1325. Anthrax / Stomp 442. 1995. 3/5

Even when Anthrax was being touted as one of the Big Four of thrash metal, they knew they were always considered number four of those four. The outrageous success that Metallica found over the first ten years of their recording career had sent them into the stratosphere. Megadeth had followed closely on their heels, maybe not in album sales but in critically acclaimed releases they were right there breathing down Metallica’s neck. Slayer ran their own race, jogging alongside these two bands looking across and nodding their heads, acknowledging that those two were fighting amongst themselves, while all the while Slayer punched out thrash metal albums that continued to excite the fan base. And Anthrax... well, they were the quiet achievers in many ways. “Among the Living” still ranks as one of the great thrash metal albums. “Persistence of Time”, as I have spoken about a lot on this podcast over recent months, still ranks as one of the big four album releases of 1990, one that dominated that year. And their 1993 monster album with new lead singer John Bush “Sound of White Noise” brought a new kind of heavy to their music, and also adapted to the changes that were going on in music at the time and managed to channel them into their music without losing their own personality. That album, which reached #7 in the US charts, lifted Anthrax to unprecedented highs in the marketplace, gave them a standing and a persona where they had their own future firmly in their hands.
Following the tour to promote the album, guitarist Dan Spitz left the band. Spitz was already a talented creator of high end watches and jewellery of that volition, and he finally came to the conclusion that he could make more money and spend more time at home by following that vocation. Spitz had been in the band since the very early days, and his departure was a loss for the band and for fans alike. Spitz was not immediately replaced. Paul Crook was brought in to be the hired gun for the band’s live shows, but for the new album, several guests were brought on board to participate and help out. Crook himself played lead guitar on four tracks, while Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell Abbott, a friend of the band, also contributed. In the main, it was drummer Charlie Benante, who had taken on a bigger role in the writing of the music for the album, who also contributed more guitars to the recording.
Having already made an album that not only lifted them above the pack in the new grunge and alt metal world that came with the first half of the 1990’s decade, Anthrax now had the opportunity to push that even further with their follow up to John Bush’s first album helming the vocals for the band, with the album “Stomp 442”.

Ripping in from the outset, the more industrialised sound of Anthrax’s emerging and evolving sound comes at you in the form of the opening track “Random Acts of Senseless Violence”. While there are similarities to what came on the previous album, this song crashes out of the speakers at you with a wall of noise that announces itself in the harshest way possible. Drums, guiatrs and vocals all at 11 in the mix and grating into the combination. Paul Crook gets his first crack on a laed solo here and is perhaps the biggest point of difference, with the new sound post-Dan Spitz carrying the majority of the sound vibe. The first single from the album comes next in “Fueled”, falling back to the more familair course taken on the previous album, along with plenty of opportunity for Ian and Bello to bring their backing vocals into the mix. The video for the song told a story that aligns almost parallel to Stephen King’s “Christine” with the band playing alongisde. It’s a hardcore addition alongside the opening track, and mirrors the direction Anthrax have decided to take this album in the mid-1990's and what is happening musically around them at the time. The arrival of “King Size” also means that the groove has arrived. Here is where Anthrax begin to showcase where their musical varieties are trending towards, with the rhythm groove and Bush’s vocals mixing the same depths. The perpetually distinctive guitar soloing from Dimebag Darrell cuts through the middle of the track, in many ways topping off the fact that it almost feels though this is an Anthrax/Pantera crossover track. “Riding Shotgun" brings more of the same with the hard riffing rhythm guitar and bass line, complemented by dual solo lead breaks from Crook and Dimebag again, perpetuating a stolen promise. Bush’s vocals hold their distinctive line which does give this song more of an authentic sound rather than moving down the path towards other bands of the era.
“Perpetual Motion” is an interesting title because the riffing here seems to stick to its middle ground and not move towards anything more exciting or for that matter less exciting. “In a Zone" sticks with the program, that mid-tempo hard riffing that blows into overdrive for Crook’s short and sweet solo spot before cranking back into the safe and solid riff to the end of the track. Neither of these are bad songs, nor are they average songs. But they do tend to draw again on the prevailing winds of the Pantera-led groove metal style which is further drawing Anthrax away from the style that made them the band everyone followed in the 1980’s. The pull back to a more recognisable tracking comes with the second single “Nothing”. It Isn't thrash express, but it does draw back memories of past glories and also a more recognisable riff similar to songs from Bush’s first album with the band. The tempo again remains in the mid range, and is driven mostly by Bush’s vocals power than anything outstanding in the music.
“American Pompeii” drives back into that almost mid-slow tempo, the alt metal riffing and Pantera-like zoning and free-forming vocal delivery from Bush. It’s a track that doesn’t have anything spectacular to define itself away from the bulk of the album. Riff, vocal, riff, vocal, and then the song sounds like it's about to finish before it comes back and goes again for another 45 seconds or so. “Drop the Ball” follows along similar lines, almost a long slow tempo drone of industrialised guitar riff and John chanting the vocals out almost robotically through the entire track. Once again you are left looking for something that jumps out to define the track, to make it a different proposition from some of the songs that come before it, and there is nothing there. “Tester” at least starts out with a different tone, one that tosses up a different approach, and the trade of solos from Charlie and Scott here on this track actually prove to be a winner.
“Bare” is the closing track, one that to me is just unbearably incorrect and unforgivable. Here is an album that has built itself upon the modern sound of heavy metal in the mid-1990's, with loud hard strum guitars that base themselves with a melody or harmony, just raw and aggressive for the most part, and yet the final track is with percussive bongo and clear guitar, five and a half minutes that builds to some energy in the final throes of the song, but ends the album as a damp squib. Lyrically the song shows the passion of the subject matter, but musically and as a finale to an Anthrax album it is a terrible disappointment.

As has been commented on other podcast episodes through the years, not everyone was a fan of John Bush taking over the lead vocals for Anthrax back in 1992, and not everyone was a fan of the band’s first album with him on board, “Sound of White Noise”. I wasn’t one of those naysayers. In fact I loved that album from the very first listen. Both the music and songs and Bush’s singing. For me, it suited the environment we were in at that time. Anthrax had gotten serious in their tone, and John Bush was the right man for the time. And as a result, I was looking forward to what they might come up with next.
When this was released, I bought it on the same day as five other albums that were released during this time, which meant that it had to fight against those albums for its requisite listens. And in a way that was good – for all of those October and November 1995 album releases. Because it meant I wasn't just settling in with one album, I was moving between them, which gave them all the space they needed to grow on me. And that helped a lot with “Stomp 442”.
I know on this first rotation of the album, I was expecting and hoping for too much. I had built the album up too much after what had preceded it. To this point in time, I at least didn’t believe Anthrax had a bad album, and I was really pushing for this to be at that same exacting standard. And, for the times, and amongst the other albums I was listening to, it didn’t pass that test. I was disappointed and eventually put it back on the shelves. It came out again a few months later, when the band toured Australia, and I also picked up the Australian Tour EP of the single “Nothing”, which had also rekindled my faith. And on this second go around I found the album much more to my liking, with the expectations it had originally been tied down with having been released. It was of its time, and by now I had wrapped my head around that.
Having pulled it off the shelves again this week, it has been an interesting experience. No streaming platform has it on its books, so it is only at home that I have been able to listen to it again, which I have done on several afternoons. And I have enjoyed it just as much as I usually have. And yes it is different, but if you were to compared Iron maiden’s “Powerslave” and “The X Factor” or Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” and “Load”, you are going to get the same immense differences in sound. I get completely why some fans don’t like this album, or the one before or the one after for that matter. Different singer, different style of heavy metal that the band writes and plays. There is a compromise that has to be made to enjoy this album if you are an Anthrax fan, in the same way you have to compromise to enjoy those mid-1990's albums of the other two bands just mentioned. And if you can’t do it, I understand. It isn’t for everyone. Though I still listen to and enjoy this album, it was a fall from what had come before it, and though it isn’t referenced often the friendship between Anthrax and Pantera seemed to become more than just mutual admiration of their music. That glide towards musical appreciation and admiration similarities would extend through to their next project, but a lot of water was to pass under the bridge prior to that occurring.

