763. Black Sabbath / Paranoid. 1970. 5/5

On episode 13 of this podcast, back in February of this year as I am speaking, I released an episode dedicated to Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album, the one that is generally seen as one of the opening acts as most influential parts of the beginning of the heavy metal genre of music. It described how the band – lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bass guitarist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – first came together in late 1960’s Birmingham, found their sound, found their heads, and proceeded to produce an album that still sits high on the pedestal of albums that have launched a thousand bands and careers in the years since. That album had gone to #8 on the UK and Australian album charts, and also #23 in the US. For an unknown band, forging their own path with a sound that was not completely uniquely theirs but was well on the way to being so, it was quite the auspicious start. So much so that, just four months after the release of that album, in June 1970, the band was shepherded back into the studio by the record company to strike while the iron was red hot and went about writing and recording the follow up to that amazingly successful debut.
Now, just take a moment to let this sink in. Between 16-18 June 1970 in London, in just three days, Black Sabbath recorded their second album. It is true that much of the album had already been in mind before they went into the studio. In November the previous year, the band had spent six weeks in Zurich playing at what was then known as the 'Beat Club'. During this period they had played seven 45-minute sets per day. At this time they didn’t have a lot of written material, and they would often play one long 45 minute song in each set, improvising and experimenting all the way through. In this way, the foursome would often come up with riffs or lyrics or long moments that struck a chord with them, and they would then work on those during their next set, and in this way began to compose pieces that eventually could be formed into songs. It was during this period that much of what would appear on their second album was first formed. By the time they came to the studio for those three days of recording, they were well underway when it came to writing the material that would be put down during those sessions. Not all of it, as we will soon discover, but a vast majority.
So let’s delve back again. On those three days, Black Sabbath put down on tape an album that by any stretch of the imagination does not contain a weak track. Indeed, by the terms of a greatest hits album, this one could easily be described as such. Because every single song on this album is one of the band’s greatest, best known songs. And to achieve this on just their second album, just four months after the release of their debut album, that had already set the charts on fire, is an incredibly amazing achievement. That album, the one that took three days to complete, was titled “Paranoid”, and although its predecessor is often quoted as the one where heavy metal began, it is truly this one that is not only the leader of the pack in that regard, but also by a fair margin.

The songs on this album are strong, forthright and eternal. There are songs on this album that are known by people of all ages, no matter what type of music they enjoy and listen to themselves, and every song acts as a piece of the enormous puzzle being put together. As much as the opening track to the band’s debut album is iconic, it is no more so than the opening to their second album. That warbling bass line from Geezer, brought along by Bill’s powerful tom hitting and hi-hat crashes, toned in by Tony’s outstanding guitar riff, encapsulate everything that made this band what it was. And then the two beat start stop of the riff into Bill’s hi-hat serenade, and Ozzy finally arrives to begin the story. And then the flurry into the heart of the song, with guitars and drums ablaze and Ozzy pontificating from the stage. The song itself was originally intended to be called “Walpurgis”, as Geezer explained: "I wanted to write a song called 'Walpurgis' – you know, the Satanic version of Christmas – write it about that Satan isn't a spiritual thing, it's war-mongers. That's who the real Satanists are, all these people who are running the banks and the world and trying to get the working class to fight the wars for them. We sent it off to the record company and they said, 'No, we're not going to call it that. Too Satanic!' So I changed it to 'War Pigs'”. "War Pigs" has at times had some sections of society up in arms and proclaiming the evil of the band for the final line of the song ("Satan laughing spreads his wings"), without listening to the song and realising it is preaching against war and those who perpetrate it rather than being a song about the devil. Ozzy's vocals are at their best here, not overreaching but reaching highs and emoting through the different ranges required of the song, especially impressive when all he has in support at times are Bill's hi-hats. A truly outstanding track in the history of metal music, and a killer way of opening the album.
"Paranoid" was famously written as an afterthought, when a final song was required to fill out the album. Various quotes range from this taking anywhere between five minutes to two hours to flesh out, but given it produced the bands' only top ten single, it is still a remarkable achievement. Tony's riff is still one of the most renown of all time, with anyone who picks up a guitar being able to play it. Sometimes simple is more memorable. Written to be a single release, it came out three weeks before the album, and its immediate popularity led the record company to change the name of the album. Initially it had been set to be “War Pigs”, but at the last minute the record company took the name “Paranoid” instead, which is still memorable because the cover art couldn’t be changed, and thus we have an album cover that doesn’t really react to the album’s title. Ina 2013 interview with Mojo magazine, Geezer said: "Paranoid is about depression, because I didn't really know the difference between depression and paranoia. It's a drug thing; when you're smoking a joint you get totally paranoid about people, you can't relate to people. There's that crossover between the paranoia you get when you're smoking dope and the depression afterwards”.
One of the most intriguing aspects of “Paranoid” for me has always been that, as influential as it has been on the sound that became heavy metal, not all of this album could be categorised as heavy metal. "Planet Caravan" is the best example of this, utilising a much slower pace and gentle music, bongos in the background rather than Bill Ward's usual pounding drums, and Ozzy's very downplayed vocals. There's nothing overtly heavy metal about this track, and yet it is still very much a part of the Black Sabbath sound. The band may have built up its reputation as they progressed over the 1970's, but their influences still came from the 1960's, and the experimentation that bands such as The Beatles used in their music, and the way that bands such as The Yardbirds and The Who and Jethro Tull went about their music. The band themselves apparently had their doubts about putting this song on the album. Tony mentioned in his autobiography: “It was almost one of those ‘Should we do this?’ moments”. In many ways, it emphasises the brilliance of the heavier songs on the album rather than detracting from them.
No punters, "Iron Man" is not about the famous Marvel Comics superhero, but rather Geezer Butler's anti-hero who travels time to the future and sees the Apocalypse, before travelling back to warn the people of his day of the danger. In the process he turns to steel and is shunned and feared by those he had returned to help, and instead becomes the creator of the Apocalypse he saw. Dominated by yet another brilliant Iommi riff, the lead break is also a star attraction, with some magnificent drumming from Bill Ward. At times it sounds like he has six arms such is the flurry of tom hitting going on, while Geezer's bass just rumbles underneath in perfect synchronisation. Apparently the early title of the track was “Iron Bloke”, which probably would have worked in Australia but maybe not anywhere else. Ozzy wrote in his autobiography: "Tony Iommi turned out to be one of the greatest heavy rock riff-makers of all time. Whenever we went into the studio we'd challenge him to beat his last riff – and he'd come up with something like 'Iron Man' and blow everyone away”. It closes out the first side of the album with perfect poise and devastation, both lyrically and musically.
The amazing tones of “Electric Funeral” opens up the second side of the album, unexpectedly brilliant in its own way. That wonderful warbling guitar riff from Tony creates such a surprising atmosphere that matches the differences offered by “Planet Caravan”, in a more full on and bombastic way, especially in the second half of the song. The mood and tempo of the track lures you in with its subtlety, lyrically bringing together further visions of the apocalypse, this time with nuclear warfare. It seems to draw from several different bands from the late 1960’s but with the Sabbath ramped up sound on it. It even works beautifully as it fades out to nothing... and then the quieting bass introduction of “Hand of Doom” seeps into the speakers, creeping up on you from the shadows. You can almost imagine Ozzy with that crazy look on his face sneaking up behind you as you listen. "Hand of Doom" is almost three songs in one, such are the marvellous silent breaks between the increased energetic pieces of the song. If you didn't know the song, you could be forgiven for thinking they were separate songs. It is such a great song with powerful images, another hallmark of Geezer's lyrical contributions, delving into the problem of soldiers returning from the Vietnam War strung out on heroin, which the band witnessed first-hand when they played two American Army bases. Geezer observed in later years: “There were no programs telling you that the US troops in Vietnam, to get through that horrible war, were like fixing up and all this kinda thing. It just stuck in my head, and when we got to "Hand of Doom", that's what I wrote it about"
The intriguingly titled "Rat Salad" is an instrumental dominated by the solo drum breaks by Bill, which was inspired by the gigs the band played in Europe when they had to perform several slots every day, of which one would be entirely filled by a Ward drum solo. It is another vastly underrated track in the Black Sabbath discography, and fits in with this album and its various moods wonderfully. And then we move into the gorgeously performed "Fairies Wear Boots", which sounds like a hippy flower power song on acid that has been tuned down to get the maximum heavy grunt out of it. The lyrics, as opposed to the usual, were composed by Ozzy Osbourne, and according to Geezer was the result of a group of skinheads in London calling him a "fairy" because of his long hair. By the second half of the song however the subject has turned completely to LSD. Everything about this song is fabulous, the almost stomping riff of the guitars emphasised by Bill’s drumming combines beautifully with the title of the song, imagining fairies stomping around the garden. And again, the song fades out wonderfully, this time with Tony’s guitar solo to bring to a close one of the most important albums ever released.

