Wow, where has the time gone? It’s been a year and a half since my last ramble; not something that can be blamed on COVID but just a looooooong break while I ended up accumulating a SERIOUS amount of blues and power/progressive metal CDs over that time (eBay, Mercari, and Etsy have been my weakness lately). Anyhoo, some of that new metal may pop up in this shuffle and I promise that I won’t be in hiding for another year and a half. We’ll see how my writing chops are after a long absence 🙂

Sea Of Possibilities, Nevermore Nevermore

Yes Virginia, Seattle DOES have more than grunge- Nevermore being one of the better staples of the metal genre that crawled outta the underground from the Northwest, featuring the demented caw of Warrel Dane and strong six string chops from Jeff Loomis. “Sea Of Possibilities” is a great piece of molten metal, Dane maybe a hair less shrieky than his Sanctuary days (another great band, check ’em out) and Loomis’ hefty, choppy riffs backed with some (I say it lovingly) slamming, trash can drumming makes for one truly volcanic piece of work. Man, finding metal in the 90s was a tough slog but Century Media did a fantastic job of finding and featuring some killer bands with Nevermore being near the very top of those lean years. Great, great stuff.

“Radioactive Toy” Porcupine Tree Coma Divine

Early PT may have been a wee bit more Pink Floyd and atmospheric in vibe and texture than their semi metal-esque leanings come In Absentia but that’s a good thing. Steven Wilson’s band has always been a bit adventurous at times as they walk that fine line from spacy, languid epics to the occasional ripper and “Radioactive Toy” gives you a taste of both; certainly more tubthumping courtesy of Chris Maitland on skins but similar in the ethereal keys from the great Richard Barbieri. Halfway through the cut and you’re definitely shinin’ with crazy diamonds on the dark side of the moon until the cut eventually builds to a stirring and mesmerizing end. Major points for the crowd being fairly chill through the laid back bits and helping sing the title.

“A Gypsy’s Kiss” Deep Purple, Perfect Strangers

Ha ha, Ian Gillan you sneaky bastard with yer cockney rhyming slang. Um, the rest of those lyrics tho… huh? I don’t get it but I it all sounds cool spilling out of your often demented head. At any rate, “Gypsy’s Kiss” is a first rate rocker off Mk II’s comeback record featuring a supremely growling keyboard bits from the late Jon Lord and some truly stellar lead licks from the master Richie Blackmore. The dual interplay between the two in fine fettle, especially the middle solo section where the two lock in tight on a serious run before Blackers goes off full flight into the stratosphere, then back together for another dual duel before Jon gives him a run for his money. Truly a fun and searing cut from arguably one of the best comeback records ever.

“Wicker Man” Iron Maiden, Rock In Rio

Did somebody say “one of the best comeback records ever?” Well, Iron Maiden certainly should be part of that discussion with the stunning Brave New World, a record in which we welcomed singer Bruce Dickinson back (and Adrian Smith too!) with open arms. “Wicker Man” was the lead cut on that album and the version from Rock In Rio is damn fine, Bruce arguably singing better than ever during this period as he whips the Brazilian crowd into a frenzy. Speaking of Adrian Smith, he and Bruce penned this modern day classic and H takes the lead spot here, cocked wah and all. And hey, can’t you just picture Steve Harris running around mouthing the “your time will come” line? Sure you can.

“Time Weaver’s Tale” Pain Of Salvation, The Perfect Element

Pain Of Salvation was one of those bands that in some circles may have been pegged as the “next great hope” of the progressive metal circuit. Like Nevermore, the Swedes first popped out of the underground circa the early 90s as a kind of next wave of metal but a bit more complex in delivery and not just relying on flat out heaviness. For example, “A Time Weaver’s Tale” definitely leans more to bands like The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra with a smidge of Queen featuring some stellar vocals and beautiful melody throughout. But hey, we’re talking metal here so you’re going to get a dramatic switch and a brief aggressive bit returning to and ending with those beautiful melodies.

Sacred Reich, “Crimes Against Humanity” The American Way

Arizona’s incredibly underrated Sacred Reich was one of those bands that, depending on which way you lean, might have fallen somewhere along that second or third tier of the great thrash bands of the mid to late 80s. I was always a big fan and thought the band was just an incredible blend of metal, punk, and often drank from the groovy, weighty well of Black Sabbath. Lyrically the band were a bit unique, shying away from dungeons, dragons, death, and destruction and leaning a bit more real world problems like the excellent “Crimes Against Humanity”, where Phil Rind cuts down on big companies, pollution, war… you name it, he’s not a happy man. Riff is nice, thick, and rumbly and tears into a breakneck pace near the end, rivaling the best of Slayer or Megadeth.

“Fifth Angel” Fifth Angel, Fifth Angel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeHXvzKPRJ8

Nothing like a band with a song and album named after the band (shades of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden!). Hey, didn’t I say that the Northwest had some killer metal bands? Yep, Fifth Angel hailed from that neck of the woods and their self titled album and cut of the same name had some really good hard rock/metal, certainly to the left of the hair farmers of the era but featuring some of the more melodic, singable elements similar to your Dokkens yet slightly more European like a darker Judas Priest or semi-gothic Scorpions. Great vocals from aspiring dentist Ted Pilot (true fact, he’s a doctor these days) and nice galloping riff from James Byrd and Ed Archer. A bit of an underrated band worthy of a listen for you fans of 80s metal.

