1205. Anthrax / Sound of White Noise. 1993. 5/5

Anyone who had followed Anthrax’s journey through the 1980’s would have known a band that combined the essence of thrash metal with some great lyrical writing drawn from sources such as literature and legend and mythology, along with issues that were close to their hearts, all mix with the fun and vibrancy of a young band making it in the world. By the time the band had reached 1990 and the release of their pivotal masterpiece “Persistence of Time”, they were at the peak of their powers. They had a back catalogue of albums that would have been the envy of most other bands out there, and the success of their single “Bring the Noise” had allowed them to incorporate music that they had all grown up with into their own sound, and draw in more fans as a result. And the fun release “Attack of the Killer B’s” had shown they had not lost their fun side after the more serious aspects from the “Persistence of Time” album. So it should have been all champagne and roses, shouldn’t it?
For fans, or at least myself, the parting of ways with lead singer Joey Belladonna seemed sudden and unfortunate. Later interviews suggested that this parting had been discussed between Scott Ian and Charlie Benante as far back as the writing stages of “Persistence of Time”. ‘Musical differences’ was the excuse bandied about at the time, and there had also been thoughts thrown around that the age difference between the older Joey and the rest of the band meant they didn’t mesh well all the time as a result. Whatever the reasons behind his exit were, losing such as high profile member of your band such as the visible and high pitched singing lead singer is not an easy thing to replace and then successfully sell to your fans.
In his place, the band brought in Armored Saint front man John Bush, having auditioned several people. Again, Bush’s name had been floated as a possible replacement in those first times that talk had begun over maybe getting a replacement, so no doubt they had been in contact prior to this occurring. And thus began the waiting game for the fans, to discover just what Anthrax could produce with their new lead singer whose former band had been a contemporary of Anthrax in the thrash metal scene. Alongside this, just how would Anthrax approach the changing music world around them in their new music, with grunge and alternative taking a hold and influencing just how many styles of music approached the 90’s decade. Many changed their style to adapt, and failed as a result. Would Anthrax hold a steady course or make further changes of their own?

Over the years, many reviewers have made the point that they feel that “Sound of White Noise” is either a darker album that the band had written before, growing in serious matters to be conversed about and with less humour or injected fun within the tracks, or that the album is more grunge and alternative related than any of their albums have been before – or in fact that this album is both and all of those things combined.
I’m not sure I have ever agreed with those sentiments. There have been plenty of serious matters made the subject of Anthrax songs in the past albums - “Madhouse”, “Indians”, “Make Me Laugh” and “Belly of the Beast” are just one example from each of the previous four albums that have a serious side to their lyrics. What was changing was perhaps the stage attire for the band, the colourful outfits with shorts and t-shirts that other bands eschewed for denim and or leather. To me, “Sound of White Noise” is a natural progression from the subject matter and heavier sound that came from “Persistence of Time”. And along with the different style of vocals between Joey and John, the songs had to be written and played differently as well, given a different tone to fall in with the way that John held himself and his singing. And that change is significant in another way as well. The songs here have a more melodic singing style about them, with different techniques in the way the vocals are recorded. As well as this, many Anthrax songs in the past had utilised the chanting and backing vocals of Scott Ian and Frankie Bello as a part of the mantra of the songs – think “Caught in a Mosh” and “I Am the Law” as examples – but here John takes on much of the role and those kind of interludes don’t appear. Certainly live they still do, but here on the album John Bush is the main vocalist throughout.
So my opinion is not that this is influenced by grunge or a desire to move towards alternative metal, it is just the natural progression of the band and its sound along with the input and requirements of the new lead singer of the band.
And what an impact it makes. From the outset, the album is pumping through the speakers. Everything is turned up in intensity and impact, from the opening “This is a journey... into sound...” of “Potter’s Field”, to the majesty of the number one single “Only”, into the hard core “Room for One More” and then the aggression and power of “Packaged Rebellion”, the album’s opening four tracks are the equal of any Anthrax album. Charlie Benante’s drumming is beyond superb, once again putting most of his peers in the genre in his shadow, and I love the symmetry between him and bassist Frankie Bello here as well, they set the bottom section in order and create the basis of each track, allowing Scott Ian and Dan Spitz to perform their guitar riffing over the top in perfect order. Even so, it is John Bush’s vocals that reign supreme here, laying to bed any doubts that he could do the job for the band. “Hy Pro Glo”, the intensity of “Invisible” and “1000 Points of Hate”, to the moodiness of the complete tack change of “Black Lodge”... all of it is immense and tremendous. “Sodium Pentothal” (not how it is spelled but it is always the name I’ve called this track) into “Burst”, and then the over-the-top conclusion of “This is Not an Exit”, makes for an amazing album, a brilliant debut for Bush, and the exact kind of heavy metal we wanted to hear at a time when so many other bands were diverging from their usual template.