1324. Ozzy Osbourne / Ozzmosis. 1995. 4.5/5

There were a lot of things said and a lot of promises made through 1991 and 1992 during the writing and recording of Ozzy Osbourne’s sixth album “No More Tears”. In essence however, it appeared as though a pin was being placed in something to do with Ozzy’s future career. It was generally believed that the obviously titled “No More Tours” meant that Ozzy Osbourne would not only not be doing any more tours, but also not recording any more albums. That this would be the conclusion, and this whole build over a two year period would bring this part of his life to a close. Then, with the appearance of the original four members of Black Sabbath playing an encore at his last gig, there was speculation that these four may end up recording a new album themselves, and then perhaps a tour to promote it. This didn’t eventuate – at least, not at that time – and so musical retirement it was.
And then... it wasn’t. And while for the most part a return of Ozzy Osbourne not only to recording new music but also to touring was celebrated by fans everywhere, there was also a feeling in the pit of the stomach that the con had been on. Some felt it had all been a money spinning idea for the Osbourne clan, before springing up and saying “Surprise! I haven’t actually gone anywhere! I’m back!” Whether this was true or not wasn’t the key factor in the announcement that Ozzy would be returning to music, the fans were still happy. And without disregarding the previous statement entirely, it is also reasonably fair to assess given Ozzy’s actions over the years since that he DID actually just become bored, and wanted to be out there creating music and performing it on stage once again.
The writing and recording process took on several different forms. Guitarist Steve Vai has come out in recent years and suggested he is still sitting on almost a full album of material he wrote for an Ozzy / Vai album, the concept of which only fell apart prior to this album being released. Several stories exist of this, one which suggests the record company nixed the idea as they had just wanted one track from Vai and not an album, another suggests it collapsed because of a disagreement between Vai and Osbourne. Either way, only the song “My Little Man” remains here from those sessions. The album was also helmed for some time by super producer Michael Wagener, with some songs produced by him and recorded by both Mike Inez on bass and Randy Castillo on drums, with a sound similar to what had been produced on the “No More Tears” album. It was during this time that, allegedly, the record company deemed they wanted a different sound, and brought in Michael Beinhorn, better known for producing bands such as Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Soundgarden, Hole, Korn and Marilyn Manson, to take over. In an interview with Classic Rock in 2002, Ozzy was quoted saying "After doing Ozzmosis with Michael Beinhorn producing, I didn't care if I never made another album again. There'd be these fucking mind games. He'd have me singing all day, and then I'd get three-quarters through and he'd go, 'Your voice sounds tired. Let's pick it up tomorrow.' And I knew that the next day he'd go, 'Your voice has changed. Let's start again.'".
The album took almost 12 months to come together with these things playing out in the background, before the world got a new taste of the un-retired Ozzy Osbourne, with the appropriately titled “Ozzmosis”.

The opening two tracks of the album are the huge, big, heavy hitters, the ones that appear to have been obviously placed here to draw in even the most sceptical of listeners and have them believe that there is a greatness that follows. Utilising the excellent skills of Rick Wakeman on the mellotron, the opening two songs are still the ones most people remember most when they think of “Ozzmosis”. “Perry Mason” is just an outstanding song, the utilisation of the opening music to the TV show at the beginning of the song, into the keyboard then bass riff to follow, and the drums crashing in before Zakk lets rip with his guitar riff is as good an opening to an album as you could possibly imagine. And then when Ozzy finally joins the party, it is fabulous stuff. Singing along to the chorus, trying to hit those notes that Ozzy does, is as much fun as you can have while singing off key and being unable to match that tune. The bounce and fun of the track, while singing about murders and TV prosecutors trying to solve them, drives the song. Geezer Butler’s bassline here is the winner, and Zakk’s almost off the rail’s solo through the back of the track, are the highlights of a superb opening track. This is followed by what is, for all intents and purposes, a quasi-power ballad, the high intensity and emotional “I Just Want You”. Lyrically it is one of the most powerful songs of the Ozzy Osbourne catalogue. Just the opening passage itself is telling:
“There are no unlockable doors, there are no unwinnable wars
There are no unrightable wrongs or unsingable songs
There are no unbeatable odds, there are no believable Gods
There are no unnameable names, shall I say it again, yeah?
There are no impossible dreams, there are no invisible seams
Each night when the day is through
I don't ask much
I just want you”
That emotion though, that truly comes through at the end of the track, as we go up a notch into:
“There are no unachievable goals there are no unsaveable souls
No legitimate Kings or Queens do you know what I mean, yeah
There are no indisputable truths and there ain't no fountain of youth
Each night when the day is through
I don't ask much, I just want you”
And then into “I just WANT you!” - Ozzy just excels on this song. Those lyrics come home, probably more as I grow older and reflect on their wisdom, as I watch the world around me and the way it seems that evil is triumphing over good, and that in the long run, all you can hope for are people around you who you care for and that care for you. This song has had a massive impact on me ever since I first heard it. It is a song that draws a lot of emotion from me, while also giving me a mantra to chant at the end of every day. Outstanding - (and just as a side note - I’ve often wondered in the weeks since his passing if, over the last few years he has reflected on the lyrics here, in particular - “I'm sick and tired of begin' sick and tired, I used to go to bed so high and wired”).
“Ghost Behind My Eyes” plays off the magnificence of the previous two tracks, this one driven mostly by the lyrical content of the song and Ozzy’s incredible way of drawing the mood as only he can do. The laid back tempo gives the song a slower pace and highlights the emoting of Ozzy’s vocals. “Thunder Underground” does not increase the tempo but does add a heavier feel to the song, Deen Castronovo’s heavy thumping drums and Zakk’s chugging guitar riff create a different vibe, as does Ozzy’s chanting singing style. This is the first of two songs co-written with Geezer Butler, and the mood changes are noticeable from the outset, you can hear the doom of bass and guitar, and the menacing undertones of the music and vocals. Terrific stuff. This is followed by “See You on The Other Side”, another co-composition from Lemmy Kilmister, who had given so much to the previous album. This is fairly typical of an Ozzy and Lemmy collaboration both musically and lyrically.
“Tomorrow’ is a wonderfully moody song, allowing Ozzy to wade around in the lower key he is able to reach, and the understated guitar and bass, before bursting into the energetic and powerful pre-chorus and chorus, where Ozzy almost reaches a scream through his rising efforts. This song takes us through the gear changes, and Zakk squeezes everything out of his instrument in draining the most he can from the song. “Denial” goes through a similar song arrangement, which is interesting given the different writers for both tracks. This one doesn’t have the same breakout in music and vocals that “Tomorrow” does, it tends to sit in its constrained outer reaches. Ozzy uses some vocal tricks and techniques while Zakk’s solo piece is also somewhat contained by the limits of the song. It sits at the back of the queue if you are sorting most interesting tracks to least interesting. “My Little Man” is the contribution of Steve Vai to the album, corresponding to the tale told in the opening of the episode. Though Zakk plays guitar here, you can immediately hear the Vai influence on it. And yes, it is a lovely song with great lyrics and that unusual flair that Steve Vai is known for. What interests me most is that THIS was the song chosen from the Vai writing sessions for the album. I’ve always wondered just what other styles may still be locked away that we don’t know about.
“My Jekyll Doesn’t Hide” is immediately the most Sabbath song on this album, and when you see the writers on the track – Osbourne, Wylde and Butler – it then comes as no surprise. The opening riff from Zakk is so Iommi it is hard to believe he didn’t write it or play it. And suddenly Geezer’s bass guitar comes booming back into the mix. It is hard to believe that Geezer was brought back to participate on this album, and yet his signature bass is mostly missing or in the background.
The album’s closing track follows a similar kind of path to the previous album’s “Road to Nowhere”. The piano opening of “Old LA Tonight” doesn’t have a huge traditional metal feel about it. It is a combination of “Road to Nowhere” and “Mama I’m Coming Home”. Ozzy’s vocals soar with that emotional outpouring, the piano does dominate musically while Zakk has his moment to shine. Is there a bit of Zakk’s “Book of Shadows” album about this as well? Just a tad I’d suggest, and even some mid-years Black Label Society before that band ever existed. It’s the Ozzy electric ballad, bringing the album to a close, an album that has had mixed reactions from critics and fans ever since its release.