“Pulaski Skyway” Clutch, Robot Hive/Exodus

Clutch always entertains. Come Blast Tyrant/Robot Hive/Exodus era the band seemed to settle into an unrelenting groove like no other, maybe less DC hardcore in approach and instead falling into a swampier, bluesier backwater for Neil Fallon’s tall tales and often hilarious wordplay (dig the Noo Yawk references to Jimmy Hoffa, CBGBs, and… ahem… “Chump Towers”). And speaking of Neil his vocal turn around these two records certainly appealed to me moreso then his previous bark, sounding like a cross between latter period Jim Morrison crossed and Howlin’ Wolf yet waaaay more tuneful in his bearlike roar. Oh, and the addition of the Hammond B-3 to the sound at this time… magnifico!

“Dagger” Requiem, Mask Of Damnation

Ahhh, some of that power metal I picked up courtesy of eBay. Finland’s Requiem was a new find for me but certainly fits in that power metal bill that those Scandinavian countries do very well, with “Dagger” a bit more on the pompy side with hints of the Iron Maiden gallop with a bit of overwrought yet emotional vocal from Jouni Nikula and hints of Rainbow and Stratovarious in the keyboard work and melodies. The song is a decent romp and a good taste of what the band is all about, certainly sounding a bit like the aforementioned bands but with enough uniqueness in melody and vocal approach to set it apart from. Shades of Blaze Bayley in the Nikula delivery.

Seven Witches “Ragnarok”, Call Upon The Witches

Yeah baby! Jack Frost and his band of merry men lay down a face melting, rifftastic, barn burner ode to the land of Thor in “Ragnarok”, a song not for the weak of heart but for those headbangers and fist pumping maniacs who bow down to “the riff” and supreme vocals. James Rivera is in top form, all master thespian in storytelling and delivery and has your attention from the get go as he rips through an awesomely catchy chorus that we’d all be screaming along to with the band. Frost has some serious crunch going on but dig the drop in from Mike LePond, who gets all cool and noodly like only he can. Seriously, this is fun with a capital F and will have you hitting the repeat button multiple times for non-stop headbanging action.

Whoo! It’s good to be back! Best song as of this writing goes to “Ragnarok” (too damn catchy) followed by “Crimes Against Humanity” with “Wicker Man” in third.

I heard you missed me I’m back! I brought my keyboard! Gimme a blog to write on, man! Hear ye hear ye hear ye… first post with just “THE ROCK” iPod (no metal… well, maybe metal-ish but we’ll see).

“Creatures Of The Night” KISS, Alive III

Yeah baby! Kickin’ off the rawk on this shuffle post with an unheralded classic from the Kisssters, “Creatures Of The Night” has always been a stonkin’ ripper of great proportions with it’s thick, metalish riff (did I say NO METAL on this iPod???), sing a long chorus, and a great vocal from Mr. Paul Stanley. This version is extra good as it comes from their early 90s live rekkid in Alive III– you get yer loud crowd and of course and explosion or two (or three). Bruce Kulick on lead guitar here whips out your typical 80s flash lead, not quite in the Ace league but pretty dang good with the occasional dive bombs and noodly bits. But really it’s Paul’s vocal that steals the show in all his He-Man glory. Great cut!

“Come Rain Or Come Shine” The Union, The Union

So at some point Luke Morley’s main gig in Thunder was put on hiatus and he formed a nice little pairing with Peter Shoulder and put out a couple of releases as The Union, sounding a bit similar to Thunder in spots but with “Come Rain Or Come Shine” leaning more towards a bluesy/country vibe. If you like more singer/songwriter and acoustic vibe with harmonies, this song will fit the bill. Morley and Shoulder sound great together and their acoustic interplay is wonderful and even kicks up a notch with a bit of banjo, sweet harmonica playing, and some nice keyboard touches. Kinda early Eagles with a bit more rootsier bent.

“Hollywood Nights” Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Stranger In Town

If I was told that I had only one Bob Seger song I could listen to for the rest of my life, I may very well choose “Hollywood Nights”. One reason… PROPULSION. This song just moves me like none other from Bob… that intro says it all and comes out swinging for all its worth, building on some kicking drums and driving bass and guitar riff until it climaxes in one helluva singalong chorus until it comes back around again for a couple more verses. As always Bob spins a great visual lyric, one with a sense of risk and adventure with “the midwestern boy on his own” as the tension builds and builds and builds against that wonderful, rhythmic kick from the Silver Bullet band.

“Going To California (Mandolin/Guitar Mix)” Led Zeppelin, IV

Not too long ago Jimmy Page re-re-re-re(?)mastered all of the Led Zeppelin albums but this time with a little twist… a second disc for each album with different mixes on some songs and the occasional unreleased cut. This version of the IV classic is all guitar and mandolin with no vocal, which sounds just as wonderful as you would imagine even without the great Robert Plant on it. That said, Plant’s vocal so intertwined with the melody throughout the song that (dare I say) you don’t quite miss it except in a couple of places where his vocal certainly took point and the instrumentation was slightly stripped back: the “it seems that the wrath of the gods” line along with the “ahh ahhh” at the very end. All in all a nice listen.