It is pretty difficult to put into words just how much I adored this album when it was released. This came out around three months after I was married, and was followed a week later by Helloween’s “Chameleon” album, an episode of this podcast that follows this episode very quickly. So I listened to both of these albums together for some time. Now, without giving away the plot line for the Helloween album... I listened to this a hell of a lot more and for a hell of a lot longer. And we were living in a two room flat, struggling with very little income in our small business, so buying anything extravagant like a couple of albums at the time was not easy to do. But I still recall with fondness sitting in the sun-drenched combined lounge/dining/kitchen of the front half of that flat, looking out at the view and listening to this album at as high a volume as I dared in an effort to not have all of our neighbours call the cops at the same time. And it was just brilliant. It was a mood changer, an album that still to this day is able to take my crankiest, angriest moods and suck that all out of me, and replace it with a feeling of contentment. Because there is plenty of anger here within the confines of the album, and having this amazingly heavy album create its transition is still something to behold.
The album lasted for ever on my playing list. I’ve had it on for over a month again now in preparation for this podcast, and it’ll stay on my playlist for a while again yet. Simply because it is an amazing album. The lyrics of “Packaged Rebellion” became a kinda motto for my life - ‘I don’t wanna know how you’re so driven, I don’t wanna know your influence, I don’t need to prove myself, I just need to be myself, it doesn’t show how I’m trying to be, it just shows who I am’. At 23 years of age when this album was released, it became my mantra. And – just as importantly, this was an album of that era by a band that I loved that didn’t change, in fact almost became heavier here than they had been, whereas other bands that I loved from the 1980’s were in a mid-life crisis and suffering because of it.
I still love this album unconditionally. It is an absolute balltearer. It was, somewhat sadly, probably the last great Anthrax album. From this point on they all have their great songs and great moments, but not with the same overall and undying purpose and intent. 30 years on, and this still has it all – the heavy riffs, the headbanging drums and rhythms, the great singalong lyrics, and from all reports the song that James Hetfield called ‘a perfect song’. High praise indeed.

1204. Van Halen / OU812. 1988. 3/5

Overall, Van Halen had come away from the split with former lead vocalist David Lee Roth in a strong position. After the commercial success of the album “1984” with Roth on vocals, there was doubt over whether they could reproduce that success with Sammy Hagar coming in. That was laid to rest by the release of “5150”, which was full of chart busting singles and the same kind of hard rock guitar infused with the increasing keyboard and synth that “1984” had introduced, while Hagar’s vocals were a great match for what the band was producing.
Following the tour to support that album, the writing for the next album began soon after, with both Eddie and Sammy already inundated with ideas to progress with. Prior to the album being released, there was a lot of speculation as to how the band would progress musically on their second album with this line-up. DLR’s second solo album “Skyscraper” was released at the start of 1988, the episode of which you can find in this season of Music from a Lifetime, and it had shown a slight change in style from his first. And many wondered just where Van Halen would go with their new album, and whether Sammy Hagar would be an influence in its direction musically, or whether the musical direction that Eddie had taken over the previous two albums would continue to evolve in the same way. Long time fans of the band were looking for a return to a more guitar oriented theme much like their early work, where Eddie’s guitar dominated, rather than where the synths of the 1980’s did so. Prior to its release, this album was surrounded by theories and speculation, much of which perhaps ended up being problematic for the fans when the album finally saw the light of day.

“Mine All Mine” opens the album perfectly, a rocking Van Halen song at the right tempo, slotted with keyboards that dominate in a way they had for the band’s past two albums, and vocals that, at times, I often mistake for David Lee Roth at the beginning of the song, before it becomes obvious that it is still Sammy Hagar at the helm. Eddie’s solo here also revives the better attributes of the band as well.
In many ways, personally at least, I think “When It’s Love” is a poor choice as the follow up song. It’s the epitome of the Van Hagar rock ballad, and of course it did great business on the charts when released, but for me it stops the album in its tracks at the first hurdle. And, in many ways, it never really recovers. Of course, all of those millions of fans out there who love the song would disagree.
The middle trilogy of “AFU (Naturally Wired)”, “Cabo Wabo” and “Source of Infection” have a much sound about them, Eddie’s guitar and Sammy’s wailing with that great hard rock rhythm of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony. “Cabo Wabo” has a slower groove than the other two but fits in nicely. “Source of Infection” again could have been DLR singing such is the way the track is sung and creates the backing vocals the way the band used to.
Three songs released as singles follow this into the back half of the album, and as a result the real energy of the album gets misplaced. “Feels So Good” has almost church-organ keyboards throughout, only building with Eddie’s solo by the end of the song. “Finish What Ya Started” is a semi-acoustic tome that for many fans is a bonafide great song, but for me pretty much just stalls the album again, while “Black and Blue” is the more energetic of the three tracks.
“Sucker in a 3 Piece” is the concluding track on the album, unless you have the CD (which I guess would be the majority of album owners out there) which has a cover of the blues track “A Apolitical Blues” which, really, does nothing for me. It’s a strange one to have included to be honest, but along with some of the decision making on this album, perhaps it actually fits alongside that.