When it comes to reviewing an album such as Paranoid, an album that is one of, if not, the MOST influential album of all time in the heavy metal music genre, it can be seen to be a lost cause. This album must have been dissected, discussed and detailed hundreds of thousands of times over the past five decades and more - in a positive fashion, in a negative reaction, and even in an ambivalent way. Nothing that I have mentioned here will be new. Anything I add will have been said before more times than one could imagine. And the opposite will have been just as furiously debated as well. In the end, all I can do is put down my thoughts regardless of its originality or circumstance, and add it to the sea that makes up the populous thoughts of this album.
My journey with Black Sabbath began with the two albums that Ronnie James Dio had helmed in the early 1980’s, through circumstance and not through a choice of the lead singer. This album was then the next that I heard, sometime during 1986 when my music world was changed forever. I had actually heard Ozzy Osbourne’s solo albums and Black Sabbath’s Dio-helmed albums before I got around to hearing “Paranoid”, which is certainly an interesting journey to get to that point but as it turns out not one that disaffected my enjoyment of any of these albums. And my love of this album grew over time. To begin with I just used to love listening to the songs. Eventually at some point, probably when I began to be interested in actually playing these songs, I listened to them more carefully, and began to pick up on things that I had never noticed before, deeper aspects to the way the music had been created and played, and how that gave each track several levels that I had never noticed while I stayed on the surface and just enjoyed what I heard. Delving deeper into each track, and actually listening to what each instrument was playing, opened up a whole new level of love for this album for me.
I’ve had this album on a lot in recent times. Prior to the final “Back to the Beginning” concert in Birmingham, I had all of Sabbath’s 1970’s albums on rotation in preparation for it. Then on Ozzy’s sad passing three weeks later, I went through them all again. And now, for the past 2-3 weeks, I have had “Paranoid” on constant, consistent rotation. And this album rarely stays away from my stereo long at the best of times, but I have really indulged myself now over a two month period. At it never gets old. It is still as much fun to listen to now as it was two months ago, two years ago, two decades ago. And why is that? Let me explain it like this.
This is not what I consider my favourite Black Sabbath album. Those of you who have listened to episode 50 of this season's podcast will know of my undying love for the album “Heaven and Hell”, and how much of myself is tied up in the gloriousness of that album. So, while that would be my favourite Black Sabbath album, this certainly comes in a close second. Along with a few others.
What I can say is this. For me, “Paranoid” is the greatest heavy metal album of all time. I don’t think it is a contest. And you could name another half a dozen albums simply from Black Sabbath that you could argue are ‘greater’. And another fifty perhaps whose tracklist and structure could claim that mantle. But here is my counter. “Paranoid” was released in 1970. Apart from a couple of Led Zeppelin albums, the very early Deep Purple albums that are not really classed in the same sub genre we are discussing here, and maybe a few other albums around this time that had some influence on bands down the track, THIS was the first of its kind. The debut album had some amazing songs on it that broke the mould, but also a couple of tracks that follow a slightly different path. “Paranoid” was unique for its time, and in many ways remains so now. Eight tracks. Almost 42 minutes long. Each of them representative in some way of the music genre that this album created, heavy metal. Heavy songs. Doomy songs. Faster songs. Mid-tempo songs. Sludgy songs. The riffmaster, creating guitar riffs that spanned generations. His partner on bass, who created basslines that segued away from where the guitarist was going, and yet combined so amazingly that it created a wall of sound that few have been able to challenge in the years since. Bill Ward on drums at his peak, playing hard heavy beats, but also offering the little fills and frills that were so much a part of making these songs unique. That simple hi-hat intro to “War Pigs” that is so synonymous with the song, a simple addition with the lifting of the hi-hat on the 11th tap to create that change that has made it memorable. And Ozzy Osbourne, whose remarkable vocals emphasised the moods of each track and truly bring joy to each of them. These four created 8 tracks that each contain their own individual brilliance, and combined create the perfect heavy metal album. The FIRST perfect heavy metal album. There are others that followed. But this was the first. This was the template. All of those other perfect heavy metal albums exist only because of “Paranoid”. This is the giant, and it is yet to be slayed.
55 years on from its release, it was only two months earlier that the band lost its first member with the passing of Ozzy Osbourne. In time, all four will eventually pass. But their legacy will forever be this album, an album that will still be as important in another 55 years as it remains today. All hail Black Sabbath, the masters and creators of an album that remains a landmark in the history of music.