“Big City” Luther Allison, Blue Streak

When Luther Allison sang and played guitar, he meant it. Listen to any of his discs in the 70s/80s/90s but especially track down his live releases, where the man put everything on the line and then some as part of his brand of Chicago blues. “Big City” is a smoldering cut, all slinky groove on the backbeat with some great organ work and all the passion you could muster in a gritty lead vocal where Luther sings about hard times and “killin’ in the streets” of the Big City. Some fantastic interplay on guitar between James Solberg and Luther, the former holding down the main rhythm while his boss increases the intensity as he wrangles out one stinging lead after another. Great stuff.

“I Want The Drugs” Supersuckers, Live At The Magic Bag

Blink and it’s gone… Supersuckers have always been one of my favorite unsung bands, one which rocks mighty and hard but oftentimes with a tongue planted firmly in the cheek to go with that foot up your ass. “I Want The Drugs” is just a full on blast of high speed punk that lasts barely over a minute with lead singer Eddie Spaghetti rattling off the lyrics in hyperspeed fashion but not quite matching the supersonic, face melting riffing from Rontrose Heathman and Dan “Thunder” Bolton that makes those Ramones records seem timid in comparison. Be forewarned- probably not suitable for Grandma’s mix tape.

“Same Old Blues” Poppa Chubby, Booty and the Beast

Ok, ok, fully on confession… I’m not really a slow blues kind of guy unless the vocals are soulfully compelling or the guitar work is jaw droppingly incredible, so a song like “Same Old Blues” falls into the just OK category for me. Vocals are good and guitar work is good but other than that it seems more of a song that Poppa can step back a hair from his more uptempo work and take a bit of a break from the intensity of a nightly set. I don’t mean to be hard on the guy because he’s got a good mix of fierce and controlled playing and he’s got some soulful pipes but this is not quite the “go to” tune if I want Poppa Chubby.

“The Millionaire” Reverend Horton Heat, Spend A Night In The Box

The psychobilly stylings of Reverend Horton Heat lean a bit closer to my roots rockin’ listening takes these days when I want to get a modern twist on an older formula (rockabilly). Still, this ain’t TOO old as many bands over the years have put their jump jivin’ spin on rockabilly and surf music and the Rev is as good as any. “The Millionaire” is all uptempo, bright sparkly spank with thunderous drumwork and some downright groovy instrumental guitar work that’ll get yer toes a tappin’. Take a bit of Link Wray, mix it with Duane Eddy and Brian Setzer dashed with a hint of Dick Dale and “The Millionaire” might be what falls outta the blender.

“Theme From Baroque Weirdos” Joe Walsh, Songs For A Dying Planet

Leave it to Joe Walsh, the grand wizard of guitar riffery and fun, to get all sentimental on some of his late 70s/early 80s solo albums and bless us with these “Theme From…” ditties that seem to be on the album only to let us know that ol’ Joe could be a serious musician if he wanted to. The “Baroque Weirdos” version sounds like a bit from one of our favorite Jon Hughes’ movies from the 80s, when the guy finally gets the girl and the sit on the beach contemplating life while they share a milkshake and stare at the sunset as the seagulls fly overhead. Well, maybe not but they are all short little bits from the man that offer a bit of a respite from the crazy world that is Joe Walsh.

“Sweet Southern Sound” Moon Dog Mane, Turn It Up

The 90s were hard on hair bands, especially from around 1993 on. Tesla wasn’t quite as “hairy” as some of the others; matter of fact, their 70s schtick made them stand out from the pack but when the Seattle sound hit the industry dropped them like the others. Guitarist Frank Hannon took advantage of the (temporary) hiatus and founded Moon Dog Mane, which added more of a Skynyrd/Black Crowes vibe to the formula that’s full on display with “Sweet Southern Sound”. Maybe not quite in the same league as those bands but the elements and the heart are there (dig that piano!) and Hannon’s guitar work is mighty fine.

Winner on this post goes to “Hollywood Nights”, hands down. Second place goes to “Creatures Of The Night” and bringing up the rear is the stripped back version of “Going To California”.

As mentioned a couple of months ago, I maxed out on my 160 GB iPod Classic and decided to split the ROCK and the METAL across two iPods (one a new iPod touch that one of my sons got me for Christmas back in 2019). I’ve already done one post on the Rock iPod… now the first for the METAL!

“Back To The People”, Infectious Grooves The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move… It’s The Infectious Grooves

AHHHHHHAHAHA! How funny… the first song coming up on shuffle is about as far away from metal as can be and certainly leans more to the funky side of Mike Muir’s band of merry men. A bit of a showcase for Robert Trujillo whose popping and slapping bass style is the highlight (although not showcased in his gig with the big boys in Metallica), but there’s also enough skanky guitar from Dean Pleasants and drum ‘n percussive groove from Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins to make this cut a bit of funky fun. Throw in the odd asides from Muir and you’ve got a bit o’ entertainment akin to stuff like the Red Hot Chili Peppers (OLD RHCP, not new).