I never jumped out and bought this album. There was a lot of other albums at the time that were dominating my listening (and the severe lack of cash meant I couldn’t just buy every album I wanted in those uni days), and so for some time I only had the singles released from the album as my guide, which can sometimes be good and other times be average. It would be fair to say that in this case the singles coloured my feelings of the album. Once I started to listen to the album it was those songs that I heard the most, and for me it probably harmed the way I felt about the album.
Over the years, I wouldn’t say that my opinion of the album has changed much. And like I mentioned in the intro, for me this was a real line in the sand album. There is stuff I like enough here, and on the albums that followed, but none of them for me ever compared to those that came pre-1987. And that was never a nostalgia thing either, it was just that the band turned the dial away from the style of music they had always done to this point, and found the next station on the dial. None of it felt like a reaction to what was happening in music at the time, it honestly just felt that it was the direction this group of four was looking to diverge into. For me, I wasn’t completely invested in that direction.


I’ve spent the past two to three weeks listening to the album again in preparation for this episode, and my feelings on the album remain the same as they have for 35 years. I’ve put it on, and it almost immediately went into the background for me as I did whatever else I was doing at the time. At no time did it dominate, or demand that I sing along or stop what I was doing because it was awesome. An average album, without the hooks necessary to truly become a big hitter in my music collection.

1203. Iron Maiden / Piece of Mind. 1983. 5/5

Iron Maiden’s popularity had exploded worldwide with the release of their third studio album “The Number of the Beast”, and the success of the lead single from that album “Run to the Hills”. The story of that album can be found in an episode of this podcast back in Season 2 if you are interested in reliving the story that came with it.
Once the touring schedule for that album had been completed, the band could concentrate on the writing session for their follow up, something that was going to be a tough ask. The first part of that puzzle had already occurred by this point. Drummer Clive Burr, who had been a staple of the first three albums, had been let go by the band after he had taken a short leave of absence due to the death of his father. Filling in for him while he was away was drummer of the band Trust, Nicko McBrain. On Burr’s return, a meeting occurred where the band had decided that they needed to move in a different direction. What brought this on? There is no definitive answer to this. Several reports at the time suggested it was drugs and alcohol that had caused the separation, but more reliable quotes suggest that Clive and band leader Steve Harris had had too many disagreements and Steve’s patience had run out. Clive was quoted in “Classic Rock” magazine two years before his sad demise from multiple Sclerosis as saying - “Steve used to say I played the songs too fast, he was always telling me to slow down. My abiding memory of recording “The Number Of The Beast” album is Steve telling me to slow down.” There were odd spats, he says, but nothing major, nothing serious. Bruce Dickinson in his autobiography says he felt Clive’s dismissal came from personality conflicts with Steve, but that he had always wished he had been able to stay longer, as his drumming was his favourite of Maiden’s drummers. Without knowing anything for certain, it appears from the outside that when Nicko came in for Clive for those shows, something clicked for Steve Harris and he decided that it was this style of drumming the band needed, and he made that decision to fire Clive and hire Nicko full time. Nicko, of course, has been Iron Maiden’s drummer ever since.

The other major change for this album was that Bruce Dickinson was now officially able to contribute to the writing process. Because of contractual problems with his previous band Samson, Bruce was legally unable to be credited on any of that album’s songs, despite the fact that it was later revealed that he had made significant contributions to the songs "The Prisoner", "Children of the Damned" and "Run to the Hills". Now however he was free to be completely involved in the writing process and be credited for this. It gave the band an amazing set of songwriters in Steve Harris, Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson, who were able to write songs on their own but also with each other, something that began to create the amazing template for the Iron Maiden albums of the 1980’s. With Dave Murray also offering his one or two contributions per album, it truly made the band a full unit on the writing front.
When it came ot the writing and recording, the band left UK soil to do both. The writing for the album took place off the coast of France in Jersey in January of 1983, before they moved to the Bahamas to complete that job and then also record the album.
One of the interesting parts about this part of Iron Maiden’s career was the controversy that had come with their previous album and the branding of the band as satanists and devil worshippers as a result. Despite the ridiculousness of those claims, mostly from the conservative religious elements in the US, the band was somewhat branded in some places as a result. On this album, they decided to fight back. In an interlude directly preceding the track “Still Life”, there is an incomprehensible recording, which for all money sounds like it is backwards masking. As it turns out, that is exactly what it is. In order to put the wind up the kind of people who like to protest about ‘this kind of thing happening’ on albums, the band actually recorded Nicko saying "What ho said the t'ing with the three 'bonce', don't meddle with things you don't understand...", and then put it on the album backwards, no doubt driving those that like to protest about this kind of thing mad. And, let’s face it, could there ever be a better way to fight back against that kind of simple thinking than doing exactly this?