Do you remember when this album was released? I do very much. It was in that year that I will be glad to see the back of once these podcast episodes are completed at the end of this year, the year of 1995. The black hole year. However, by October of 1995 things were beginning to calm down, and I had gotten into a head space where I could start doing normal things again, and one of those things was buying albums. And in October of 1995 I bought five albums all at once on a trip to Utopia Records in Sydney, that had been released in that month. This was one of those albums, that I listened to as a part of that conglomerate. And of those five albums, this was the one that really captured the ear immediately. The great thing about it was that it was Ozzy Osbourne, it was unmistakable. And he had Zakk Wylde on guitar, which was unmistakable. And he had Geezer Butler on bass, which was unmistakable. And those songs – I mean, “Perry Mason” from the outset was just transfixing. How could you listen to that song, and not want to listen to what followed it? And then it is followed by “I Just Want You”? Those two songs, for two different reasons, are incredible, as good as anything Ozzy has ever performed. So hell yes, I wanted to listen to the rest of the album!
The result was that this became a favourite of mine during that period, despite being a bit on my lonesome in that regard. Perhaps the most amusing thing that came out of this album for me was when I was listening to it at work one day, and a colleague came up and asked me what I was playing. “Oh, it’s Ozzy Osbourne’s latest album”. “Really? I didn’t know he had a new album!” So I made a cassette copy for him, and within a couple of weeks, he asked if I wanted to play drums in an Ozzy Osbourne tribute band he was putting together. I said ‘great! Sounds awesome!’ thinking we’d just be jamming together and having a great time. Nope. He was dead serious, recruited a keyboardist and a bass player who had actually played in ‘real’ bands, and was preparing gigs. This was way beyond what I was prepared for, and after two jams I was called up (not by my work colleague, he didn’t want to confront me) and told I wasn’t professional enough for the gig, and was moved on. No big deal, though my wife Helen never forgave him. Turns out, the band lasted one gig before falling apart. Oh well. Anyway, for its short existence, we played “Perry Mason” and “Thunder Underground” as part of the show, so it was fun to learn those songs on drums. For two jam sessions.
Better news came when I saw Ozzy live for the one and only time after the tour for this album. Ozzy toured Australia with a greatest hits setlist in 1998, with Zakk, Randy Castillo and Mike Inez, and it was unbelievably awesome.
Revisiting this album this last two weeks has been absolutely fantastic. Ozzy of course passed on just a couple of months ago, and it is amazing the emotion of some of these tracks here that come back in waves when listening to the album and thinking of his passing. In many ways this is the great forgotten album of Ozzy Osbourne’s catalogue. Coming as it did after the ‘retirement’, and prior to the cumbersome and lengthy attempt to reform the original line up of Black Sabbath, it does sometimes get forgotten. And yet the songwriting and performance of the players, and yes, the production despite Ozzy’s dislike of how it all went about, it quite magnificent. There is not a song on this album that I don’t like. And some of them are absolute classics. Sure – in retrospect, I can see and hear what some fans don’t like about it. It really is the next logical step beyond “No More Tears”, it channels much of what made that album so great, and brings it into focus here as well. It also delves into the mood of heavy music of the era and slows tempos down to a minimum in places, which is a new introspection from Ozzy. Beyond this, Ozzy’s vocals are sublime, Zakk and Geezer as brilliant as always, and Castronovo's drumming is superb. Prior to his last album released just a couple of years ago, this stood as the last truly great Ozzy Osbourne album. Those that followed all have moments that don’t quite hold true to the excellence that is shown on those before them. They aren’t bad albums, but they aren’t great. This one was a beacon of light for me in a black hole year, and still shines just as brightly today as a reminder that not all traditional heavy metal was eradicated in the 1990’s. And thank Ozzy for that.

1323. Deep Purple / Slaves and Masters. 1990. 5/5

The Mark II reunion of Deep Purple in 1984 had had five years of enormous success in an age where they were pushing against tide of the hard rock and metal genre that they had helped to form back in the first half of the 1970’s. The reformation of the classic five piece of Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, Roger Glover and Jon Lord saw the release of the album “Perfect Strangers”, one that brought together the old fans as well as a new generation and took the world by storm. Even at a time when glam metal and thrash metal were beginning their ascent of the music charts and drawing in concert goers by the tens of thousands, Deep Purple still had that aura about them that brought enormous success of both the album and the tour that followed. After 9 years in the wilderness, all following their own projects and creating a version of the success that they had collated together, the second coming of this lineup lit the world on fire. The album reached top 20 status around the world. They followed this up with 1987’s “The House of Blue Light”, an album that was slightly less successful sales wise and also appeared to have their fan base cool off slightly, although the tour to promote the album fared just as well. Once again, against the rising tide, Deep Purple continued to find a relevance in a music world that had no right in doing so given the changes that were happening around them.
Despite this resurgence in their popularity, the tensions within the band had returned with a vengeance. Lead vocalist Ian Gillan and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had always found difficulties in working together, something that had led to Gillan initially leaving the band after the “Who Do We Think We Are” album back in 1973. The negotiations to bring this lineup back together always had to rest heavily on the working relationship between Gillan and Blackmore being able to be cordial, and initially this appeared to be working. But the pressure of constant touring together and making decisions together again soon saw that fragile alliance brought to bear. The widening of the musical differences between the two, and the resulting arguments, led to Gillan being fired from the band in 1989, with Blackmore leading and insisting on the change.
This led the band on the crux of an impossible decision. Continuing the band was never in question, but the choice of the new lead singer would critically help to shape the music the band would produce going forward. Initially, the band’s choice was Jimi Jamison, then with the band Survivor. After a two-week session with the band, he reluctantly parted ways with them; according to Jon Lord when quoted on the situation in 1993, he said "He [Jamison] was an enormous Deep Purple fan and he would happily have taken over the job. But at the time he was afraid of his managers. They didn't want him to leave Survivor and he didn't dare to get into a fight with them”. The band went back into the auditioning process, and during this many high profile candidates were considered for the job, including Brian Howe (White Spirit, Ted Nugent, Bad Company), Doug Pinnick (King's X), Australians Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel) and John Farnham (Little River Band), Terry Brock (Strangeways, Giant) and Norman "Kal" Swan (Tytan, Lion, Bad Moon Rising).
Through all of this, entering stage right was Joe Lynn Turner. Turner was the lead vocalist for Blackmore’s pre-reunion era band Rainbow, having contributed vocals to three albums prior to their break u to allow Blackmore to return to Deep Purple. At this time, he had just completed a successful stint as the singer for Yngwie Malmsteen’s band, with the excellent album “Odyssey” being the result as well as a successful tour to promote it. With that coming to an end, Turner had apparently had offers from both Bad Company and Foreigner to come on board as their lead singer, before the Deep Purple job became available. Turner was a known quantity, not only to Blackmore but his other fellow Rainbow bandmate in Roger Glover. He had a proven track record of writing, and his vocals were unquestioned. Would the connection with Rainbow end up being a problem with his joining up with Deep Purple? Perhaps. But any consequences of that would only be known following the release of the album that they recorded together, which became known as “Slave and Masters”