762. AC/DC / Rock or Bust. 2014. 3.5/5

Releasing just their fourth album in the past 24 years hasn't affected AC/DC's popularity worldwide, nor has it changed their style. As always, this either bothers you to the point that you can't listen to what is on the album, or it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, and you sink into it like a comfortable pair of shoes. There is a change of some description however. It's old man's easy listening rock now. The real trademark energy that used to punctuate their songs and performances has now settled back into stuff these guys could be playing in dressing gowns and armchairs.
That's not meant to be a cheap shot either - I mean, they ARE all old now, and you can't keep doing what you used to forever. Malcolm Young's retirement due to illness is the best indication of that.

But there used to be riffs and solos from Angus that transcended songs and albums, ones that immediately made you recognise the song as soon as you heard it. There's none of that here. The songs are tight and held together by the infinite and endless 4/4 beat on Phil Rudd's drums along with Cliff Williams' bass guitar. Stevie Young does a serviceable job on rhythm guitar, filling in his uncle's shoes. Brian Johnson's vocals are as recognisable as ever, with lyrics that cover the usual AC/DC song subjects. There is nothing out of place here, but there is nothing that is a breakout song, busting out of the speakers to take a hold of you. It isn't as though there is a lack of energy here, it's just that it is a slow fissure that is spread throughout the whole album, not changing all the way through. In the past there would be explosions of energy, making you look up and take notice of the song or riff or solo. Here it is more of a levelling situation, letting that tempo sit all the way through the album, hardly missing a beat along the way.

This album sits comfortably between the way I feel about Blow Up Your Video and The Razors Edge. Both of those albums start off with the money shots, the singles that was the momentum to those albums' sales. But whereas with Blow Up Your Video the rest of the album disappointed me and left me feeling unfulfilled, there are some great other tracks on The Razors Edge that keep me coming back for more. Here on Rock or Bust, there is no doubt that the opening two songs are where the promotion of the album comes to. "Rock or Bust"  is the title track and second single to be released, which followed the initial release of the second song on the album "Play Ball" which preceded the release of the album proper. Both are catchy enough to have already been used in sports promotions worldwide, so you know you are getting good album coverage when that occurs. Following these two songs, you have a collection of songs that follow the same formula as AC/DC songs do. Sometimes, as on Blow Up Your Video they don't really work, unable to keep the interest of the listener. For me at least, the remainder of Rock or Bust is closer to The Razor's Edge. There is enough here to keep you listening and rocking along, even if it is in an easy listening kind of atmosphere. They may not be outstanding, and they may not be memorable for anything out of the ordinary, but as a package they are still great to listen to.

There is every chance that this will be AC/DC's final album. But then again I've probably thought that of their last three or four albums. If it does become their last release, we can at least be happy that they ended it on their own terms, delivering an album that does very little different to what they have in the last two or three decades, and still delivering songs that have that foot-tapping, head-bobbing capability.

Rating:  Listen, drinks all around I'm in the mood.  3.5/5

761. HammerFall / (r)Evolution. 2014. 2.5/5

Over the years the evolving nature of HammerFall's music has slowly taken shape, from the speed driven power metal of their early albums to the more mid-range tempo selection of writing almost in deference to contemporary heavy metal in recent times. One may even suggest that their music has "matured" over the years, from the brash young speed based band that began during the 1990's to the better produced, planned and involved writing and recording that is prominent throughout (r)Evolution. Indeed, the music has evolved light years since those first albums to what has been presented here. Whether it also involved a revolution is of course open to interpretation.
I admit that I have had some problems with HammerFall's recent albums. Well, let's face it, after Renegade I could pretty much have given every album a miss. But I keep coming back, as I do with other bands of this ilk, in the hope that they will surprise and produce another album that will sit comfortably up there with their best. You know, Glory to the Brave on speed with modern production. Surely that's not too much to ask, is it? But you aren't going to get that, because they have moved into this aforementioned mid-tempo music, which can work at its best here, but isn't what lured me into HammerFall in the first place.

There are some good tunes here. I have been putting this album on and letting it play through about a dozen times now, and it hasn't annoyed me to the point that I have to stop it or skip along songs. However, nor have I found anything on here so outstanding that I replay a song three or four times because it is so enjoyable. I enjoy the opening track "Hector's Hymn", and parts of "Live Life Loud". "Ex Inferis" is just so slow, a plodding track that just isn't heavy or imposing enough to carry the way it is played. The tempo feels so wrong when it still wants to sound like a power metal song. Two styles that don't mix, without a hook to make it impressive. "Winter is Coming" wants to be a ballad and therefore stabs at my heart with a dagger. On the plus side are the faster paced "We Won't Back Down" and "Origins" which come closer to their older work than most songs on this album do.

The musicianship is polished, clean and continues to improve as it morphs into this same-but-different direction. Joacim Cans vocals continue to impress. He is still the shining light of this band, and no matter what the song may be like, his vocals improve it. Unfortunately, the writing partnership between himself and guitarist Oscar Dronjak has again failed to find enough hooks and catches to make this album stand out significantly from their past five albums. The positive I guess is that this is more listenable than those recent albums, but after 15 years of waiting for their next big effort, I do believe that it is time to accept that this is the best we can expect from the modern HammerFall, and to either accept that fact or move on.