“These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” Megadeth, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good

Oh, it’s one of THOSE blog posts this week eh? A bit of the tomfoolery here on the shuffle, this being a metalized version of the Nancy Sinatra classic (the non-censored one to boot!) and also our second album in a row with an ellipsis in it (what’s an ellipsis? Google it!) At any rate, this is an absolutely KILLER version done in true early Megadeth piss ‘n vinegar style with snotty vocals, slippery guitar runs, and thunderous Gar Samuelson drums. Supposedly songwriter Lee Hazelwood was not happy with this version and has forced the band to censor much of the vocal on Killing rereleases, which in an odd way is funny in its own way as much of it is bleeped out (some REALLY long bleeps too). Love the “walking bass” intro and nasty Chris Poland solo at the beginning.

“Off The Edge” Megadeth, Super Collider

Well, TWO ‘Deth songs in a row… guess the tomfoolery continues! At any rate “Off The Edge” comes from the somewhat lamented Super Collider and in all honesty is a pretty rockin’ cut, not the thrashy stuff from the early days but a decent, galloping riff and a pretty good snarly Mustaine vocal. One of the reasons I run in shuffle mode is that I’ll often miss songs like this when listening to the original albums in full and don’t really catch how good they are unless it’s out of context and I’m not expecting it. A bit of a similar vibe and groove to what’s on Symphony Of Destruction with some decent leadwork but not the over the top speed and relentless headbanging found on Peace Sells.

“Moon” Leprous, The Congregation

Oh I forgot to mention… the metal iPod has quite the mix from the genre with Leprous representing the more progressive side of things, maybe a bit more from an avant garde and experimental front. “Moon” move along on a pretty tricky drum groove from Baard Kolstad (who happens to be making his band debut here) and atmospheric keyboard work from vocalist Elinar Solberg, whose singing style is pretty dramatic and touches the full throated near falsetto range. About midway through comes the guitar, which is content to just ride a muted, distorted rhythm until the last minute of the song as it blends more heavier riffs and pull offs with more dramatic keyswork. A bit “out there” overall but it all works to dramatic effect. Quite the interesting band.

“Sleeping On The Job” Gillan, Glory Road

So what does Ian Gillan do after leaving the mighty Deep Purple machine in 1973 before making his triumphant return to that vocal throne in 1984? Outside of a few years running a studio and experimenting with a dern near rock/metal/fusion (?) band, our favorite yelper leads a crack band under the Gillan moniker that brings him near full circle to the hard rock he was quite famous for. “Sleeping On The Job” has a killer main riff with great guitar/keyboard interplay between Bernie Torme and Colin Townes that comes darn near the work of the aforementioned Purple but leans a little more towards bluesy, bouncy fun. Gillan in great voice, content to sing more rather than scream his hearty head off.

“Riding On The Wind” Judas Priest, Live In Memphis

Basically the boot version of Priest DVD Live Vengeance, this period was likely the height of my Priest fandom as the band had just come out with the searing Screaming For Vengeance and this actual video was being shown periodically on MTV back in the good ol’ days. And boy does this version smoke; Halford really letting ‘er rip vocally and hitting a range that’s crossed between flat out singing and mid-tier scream with some strong upper register as well. For those of you that want to know why I love metal, this is a great reason. This has always been one of my favorite unheralded Priest songs- such a great, great riff, fantastic tag team guitar work, propulsive drive, but most of all… THAT VOCAL. Just when you think he’s about to lose it he pushes his voice even further. Fantastic stuff.

“Riddles Are Abound Tonight” Sausage, Riddles Are Abound Tonight

Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone… but Sausage is Primus…. well, not really but one listen to the unmistakable voice, weirdoramaness, and bass fwapping from the one and only Les Claypool and it would be hard to argue about that there fact, BUT… it’s NOT Primus. But… kinda? So whatcha got here is ol’ Les with a couple of dudes who were part of the original Primus BEFORE they became the Primus that we all know and love today. Said couple of dudes left the band in the pre-fame days but in 1994 all three got together and put together this truly frizzle fried release. “Riddles Are Abound Tonight” has EVERYTHING you love about Primus: world class and wacky bass, weird vocals and lyrics, noisy guitar, and kickin’ drum beats. In a word… fun!

“Dance Of The Dead” Iron Maiden, En Vivo!

I think most of you know that I’m a HUGE Iron Maiden fan. HUUUUUUUUUGE. That said, I’ve always been kinda lukewarm on this song and I don’t really know why- it pains me to say that it’s almost a bit of a “paint by numbers” Maiden tale, a bit of “Fear Of The Dark” crossed with “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “Afraid To Shoot Strangers” but with a Celtic jig. Maybe it’s the LOOOOONG intro (three minutes?!) but eventually we get into yer typical Maiden romp; this version maybe a tad bit rushed (thanks Mr McBrain) but it does feature some absolutely stonking solos from the Three Amigos with Janick winning this round. As always, Bruce does one helluva job singing and is in proper thespian mode for the spooky lyrical content. Ahh… I’m too hard on this one.

“Genocya” Overkill, From The Underground And Below

In the 90s it seemed as if Overkill were the only thrash band (I know, I know… there WERE others, but it SEEMED that way) still flying the metal flag with the onset of grunge. This era of the band still hung on to their thrashy roots but often injected a bit more groove and doom into their sound, with “Genocya” being a decent taster of what they were doing at the time with a shade more darker and demented menace on display here. As always Blitz is on fire, his raging, almost punkish delivery often pushing Overkill songs on to even greater headbanging heights. I love how the song builds from an atonal yet crunchy riff, DD’s doomy bass, and Blitz’s controlled snarl until it pushes into overdrive. Slow, fast, slower, then even faster… very cool.