The opening two tracks to the album were ones that caught my attention from the first time I put this album on. There was then, and always has been, something about them that still draws me into this album every time I hear them. That opening drone of the synth and organ into the mid-tempo drumbeat and bass line that sets up the song, Ritchie’s little guitar twiddle, and then Joe’s voice coming in and beginning his story... everything about it is encapsulating. “King of Dreams” does mirror in places the great opening tracks on Deep Purple albums, perhaps not as fast in tempo, but certainly in bringing an emotion to the surface. There’s no great solo battle between organ and guitar, both have their place but it is understated in an unusual way for the band and these two great players. For the most part, the music holds its own throughout the song, and it is Joe Lynn Turner and his vocals that make their presence felt most, that drive the song and draw the most out of it, an emotional response that in many ways only Joe Lynn Turner can provide. The tempo and mood of the track harmonises along with him, and makes this a truly superb opening to the album. And then this is followed by the bigger energy bump of “The Cut Runs Deep”, organ and guitar combine together in true Deep Purple fashion, drums hammering in along with the undercurrent of the bass guitar to drive the opening of the song. And then, once the chugging tempo is set by Paice and Glover, Turner comes in and steals the track again. Turner has two phases of his singing ability – the crooning power ballad (which we will come to), and the attention grabbing frontman whose vocals rise to greater heights, the screams and wonderfully delivered lines that draws the attention to him. That’s what we get here on “The Cut Runs Deep”. Joe Lynn Turner front and centre, before the best parts of Deep Purple battle each other playing out the song, Jon Lord’s incredible Hammond organ dominating alongside Ritchie Blackmore’s lead guitar and Turner’s vocal.
“Fire in the Basement” draws back on the blues roots of the band with Ritchie’s guitar and Lord’s organ. Both are prominent throughout in the way the best Deep Purple songs emphasise them, while that great bass line from Glover underneath comes through beautifully. Ian Paice’s drumming here reaches its usual exceptional standard as well, holding the blues line in the middle solo section while Ritchie and John do their work. I will say it again – Deep Purple are at their best when these two each have their solo piece in a song, and play off against each other, and it works here as usual. The energetic vocals from Turner in the final stanza of the track put the finishing touches on a great song.
The middle of the album is dominated by a side of Deep Purple that isn’t seen very often, and for the most part never when Gillan was at the helm. Here we have four songs, two of which journey towards the dark side of the power ballad or just straight ballad, and the other two that settle into the downtown country feel of commercial FM radio and AOR rock. “Truth Hurts” is the power ballad, and the first true comparisons to Rainbow come to the forefront. This is the style of track Blackmore, Glover and Turner tried to produce in rainbow to gain commercial credibility, which worked on some tracks and not so much on others. This is a well-crafted, subtly beautiful song, with Turner’s honeyed vocals providing the perfect topping for Ritchie’s melodic and haunting guitar work and Roger’s complementing bass guitar. Lord’s keys and organ are there in a supporting role and only to complement what has been written rather than play their part in the song. Given the three songwriters are the same here as for Rainbow, the similarity cannot be dispensed with. It would be difficult to categorise this song as a Deep Purple track. “Breakfast in Bed” opens up with Lord’s keys rather than his organ sound, another nod that this album is looking for a different sound from that which Deep Purple had based itself around for 20 years. This is one of those AOR sounding tracks that Turner excels on with his vocal style, and he is the driving force of the song. It is, again, a very easy listening sounding track, written for an audience that perhaps was young when the band started out but has now matured to the point that this style of music is what it is looking for. It channels the Blackmore/Glover/Turner writing masterclass, again keeping the organ under wraps, the keys instead complementing the guitar and bass as Turner croons over the top. The true ballad of “Love Conquers All” is next, there is no pretence going on with this song. This is no “Child in Time”, this is pure balladry, with strings on the track as well to emphasise its mood and character. And... it is difficult to denigrate it, despite the fact I just cannot get on board with style of song. These five play this song immensely well, it is flawless, and Joe’s vocals again are like honey being poured over ice cream. He is an amazing vocalist, and it truly does shine on this track. The other four though, they have nothing to do but Ritchie’s bidding. And the fourth and final song of this middle section of the album is “Fortuneteller”, one that injects a bit of the old Deep Purple back into the veins, which obviously only comes because Lord and Paice are also credited as co-writers on this track. Suddenly the organ is back, the drums have a presence, and there is more energy and oomph behind the vocals again. I mean, not a lot mind you, this still moves along at a plodding pace rather than a good drive, which is why it resides in this conglomerate of the middle of the album.
“Too Much is Not Enough” is an interesting choice for this album. It was originally composed by Turner, along with fellow musicians Bob Held and Al Greenwood, for his debut solo album “Rescue You”, which was released in 1985. It wasn’t used, and so it resurfaced here to become a song on a Deep Purple album. It obviously has the tweaks added by Blackmore and Lord, but it is noticeable for the very un-Hammond organ sounds, with synth and keyboard being used in place of Lord’s usual organ deepness. The almost pop rock sound of the arrangement also comes heavily to the fore, and the desire to have background vocals that mirror having backing girls as a part of the track. It has touches of that era Def Leppard about it, which perhaps goes part of the way to explaining its sound. The album then comes to a close with “Wicked Ways”, an upbeat, forceful, harder core song, full of Joe’s screams and melodic vocals. He mixes up the intensity of his singing on this track, sweet and melodic through the verses and then more forceful and from the diaphragm in the chorus. There is a great full tempo bass riff from Glover throughout the song that is a dominating and excellent presence, driven by Paice’s drumming as well. The mix of guitar and organ provides a real Purple sound to the track, both together as the rhythm and then the switch up between the two in the middle of the track. As a closer, it does everything the final song on an album should do – entertain and encourage you to go back to the beginning and listen to the album all over again. It does its job well.

My introduction to Deep Purple had pretty much come from the first two albums of the resurrected Mark II lineup, with both “Perfect Strangers” and “The House of Blue Light”. And it would be fair to say that I loved – and love – both of those albums. “Perfect Strangers” was such a terrific album, one that I discovered as a newbie rather than a returning fan of the band, so perhaps I had a more unique experience of that album. I certainly did of “The House of Blue Light” because I apparently think more of that album than most of the fanbase.
The announcement of Ian Gillan moving on from the band was one of those disappointing moments, especially because of my enjoyment of those two albums, and the announcement of Joe Lynn Turner to helm the band did bring on the inevitable comparisons and beliefs that this was a Rainbow reunion, and that the album would therefore have more of a Rainbow sound to it than a Deep Purple sound. And – it's true, as I have mentioned here already during this episode. There’s no doubt that Blackmore pulled in the reigns tighter to himself now that Gillan had departed, and with the name Deep Purple he was able to exert more commercial influence with that entity than he was able to do with the name Rainbow. Is that a bad thing? I mean, would the music have changed immensely if another lead singer had been brought in? Certainly, the album would not have sounded like Rainbow – as this album most certainly does – but would it have sounded like Journey or Survivor or Cold Chisel if one of those other vocalists had been the one drafted in? Inevitably, having three-fifths of Rainbow, and two-fifths of Whitesnake leaves us in a position where comparisons are going to be made.
I very much remember this album when it was released, and not just because I bought it the very first instant I was able to upon its release. I couldn’t wait to hear it. Yes, it was always going to be different from the high velocity albums I was engrossed with from this period. But come on, it’s Deep Purple, right? They had nothing to prove, no need to beat their drum. And from the opening tracks, I was entranced. It was really like revisiting an old friend, who had come to resemble another old friend. That beginning of “King of Dreams” into “The Cut Runs Deep” is still as superb as the day I first bought the album. And the funky groove of “Fire in the Basement” and the then-modern hard rock tones of “Too Much is Not Enough” and “Wicked Ways”, they are still fabulous. And despite my overall abhorrence of the power ballad and rock ballad in general, whenever I play this album I still sing along to “Love Conquers All” and “Truth Hurts” and never consider skipping those songs. Joe Lynn Turner just performs them too well to allow me to do so. More than anything else, this album reminds me very much of a time that I was developing deeper feelings for a young girl who had come into my vision when I was first indulging in this album, and the songs here still remind me of the time when I was wondering if I would ever find the courage to ask her out to a movie. The fact that I did indeed get around to doing that, and that I am still married to that particular young girl some 35 years after first asking her out, does make this album all the more special for me.
For two weeks – possibly longer - I have had this album out of its CD case and on my stereo again, taking in everything that it has to offer. 18 times I have played this album at home and at work and in the car. I never get tired of it. It is still such an amazing experience for me, for reasons that I think I have explained well enough. I do understand when fans of the band exclude it, suggesting it isn’t a Deep Purple album. It certainly does dress itself as a Rainbow album, but for me that doesn’t matter. As an ALBUM, no matter the artist, it is one that I have loved for 35 years, with no end in sight. It just works.
Of course, the band and their management disagreed. In the years since, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice all proclaimed their disappointment with it, with Lord and Glover both publicly saying they don’t consider this to be a Deep Purple album. On the other hand, Blackmore claimed it was one of his favourite Deep Purple albums, and Turner himself – surprise surprise – thinks it is one of the best albums the band released. The fact that the band was well into the writing process for the follow up with Turner, before record company and pressure from all but Blackmore brought about the return of Gillan to replace Turner for that next album, shows how fractured everything still was within the group. And the fractions still had some time to fester before a solution of sorts could be found.
Through all of this, it is disappointing that we didn’t get a second album from this Mark V version of Deep Purple. But perhaps that is what makes this album so special, because it was a one off, without anything beyond it to spoil it. And I can only agree that I treat this more as an extension of Rainbow rather than Deep Purple, but given I love both bands, and all eras of both bands, that doesn’t detract from this album for me at all. Honestly, I could go and listen to this album again right now. Perhaps, I will.