There are many elements that still make this a great album. First off, the writing and inspiration of the tracks. For me, I think it is a terrific thing to have so many songs here inspired by stories, either in the written form in the shape of books or poems or short stories, or by movies and the stories told in that art form. And that’s what helps make the songs interesting even 40 years later, because the stories are still there to be told and heard. And then you have the music itself, and the highly developed way it has progressed since their first album just three years previous. Yes, the drums are different because of the change of drummer, that is to be expected. And Nicko is spectacular on this album. But the guitars and the melodic trade off between Adrian and Dave throughout are immense. The switching of solos, the harmony guitars when used, and the amazing rhythm riffs are even more intense and perfectly constructed that they were even on “The Number of the Beast”. And that galloping bass guitar of Steve Harris that is completely unique in metal at the time. All of it combines here to make an unreal album.
And in some places it is just the small things that make it so amazing. The machine guns in the album opener “Where Eagles Dare” are actually just Nicko on his hi-hats. His amazing fills that flesh out the song so much but are often overlooked when it comes to the brilliance of the track itself. Even if you haven’t seen the film that the song is based on, you can almost see it occurring before you anyway as you listen to the song. And Bruce’s vocals lines, into that final high pitches scream at the end of the song is just shivers down the spine stuff. So much air guitaring goes on while this song is played. It is one of the great album openers of all time. This is followed by Bruce’s amazing “Revelations”, which swings between the faster and heavier to the moody and thoughtful, the power of the track being in his own incomparable vocals. His lyrics here, combined from several sources and focusing especially on the writings of Aleister Crowley, are mesmerising, and beautifully expressed.
Many people remained surprised that “Flight of Icarus” was released as the first single from the album, but given its length made it radio friendly, and the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus composition also gave it that radio friendly appeal, perhaps in the long run it was not. Of course, it proved a hit in the US where it reached number 8, so the question is probably moot. Based around the Greek mythology story of Icarus it proved a hit to those who studied ancient history in high school. Side One of the album then concludes with the galloping joy of “Die With Your Boots On”, based on the story of Nostradamus and his visions that many believe foretold the future. Beyond that though, two great guitar solos and that superb bass guitar from Steve Harris drive the song along at the perfect clip and make it one of the best, most underrated Iron Maiden songs in their catalogue.

“The Trooper” is still regarded by most fans as the band’s greatest ever song. Everything about it seems iconic. The cover to the single, the second and final single released from the album, which of course then sold in the millions on T-shirts and posters. The sight of Eddie coming at you with the tattered Union Jack and the sword in his other hand is still one of the most decorated in music history. The amazing combination of the twin guitars on this song is unparalleled, with both Adrian and Dave producing an amazing performance. What makes the song so unique though is the fact that it tells the story of the Charge of the Light Brigade, one of the most famous battles of the Crimean War, and the galloping of Steve Harris’s bass guitar correlates perfectly to the sound of galloping horses, becoming the most iconic of songs as a result. And the sight of Bruce Dickinson standing astride on stage in both the music video for the song, and every night they play it live on stage, completes what is the perfect storm in heavy metal music. 40 years on, it has lost none of its power and standing in the metal world.
“Still Life”, preceded by Nicko’s reverse warning, is another of Maiden’s most underrated songs, and as Dave Murray’s sole co-written track again proves that less can be more. This is a beautifully moody yet melodically heavy track, that builds and wanes perfectly, lulling you into its spell before crashing into the main crunching riff and Bruce’s mood-changing vocals. It is an awesome song, one of my all time favourites with two perfectly played solos again through the middle of the song.
“Quest for Fire”, on the other hand, often gets short shrift when discussed by fans and critics alike. Unlike the other songs here, it seems a fairly simple one, with the only real outstanding feature being Steve basslines, especially through the chorus. Perhaps that is so, and it seems unlikely that anyone would ever put “Quest for Fire” on a pedestal. But to be honest, it never bothered me in the slightest growing up with the album, or now. It is part of the furniture, a song that is a part of Piece of Mind, and that is all that has ever mattered to me. But it is interesting that “Quest for Fire” is often paired up with “Sun and Steel” as being the weak links of the album, and I say interesting because I freaking LOVE “Sun and Steel”. Similar in what many call a ‘simple’ style, I love Bruce’s harmony vocals through the chorus, the melodic guitars especially in the solos, and Bruce’s climbing vocals at the end of the song. I still love it.
What is surely not in dispute is the awesomeness of the album’s closing track, “To Tame a Land”. Based on the novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert, "To Tame a Land" was meant to be called "Dune". They sought permission from Herbert’s agents to do so (much as they had done with Patrick McGoohan for “The Prisoner” on the previous album) but apparently the message they got back as quoted as such - "Frank Herbert doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially bands like Iron Maiden". Thus this epic track is called “To Tame a Land” which to be honest is a much better sounding name for a song of this stature than “Dune”. It is one of Maiden’s most elaborately brilliant songs, amazingly sung by Bruce Dickinson, and then performed by the band itself. Nicko’s drumming is superb and also helps to dictate the mood of the track which is quite a feat for a drummer on this scale. Much like the opening track, even if you don’t know “Dune”, the song paints its own picture and allows you to see everything that the band wants you to see. And it also dictates to you once it has finished that you must turn the album over, and start it all over again.