“Death Alley Driver” Rainbow, Straight Between The Eyes

Like that Gillan cat above, what did the great Ritchie Blackmore do in his time away from Deep Purple? Why he formed his own fab band in Rainbow, initially fronted by Ronnie James Dio before moving on to more commercial heights with the smoother belt of Joe Lynn Turner. “Death Alley Driver” leans very close to “Highway Star” territory with its speedy riff, fleet fingered noodling, and mesmerizing organ solo but in the end is really its own thing in the hands of the measured pace and bluesier tones of Turner and a mix focused more on the Man In Black’s searing guitar work. Maybe a bit of a cleaner and safer take in comparison but it’s still tons of fun and the song rocks hard with Ritchie’s slight of hand always a thing of beauty.

First place this blog post goes to the mighty “Riding On The Wind” with spot number two going to “These Boots” and the third goes to “Dance Of Death” (yeah, I know I’m the contrarian… but it’s IRON MAIDEN!)

Before I get too deep into this review I need to make you readers aware of a few facts that may, in some eyes, appear to make this review a bit one-sided and not as objective as it needs to be.  I think most of you are fully aware that this blog highlights music that I am personally interested in and on occasion I like to share newer music that may appeal to some of you “tune junkies” as well, so regardless you’re always going to get a positive slant from me.  So in Eternal Void’s case:  1) they are a local metal band from the Cincinnati/Dayton area not too far from me; and 2) my son Ian Remley is the bassist in the band.  But…  take away those factors and this is still a stunning release full of various layers, vocal dynamics, dense sonics, sheer intensity, and subtle beauty all wrapped in a crushing, 38+ minute statement that is well worth your attention.

I’ll admit that I’d heard bits and pieces of each song as the band was laying down the tracks and although I’d had favorites from some early rough mixes, what really knocked me out was the depth and breadth of just the instrumental tracks.  I’d caught the band live a few years ago before my son joined and thought they sounded really good- lots of heavy riffing, jackhammer drumming, and fiery vocals- so when Ian mentioned that he was joining I was excited for what I would hear.  But what I didn’t know at the time was that the band had recruited a second guitarist and one I knew quite well-  Waylon Baker, Ian’s former bandmate in his previous band The Earth Laid Bare.  Always solid in the riff department, I had a feeling Waylon’s melodic, layered patterns could provide an emotional lift/shift and provide some serious ear candy that would fit in with original guitarist Evan Hildebrandt’s muscular riffs.  After just one listen to those early raw tracks, I could tell with the addition of Ian and Waylon that this was shaping up to be an excellent disc.

So how about the final product?  As someone who likes both sides of the heavy/light coin, any band that can combine the best of both elements in their material always catches my ear and this disc does not disappoint.  Listening to Serenity In The Black is a journey through various shades of color and a collage of sound within songs and across the entirety of the disc; one minute you’re listening to the insistent throb of a riff (take intro cut “Crippling Thing”) that shifts to a melodic and bright chorus section before careening back and forth between double timed crunch and deep growls (“I feel broken”) to a beautifully tapped melodic and clean vocal section, and the next minute you’re listening to the ferocious heaviosity of something like “Enemy” (possibly my favorite cut on here), which combines a frenetic, thrashy pace with some serious chug and aggressive vocals.  However, if that heavy is too much for you this release is well-balanced with songs like the melancholic and beautifully melodic “Despondent” and the dark and hopeful “Catching Rain”; two songs that feature mostly clean vocals from Logan Adams (the former also featuring Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante, who meshes extremely well) that offer up a sharp contrast to much of the material on this disc.  That mix of styles and the overall variety is well balanced and has me hitting the repeat button and on second listen I’ll hear something I’d not caught before.  There are so many layers of sounds, textures, tones, and emotions on display that it’s hard for me to imagine someone NOT finding something to like here.  It’s that good.

Hard to choose highlights but I’ll pick out a few things that sink in and grab my ear:

The bass:  Of course!  VERY PROUD of my son and his playing on this disc and the final master really showcases a massively deep (and I do mean DEEEEEEP) bass tone.  It’s not that I hear the bass but I FEEL it; it’s the solid foundation on every song.  One minute Ian is holding down thick roots and letting single notes rumble to support certain sections of a song, and the next he’s got a fluid, speedy run to match the riffs that Evan and Waylon are laying down.  That vibration… that insistent “WHOOOOM”…  is the constant and the glue that everything is stuck to and built on.

The drums:  Man, talk about some solid thunder.  Dylan Krebs is the machine and really drives the band forward on a lot of this material, whether it be massive double kicks through the heavier sections or laying back a shade in the lighter moments.  Especially love the intro to the monstrous “Enemy” and the wall of sound supporting the riff.

The guitars:  Already highlighted a bit at the beginning but to rehash…  give me a fat, beefy riff you’re good, give me a beautifully ethereal melody and that’s fab too, but the ability to combine the two and make it interesting?  Now you’re talking.  Just fantastic work here by Evan and Waylon.