Rating:  We're haunted by fire, our spirit is now set to burn  2.5/5

760. Sweet Savage / Killing Time. 1996. 4/5

The history of the band Sweet Savage is, as was the case with almost every band that came from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, one that is packed with promise, excitement and disappointment. The story of slogging through early gigs, fighting to make a wave in order to gain a recording contract, poking their nose above water just enough to gain some recognition, before being dragged back to the depths and drowning in the sea of disappointment, is one that many bands could relate to and which also is relevant here.
The band originally had the name Teaser, and eventually in 1979 morphed into Sweet Savage, forming in Belfast in Northern Ireland. That original four piece was made up of Ray Haller on bass and vocals, Dave Bates on drums, and Trev Fleming and Vivian Campbell on guitars. Yep, THAT Vivian Campbell, who was 15 years old when he joined Teaser and was 17 when they became Sweet Savage. The band did as all bands have done for time immemorial – they gigged, they dreamed. By 1981, they had reached a stage of renown that they were invited to appear on the BBC Friday Rock Show, where they played four songs - “Eye of the Storm”, “Into the Night”, “Queen’s Vengeance” and “Killing Time”. The band then self-released this on cassette under the innocuous name of “Demo ‘81”. At this time the band was picked up by Park Records, and released their first single “Take No Prisoners” with “Killing Time” as the B-side, and which was limited to 1000 copies. On the back of this, the band had supported Thin Lizzy on their tour to back their “Renegade” album, along with also supporting bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Wishbone Ash and Motorhead.
While these had begun to push the band in the right direction, it wasn’t enough to save them from losing their brightest light. Ronnie James Dio had just left Black Sabbath and was looking to start his own band. Having asked former Rainbow bandmate Jimmy Bain if he knew of any good young guitar players, Bain took Dio to watch a Sweet Savage show to check out their young prodigy Vivian Campbell – the result being, Campbell soon left for the greener pastures of the new band Dio, and his future was well underway.
The band went on hiatus for 12 months before coming back together with new guitarist Ian Wilson and a new lead singer in Robert Casserly. This line up recorded two singles - “Straight Through the Heart” (a song composed by Vivian Campbell, and who had taken the riff from this song to utilise in the Dio band for the song “Caught in the Middle”) and “The Raid”, both of which failed to gain any traction, and the group disbanded, going the way of so many of their NWoBHM colleagues.
Resurrection came via the form of the fanboying of the members of another band that was starting to do okay for themselves. In 1990, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and Sounds journalist Geoff Barton put together their double album compilation “New Wave of British Heavy Netal - ‘79 Revisited” - an album you can hear reviewed on episode 175 of this podcast – and they used the Sweet Savage song “Eye of the Storm” on that album, giving it new life and exposing it to a new generation of fans. Metallica then went one further, performing their own version of the song “Killing Time” for the B side of their 1991 single release of “The Unforgiven”, which became one of their biggest selling albums, and thus exposing millions of their fans to the band’s music. On the back of this, there was a renewed interest in the band.
After another couple of years, the stage was set for a return. Looking to follow up on this free publicity the band had received from the Metallica machine, Ray Haller put the band back together. He went back to his former dual role of bass guitarist and lead vocalist, and brought back Trev Fleming and Dave Bates on guitar and drums respectively. Unfortunately, Ian Wilson was unavailable at that time, and so Haller brought in another teenage guitarist by the name of Simon McBride. If the name is familiar to you, it is probably because he is now the current guitarist for Deep Purple.
With the group back together, all that remained was to head into the studio and record their debut studio album, almost 20 years after the original formation of the band had come together. And in many ways, it was apt that the name chosen for the album (apart from it being the best-known track by the band due to the whole Metallica shenanigans) was “Killing Time”.

Coming into this album, it must have been a difficult situation, given that this album was 15 years in the making. All of those songs that the band had written, performed and in some instances recorded in the past, the songs that the fans from those days knew and loved – could you ignore them, and just write a whole new album? To do that always seemed like a stretch. If the band did not acknowledge its past, given that they had basically been resurrected due to one song from its past being played by the biggest metal band on the planet, then it risked this being a waste of time. But should ALL of the band’s material from the past get a second chance, or just pieces? And how much new material should the band put out there? On top of that, it was now 1996, not 1981. Music was in a different stratosphere now than it had been then. Nostalgia seemed as though it had to be prevalent to attract the fans, but could they attract new fans by utilising a sound from the past compared to what was currently then in vogue? All of it was going to be a juggling act. So what we get here is material that consisted of songs from the very beginning of the band, re-recorded in the studio in the modern day, as well as songs from their time that were reworked or completed renovated in the recording process. And you can easily split the songs on this album into three categories.
Firstly, there are the songs that have been written by the returning lineup for this release. "Welcome to the Real World", "Thunder", "Parody of Wisdom" and "Why" are those four songs. Now, whether it is the fact that they were written at this time for this album, or they had been previous ideas that were brought in and reimagined for this album, there is a noticeable difference between these songs and the others on the album. “Welcome to the Real World” opens with a great riff, and jumps straight into its groove from the outset. Haller goes hard in his lyrics, focusing on many of the world events that had come in the years prior to the album being recorded. “Lunatics with automatic guns, contaminated beef, muggers on the street, The Berlin Wall was the first thing to fall, Civil war in Bosnia, bye bye Yugoslavia” followed by “L.A riots shocked a nation, Oil pollution, bloody revolutions, the Vietnam War was the first one we saw, Government corruption, nuclear destruction”. “What’s going to happen to you and me, we need to know, we want the truth”. Lyrically it is really strong in its output, and the solo section offers up a nice piece as well. It is contemporary musically while still retaining the band’s 80’s roots. “Thunder” follows this on the album, slows the tempo down, and discusses record companies and their big sell and what you get out of it after allis said and done. Haller is obviously espousing how he felt the band was treated back in the day when they were trying to make a go of it. “Seen it all let down long ago, never knew where you’re coming from or what you gonna do, Came across as Jesus Christ, shook our hand, paid the price, we got crucified”. Musically it needs more to get across the obvious anger and aggression portrayed in the lyrics, but its message is clear. “Parody of Wisdom” is again rooted in the tempo of the way alternative metal was headed in the mid-1990's, that slow-mid tempo that tries to project heaviness but often just offers less. Haller’s vocals rise in a way that allows them to be the main focus of the song over the rather drab riff and rhythm being played underneath. It picks up halfway through with the guitar solo section that brings about a dose of energy, but then immediately (almost like hitting a brick wall) drops back to that death slow rhythm. Haller offers a bit of bass intervention in the back half, but otherwise the song loses its focus. The final of the four new tracks, “Why”, has Haller going deep lyrically again with a more upbeat feel to the track musically. Each of these four songs offer the band in the then modern day, creating songs that settle into the era that they are in. It gives the album the grounding it probably needed with the other material that is contained within.
The second grouping are songs that were originally written in the period following Campbell's departure from the band, and Ian Wilson's arrival as his replacement. "D.U.D." and "Reach Out" are those two songs, and both have a faster pace than those first four songs mentioned, with a catchy snatch of lyrics and a punchy riff. “D.U.D” is a sign of the times lyrically, the song about the girl and her antics downtown, and likewise in “Reach Out” where the protagonist claims that he needs the girl to allow him to be whole. Both song's lyrics are, at best, ambiguous as to what they want to say, offering up lines that could be interpreted in different ways depending on the situation. They are most definitely not anywhere near as serious or pointed as are the ones on the previous songs mentioned. There is no message here, just the carefree mid-1980's lyrics to sing along to while enjoying the music.
Thirdly, there are the songs that came from the original line-up, and were the ones that caught the imagination of punters when they first came on the scene. Those songs, "Killing Time", "Vengeance", "Eye of the Storm", "Prospector of Greed", "The Raid" and "Ground Zero", are the ground breakers here, the eye catching, ear-pricking, fast paced, head banging, guitar driven songs that are the source of Sweet Savage's power. The difference between the songs in this section and the first section is like chalk and cheese. Those first songs are fine, but of a slower pace generally, written with another guitarist in a different era, and that is truly noticeable. The speed of the songs, and the flying fingers in the solos, are the dead giveaways in the songs from this third section. While the original versions with Vivian playing are superior simply because of his guitar playing (compare the original versions of "Eye of the Storm" and "Killing Time" with the two on this album, and you will know exactly what I mean), these versions still shine through in an era where song writing is still an art form many cannot reproduce. Each of these songs SOUNDS more energetic than the other half of the album. Ray Haller’s vocals are up and vibrant and sound like he’s having fun, which is energised by the guitar riffs and especially the solos section. Simon McBride shines here as Vivian’s substitute, giving his solos the treatment they deserve, sticking mostly to what he originally laid down.
“Killing Time” gets an upgrade, the sound of this version combining the band’s original version along with Metallica’s lovingly crafted cover version, and that is what Sweet Savage concoct here, a nice combining of the two to give it a new life here to open up the new album. “Vengeance” has also received a heavier upgrade, one that almost redesigns the original track into a modern day setting. “Eye of the Storm” too has been tuned down from the original track, doesn’t have quite the same speed and urgency of the original and sounds like it has been adapted to appeal to the 1996 marketplace. It is still a great version, but I prefer the original as I mentioned before. “Prospector of Greed” showcases McBride as the young gunslinger he was at that time, channelling the young Vivian Campbell and firing on all cylinders on this track, another example of the youthful exuberance of the band shining through on these old songs rather than what has come in a different style on the newly written tracks. “The Raid” is another where the original was so energetic, and that picks up the awesomeness of this release because the band sticks to the plan and reproduces its best features again here. And “Ground Zero” in particular is a brilliant way to complete the album, it blasts out of the speakers, and charges along with all the joy that the band showcases in their early days.

