketti, the band started out as Yesterday & Today in the mid 70s and eventually shortened it to Y&T come the early 80s and gaining a modicum of success in the intervening years.  If you dig riffy hard rock a la Montrose, Riot, Sammy Hagar, and early KISS this is up your alley, plus also likely had some influence on the 80s hair metal scene.

Choice cuts:  “Black Tiger”, “Mean Streak”, “Summertime Girls”

Metallica

What can you say about Metallica?  I’ve been a fan since Master Of Puppets so I certainly lean more old school, although there is still a lot of goodness in their post Black Album period.   That said, my preferences lean heavily on the first four LPs (plus EPs) where the band made their mark on the thrash metal world before becoming (arguably) the reigning kings of the metal genre and (possibly) the band that has influenced heavy music moreso than any artist in history.

Choice cuts:  “Master Of Puppets”, “Creeping Death”, “Seek And Destroy”

Duane Allman

Duane Allman packed quite a punch in his short life, making his mark not only with the Allman Brothers but as a session musician for the likes of Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, and most notably Derek & The Dominoes (you know… with that Eric Clapton cat).  One of those artists where you think “what could have been?” if he had lived, especially with the Allmans becoming such a formidable live band during this period.  His prodigious talents were just starting to blossom.

Choice cuts (choosing solo, session, and Allmans):  “Happily Married Man”, “Layla”, “One Way Out”

The Who

For those dear readers of this blog, you’ve likely seen my “Favorite” band list where The Who ranks #3.  I could talk all day regarding my love for the band, personal influence on me, songwriting talents, and extraordinary musicianship but go read that blog for a good taste.  Fave period of the band of course is the early days up until Keith Moon’s death in 1978, although I do have some love for the early 80s material and their fairly recent Endless Wire disc.  Down to Pete and Rog now, they are still a favorite.

Choice cuts:  “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “My Generation”, “Who Are You”

The Kinks

My all time favorite list of bands stopped at #5 but The Kinks would certainly be in my top ten.  My favorite period is the late 70s through early 80s, where the band dropped the concept album and became some serious arena rock players, led formidably by Dave Davies’ raunchy guitar riffing and brother Ray Davies’ charismatic stage presence.  And those songs!  Sure, their early years had all of the hits but they really came into their own in the US as they were out to show the punks and hard rockers who was boss.  The “One For The Road” live album is fantastic.

Choice cuts (go with the “One For The Road” versions):  “You Really Got Me”, “All Day And All Of The Night”, “Superman”

Foghat

Boogie!  Talk about a staple of classic rock radio, Foghat had a number of guitar driven rock cuts that slayed back in the day and are still readily heard today.  Led by the great vocals from “Lonesome” Dave Peverett, the band came to fruition in the early 70s behind a solid rhythm section and some fab slide work from guitarist Rod Price, releasing a number of fine studio albums and an excellent live album.  The band still tours today with original drummer Roger Earl and early period bassist Craig McGregor.

Choice cuts:  “Slow Ride”, “Fool For The City”, “Drivin’ Wheel”

Pink Floyd

Interestingly enough, I’ve become more of a Pink Floyd fan in my later years than when I first heard them as a wee lad.  Most likely this is due to their prevalence on the radio during those years, first hearing the hits from The Wall and the omnipresent Dark Side Of The Moon before I really gave the band justice in my late twenties/early thirties.  My preference certainly leans to their early to mid 70s spacier side although I do like the Dave Gilmour led version of the band as well.

Choice Cuts:  “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, “One Of These Days”, “Comfortably Numb”

Testament

People talk about “The Big Four” of thrash and rightly so, but the band that is still releasing product that is better than that lot these days is the mighty Testament.  The Bay Area bashers are still going strong and releasing some outstanding material and the band as a whole is arguably better than ever-  I’ve seen them twice over the past couple of years and this new lineup is incredible.  Hoglan and DiGiorgio are as ridiculously talented as the guitar tag team of Peterson/Skolnick, and Chuck Billy?  The greatest thrash vocalist EVER, bar none.

Choice cuts:  “Disciples Of The Watch”, “Into The Pit”, “Over The Wall”

Sacred Reich

Loading up on thrash bands in this post!  I miss these guys…  sure, they are still doing the occasional tour but they are not releasing any new material.  Which is a damn shame as this band’s mix of Sabbatherian swing, punk roots, and excellent lyrics (often with a political bent) were unique for the genre.  Their five albums, while all heavy, are all slightly different-  everything from muscular punk thrashiness to hefty swinging metal to mountain moving sludgy riffiness (how about those descriptions?)