The vocals:  I mentioned at the beginning how excited I was with the depth and breadth of the instrumental tracks?  Same excitement when I heard the vocal tracks for the first time.  Logan Adams delivers some fiery power via deep, guttural growls one moment to melodic and clean vocal sections the next, which adds to the multiple moods, ebbs, and flows within and across each track.  Excellent!

Dynamics:  Where do I start?  This is where a lot of the magic happens on this disc.  Lead track “Crippling Thing” is a great example-  there is so much tempo build and manic shift going on at the intro and during the heavy sections, but then the bar gets raised with an uplifting clean vocal and melodic tapping section that whiplashes back to an insistently crushing riff.  Same dynamics apply to the massive title cut “Serenity In The Black”, which builds up from a dark and brooding intro section into a dense wall of thick chords and tricky riffage until the bottom falls out in favor of another quiet buildup of whispered vocals and mélange of sound.  Toss in the storming aural journey of the swirling “I Hope You Know” for one final uplifting crescendo (some GREAT bass runs here) to close out one awesome disc.

“Willow”:   Not sure what it is about this song, but the mood shift from “Catching Rain” into “Willow” is such a mighty deep and wide crevice that speaks further to the dynamics on display and is probably the best example of tonal shift between individual songs rather than within the songs themselves.  The relatively quiet and introspective hopefulness of “Catching Rain” is at one end of the sonic spectrum but the full-on shift into the blindingly hot “Willow” is like going from 0 to 60 MPH in the blink of an eye.  Makes a strong run for favorite song on the disc along with “Enemy” and the title cut.

All in all, if you like heavy and atmospheric metal with progressive touches then Serenity In The Black is a very worthwhile addition to your music library.  I’ve only highlighted a little over half of the album but all songs are VERY good-  download and buy the whole thing, press play, and leave it on repeat because you’re going to want to hear it a few times in a row.  Kudos to the guys for making an excellent record-  I can’t wait to hear how this sounds live!

To buy merch, click here: Merch | Eternal Void (bandcamp.com)

Well that time has come… I’ve bought too much stuff over the years to fit onto one iPod so now I have two! The second was purchased for me by one of my sons for Christmas in 2019 and at some point in 2020 I ran out of space on the 160GB iPod classic, so I shifted most of the metal/stoner rock/progressive metal to the new iPod and left the rock/country/jazz/blues on the other. To make it simple for blog posts, I’ll switch it up between The Rock iPod and The Metal iPod!

“The Drugs Don’t Work” The Verve, Urban Hymns

First off, I’m a big fan of The Verve. Urban Hymns and it’s absolutely sublime “Bittersweet Symphony” was the single that caught my ear and I gradually matriculated back to their first two albums and discovered a really good band; lots of atmospheric material with some wicked cool sonics. But back to this song- “Drugs” is essentially a Richard Ashcroft solo cut and a beaut it is, featuring a sweet melancholic melody, somber tone, and gentle strum from the singer that is pretty much far removed from the band’s earlier material, but that dichotomy between Ashcroft’s melodic tendencies and guitarist Nick McCabe’s swirling psychedelia has always been the draw for me. This version here is the original demo found on the Super Deluxe package.

“Man In The Moon” John Corabi, Unplugged

Ahhh, two acoustic ditties in a row with this one featuring one of my all time favorite gravel throats in Mr. John Corabi. Believe me, the Crab hasn’t gotten his just dues as an artist except for those of us well aware of his work with The Scream, Dead Daisies, and that one Motley Crue album without Vince Neil on it (check out that self titled disc from ’94… GREAT STUFF). At any rate, “Man In The Moon” first debuted a few years earlier on The Scream’s debut disc and is a decent representation of Crab’s whiskey ‘n smokes vocal, kind of a rougher and (if you can believe it) cooler Steven Tyler. The song has hints of Zeppelin in the acoustics but is more sing songy overall. The original was a bit heavier and swampier but this campfire singalong is damn good in its own right.

“Scratch N Sniff” Rhino Bucket, Get Used To It

So yeah, the metal is on the other iPod but good ol’ hard rock in some fashions remains on this one and “Get Used To It” is a great example. Those of us a certain age may remember these guys popping up occasionally on Headbanger’s Ball and thinking… “HEY! It sounds like old AC/DC with Bon Scott singing!” So yeah, you get yer heads down rock it like there’s no tomorrow relentless boogie riffing like Angus and the boys but probably a bit less in the pocket and more balls out metal although I get a certain “Let There Be Rock” vibe to this one. A lot of fun and happy to see a band like Airbourne carrying the flame for this type of no frills rock and roll. And I’m surprised good ol’ Bon hadn’t written a song with that title… I could only imagine…

“Set Me Free” The Kinks, To The Bone

Cheating on the above video because I can’t find this great version that I’m reviewing in this post but hey, you get the idea. “Set Me Free” is one of those underrated Kinks songs; a bit of a flip from the raunch of “You Really Got Me” or “All Day And All Of The Night” in all its introspective and melancholy glory but still with that young man’s pining for the love of a young woman that Ray Davies could write so well. What’s awesome about this version is how skronking little bro Dave Davies’ guitar tone sounds balanced against Ray’s lazy cool vocal. Big props to the band for some fab background vocals and to Ian Gibbons for his subtle keyboard work underneath all that goodness. I’ll be singing this for days now!