You may have guessed by now that “Piece of Mind” is an album that I think pretty highly of. I didn’t actually hear the album until the final weeks of 1985, some two and a half years after it had been released. It was the very start of my journey into the love and obsession with the heavy metal genre of music. The previous week I had been handed a cassette with Iron Maiden’s next album, “Powerslave” recorded on it, and then my impatience for new material in this genre was curbed slightly by my heavy metal music dealer providing me with a copy of this album as well. And I began listening to both albums in the two weeks that led up to Xmas that year. Perhaps surprisingly, one song began to stick in my mind, and I began to play it over and over until I had all the lyrics right. That song was “Flight of Icarus”, and it became the song that truly got me into Iron Maiden. From there, the remainder of the album came along for the ride, first with “Die with Your Boots On” and of course “The Trooper”, which soon outstripped “Flight of Icarus” and became the anthem of my final two years of high school. I walked our school cross country the following year with my metal dealer, singing the whole album from start to finish to pass the time, playing each guitar solo on beautifully immaculate air guitars. I began bringing my portable cassette deck to school, so we could listen to this album and others like it during lunch and recess every day. My taped version had “The Trooper” where it jumped a couple of times – in fact, all of us in our group at high school did, because our same metal dealing mate was recording his album for everyone, and his vinyl jumped in the same spot every time. In fact, until we got “Live After Death”, we didn’t even have a copy of the song that was the full version without skipping. That was the joy and bane of the vinyl days of music. The band we were in during the early 1990’s played “The Trooper” in every setlist, and even began to play “Still Life” to rapturous applause during the concluding days of that band’s existence. I have “The Trooper” poster, framed and hanging on my wall in the Metal Cavern. And my 15 year old son Josh has one on his wall as well.
By the time I’d returned to school at the beginning of 1986, I was hooked, an addict. Iron Maiden was a drug, and this album was the affinity of it. It was the beginning of a journey for me, one that in 1986 included Iron Maiden, and the discovery of Metallica and Ronnie James Dio, the three artists that for me have defined a major portion of my teenage years, and my post-teens life. And for those last 30 years, if I was ever asked what my favourite albums of all time are, I can still confidently narrow down as my top three of all time. A Metallica one with crosses all over the front cover, an album that has a pyramid emblazoned on its front cover, and “Piece of Mind”. Come at me with suggestions that you think might be better. You’d be wrong.

1202. Testament / The New Order. 1988. 4/5

With the release of their debut album “The Legacy” in 1987, an episode of which you can find in Season 2 of this podcast, Testament had stormed the US on coast-to-coast tours, blitzing through concerts and gigs and riding on the wave that was the thrash metal movement with their contemporaries Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Exodus. The success of the album and the subsequent touring meant that Testament was fast growing out of the support slot of touring and quickly becoming headliner material.
One thing the band hadn’t been aware of though was the terms of their contract with their recording company. They were still on tour promoting that debut album when they were informed that, in the terms of their agreement, they had to have a second album out, and pretty much within a year of that first album being released. As it was now January, that left them precious little time to write and record new material. The band had been doing some writing on tour, but now they found themselves under the pump and having to get what they had written up to speed, and then recorded as well.
Through January the band put down everything they had, and sent it off to their record company. However, the band still hadn’t completely read the terms under which they had been contracted, and an agreement stood that they had to have a minimum of 40 minutes of material on the album, and what they had submitted had come in under that, and somewhat significantly. With the album returned to the band in order to complete their dues, they decided to ‘fudge’ it a little. They added two instrumentals, they extended a few pieces in some of the songs to extend their length, and they recorded a cover version of the Aerosmith song “Nobody’s Fault”, all of which got the album to a length that was accepted by their bosses. It certainly wasn’t the best way of going about creating your sophomore album, but as always, the proof would be in the final product.