1322. The Cult / Love. 1985. 4/5

The slow build of the band that would eventually be come to be known as The Cult was one that worked its way through many stages and reforms. Vocalist Ian Astbury had originally been in a band called Southern Death Cult, who dealt with the growing trends of goth rock and post punk in their music. Once the band met its demise, Astbury met up with guitarist Billy Duffy and put together a group which they titled Death Cult and began to make inroads to the UK and European market. Prior to an TV appearance they decided to change the band name to simply The Cult in order to appeal to a broader market without the connotations of the previous moniker. Under this name the band recorded and released their debut album titled “Dreamtime”, and the success of the three singles released from the album and the tour that followed cemented the band’s growth.
In May 1985, the Cult released their fourth single, "She Sells Sanctuary", one which acted as a true exploding point for the band. It peaked at No. 15 in the UK and spent 23 weeks in the Top 100. The style of the song was an extension of what the band had produced for their debut album, it not only radiated the energy that the band had but musically had evolved further than what had come on “Dreamtime”. A month later, after his increasingly erratic behaviour, drummer Nigel Preston was fired from the band. Big Country's drummer Mark Brzezicki was brought in to replace Preston, and was also included in the music video for "She Sells Sanctuary". With the build in momentum and exposure from the success of the single, the band entered the studio in July and August 1985 to complete their sophomore album. It was an album that was to shift the band's music and image from their punk-oriented roots to other influences, all of which brought a whole new light to the music that would grace their second album titled, perhaps figuratively, “Love”.

From the opening chords of the opening track “Nirvana”, this album has already stamped its authority. Billy Duffy’s guitar sound from the outset is the powerhouse that it would prove to be over the coming albums, and then settling into that chugging riff as the verse starts and Astbury’s vocals join the party. While the early single release had signalled that this album would be a different kettle of fish from the band’s debut, “Nirvana” hammers that home in the first two minutes. That’s all it takes for this album to drag you in and have you entranced. Ian’s vocals here are wonderful and Billy’s guitar tone magnificent. It could have been the opening single, it works so well in that way. The solo and fast strumming interlude through the back half of the song is electrifying. “Big Neon Glitter” follows, melding in all of that 1980’s pop and rock sound into Billy’s amazing almost-psychedelically tuned guitar riffs. It has a bounce about the drums and rhythm that fits the dance club scene of the time, though it belies its 80’s pop theme by dragging the 60’s sounding guitar along for the ride. Combining these two different eras into this track without destroying the ethic of what they have created takes some real talent, and Astbury and Duffy pull it off here superbly. The underlines off the bass riff and drums really sells this song and makes it what it is.
The first signs of what would come to be arrive with the title track “Love”, built immediately around the opening guitar riff from Billy that is reminiscent of what would be further influenced on the album “Electric”. It builds throughout, showing hints of AC/DC in the rhythm early on and even in pieces of Duffy’s solo. Stretching to almost six minutes with little change to the rhythm guitar riff, those outside influencing sounds sound more prevalent than perhaps the band intended. “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” on the other hand channels much of the style and energy that was prevalent on the debut album. At 7 minutes in length it really does feel every second of its entirety. Compared to what has come before it on this album it is sounds misplaced. If it was to be on the debut album, it would fit much better. As a contrast to what the band was creating here it probably works fine, but the mood of the album is altered by its presence here.
The second single from the album ‘Rain’ regains everything that was lost with that track, putting Astbury’s vocals back in the range where they work best, suitably supported by Duffy’s guitar tone and riff with a similar back story. Settling into a mid-tempo that sticks to its guns throughout, Ian’s vocals harmony and Billy’s guitar overlays here very much remind you of great tracks they would produce over the next three albums. Their basis does sound very much as though they have their roots in this song. It sends us out from the first side of the album with these thoughts in my mind.
Side B opens with ‘The Phoenix’, another great song that seems to have Led Zeppelin-like motivations behind it. Whether intentional or not, the guitar and vocals do slip into that Plant and Page retrospective in moments. Billy’s screaming guitar solo in the second half of the song really does have that kind of power behind it, while in little moments Ian does almost channel Plant in style. Given the way this album has been put together it probably isn’t a complete surprise. The follow up of “Hollow Man” is far more back in the style of The Cult, Billy’s traditional guitar styled sound along with dual vocal harmonising from Astbury, and that solid rhythm of drums and great bass line underneath make this unmistakeably a Cult song. The third single “Revolution” is next, where the tempo drops back a cog again and we again have a track that is more similar in tone to the previous album than what the majority of the songs provided here are. While the bass sound on this song is particularly good, and also more noticeable because of the style of the song, like “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” before it, for me they are the weaker links on an otherwise excellent album. I get that these are important songs lyrically for the band and that they tell a story that is an important part of their structure. And, that as a part of the changing face of the band they are still an important piece of the band’s puzzle.
Case in point, the first single and lead off track to The Cult’s booming future, “She Sells Sanctuary”. It is the song that truly brought the band to greater prominence, and the one that acted as the northern star that they were to follow into the future. That iconic opening guitar tone, which by all accounts was created by Billy Duffy turning on all of his guitar pedals and drawing a violin bow across his fretboard, then bursts into the heart of the song, again with the band in their best places – Astbury in his higher, playful fun range of vocals, Duffy’s guitar with that magical tone throughout, and that solid drum thumping and rumbling bassline that are the essence of drawing together all of the great parts of the band. It is still as iconic today as it was 40 years ago on its release, still one of their greatest songs. The album closes out with the segue into “Black Angel”, the mournful slowed tempo builds from the keys and Ian’s vocals to the ballad guitar playing out the track and the album.
“Love” is very much a transitional album. The band’s debut album, 1984’s “Dreamtime”, was very much rooted in the post-punk and goth-rock emerging genre. “Love” is a much bigger leap forward, but their sound would morph even further as we headed towards 1987 and their album that followed this, "Electric”. Ian Astbury’s soaring vocals remain much the same, but “Love” offers more. The goth-rock moments, the increase in the hard rock core, the psychedelic interludes, all alongside those sounds still apparent from their debut album. The sheer variety on display also highlights just how mature their writing was. Astbury and Duffy had yet to hit the age of 25 when “Love” was released. To the average music fan “Love” may rest on the big hit singles “Rain” and “She Sells Sanctuary” but ignore the rest of the album at your peril.

My own introduction to The Cult came with the release of their outrageously amazing “Sonic Temple” album in 1989, the one that is probably mostly responsible for drawing the majority of their fan base. That album proved to be one of the big winners for me in 1989 and it copped a bashing on my parents stereo at the time. I did eventually get copies of the three earlier albums from the band, though that came over a longer period of time and from several different sources. I knew about half of the songs off this album when I eventually got my copy of the album in the early 1990’s, but I remember listening to it at the time and wondering just how they got from the sound they had on this album to the sound they had on that first album I had listened to. And perhaps more importantly at the time, how they created this album. Because at the time I felt it was uneven, with the songs such as “Brother Wolf, Sister Moon” and “Revolution” and “Black Angel” in with “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Nirvana” and “Big Neon Glitter”. And that lasted until I finally got around to listening to “Dreamtime” and I though... ooohhhhh THAT’S why! And to be fair my understanding and enjoyment of this album actually grew after I had first gotten “Dreamtime” as well.
The progression of the band’s first four albums makes an interesting journey, and i had gone about it all wrong as it turned out. But given my own tastes in music, there’s little doubt that those three songs I mentioned here as being so different for me here on “Love” are ones that still today raise those same questions for me. The mood and tempo of the album does rise and fall according to the tracklist, and that riding of the waves is no doubt what the band would say is part of the journey of the album. And it remains there when I listen to the album toay, as I have again over the last couple of weeks. And as always, when I just put the album on and listen to it, it sounds as great as it always has. That is unquestioned. But when you sit down to analyse it, to review it, say... for a podcast episode you might be doing on the album... then the same general thoughts will rise to the surface. And those three songs for me are just not quite as good as the rest. Or, perhaps more accurately, they are not what I am looking for on this particular album by The Cult. For me, they had done this on the previous album, and whereas the rest of the album provides that change and move forward that I enjoy, those three songs do not. But that is why “Love” is an album by a ban in flux, in transition. And that is what is showcases to me. The Cult were in the process of changing their place, and their music was changing along with them. That certainly came, but this was a stepping stone towards that. The lyrics of the album deal with women, woe, outcasts, loss and hopelessness. But it’s also a record of pure joy, of Nirvana, of sanctuary and finding light in the darkness. And on that scale, it continues to be an album that is a shining light, and provides so many terrific musical moments that you can’t help but like it. Or, indeed, “Love” it.