Choice cuts:  “The American Way”, “Surf Nicaragua”, “Love… Hate”

Nevermore

Metal in the early to mid 90s was pretty much a dirty word-  grunge was king and many of the 80s bands changed their style to match, died an untimely death, or went into hiding.  Finding fresh new sounds was tough, but fortunately I latched onto Nevermore.  Oddly enough, the band formed in Seattle in the early 90s and leaned in a much heavier and atmospheric direction than their counterparts in the area. Featuring the incredible guitar work of Jeff Loomis and the sinister vocal stylings and roar from Warrel Dane, the band has released a number of heavy albums but are currently on hiatus.

Choice cuts:  “Seven Tongues Of God”, “Dreaming Neon Black”, “Born”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-p_sQX2ey0

Picture this…  let’s say we’re hanging at a bar on a Friday night after a long day’s work.  It’s still a little early and that night’s cover band is busy setting up their equipment for the evening entertainment, so you throw a dollar my way and say “fill up the jukebox!”.  So I grab the dollar, saunter over to the machine, and immediately look for something a bit funky…  a bit uptempo… and with a bit of a groove.  Something very much like…  Stevie Ray Vaughan’s, “Couldn’t Stand The Weather”.

Truer words have never been spoken although I’m one of the dudes in the band slipping coinage in the jukebox while I waited for the rest of the guys to set up 🙂  And yes, something like “Couldn’t Stand The Weather” was a prime choice to “get up and go” due to the intense groove and downright choppy funkiness on display; a bit like a quick shot of Jolt cola for the senses.  Sure, you got a little mood setting early that throws you off guard but when that Stevie Ray guitar riff comes in you are ELEVATED in a good way, kicking you in the seat of your pants and lifting those spirits ever higher.

So you gotta buddy out there that says the blues is boring?  Same chords, same tempos, same lyrical content, same repetitive patterns?  Uh huh… yeah riiiiight…  throw this on for him and ask “is THIS boring?”  No son… THIS is fire, THIS is intensity, and THIS is a master class in playing.  I mean, what else is there to say?

Well… other than to say we still miss you Stevie Ray!

Time to kiss April goodbye and ring in the month of May with a iPod shuffle post!

“Like An Arrow”, Blackberry Smoke Like An Arrow

Sounding a bit like an old school Joe Walsh riff, Blackberry Smoke toss a nod to a likely influence via this cut with its lazy as a slow rolling river riff and strong chorus.  If you’ve not bought into the Smoke hype, hop on the train and enjoy the greasy goodness that this band rolls out album after album.  Classic rock grooves or country throwbacks, they aim to please.

“I Go Swimming”, Peter Gabriel Plays Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz524Cm4YRw

Kind of a fun Gabriel tune a la “Sledgehammer” or “Steam”, “Swimming” kind of presages those cuts with a fun and bopping new wave-y riff that never appeared on a studio album.  This version is from his early Plays Live LP and offers a bit of a stark contrast against some of the typically dark Gabriel material.  “I go swimming in water”…  well…  where else would you swim? 🙂

“The Blacker The Berrie”, Isley Brothers It’s Your Thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zYzZT1M5E0

Yeah man, some awesomely cool R&B/funk/soul for the head per the late 60s period of the great Isley Brothers.  Lead voice Ronald Isley is on fire here singing about something other than fruit (come ON, you know) over top an insistently smooth and groovy riff.  The horn arrangement here is off the charts (pun intended), all blasting trumpets and honking sax.  A fine, fine tune.

“A Different Drum”, Peter Gabriel Passion: Music From The Last Temptation Of Christ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUF_3oKlX_U

Two Gabriel cuts this post and they couldn’t be more polar opposites.  I don’t have a whole lot of soundtrack music on the iPod but this CD is a nice change of pace from the heavies.  Built around an insistent percussive pattern, this song weaves in bits of Middle Eastern exotics with Peter’s occasional beautiful melodies and synth work.  If you’re up for something different with a world music vibe this’ll do.

“Sucka”, Lynch Mob Sun Red Sun

Call me a hair metal blasphemer, but Lynch Mob stands just a shade taller than George Lynch’s original day job as lead guitarist in Dokken.  Granted, that band had some fantastic songs but my preferences lean to the harder, bluesier tones with the Mob plus singer Oni Logan has some fantastic pipes.  “Sucka” is prime Lynch riffing, nice and chunky and some always tasty lead work.