Without the pressures as described in the previous section in regards to the record companies demands, it is difficult to assess if this album would have been much different to what was eventually released. Obviously with more time the band may well have come up with better songs, or more songs of better material. I mean, I have no real problem with the version of “Nobody’s Fault” that they done here, and the instrumental features of “Hypnosis”, and “Musical Death (a Dirge)” which concludes the album is fine in their own way. But given some of the other absolute brilliant tracks that this album contains, I’ve often wondered what could have been achieved with more time and freedom than they had. Of course, perhaps this would also have inhibited the free rage and destruction that much of this album contains.
The way that the opening track “Eerie Inhabitants” kicks off has often made me wonder if it was influenced by the way songs like “Fight Fire with Fire” and “Battery” began those Metallica albums – with the quiet, unobtrusive, introspective start, that then kicks off into a blaze of guitar and crashing into the songs real beginning. Terrific. From here though we leap into the true awesomeness of this album. “The New Order” rips your head off, “Trial By Fire” again has an extended quieter guitar piece to start before launching into the song proper, and “Into the Pit” is exactly as you would imagine a song of this type to be like. These three songs show the amazing progress the band has made since their debut album, the heat and energy that comes with playing night after night on the road, and drawing in the joy and aggression of the crowds, and what THEY want from the band, which in this case is more heavier and faster guitars and powerful vocals and lyrics, along with guttural bass and driving drums. And all of that is showcased here, perfectly defining what Testament is all about at the start of their long journey.
With “Hypnosis” then acting as a break, the back half of the album creates more of the same, with “Disciples of the Watch” one of the best examples of Testament’s fury unleashed, before jumping into “The Preacher” and “A Day of Reckoning”. Like I said, the instrumental flurries that the band had to place on the album in order to get to their time constraints are fine, and they don’t' harm the album in any way, but there is little doubt that with a little more time, and the ability to add a couple more songs in instead of these breaks, it could have made this one of the all time classic thrash albums. Which, indeed, it actually is anyway.

As engrossed as I was with my burgeoning love of heavy metal at the time that this album was released, I didn’t actually get around to checking out Testament the band until the release of their album that followed this one, “Practice What You Preach”, before then grabbing “Souls of Black”, and off I went. To be honest, the exact timeline as to when I first heard and bought this album is a bit hazy, which my closest friends would have trouble believing. And yet it is true, the time I really heard this album is lost in the mists of time, which suggests it was probably either in the early 1990’s, or perhaps sometime in the late 1990’s. I don’t know. I’m sorry for everyone I’ve disappointed out there.
And much like with their debut album “The Legacy”, if only I’d had this at the time of its release, because I would have been screaming up the highway to uni, playing this at top volume and singing along, and it would have been awesome, because it is the perfect soundtrack for that part of life.
So beyond that, there isn’t much else to say. This period in thrash metal, with the kings of Metallica and Megadeth and Anthrax and Slayer, and the other bands like Exodus and Death Angel, was amazing times. And Testament stood head and shoulders with them, and this album is no different. Play it loud and play it proud, and just enjoy what screams out of the speakers at you.

1201. Queensrÿche / Operation: Mindcrime. 1988. 5/5

Queensryche had made a steady progress from their earliest beginnings and then into their recording career over the five years that preceded this album being released. The initial success of their self-titled EP and the song “Queen of the Reich”, through to the progressive release “The Warning”, and the more complicated and thematic styles of “Rage for Order”, an album that was reviewed as the first ever episode of this podcast almost two years ago, some 257 episodes ago. Check it out, it’s still relevant!
There are some great interviews out there of the band in regards to the inspiration and collaboration that went into creating this album, and incorporating the story that it eventually portrays.
In essence, lead vocalist Geoff Tate formed the idea of the story, basing it on the ideas being formed by a group that he had been hanging around when he first moved to Canada, a militant movement that had been involved in bombings. From here he had begun forming the story of Nikki, a man who had been corrupted and drawn into a similar group to be used as a ‘one man death machine’. When he pitched the idea to the band, there was less than consensual agreement. However, guitarist Chris De Garmo liked the idea and began to collaborate with Tate on the storyline and begin composing songs as a result. Tate has said in interviews that he had to work on the other three members of the band – guitarist Michael Wilton, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield – in one-on-one conversations to bring them around to the idea. Eventually, the band warmed to the proposal, most likely after hearing the initial compositions that Tate and De Garmo had come up with.
The album was another step away from the band’s initial hair metal glam image, and into the more progressive metal that they had matured into on their previous album. Even though the album was not written or recorded in the same order as appears on the final album, it was important each piece showcased the mood of the story as it came, and that they were then able to sew all of the pieces together, not only in the order of the story from start to finish, but to do so without feeling clunky and without losing the flow of the album as a result. And the story had to be compelling, without letting the controversy of the topics covered throughout – an assassin, part of an organisation deliberately planning chaos, the political motivation behind it all, and the consequences (or not) suffered as a result - from taking over the focus of the album. Because the story had to be captivating, and the music was a massive part of that. Bringing all of that together in order to create a masterpiece or a dud was where the band was with this album. The end result could be the making of the band or the breaking of them.