Back in the 1980's I had a boy-crush on Vivian Campbell. I loved his guitaring and song writing in Dio and thought he produced the greatest riffs and solos of anyone I knew - and I was then devastated when he left that group before I could see them live in 1986. That was terrible. I followed his other bands leading up to his final landing place in Def Leppard. Through this research and following him in his obscure one-off bands through the late 1980’s I also discovered that he had been in a band called Sweet Savage before he joined Dio, and then tried to find any material I could of theirs. I was basically unsuccessful because they had released almost nothing as an official release. The only song I could eventually find was one called "Eye of the Storm", which was released on the afore-mentioned Lars Ulrich-inspired compilation release, and of course Metallica’s cover of “Killing Time”. Some years later, as I went on my quest in the file sharing years of tracking down every artist and album I could from those long-lost New Wave of British Heavy Metal years, I came across those few early Sweet Savage recordings by their original line-up. The “Demo ‘81”, the “Take No Prisoners” single, and the other singles of that period. They are all brilliant in their own right, and it occurred to me then that despite Vivian's defection to Dio, you can't help but wonder how Sweet Savage did not manage to break through into mainstream metal ranks as well. And during that search, I also came across this album, one of which existence I had been completely unaware.
So I got this album, and as you would have guessed if you have listened to me talk about music for any length of time, I was probably a little over amped up for it. At the time I remember hoping that the versions of the songs I knew here would be EXACTLY like they were on those old versions, and of course they weren’t. And I wanted the songs that I didn’t know to be EXACTLY like they were written and played in 1981, and of course they weren’t. BUT – that didn’t stop me enjoying the album. The mix of new and old was done really well, it gave the album the impetus along the way, the kick in the pants when it needs it. And it is an album that I still would sporadically go back to without any qualms.
Listening to it again this past week has been illuminating. As with all of the episodes of this podcast, I prefer to have a hard copy of the album I’m reviewing rather than a digital copy, and knowing this episode was coming up I started looking at the net to see if there was any hope that I could find this anywhere on vinyl, because you NEED to listen to this on vinyl, it is the kind of album that needs that sense of occasion. And I found a recent re-release that I was willing to pay the price of, and that is what I have been listening to this week. And it has been glorious. It is true that this isn’t going to be an album that ranks in the top echelon of the greats of any genre. But it is a better than average album that succeeds in its purpose. It rights the wrong, that Sweet Savage had not released a full album, and that the songs of their youth had never received that posterity that they deserved. And that’s what this album solves. It gives them all the place they deserve, and the chance to be heard. In the long run, that is this album’s greatest achievement.
It is a shame this album didn't eventuate in 1982 instead of 1996. Who knows what could have happened if it had. Perhaps Sweet Savage would still have gone the way of other bands of its day, getting that initial release out but still fading into obscurity. But perhaps, just perhaps, they may not. Perhaps their story would be a different one. And perhaps, in a parallel universe out there, that is exactly what happened. Sometimes, when listening to this album, I like to consider what that possibility might have brought about.

759. Holocaust / The Nightcomers. 1981. 3.5/5

From the moment I first put this on, there was little doubt that it came from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era,  when young heavy metal bands were trying to force their way out of the pack to gain attention, back in the late 70's and early 80's. Holocaust's story is similar to most of that vintage. They fought to get a record deal, they were able to get some of their music published before the band split apart, only to be reformed by one member who continued on with the name.