“Dandy Lion” Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies, Big Wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oucmsK7HNt0

One of the cool things about the 90s was not only grunge but the influx of some pretty cool southern jam bands. The awesomely named Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies were one of a few, never really breaking out like fellow jammers Blues Traveler or the more radio friendly grooves of Collective Soul but nonetheless have a more guitar centric and heavier approach with hints of Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet mixed with a good dollop of Allman Brothers. “Dandy Lion” is pretty representative of the band’s sound and features some great playing from the entire band (check out those guitars!) but hot damn the vocal stylings of one Mike Farris are very impressive. If you like your blues rock with a bit of soulful swagger and southern jams you can’t beat this. Good stuff.

“Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai” Ry Cooder, Chicken Skin Music

Mercy… I could listen to Ry Cooder play guitar all day. “Always Lift Him Up” is just sooooo soo good and totally representative of what the man can do with a six string in his hands- his awesomely cool mellow picking style and slide work (slide not featured here though) is downright beautiful and while not possessing the prettiest of singing styles, those gospel tinged background vocalists do the heavy lifting here and raise this to an even higher level. Oh, and leave it to the musicologist in Ry to throw in an instrumental version of “Kanaka Wai Wai” and not missing a beat at all. Cooder’s always been good at picking classic blues songs and putting his twist on them to great, great effect.

“Joan Crawford” Blue Oyster Cult, Fire Of Unknown Origin

Yeah, yeah, yeah… “more cowbell” and “I’ve got a feavuh!” and all that stuff.. that SNL skit was the shizznit and all and most everyone knows THE BIG THREE BOC SONGS from classic rock radio, but COME ON! BOC has ALWAYS had some great material on every single album and “Joan Crawford” is about as cool as you’re going to get. I’d first heard the live version of this cut but the studio one is equally rippin’. Introing with some dramatic piano work from Allen Lanier, the riffing comes quickly and dramatically as Eric Bloom tells a horror story of Brooklyn junkies, shivering angels, and eyes turning the color of frozen meat all because that “NO MORE WIRE HANGERS” lady has risen from the grave. “Christina… mother’s home” NOOOOO!!! The stuff of cartoony nightmares here.

“New Coat Of Paint” Tom Waits, The Heart Of Saturday Night

Yeah I do like tunes like this along with my metal. “New Coat Of Paint” feels like one of those boozy old classics your dad would throw on the turntable after a long week of work or maybe something you’d hear hanging out in Vegas in some seedy bar in the old part of town but hey… there ain’t nothing wrong with that. Waits wrote the original and it feels like a jazzy cocktail mixed with a bit o’ Nawlin’s voodoo- hints of Dr John in his hazy vocal delivery with a groove sooo laid back that digs deep into your soul. And that lyric is just the coolest too, lots of visual lines like “we’ll laugh at that old bloodshot moon in that burgundy sky” and “our love needs a transfusion, so let’s shoot it full of wine” that put you right there with Waits. Hey Tom, save a spot at the bar for me will ya?

“Hat Too Flat” Walter Becker, Eleven Tracks Of Whack

The yin to Donald Fagen’s yang of the mighty Steely Dan, “Hat Too Flat” almost feels like an odd electronic experiment for the first couple minutes, like Devo and Gary Numan kidnapped him and programmed the keyboards while reversing Becker’s guitar track. But after a minute or so he squeezes in a vocal that builds into a melodic chorus around the two minute mark before getting hijacked this time by Thomas Dolby (“SCIENCE!”) and continues that “out there” journey in electronic loop world. And that lyric? HUH? Whassup with that Walter? But you know what? This actually kind of works in an oddball and quirky way, not really much Steely Dan in here but we get to hear some of Walter’s guitar noodles as part of his intergalactic journey.

“Back On The Street” Gary Moore, Back On The Street

Gather round kids and let me tell you about the Gary Moore that I used to know… yeah, before he became a bluesman for most of the remainder of his career, Moore was a hard rocker with a shit hot overdriven guitar style in the 70s and 80s featured in a few different bands (including Thin Lizzy) before eventually going solo, Back On The Streets being his official debut. The title song of that record is a storming rocker with some white hot and face melting licks and some really strong singing from Moore and backing vocals from Lizzy’s Phil Lynott. While I liked and respected Moore’s blues years, I really missed how he was able to step on the gas in the rock world and could knock you out with his intensity, this cut being a great example. RIP Gary.

And that’s it for this week! Some tough, tough choices for the top three as I REALLY like seven of the ten here (although the other three are very good in their own right), but here you go. AND THERE’S A TIE!

In third place, tied for the bronze: “New Coat Of Paint” Tom Waits/”Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai” Ry Cooder

In second place with the silver: “Joan Crawford” Blue Oyster Cult

And our gold medal winner: “Set Me Free” The Kinks

Ahhh…. the late 70s/early 80s essentially sowed the seeds for my love of music and coincided not only with the rise of the album oriented rock format but also THE heyday for the bands in today’s Showdown blog post. In the interest of specifics I’m gonna concentrate on the period between 1976 and 1983 and touch on favorites from each band during that timeframe and wrap up the “kings of the ring” choices at the very end. I can’t say I’ve bought anything new from ANY of these five since this timeframe and I don’t listen to them much these days; however, I can’t deny that each band did make its mark on me in my youth. And yeah, I’ll still turn up the knob when I hear one of their classics on the radio!