“Operation: Mindcrime” can be considered a concept album, but also in its own way a rock opera. The story plays out in the songs, easily discerned even for the listener who isn’t interested in reading about it, but just as importantly, the album can be enjoyed even without wanting to know the story it is telling, because the song writing and musicianship throughout is next level. And that is very important to understand, because the flow of the album, with songs segueing from one to the next is particularly brilliant, with almost no interruption. And yet, each song is unique, it is not a copy of what comes before or after it. It is easy to discern the amazing amount of work that must have gone in to creating this album through the music, and making the story truly come to life.
The story of Nikki being coerced into becoming a hired killer comes through the opening tracks. The opening of “I Remember Now”, with Nikki at the end of his story, held in a hospital at the end of his rampage, then breaks into the power of the instrumental opening of “Anarchy X” which segues straight into “Revolution Calling”, setting the scene of the tale. From here the title track explains what is expected of Nikki from the nefarious Doctor X, and then into his job with “Speak”. The introduction of Mary through “Spreading the Disease”, “The Mission” and “Suite Sister Mary” explains her relationship with Nikki and how it ties into Dr X’s plans. The back half of the album then relates how Nikki wants to escape his life, but Dr X is having none of it, and how the story ends in tragedy and loss.
Beyond that of course the songs stand on their own. That opening salvo of “Anarchy X”, “Revolution Calling”, “Operation: Mindcrime”, “Speak” and “Spreading the Disease” is absolutely brilliant, led by the amazing drum work of Scott Rockenfield, who is precision perfect throughout the album. His drive on this album is magnificent to listen to. The twin guitar attack of Wilton and De Garmo fills each song with riffs aplenty, all held together with Eddie Jackson’s sublime bass work, and of course perfectly topped off by the amazing vocals of Geoff Tate.
Now, if I was to just be listening to songs for songs sake, I am happy to take or leave both “The Mission” and “Suite Sister Mary”. Both are an essential part of the story and the album, but because of their length and orchestration within, given the wonderful heaviness of the tracks that precede them, I can move on without them.
Beyond that the album heats up again, with the brilliant “The Needle Lies” which riffs up the pace and energy again. The three short joining tracks apart, the album concludes with the same energy if not speed of “Breaking the Silence”, “I Don’t Believe in Love” and “Eyes of a Stranger”, a brilliant way to bring the album to a close.

This album is probably the luckiest and most significant album purchase of my life. I happened to be in Kiama and walked into my local record store Kiama Sight and Sound, and started digging through the shelves, not really expecting to find anything outstanding to buy that I didn’t already own. Then I came across this album. At the time, my entire knowledge of Queensryche was their song “Queen of the Reich” and the film clip that accompanied it. I loved that song, and on the strength simply of that, I bought this album that day, took it home, immediately went to my parents' stereo and put it on. And was completely – blown – away. I listened to it three times, back to back. I pieced together the fact it was a concept album, and the story that was being told. It had me from the very beginning. But it isn’t just the story, because the music itself is what is the starring role here. Each song has its emotion and mood perfectly examined and performed by the music for each track. Both “The Mission” and “Suite Sister Mary”, being the epic track through the middle of the album, perform that task magnificently, while the anger in Nicky in tracks like “Revolution Calling”, “Speak”, “Spreading the Disease” and “The Needle Lies” is where Rockenfield, Wilton and De Garmo shine to their peak.
So I didn’t get this on its release, it was a number of months later before I came across it that fateful morning. But it didn’t take long to go to number one on my hit parade. I taped it to a blank cassette and put it in the car, and it was there... for years really. Wherever I was going, this album often got a hammering. At home, once I had purchased my own stereo system for my bedroom, this continued to get played over and over.
I have never gotten sick of this album. Never. Having it on again over the last month to consider for this review, it has been joyous to listen to it at least once every day. It never gets tired, the magnificence of its scope, and the grandeur of its sound. And perhaps, through this, it has become the rod of Queensryche’s back. Because as much as their following album “Empire” is, in its own way, just as amazing, and eventually sold more copies than “Operation: Mindcrime”, it is THIS album that every following Queensryche album has been judged on, and none can hold a candle to it.
“Operation: Mindcrime” remains as one of my favourite ten albums of all time. If you make a list, of ten albums, that are the only ones you can listen to for the remainder of your life, this for me would be one of them. As a concept album, nothing matches it. As a metal album, few can get close. As an experience, it is one everyone should take.