Listening to the album today, there are the mixed reactions to many albums of this vintage. There are songs here that are almost groundbreaking, carrying the elements that could see them being the forebearers of leading the band to fame and fortune. There are also the songs that could possibly be described as average fodder, filling the gaps (or falling between the cracks perhaps) where the better songs leave off. The production appears surprisingly good for the era it was recorded, which helps to elevate the good songs to a decent level.
"Smokin' Valves" has a strange meshing of sounds, to me it's almost a crossover between the styles of Alice Cooper and Gary Moore. It is reasonable enough once you get used to it, but certainly strange to start with. Gary Lettice's vocals are not one of the big strengths of this album. They aren't terrible, but they do seem to stick to the one register and stay there for the length of the album. Very one dimensional, which can get a tad disillusioning after awhile. This is especially so during "Mavrock", where the monotonal moaning seems to stretch out each note of the song, elongating a process that doesn't improve a song that is already overblown by incessant guitar and drums being played almost in freeform exploration rather than uniform song writing. "Cryin' Shame" sounds like an AC/DC backbeat musically, without the attitude that the vocals require to make it a serviceable song.

The highlights of the album include "Death or Glory", a punchy metal song with good solo breaks and riffs, and "Heavy Metal Mania" which duplicates the feeling of a real breakthrough heavy metal song with great drum work and terrific guitaring styles throughout, with anthemic vocals and lyrics. These two songs are where Holocaust show the diversity they required to be a standout, it's just that after these two songs the rest of the album doesn't do enough to stand out from the pack. Interestingly enough, both of these songs were solely written by John Mortimer, who was to push onwards with Holocaust on his own following this album.
This album has obvious influences in later work from other bands. Listen to the end of "The Nightcomers" and tell me you don't hear Cliff Burton playing the end of  "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth". Uncanny, or a tribute? That Metallica later covered another Holocaust song is probably answer enough. Gamma Ray has also covered two songs from this album. The band has continued to the present day with John Mortimer as the sole surviving member, which shows that the longevity was there as well. For me, this album shows the promise of the time, mixed with the issues of creating an album with more than just a few highlights. In the long run, perhaps this is more of a monument of the time and era than a shining light to act as a beacon for those that came after this release.

Rating:  I've got heavy metal music in my blood  3.5/5

Holocaust - Death or Glory - on YouTube

Holocaust - Heavy Metal Mania - on YouTube

758. Armored Saint / March of the Saint. 1984. 3.5/5

Armored Saint is another of those wonderful coming-togethers of high school friends who decided that they wanted to create a band, that then went on and actually made a career out of it. They were formed in 1982 by musical brothers, guitarist Phil Sandoval and drummer Gonzo Sandoval, who had attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Los Angeles, and they were joined by fellow alumni from the same school vocalist John Bush and bass guitarist Joey Vera. These four originally played together during high school in a short-lived band called Royal Decree, but as they got serious about their music, they decided they needed some extra oomph, and a new name. The extra oomph came from guitarist Dave Prichard who had attended nearby South Pasadena High School, while the new band name has been attributed to Gonzo, who claims to have conceived the band name Armored Saint after watching the movie “Excalibur”.
The band began to play the same venues where the Bay area bands were beginning to become noticed and started making a name for themselves. In the story that was related in the episode on this podcast dedicated to Metallica's “Kill ‘Em All” album, in 1983 John Bush was invited by drummer Lars Ulrich to audition as singer for Metallica following the release of that album, as at that point in time James Hetfield was suffering from a lack of confidence in his ability to play guitar and sing on stage at the same time. However, Bush turned down the offer at the time, as he wanted to remain with his school days band, hoping that they would soon get their own break. It would have been a remarkably different future for both bands if Bush had indeed agreed to join Metallica.
Armored Saint had recorded a five-song demo, from which the song "Lesson Well Learned" was used on the compilation album “Metal Massacre II”. This exposure, along with their demo tape, enabled the band to be signed by Chrysalis Records, and led to eventually being able to record their debut album on the back of it, called “March of the Saint”.

This has all of the right attributes to be a terrific heavy metal album but does tend to come across as a bit lighter than it should. It is caught somewhere between wanting to be an out-and-out heavy metal album, or one that is heavy but still accessible to the commercial market. Certainly, the production makes it feel this way, which is supported by comments made by John Bush and Joey Vera a few years ago. Vera commented in 2006 with fullinbloom music that “At the end of the record we were very unhappy with the production, the mix, the way we worked and who we worked with. And the producer and manager let us spend over $300,000 on our first record. To this day we are still in debt for that one”
This is fairly obvious in most of the songs, that you reach a point where you really expect it to delve into a heavy riff or riffs, but it continues along at a far more subtle lineage. This only hampers the album for those that are looking for more grunt that is available. No doubt at the time it was released, the fans would have expected something more akin to the debut albums of Metallica and Exodus for example, the bands they had been their peers in that scene at the time.
In some ways this does also allow John Bush's vocals to get a bit lost in the mix, and not fully utilise what is available. Because the music has been produced in a "lighter" fashion than what would be classed as a thrash or metal album, it leaves the vocals at times sounding reedy and unfinished. If the songs had had more grunt to them, it would have allowed the vocals to meld better with the music and help produce a heavier album. If the lines of lyrics didn't finish so often with the vocals in an upward inflection, and instead brought them down to help drag those riffs into a heavier mode, it would have worked even better. There is a basis to be said that rather than the production that this is just the way John Bush approached his vocals at this stage of his career, and that is quite possibly the case. However, one feels that an experienced producer who was looking to get the best out of the band rather than looking for a commercial success out f the recording would have been able to fashion his better with communication and actually producing for the genre the band was settled in.
The opening trio of songs on the album give it a reasonable entry point, showing strong vocals along with the great rhythm of Gonzo and Joey, along with serviceable guitar stretches from Phil and Dave. The opening title track shows a good burst of speed and enthusiasm from the music and the vocals. “Can U Deliver” is balanced by a good dual solo section from the guitars through the middle of the track. “Mad House” picks things up a bit with a faster tempo and more exciting rhythm riff which lifts the song as one of the better on the album. “Take a Turn” has a commercial bent about the music n places, but John’s vocals actually come through harder here than on other songs on the album.
One of the other comparisons that can be made about this album in looking back is that there is a general symmetry and similarity to the way the songs and composed and sung. The rhythm of guitars, bass and drums does tend to get a bit samey through the middle tracks of the album, which is something that some fans will find aggravating while others will barely even notice. This can be said for songs such as “Seducer” and “Mutiny on the World” and “Glory Hunter” for instance. “Stricken by Fate” and “Envy” have a much better guitar presence, and more energy through the whole band as a whole, especially with John hitting harder in his vocals through these songs. The album then comes to its conclusion with the very Sweet Savage-sounding closing track “False Alarm” which finishes off the album in a pleasing style.