1321. Iron Maiden / Live After Death. 1985. 5/5

Iron Maiden’s rise through the 1980’s had been built on the opening two albums helmed by former lead singer Paul Di’Anno, but had exploded exponentially on the back on the arrival of Bruce Dickinson as Di’Anno’s replacement and the release of three albums that remain as the shining lights of their back catalogue – the amazing “The Number of the Beast”, the incredible “Piece of Mind” and the untouchable “Powerslave”. Each of these albums not only soared on the back of the air raid siren himself in Bruce Dickinson, it was the guitars and bass of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Steve Harris, and initially the drumming of Clive Burr and then the introduction of the power of Nicko McBrain. The songwriting through the different partners involved brought together a rich tapestry of songs with amazing instrumental pieces coiled around lyrical stories and passions that centred on subjects that created an enormous fanbase with history, and knowledge. Everything about those albums, the first five in the Iron Maiden catalogue, drew together an amazing tale.
To be able to back up this volume of work, the band had to be able to carry it in the live environment. From the early years of relentless touring, the band drew crowds through the doors of the clubs that they played, eventually graduating to larger venues that befitted their status. This could only be achieved by being the best live act around, and there is little doubt that they achieved this. By the time it came around to promoting the “Powerslave” album with a world tour, their popularity had risen to such levels that they had more dates shovelled into their schedule than they had ever had before. From 9 August 1984 to 5 July 1985, over a period of 331 days, the band played 189 shows throughout the world. The stage production was the biggest they had ever assembled, with Egyptian themes and enormous ramps and drum riser, light show and other effects. This had to be assembled, disassembled and carted to all venues, all while the band had to continue to be at the top of their game every night. By its conclusion, the band was exhausted, with Bruce Dickinson in particular feeling the brunt of the workload. It would eventually bleed into his writing contribution to the following album being non-existent.
In 1981, the band had released a live EP from their tour of Japan called “Maiden Japan”, but on the back of the band’s enormous and increasing success and fan base, the band decided to record dates on the World Slavery Tour to release as both a live video and alive album. The chosen destination for the video and the bulk of the live album was Long Beach in California, where four nights were scheduled in March 1985, which enabled the band to record all four nights. They also recorded at four nights at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1984, shows that Bruce Dickinson said in an interview with Classic Rock magazine in 2011 should have been used for the live video. "The whole thing should have been from Hammersmith. The performances there were better than the ones in Los Angeles. But the lighting engineer, Dave Lights, was at war with the video guys and consequently the whole thing was too dark. So we had great audio footage, but a lot of the concert footage was unusable”.
What remained became “Live After Death”, still arguably the greatest live album ever released, and if you don’t think so... think again...

The opening to the album and the concert is perfectly formulated, utilising the same opening as for the video for “Aces High”, with Chruchill’s Speech backed by the sound of the spitfires offering that spine tingling intro which is the recorded opening section, before the band bursts onto stage and takes hold of the occasion. The opening passage of “Aces High” that then blasts straight into its sister song of “2 Minutes to Midnight” is a cracking way to start the live album, back to back on the “Powerslave” album and also here, they set the stage for what is to comes with the intensity and power that they do on the album itself. And then for good measure, let’s just back into “The Trooper”. While some fans in the modern day feel some tiredness and overdrawn takes on “The Trooper” in particular, and these three songs overall, often allowing that to offset their enjoyment of the opening of this album – it does wonders to take yourself back to how you felt when you first listened to this album in 1985 and 1986, when these songs were still brand new or close enough to that effect, and how amazing it must have been to have seen them open this concert, and also how brilliant it was to hear them open this album. Honestly, it was next level stuff.
Side A of the first LP then drew on two more songs from the “Piece of Mind” album, “Revelations” and “Flight of Icarus”. Both songs again draw differing opinions, but it is more exacting to say that both of the live versions on this album are the better versions of the songs overall. The live setting brings out the best characteristics of each track, both played faster than the studio versions which gives them both more impetus than those original versions portray. All the way through we also have Bruce’s introductions to the songs, ones that everyone still quote when they listen to this album or even the studio albums.
Side B of the first LP has the three outstanding epic tracks of the band to itself, and it makes it even more incredible to listen to. Opening with “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the band’s longest song to that time was not one that was expected to be brought to the live stage, and yet it becomes the centrepiece of this experience. The opening stanza into the middle section of the track still sounds superb. But it is the return of the heavier section that is transformed once again. The tumbling down the wave with Bruce’s maddening laughter, the descent into the crash of guitars on the back of Nicko’s drums is still absolutely amazing. There are few better moments in music history than this few minutes of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and live it is just as joyous. It is emotionally strong enough to send shivers down the spine, bursting forth with joy from the heart and the brimming of tears such is the intensity of the brilliance of this passage. And then for good measure the band breaks into the title track from that album “Powerslave”, and again produces their mastery, especially in the instrumental solo section between chorus and final verse. The atmosphere the guitars produce here again matches how magnificent it sounds on the studio version, the majesty of both these tracks truly superb. And then just to bring a tighter edge to the game, “The Number of the Beast” follows, and the rollicking of the middle section of the song again transforms into an energy of guitar solos and drumtainment that captures the mood of the song in a way that is energising and blasting.
So now, go and grab the second LP, because the goodness doesn’t end here. Indeed, it may only increase, with the beginning of “Hallowed Be Thy Name” where Bruce takes control, and the holding of the note of the end of ‘running low’, and then the second time… and then the burst into the opening burst of ‘When the priest comes to read me the last rites…’ … the power of the music and vocals here is outstanding, the harmony melodic guitars of the first solo break leading into Bruce exclaiming ‘As the guards march me out to the courtyard’… and into ‘scream for me Long Beach!’… and we are off on the most magnificent ride as Dave and Adrian career down the slope of the back side of the track. The original version might be brilliant. The live version completely outranks it. Just amazing.
“Iron Maiden” – the song by the band – as always does its job, before the encore arrives, with a fitting hard core relating of the song that blew the world wide open for the band in “Run to the Hills”, and then into the extended audience participation of “Running Free”, which closes out the Long Beach recording in style.
But wait! There is just a little bit more, and this is what helps to make this double live album as massively brilliant and important as it is. Because here we have five songs recorded at Hammersmith Odeon some six months earlier, ones that only appeared in a shortlived timeframe for the sets lists at the beginning of the tour, but each of them brilliant in their own right. The short sharp burst of “Wrathchild”, excellently performed by Bruce. The wonderful “22 Acacia Avenue” with Bruce’s opening short proclamation and then that cracking guitar riff to open the track. Just a terrific version of this song, followed by an equally brilliant version of “Children of the Damned” which Bruce sings so poignantly it is impossible to ignore, and followed again by a rollicking version of “Die With Your Boots On”. Finally, the album concludes with “Phantom of the Opera”, stunningly performed here by the band and brutally sung by Bruce and his backing vocalist companions. Harry’s bass guitar on this version is undeniably the start attraction, and the solo section in the middle of the song has never ever sounded better. It may well be the final song on this double live album, but it continues to still be arguably the best on an album that is full of the unobtainably brilliant.