1200. Poison / Open Up and Say... Ahh! 1988. 3.5/5

The hair and glam metal scene on the West Coast of the US had been a consistent benefactor of the genre through most of the 1980’s, with bands such as Motley Crue, W.A.S.P, Ratt, Bon Jovi and others having success in the live scene as well as being able to penetrate the charts at the same time. Poison had climbed aboard that gravy train with the release of their debut album “Look What the Cat Dragged In” in 1986, with the make up and teased hair and spandex all being the bright and colourful standout of the band promoting the light and fun music and songs they produced. Utilising the success of the bands that came before them, Poison managed to find their own style that complemented what had opened the doors, and made a breezy entrance as a result.
Followed a tour that brought about good review for their live show, it came time to come up with the follow up to that album. And, though I’m not sure what the band would have discussed when it came to this new album, it seems likely that not only did they want to build on the platform the songs of their first album had provided, but also find a way to continue to be their own band, and not just go with a formula that other glam metal bands had used over the years. That didn’t mean that they would abandon what had been successful, but it feels as though they have made an effort to keep the energy up throughout the whole album, making it something that is impossible to turn away from when it is playing.
Everything that Poison throw at you on this album has a perfect vibe for what the band is trying to achieve. So yes, the songs are the high partying, love as a metaphor type songs that you generally expect from the hair and glam metal bands of the era. And they are the songs that, for the most part but not exclusively, are centred on attracting the female sex to their music. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t attractive to teenage and 20-something guys too. Because the mix of what the lyrics are saying and the way the music is played are two entirely different things, and therefore are expelling two different types of attractants to the listener.

Most of the album moves along at the rock kind of pace, one that allows for head bobbing and foot tapping, even air guitaring and drumming in places. Songs that you can put on in the car and blasts out at volume as you drive down the strip, or the Australian equivalent of that, the avenue. The opening six tracks on the album all have a certain set of credentials in that they are based on the terrific rhythm of Rikki Rockett’s classy drumming and the sensational bass lines of Bobby Dall, both of which drive the album wonderfully well. They are the undersold gems of Poison and especially on this album. Because usually when you speak of the band, it is the vocals of Bret Michaels and the lead guitar of CC De Ville that gets the plaudits. And, once again, both are great here. Poison does live off of Michaels’ awesome vocal chords and the way he is able to sell the songs, and CC’s lead breaks and squeals are also what draws in many listeners. But that solid spectacular drumming and terrific bass underneath, combined with both of their excellent supporting vocals, are as much as the success story of this album as the two who get the front and centre gig.
And they are great hard rock tracks, like I said. “Love on the Rocks”, “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, “Back to the Rocking Horse” are all uptempo and upvibing songs, perfect party songs once the beer has kicked in. Then you have “Good Love”, “Tearin Down the Walls” and “Look But You Can’t Touch” that continue that energy through the middle of the album.
The one song here of course that doesn’t fit that mould is “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, which many people viewed as a cynical attempt to get radio airplay when this album was released. I was one of them. But to be honest the true nature of the track is that Bret Michaels wrote it for a reason, and then found the perfect place on the album to put it so that it didn’t mess up the flow of the album, and create any road blocks. Placed between the high voltage of “Fallen Angel” and the terrific rocked-up version of the Loggins & Messina cover version of “Your Mama Don’t Dance”, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” has its acoustic based power anthem well surrounded, such that it blends in as well as this kind of song can when it is so different from what comes before and after. And of course, the radio DID eat it up. And the album sales soared because of it.

So perhaps you have already gathered from the way this review has gone, that when this album was released, I pretty much turned my nose up at it. And like other albums and artists before and since, it was more from a case that acquaintances of mine who didn’t like the music I was into suddenly saying “Yeah! Poison! How awesome are they?!” and me turning away from them on that basis. And yes that was petty, because I loved the other bands I mentioned at the top of the program that were from the same area and of the same genre, so I really should have been right behind them! But no, I let them and this album pass, with only the singles to go off. And it wasn’t until a full 14 months later, when I actually saw Poison live touring on this album (and yes, we had only gone to see them because it was a few weeks after we saw Metallica on the “Damaged Justice” world tour, and we were so amped and desperate to see more live bands that we decided to go to this tour) that I had any thoughts about catching up on the album. Which, for the most part, I still didn’t do.
FINALLY, about 20 years ago, I saw an MTV live set that the band did, with songs off the first two albums, and I thought “Wow, they sound great! I should go back and check out those albums!” Which I did. And have now spent the last 20 years kicking myself as to why it took me so long to actually indulge myself in this album in particular. Because it’s great! It has touches of Motley Crue and Ratt about it, but mostly it is just energetic, passionate hair metal that doesn’t muck around, doesn’t have ebbs and flows like other albums, it just comes at you and keeps going. The musicianship is brilliant, and the songs are fun and rocking. Is it just me reminiscing about this era of my life that has me enjoying this so much now? I don’t doubt that that is a part of it, but mostly, I just think this is a great album of the genre. And having had it on rotation for the last three weeks once again, I think my enjoyment of this album has only grown as a result.