“I Have The Skill”, The Sherbs The Skill

A few posts ago I had “Obscurities Playlist” filled with goodies like this one from the early 80’s.  This is really a great tune, a nice mix of poppiness and semi-proggy keyboard tones with a sing-songy chorus and some punchy guitar, almost like a riffier late period Genesis that ends with a bash a la The Who.  These Aussies had a few other great cuts that deserve your attention as well.

“Rockin’ All Over The World”, John Fogerty Premonition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFs9YAH9Q_c

John Fogerty, American songwriting icon, leaves Creedence Clearwater Revival for solo career superstardom and releases this mid-70s classic which would have fit on any earlier CCR album with ease.  Really no more than a rockin’ boogie with a feel good riff and a joyfully shouted lyric that we all can relate to and sing along with as well.  You want a great rock song with non-stop danceability?  Look no further!

“Jeepster” T. Rex Electric Warrior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IseXQNVdSBw

Immense fun and bopping grooveability here, kind of akin to the aforementioned Fogerty in level of fun but with more of a glammy playfulness via the rockabilly bop, lyrical content, and handclaps.  Everyone knows “Bang A Gong” in the Stats but Bolan had a slew of hits in Britain before meeting an untimely demise in the mid 70s.  Bowie, T Rex, Slade…  all originators of that early glam sound.

“No Line On The Horizon”, U2 No Line On The Horizon

Confession here… I didn’t realize this was on my iPod and this is the FIRST time I’ve ever listened to it.  So… first take, it’s not bad; as always with U2 they take more changes than other bands and aren’t afraid to stretch out.  Bono has a great vocal here and this was likely a live favorite on this tour.  Musically a rides an Adam Clayton bassline with solid band playing and different sound effects mixed in to color the tune.

“Tired Of Travellin'”, Ronnie Dawson Just Rockin’ And Rollin’

Thank God I got exposed to the great Ronnie Dawson’s music-  over the last ten years or so I’ve had a slight rockabilly itch and this cat has scratched it sufficiently.  The Texas musician passed away almost fifteen years ago and left some excellent music for us to enjoy, with “Tired Of Travellin'” as good as anything he’s put out.  A great groove, chickin’ pickin’ guitar, and some killer stand up basswork.  Thumbs up!

Wow, wow, wow…  cut of the week is VERY HARD.  I might have to go with “I Have The Skill” but any other day it might be “Tired Of Travellin'” or “Sucka”.  “Jeepster” and “Rockin’ All Over The World” are up there too.

Tip of the hat to my brother for this topic…  who doesn’t like a good scream/shriek/howl/yell from their favorite singers?  Below is the first in a series of posts on my long list of faves and their best moments (in no particular order).

Bruce Dickinson (“The Number Of The Beast”, “Flight Of Icarus”, “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, “Moonchild”, “Run To The Hills”)

Personal favorite here would be “Icarus” as it was the first Maiden song I ever heard (saw the video) plus I have a funny memory about me trying to hit that note in chemistry class and failing poorly while my buddies got in trouble for their air drumming and air guitar mastery.  But “Beast” gets a big nod due to its length and power.

Roger Daltrey (“Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Free Me”, “Who Are You”, “Love Reign O’er Me”) 

“Fooled” of course is the big one (especially due to the CSI theme) and comes at such a key point of the song, but that roar is ever present throughout “Love Reign O’er Me” and shows up menacingly during “Who the f___ are you?” and in the underrated solo cut “Free Me”.  Great stuff from The Who frontman.

Ian Gillan (“Child In Time”, “Disturbing The Priest”, “Trashed”, “Highway Star”, “Fighting Man”)

And this is just a short list!  Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan may be my favorite screamer by far and he’s got one of the craziest ranges of screams ever.  “Child In Time” is ridiculously high, “Disturbing The Priest” (from his Sabbath days) is disturbingly unhinged, and “Highway Star” has some classics.  Hell, let’s add “Speed King” on here too just for fun.

John Oliva (“Hall Of The Mountain King”, “Beyond The Doors Of The Dark”, “Power Of The Night”, “Hounds”, “Of Rage And War”)

Oliva literally scares the shit out of me-  he’s got a great, clean singing voice but the more aggressive he gets the manic intensity comes out and he has the most ungodliest shrieks you’ll ever hear.  He’ll belt out a great scream here and there but his occasional burst of AHHH sends chills up my spine (check out “Mountain King” for examples).