Boston

From a radio standpoint, Boston really knocked it out of the park with their debut album and kicked the door down for rock music fans looking for something other than the burgeoning disco and punk crazes that started to creep in around 1976. Guitarist Tom Scholz not only wrote some classic radio ready cuts but his studio craft was state of the art for the time and his production/engineering methods (while often lengthy processes to get tones “just right”) in some ways set the standard for AOR radio. Add in the incredible voice of singer Brad Delp helming a boatload of catchy tunes and success was a given.

Maybe a bit unfair in this list given that they only put out TWO albums during this period, but they gotta be included based on influence on radio play alone.

Best Album: Boston

Best Song: “Piece Of Mind”

Most Underrated Song: “Hitch A Ride”

Journey

Like some of the other bands in this Battle Royale, Journey went through a number of lineup changes before finding success and then changed AGAIN before finding even GREATER success (and ended up changing even more post 1983) with a tweak in the songwriting team. When all is said and done Journey is and always will be guitarist Neal Schon’s band (he IS the mainstay) but longtime fans of the radio hits will think of the golden voice of Steve Perry when they think of the band. That Perry/Schon duo (along with additional songsmithery from Gregg Rolie and/or Jonathan Cain) was hard to beat during this period as they cranked out hits left and right. I’m partial to the pre-Escape lineup and material but regardless Journey was the bee’s knees during this period.

Best Album: Infinity

Best Song: “Wheel In The Sky”

Most Underrated Song: “Stone In Love”

Styx

Probably the most “pompy” band on this list courtesy of their mix of prog rock with ornamental flair and theatrical tendencies, Styx (like Journey) had gone through a few lineup changes until finding a core group that was together during our ’76-’83 timeframe. Besides writing some killer tuneage the band could also pen a few sentimental ditties- in some ways singer Dennis DeYoung can be blamed for the power ballad based on hits “The Best Of Times” and “Babe”, two cuts that were a full on 180 degree turn from rockers like “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man)” and “Renegade” penned by guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw. Still, that combination plus the skillful thespianism from DeYoung on some of the proggier cuts made for some longstanding classics.

Best Album: Pieces of Eight

Best Song: “Come Sail Away”

Most Underrated Song: “Queen Of Spades”

Foreigner

What is it with these bands making lineup changes BEFORE cutting what’s arguably the biggest album of their careers? Like Journey and Styx, Foreigner (and like REO soon to be too) makes some changes but instead of replacing members, they sack a couple and go from a sextet down to a quartet with much of the focus on the songwriting team of vocalist Lou Gramm and guitarist Mick Jones for their big album, 4. Gramm and Jones make a potent pair; the former with some killer pipes and the latter writing some memorable riffs that stand the test of time; however, both may arguably be more well known for those ballads (the biggest to come via 1984’s gospel tinged “I Want To Know What Love Is”). But those rock cuts still grab my ear to this day.

Best Album: Double Vision

Best Song: “Hot Blooded”

Most Underrated Song: “Dirty White Boy”

REO Speedwagon

Saving the oldest for last, REO has been around since 1971(!) but really didn’t start gaining steam until arguably 1978’s humorously titled You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can’t Tune A Fish. By that time, lyricist/vocalist Kevin Cronin decided to stay for good after being gone for three albums and his songs mixed with the screaming leadwork from one Gary Richrath were a hot ticket for a few more albums as they deftly moved into the MTV age. From a visual standpoint these guys looked like regular cats you’d share a beer with at the local watering hole or strumming the six string singing campfire songs on a cool autumn night. Songs? Oh, plenty of good, earthy and earnest Midwestern rock and roll.

Best Album: Hi Infidelity

Best Song: “Time For Me To Fly”

Most Underrated Song: “Back On The Road Again”

BATTLE ROYALE

OK kids! The time has come to announce THE BEST out of these five bands based on the following categories- best album, best song, best singer, best guitarist, best drummer, and best band. Only ONE choice for each!

Best Album: Boston

Best Song: “Piece Of Mind”

Best Singer: Brad Delp

Best Guitarist: Neal Schon

Best Drummer: Steve Smith

Aaaaaaaand…. drum roll please, for the BEST band in this Showdown…

Yep, Boston… Hot damn that debut is HUGE; it’s one of those albums where you can still hear EVERY song on the radio. Granted you don’t hear ALL of them all of the time but every once and a while you’ll get a nugget like “Something About You” or “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” to make it all worthwhile. And while I have much, much respect for Steve Perry and Lou Gramm I hold Brad Delp’s performance on both the debut and Don’t Look Back in the highest of regards. Those layers upon layers of vocals and that outstanding range is hard to deny and he is missed greatly. Journey probably had the best chops (hence my Schon/Smith picks) but that big Boston sound, fantastic tunes, and the Delp factor pushes the Journey team out of the ring to win the battle!

Regardless of who your favorites are, it’s hard to deny the dominance of these bands on rock radio during that time and even today all are staples of classic rock radio.