Most who have followed either or both versions of this podcast over the past four and a bit years will already know my Iron Maiden story, whether it be through album reviews here or through the excellent podcast called Uncle Steve’s Mega Maiden Zone (available on most streaming platforms), where Steve interviewed myself along with many others and discusses their Iron Maiden story. If you are not already a listener then it will be more than worth your while to tune in and listen to Steve, Matt and Kirsty talk about all things music and especially Iron Maiden themselves each week. Informative and fun, and you can’t ask for any more than that from a modern day podcast.
This album was released about a month before I first discovered the band themselves, at an end of year school camp where my music world changed forever. Within a couple of weeks I had been offered cassette version of the then-three albums of the Dickinson era from my soon-to-be monikered heavy metal music dealer, who would offer me so much joy with chosen music and albums over the next 40 years. By January of 1986 I was hooked, an obsession that continues to this very day. So much so that very early on my return to school I forced my dealer to start earning his money (there was none) by recording me the “Live After Death” album, which he had procured several weeks earlier. So I didn’t have this on its release, but I had it about four months after. And he recorded it for me such that it would fit nicely on a C90 cassette, but also have the end of the ‘concert’ as the end of the cassette. That meant Side A having the first album recorded on it, minus the middle part of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” so that it fit snugly there, while Side B of my cassette began with the fourth side that was recorded at Hammersmith (except for “Wrathchild”, which was jettisoned to again allow all of the second LP to fit snugly) and THEN Side 3, meaning the end of concert encore with the extended version of “Running Free” was the final thing on the cassette. This all worked marvellously, up until I bought my own vinyl copy of the album a few months later. I played this cassette to death, and I played the album to death as well. It rarely left my tape player and turntable for a very very long time.
I often use the following analogy when it comes to live albums of any band – a live album should generally be a 5/5 album, because it will in general contain the band’s best songs performed in the best environment. That could hardly be more true of “Live After Death”. At the time of its release, Iron Maiden had had just their first five albums out. And while it can always be argued about the songs that don’t appear here, it would be a very difficult task to suggest that this album does not contain the very best the band had released to this point of time. The big singles in “Run to the Hills”, “The Number of the Beast”, “Flight of Icarus”, “The Trooper”, “Aces High” and “2 Minutes to Midnight”. The epics in “Phantom of the Opera”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “Powerslave”. The monster in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. And all the other classics compiled here on this album. 5/5? Can you give an album more? Because this one deserves it.
For the last two weeks I have listened to this whole album again a dozen times, spaced around other albums that I have episodes to compose. And not once has it gotten old. In fact it acts as a security blanket. That familiar way Bruce sings all of the tracks live on this album is so wonderful. And those live versions, some of which are iconically... iconic. “Children of the Damned” and “22 Acacia Avenue” and “Phantom of the Opera” ... they are amazing. It is Iron Maiden at a point of their theoretical peak. On the back of those first five albums, and each amazing track. It is a masterpiece. Other live albums stand alongside this – Slayer's “Decade of Aggression”, UFO’s “Strangers in the Night”, Judas Priest’s “Unleashed in the East”, Deep Purple’s “Made in Japan”, just to name a few. None better this. Iron maiden is captured here as the beast that was still on the rise, but with the fire and fury of youth on their side. It is still an incredible release. The finest of its kind.

1320. INXS / Listen Like Thieves. 1985. 4/5

The previous two years leading up to the writing and recording of their fifth album were, for INXS, the reward for all of the hard work the band had put into their music and touring over the course of their career to that date. On the back of their third album, “Shabooh Shoobah”, and the single “Don’t Change”, the band had found some success that took them to the US, where they not only played the US Festival but supported their contemporaries Men at Work on the back of their phenomenal success. This had all led to the production of their fourth album, “The Swing”, one which topped the Australian record charts, and became, at that time, one of the five most successful Australian albums of all time. Through 1984 on the back of this, they toured non-stop across Europe, the UK, the US and Australia.
Although the band had recorded “The Swing” in many different studios and locations, including in New York and the UK, the band returned home to Sydney to begin work on their follow up album. The band employed Chris Thomas to take on the producing duties for the album. Thomas had made his name by working with bands and artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols, the Pretenders, Roxy Music and Elton John, and brought a wealth of experience with him when it came to producing hit singles, something that INXS were very keen to further explore with this new album. Taking up residency at Rhinoceros Studios, the band spent three months through until August of 1985 coming up with the material that would become their fifth, and ground breaking album, titled “Listen Like Thieves”.

There is a school of thought that producer Chris Thomas wanted INXS to create an album that was based around the output of the track “Don’t Change”, the big single and final track from the “Shabooh Shoobah” album. In his excellent article on this album for the Pitchfork website in October 2020, Steve Kandell said as much in these words: “What Thomas was implicitly advocating for over the course of three months in Sydney’s Rhinoceros Studio was an album built out of “Don’t Change.” The final track on Shabooh Shoobah and the band’s usual set-closer, it’s the kind of feel-good, brawny U2 anthem that U2 have spent decades trying to write. Still driven by Andrew’s keyboards, “Don’t Change” felt leaner and less fussed over, destined to be covered by, among many, many others, Bruce Springsteen, a man who also spent a lot of time in 1984 and 1985 thinking about what rock songs for the masses should look like”. To a certain degree this is true. There was a change in direction here that was as much a part of the posturing of the band’s lead singer Michael Hutchence as it was about the coordinating of the song structures to be more in the mould of that track, and of the softening of opinion pieces in the lyrics. The songs here don’t SOUND like “Don’t Change”, but some do possess the uplifting vibe of the music that that song creates, and the result is the uplifting of the track list for this new album.
What makes this intriguing from an historical perspective is that the basis of what drew INXS to their rise in greatness on the world stage was the creation and writing of the songs on this album, in particular the writing partnerships, and in further particular the writing partnership of Andrew Farris and Michael Hutchence. Because this album is where it becomes quite stark as to where the best material is coming from. On the previous album “The Swing”, these two were the composers for the tracks that included “Original Sin”, “I Send a Message”, “Dancing on the Jetty” and “Burn for You” - the songs that really stand out. Here on “Listen Like Thieves” their contributions are “What You Need”, “Kiss the Dirt”, “Shine Like It Does”, “Same Direction” and “One x One”. Andrew also offers “This Time” on his lonesome. Anyone who knows this album will recognise this bundle of songs as the most noticeable on this album. It is why the band’s next album focused solely on the writing of this duo. And the reasons behind that appears obvious here.
Side One of the album is heavily loaded with the best known and most popular tracks on the album. It opens with “What You Need”, the final song composed for the album. Producer Chris Thomas kept pushing the band, saying that they still didn’t have that hit single they needed. While searching through tapes filled with demoes, Tim Farris recalled a song from Andrew called “Funk Song #13” and suggested it would be worth considering. When Thomas heard it, he encouraged the band to work on it, and it was eventually fashioned into what became the album’s lead track and opening single. It went to #5 on the US charts, their first top five single there, and pushed the album and the band into unknown territory. This is followed by the excellent title track “Listen Like Thieves”, with Kirk Pengilly’s saxophone creating its usual pleasant waves through the structure of the song, which bounces along in pleasant style. “Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” stylistically draws similarities to the sound of the previous album, the softer pull of Hutchence’s vocals and the synth working with the guitar riff of Tim Farriss making for a lead in to the power cranking up into the back third of the song with the harder and ramped up guitars and Michael’s vocals. The waves of the power chords makes for an interesting yet enjoyable journey.
This manoeuvres its way into the midtempo ballad “Shine Like It Does”, a catchy bass driven rhythm from Garry Gary Beers is again accentuates by the beautiful tones of Hutchence’s lower register. His melodic verses on this track are inspired, finding their way to draw in an audience to a song that outwardly should not be as full as it is. This segues nicely into “Good and Bad Times”, with another unusual mix of the synth and guitar shaker riff and the insertion of Pengilly’s sax solo. Again, it's a song that structurally would seem to have no chance of being effective, and yet once again the band has found a way to make this strange collaboration an intriguing one.
The second side of the album opens with “Biting Bullets”, doubling down on the keyboards and synth effects with the guitar and bass taking up residence underneath this. The vocals here are less appealing, setting themselves on a plane that is probably effective for the track as written but don’t offer anything outstanding, something that Michael Hutchence is usually able to achieve no matter what the song. It is followed by the other big single from the album, “This Time”, Andrew’s solo contribution to the writing. Michael doesn’t oversell the vocal which helps to make this song as good as it is, he doesn’t try to over- sing or take up a position through the verse or chorus that takes away from the music that has been written. His melody through this gives the song its depth, and encompasses the instruments nicely. A rare INXS instrumental follows in “Three Sisters”, composed by Tim Farriss, and nicely draws in the outer sounds, incorporating bird calls and natural woodland pieces mixed with the synth and sax to evoke a wonderful tapestry upon which the song bases itself. The three songs that close out the album - “Same Direction”, “One X One” and “Red Red Sun” - all perform the duty of tracks that are not chosen to be single releases, they all have the solid rock formation that all excellent albums must have to give them that full credibility. “Same Direction” is an easy listening pop rock song that holds its own within the basis of the album. “One by One” has the sax as a dominant instrument throughout, almost making it sound like a brass band song rather than the new wave styled instrument that INXS have always utilised it as. And the rocking closer “Red Red Sun” gives some momentum to the album as it plays itself out.