James Brown (“It’s A New Day”, “Mother Popcorn”, “Cold Sweat”, “I Got The Feelin'”, “I Can’t Stand Myself”, “Super Bad”)

Yeah, all fast stuff here and I’m leaving out some others but this would be one loooong post to include EVERYTHING.  JB grunted, squealed, yelled, screamed, and was just in the moment with pretty much anything he sang regardless if it was uptempo or lowdown funk.  Highly influential to artists like Prince, who can drop a mean scream as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRhhmWojLWo

You WIN!  Two posts in one day!

Man…  haven’t done an “Under The Radar” post in a couple of years.  First few posts were done to highlight albums and bands that you may have missed back in the day, but for this go ’round I’m going to hit on an underrated fivesome from California that went through some serious trials and tribulations (and definitely heartache) to release what is possibly their best album ever:  Armored Saint and Symbol Of Salvation.

Armored Saint…  a band of childhood friends that formed in the early 80s found themselves at a difficult period at the tail end of that decade.  Their first three albums (March Of The Saint, Delirious Nomad, and Raising Fear) were excellent slabs of heavy metal, taking the strengths of bands like Judas Priest and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement and putting their own spin on things.  All players were solid, the music was heavy yet melodic, and the band featured a fantastic singer in John Bush.  Unfortunately, due to the timing of hair metal and record company indifference the band never quite broke out of cult band status and did not receive the respect they deserved outside of a few metal magazines and the praise from faithful fans. But the worst was yet to come.

Shortly after the band’s 1987 album Raising Fear and unhappy with Chrysalis Records, the band holed up over the next few years to work up demos to present to record labels.  Unfortunately, lead guitarist David Prichard was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away shortly before the band started recording the material for what would be their Metal Blade release Symbol Of Salvation.  After Prichard’s passing, the band recruited new blood in guitarist Jeff Duncan, brought back original guitarist Phil Sandoval (who had left the band shortly after second album Delirious Nomad), and went in to finish the new album, dedicated to the spirit and memory of their fallen friend.

And what a record this turned out to be.  From intro song “Reign Of Fire” through the final cut “Spineless”, Armored Saint played to their strengths and released an released an album full of memorable, heavy yet melodic songs with some outstanding vocal work from John Bush and great interplay between the tag team of Sandoval\Duncan,  backed by the great Joey Vera on bass and Gonzo Sandoval on drums.  And with Dave Jerden’s production, the songs and sound of the band were really top notch and were one step above the already great material on their previous releases.  Finally, the band had the songs and a great sounding album that would hopefully lead to greater success and respect in the music community (more on that later).

No lie…  this album would be a fantastic edition for those of you that dig heavy rock and miss old school heavy metal from the 80s.  “Reign Of Fire” and “Last Train Home” were two of the more melodic cuts on the disc that did not sacrifice the heaviness one iota but featured some excellent Bush vocal work with some singability to the chorus.  Shoot, throw “Warzone” in there and “Burning Question” while you’re at it; both cuts showing off the killer range of Bush as he offers up plenty of melodic singing in the verses but belts out the hero vocal come chorus time (one of the reason he ranks high in my list of favorite singers- look up those posts!).  And how about the band’s ability to swing a little in the underrated “Truth Always Hurts”?  Just proof that you don’t need to hit everyone over the head with non-stop straight forward metal.

Did I say “non-stop straight forward” metal?  How about that hammering riff on title cut “Symbol Of Salvation”?  Or the in your face of last track “Spineless”?  Two solid riffsters for sure.  But maybe a taste of experimentation is what you need, so how about digging on the bluesy, almost jazzy flamenco swing that intros the great “Tainted Past”, one of those great, great cuts the band seems to toss out with ease that features those heavy elements but adds new twists.  Solid stuff.

Unfortunately, Symbol Of Salvation did not set the world on fire.  It did garner the band some new fans but within a couple of years John Bush was asked to join Anthrax, a band with much bigger recognition and one that could offer up a bit more longer term stability after many years of struggling.  Bush went on to release some great albums with Anthrax but during downtime did Saint’s 2000 album Revelation, eventually leaving the NYC thrashers in the late 00s.  Fortunately for us, Bush has reunited with Vera, Duncan, and the Sandoval brothers and has released a couple of excellent albums, one live album, and done the occasional tour.  And for that, this lifelong fan couldn’t be any happier to see them back together.  The Saint lives on!