I had known of Armored Saint as a band prior to the mid-1990's but had never really pursued them or chased down their music. In the end, it wasn’t until John Bush left the band to join Anthrax in 1992, and then released what I consider to be the amazing “Sound of White Noise” album that I thought that I probably need to check out just what this Armored Saint band had produced. I heard a few things in those pre-internet days, but it still wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I began to be able to collect their early works, including this album. Since that time I have enjoyed their music, while finding that they do not completely satisfy me with their style of metal/hard rock. The potential however can be heard from the start, which “March of the Saint” is.
When I did get a copy of this album, my thoughts were much as I have explained earlier in this episode. All of the bones are here for a terrific heavy metal album, but it doesn’t quite come together that easily. Did the producer water down what the band had written, trying to give the record company an album that it could promote to a certain market? Or is it just the earliest work of a band that had the potential to be big, but was still finding their feet? I’m not sure. And let me be clear about this - this is still a better than average album which I enjoy whenever I put it on, but you can also perceive some of the reasons why the band was unable to break through to superstar status. The album itself is still terrific, but to me it feels as though something is missing, that something has been lost.
I recently bought this on vinyl at our local Kiama Record Fair, and have been playing it again for the past couple of weeks at home – and I assure you that on vinyl it does sound much better. It’s still a good album, but it isn’t a GREAT album. It doesn’t match “Kill ‘Em All” or “Bonded by Blood” as thrash albums of the era, but it still has its moments. Sometimes, you just have to accept that that is enough.

757. Van Halen / Tokyo Dome Live in Concert. 2015. 4/5

To be honest, going in to write a review of this album, if I don't make the exact same points as every other reviewer in the world then something is wrong. Because really, a live album from Van Halen should be a celebrated event, with the highlights outweighing any negative reactions. And for the most part here, that is exactly correct. But a couple of things tend to grate a little when you listen to the album, things that can't be changed over the course of time that has passed in the band's existence.

The set list is a cracker. Given that they were only going to play songs from when David Lee Roth had fronted Van Halen, it meant that apart from three songs from their latest release, all of these songs are from their classic albums between 1978 and 1984. That means some pretty mean songs get a run here in the live setting, and there is barely a song that any fan could say they missed here over the course of the two discs and two hours. There are even a couple of songs that, for me at least, they could have left off. But that's just personal preference.
So the song list is a ripper. However, what does get found out pretty early on are the vocals. Yes, David Lee Roth has grown longer in the tooth, and there isn't a vocalist alive (or dead for that matter) that hasn't had to adjust the way they sing in their latter years to compensate for the deterioration of their vocal capacity. Some do it better than others. I'm sure we can all handle the fact that DLR can't be expected to hit all the same notes that he did 30-35 years ago. However, that shouldn't mean that you can't do justice to those old songs by making a few variations. Unfortunately here, rather than try and compromise, DLR tends to play around with the vocals, changing their timing and pitch, throwing them out of sequence with the music, and (no doubt) playing around with the crowd all the while. I'm not sure that is fair to either the ticket-buying customer or the album purchasing listener. You deserve to hear "Unchained" and "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" and "Jump" performed as they were written, because they are the timeless classics that should always be preserved and played correctly, not just piss farting around with. Especially, but not only, because they were being performed for a live album. Some songs here, obviously ones that DLR is more comfortably within in his range, sound fine with no adlibbing. The absence of Michael Anthony is felt hard here too. No disrespect to Wolfgang and Eddie, but they can't match what Michael brought to the band with his vocals, and it is noticeable in many of the songs here. It could be argued here that I am being far too picky, and it would not be an unfair argument. However, this is what I get from listening to the album, and it does bring home the disappointment that the first live album with DLR on vocals has come this late in the band's career.
Apart from this, the band's performance as a whole is sensational. Wolfy's bass is serviceable, Alex's drums are as hard hitting and dominant as always, and Eddie is... well... he is Eddie Van Halen, with all the trademark squeals and runs and tapping - and RIFFS - that mark his career and his band's music. Just sensational.

Those that will ignore my more domineering thoughts on Diamond Dave's vocal performance will find an album full of brilliant hits performed by musicians who show they are still capable of pulling it off in the live setting. Those that may agree with my thoughts will still find more than enough here to like, even if it is only hearing Eddie take on the world with just a guitar in his hands being manipulated by his amazing fingers.

Rating: Change, nothing stays the same.  4/5

756. Arch Enemy / Stigmata. 1998. 3.5/5

The advancement of Arch Enemy from side project to full blown band had been a swift one in the mid-1990's, and given that band leader Michael Amott had been a part of the band Carcass at the time they wrote and recorded two of their most influential albums, there always seemed to be an instant energy for the band. Combined with lead singer Johan Liiva from his former band Carnage, and roping in his both Christopher Amott who was studying music at the time, the band released the well heralded “Black Earth” album, and as a result of its success were signed with Century Media who then gave them the ability release their albums worldwide, including the enviable market of the US.
“Black Earth” showed the potential of the band, but with a better distribution deal now having been arranged, there is little doubt that the band would have known they also needed to step things up. The band had already shown their love of traditional metal, having recorded cover versions of two Iron Maiden songs, and Christopher’s preference for that style of metal seemed to be a perfect reference point as to how to create a unique sound going forward. Along with the experience behind them with their first album, the writing and recording sessions for their follow up had the potential to set the band up for a lengthy stint on the world stage.

Look, there is little doubt that the star turn on this album is the dual guitaring skills of the brothers Michael and Christopher Amott. Their influences growing up are obvious from the opening track, and poke their head up every time we come to the solo spots on each song.
The instrumental title track that comes in for the second song on the album is laden with those terrific riffs and melodic play offs that showcase exactly what these two brothers can do, and actually sets up the album well from that point.
And what they successfully do is inject their love of 1980’s traditional heavy metal melodic music into their 1990’s death metal sound, which seems to do two things on this album. Firstly, it creates not a unique sound as such, but an amazing combination of the heavy hard riffing guitars that are such a part of death metal, but then have those melodic dual guitar solos through the middle of the songs that remind you immediately of those great bands of the 1980’s and what they used to do. Secondly, you have the growling ideals of Johan Liiva’s vocals which also do two things – well, for me at least. They initially bring you back to the fac that this is for all intents and purposes a death metal album, and his performance brings that to the fore, and yet it proves to be limiting because there is only one type of vocals here, despite the fact that the music lends itself have to have both harsh vocals and then clear soaring vocals in the mix, as many excellent bands into the next millennium began to do. And, of course, something that Arch Enemy themselves eventually found the band utilising to a degree. But that was down the track a ways.
And so the songs here are a terrific mix of the hard hitting drums with that heavy riffing with Johan’s vocals banging out combined with the fast melodic guitar solos through the middle. And while this was also prevalent on the band’s debut album, it has gone up a notch here on “Stigmata”. The energy throughout is fantastic. And because it combines the best parts of two differing varieties of the heavy metal genre, it becomes more accessible without driving away fans of either. And that is quite a feat given the time it was released and what was occurring in the music world.

I didn’t come across Arch Enemy until the mid-2000's. In the period prior to this I had spent most of my music chasing time in relentless pursuit of the European power and progressive metal scene and the bands that proliferated it, so the more extreme side of metal was something I wasn’t particularly listening to. It wasn’t until my usual purveyor of music, who has since high school not only been one of my best friends but also the guy who seemed to find a way to discover new bands for me to listen to, had begun his own divergence in his listening habits, and suggested I check out their work. So I did, and found it interesting without blowing my mind. But then I went back, and listened to their first three albums, with Johan on vocals, and then I really found the band and the sound. And yes I enjoy their debut, but it was “Stigmata” that really sold me on Arch Enemy when I first heard it. It was the music of the songs that dragged me in, and I related more to the vocals of Johan than I did of Angela who had taken over by those mid-2000's albums. In many ways it was a confronting change for me musically, with Arch Enemy and Trivium and Killswitch Engage at that time much different from what I had spent many recent years listening to.
I still think this album holds up beautifully. It sounds a lot better on my stereo at home than it does on my tinny speaker at work, but it is still the magical mix in styles that retains the uniqueness of their sound that allows this album to continue to be worth your attention.

755. Therapy? / Disquiet. 2015. 3/5

Another Therapy? album means another chance to compare the band's current material with that from their finest album, the now twenty years old masterpiece Troublegum. Yep, I know it is an unfair comparison, as it is with any band, comparing their latest material with that from an era when they could do no wrong in your eyes. But it is almost impossible not to here. Everyone would love another Troublegum, even though they know full well they are never going to get one. Such is the state in which we enter Disquiet.

This is a further step up from their last album, A Brief Crack of Light. The sound on that album was very stripped, an almost back-to-basics sound. Here on the next album, they have progressed from that to re-incorporate a similar buzz to the aforementioned gem in their crown. It isn't a copy. Nothing could ever recreate the angst, the anger and the pissed off nature that is encoded into everything recorded on Troublegum. Add to the fact that the band is twenty years older as well, and it wouldn't be right if they were still feeling the same thoughts this far into the future. So while the depth of feeling may be missing from the vocals, there is a certain amount of similarity in the songs through the drums and guitars as they are written, while A.J's lyrics still show a sense of the distraught, even if it may not sound like it as he is singing them. There is little of the gruff anger that laces the best of Therapy?'s songs, rather here it is the higher register moaning that takes precedence, which for me doesn't quite match what you would expect.
The band has obviously had time to get this album right, as they had to change record companies in the process. There are some standout songs, such as "Still Hurts", with the faster paced drums with grunge-like guitars and bass, and "Tides" which moves in a similar way. The remainder of the album blends together nicely, but without throwing any big punches that make you take notice of what is going on.

You know what is the toughest part in this day and age about me and Therapy? Twenty years ago I was angst-ridden and angry and pissed off and depressed, and Therapy?'s music struck the right chord at the right time. Now I'm older, wiser and generally happier, and it doesn't quite speak the same way to me now as it did back then. Is that what the missing element is for me now? Not completely no. The music now is not as frantic as it was, nor as heavy in the same way as it once was. It plateau's where once it flowed over in a sea of anger and heaviness, where now it reaches a point on the scale before it recedes back into its comfort zone. I love the frantic rather than the mournful. But don't get me wrong, this is still a very good album, much closer to the best that Therapy? produce.

Rating: This feeling is different, I want an easy mind. 3/5

754. Anvil / Hard 'n' Heavy. 1981. 2/5

Anvil's debut album is one which is typical of debut albums of the era. Put together with the best of the material the band had been playing at gigs over the past five years or more, this is a mixed release of songs that don't always congeal together. Because it is written over several years, there is not the same tightness over the course of the album that happens when the writing process occurs over a short period prior to recording. In this instance, the style of songs isn't as defined as it would be in future releases. It was originally released independently under the band's original name of Lips, but when they were signed up by their record company, they changed their name to Anvil, and it was re-released.

Much of the lyrical content is questionable, if only because it is quite inane, suggestive and downright forthright in its "have sex with me in fifty different ways" message. Really, bands that followed like Motley Crue and Ratt and Poison all at least tried to be amusing in covering their lyrics with clever insinuations, but most of the stuff here is just right in your face. The lyrics here aren't really even comical. Who knows... maybe they worked and they got what they were asking for? I don't know, but these songs are difficult to sing along to because you feel so stupid even saying the words.

Steve Kudrow handles the majority of the singing, though "I Want You Both (With Me)" and "Oh Jane" have the lead vocals performed by second guitarist Dave Allison. The guitaring by the two is fine, if a little uneven. At times it can feel as though they just choose to go off and do their own thing, and completely forget that there is a song going on that requires each to be playing the same chords. Robb Reiner's drumming however is exceptional, holding everything together no matter what is happening in the other departments.
Apart from the opening track "School Love", "Bedroom Game" and a quite reasonable cover version of the Rolling Stones' "Paint it, Black", the remainder of the songs here would barely class themselves in the metal category. It was following the release of this album, and before Metal on Metal arrived the following year, that Anvil found their mojo, and the style of music they began to produce became, for a short time, a benchmark in the metal scene. Very little of that can be found here on Hard 'n' Heavy, which though not completely devoid of harder rock tracks is completely barren of non-childish lyrical content.

Rating:  Feeling each other 'cause that's your style  2/5.