INXS’s previous album, “The Swing”, was one of the first half a dozen albums I ever bought for myself. That was based on the enjoyment of the first couple of singles they released off that album, and the fact that it was at this time that I really wanted to start to listen to full albums of bands rather than just what they would play on the radio. I loved that album. I still love it to this day, and I still play it a few times every year when the nostalgia feels kick in.
When “Listen Like Thieves” was released, it was right on the cusp of my impending date with destiny, where I would be embraced by the dark arts of heavy metal and my music focus changed forever. So while I knew and heard often the first two singles released off this album - “What You Need” and “This Time” - the urge to buy the album failed to strike before this other momentous event hit me, and so faded away. I knew the other singles as they were released, but the urge to go back to INXS when I had Iron Maiden and Ozzy Osbourne to discover failed to ignite.
A few years later, I began dating the beautiful girl who would eventually become my wife, and amongst her enjoyment of music was INXS, and one of the albums she owned was this one, and so the first time I actually listened to this entire album was at her home on her parents stereo. And, though still entirely submerged in my heavy metal bubble at that time, I was open to listening to the album and band, if only please the girl I was infatuated with. And, perhaps not surprisingly, I found most of it tolerable, with a couple of dead spots. This resulted in a rediscovery of the band, and also a discovery of other albums I had either passed over or ignored as a result. That vinyl copy of the album was eventually lost, but a CD copy has replaced it over the years in my collection.
In revisiting this album over the last week, I believe my thoughts on it are of a similar nature as to what they were 35 years ago. As described earlier, the vast majority of the great INXS songs of this and the previous album had Andrew and Michael as their composers, and I think the quality shines through there. The singles are the heavy lifters on this album, and the first side of the album does carry the second side. There are similarities though to the previous two albums. “Don’t Change” from “Shabooh Shoobah” does lift the second side of that album enormously, saving it from similar thoughts. The same can be said of “Burn for You” on “The Swing”, it does light up the last three tracks of that album with its greatness. Here on “Listen Like Thieves”, there isn't that enormously brilliant track to help bring a brightness to the concluding songs of the album. They are fine. They are solid, but they don’t inspire or lift. It does affect the end of the album as a result. In saying that, I’ve really enjoyed having the album on again over the last week, a palate cleanser almost to the other albums that have been on my roster for this podcast this week. You can hear on this album, with hindsight, they way the band was progressing from the new wave sound of “The Swing”, to the popular rock that would come on their following album “Kick”. It was a work in process, and this album was that progress. The swan was beginning to be unveiled – it just hadn’t quite made it all the way on “Listen Like Thieves”.

1319. HammerFall / Renegade. 2000. 3.5/5

Having come into the European power metal scene that had been blazed by bands such Blind Guardian and Stratovarius in the later half of the 1990’s decade, HammerFall had created a stir almost immediately with the release of their debut album “Glory to the Brave”, drawing in a new fanbase from the start while battling some criticism from the critics. The success of the album and the tour meant they went into the writing and recording process for the follow up with momentum and positive vibes. Jesper Strömblad, who had been the band’s initial drummer (though he did not play on that debut album) before he returned to his band In Flames, had co-written most of that first album with both Oscar Dronjak and Joacim Cans. In order to keep a symmetry between the debut album and its follow up, Stromblad was drafted in to be a part of the writing process again for the album that became “Legacy of Kings”. With the further success of that album, Stromblad returned for a third round of writing for the band’s third studio album. He contributed to writing on five of the tracks on the new album, once again looking to form a connection to the band’s first two albums while slowly drawing in a direction where the band would find autonomy away from their former band member.
The band had parted ways with another drummer in Patrik Räfling, and in his place had recruited the excellently credentialled Anders Johanssen, at that time best known for having played with his brother Jens in Yngwie Malmsteen’s band Rising Force during their halcyon days of the 1980’s. Andres brought with him a professionalism and talent that would help drive the band over the next 15 years.
On top of this, the band brought in a new producer, having utilised Fredrik Nordström for their first two albums. Despite some criticism in changing the deck chairs while the boat was in smooth sailing, the change to Michael Wagener was a savvy one. Wagener was well known for having been at the helm of the great albums of bands such as Dokken and Skid Row, as well as being the mixer on dozens of other classic albums. His expertise was something that the band was hoping would help them to produce an album that gave them a bigger profile and exposure. Dronjak stated on metalrules.com on the eve of the album being released that the band was looking for a more commercial sound to attract a broader fanbase, and that he also envisioned this would not be the path the band would go for future albums. Only time would tell, as the band released their third full length album, “Renegade”.

The album opens with the slow tempo anthemic tones of “Templars of Steel”, a reversal from what they had done on their first two albums. It is very much a statement track, based around the steady slow beat of the drums, the ease of the guitar riff throughout and the vocals is a powerful drive throughout, a deliberate and focused stating of the lyrics. For the band it isn’t a style that they haven’t produced before, but utilising it as the opening salvo on the album is an interesting strategy, and not one that isn’t without its charms. Following it though comes the far pacier entry of “Keep the Flame Burning” which is far more reminiscent of openings of HammerFall albums past, and does restore some semblance of the natural order of things. The opening riff holds similar ideals to many Hammerfall songs, and once Joacim enters with his vocals all seems right with the world again. The double time tempo and Joacim’s harmony vocals make this the great singalong track of the best the band can deliver. And then the title track “Renegade” follows the same path musically and with Johanssen’s precisions perect double kick throughout, leading the charge of the guitars that riff along to mirror the motorcycle revs that accompany the song along the way. The backing vocals in the chorus give it that singalong quality as well that provides the best aspects of Hammerfall’s work. Then bursting past this is “Living in Victory”, another ripping song with that faster tempo that makes power metal songs so much fun to listen to. Though, it must also be stated, these are not over fast, and not over reliant on the blazing double kick or use of keyboard. They are faster tracks yes but not to excess. The obvious fact here is that the songs on which Jesper Stromblad was involved in writing, which include the three tracks here that follow the opening track are the faster songs, the more active vocally and musically, and the more similar to the best songs on the previous two albums. This was the connection the band was looking for by bringing Stromblad back for his third stint of songwriting, to keep the essence of the band’s musical in tune with what the fans were looking for.
“Always Will Be” is the power metal ballad fans are obviously asking for, because we continue to get them on every album. Written solely by Oscar Dronjak, this channels every mood point that the power ballad can travel, the soaring vocals, the acoustic guitar arrangement, the touching lyrics... look, you guys know the drill. If you love these kinds of songs, that’s great, here it is for you. But listen to the songs before this, and the way the song after this starts. This is a mood killer, it’s a blockage, one halting the flow of the album. Skip it and be better off for it.
Speaking of which, “The Way of the Warrior” DOES start with a great guitar flurry into the hard hitting rhythm from Johanssen and Magnus Rosen on bass that drives the song again. Joacim’s vocals give the hint of the chant again, and the guitar solo slot sounds great. And yes, Stromblad is involved in the writing of this track as well, it is immediately apparent when you listen to it. “Destined for Glory” breaks into the guitar solo from the start, another statement beginning from the band, before falling into the solid and enjoyable rhythm riff that scoots along, allowing Joacim to sing freely over the top before duelling on the chorus. “The Champion” jumps along again on the base of Johanssen’s double kick, incorporating the backing ‘whoahs’ and dual guitar solos through the middle of the track. “Raise the Hammer” is an instrumental track, composed by the guitarist duo of Dronjak and Stefan Elmgren. It is interesting because it sounds like it is a song that is composed for lyrics, not the atypical instrumental track that warbles in and out and through hoops which would make it difficult to find a place to get some vocals in there. This one almost sounds as though it was SUPPOSED TO have lyrics, but for whatever reason doesn’t. Interesting. And the album then reaches its conclusion with “A Legend Reborn”, that in some ways tries to mirror the opening track. Also written by the pairing of Dronjak and Cans, it has similar tendencies to the opener, though in a stronger mid-tempo than “Templars of Steel”, and rounds out the album with the bookends in place.

At the beginning of the 2000’s decade, I had found myself diverging into power metal in a much bigger way than I had expected. Helloween had been one of my favourite bands for years, and on top of that had come Gamma Ray and eventually Blind Guardian. And finding myself not overly enamoured by the nu-metal or much of the industrial metal occurring I found myself wondering just what the European metal scene was offering. And what I found was a whole assortment of bands and albums to discover, among them Stratovarius, Edguy, Sonata Arctica and HammerFall.
I procured the first three HammerFall albums pretty much at the same time, meaning, not for the first time in my life, I was discovering a band's music in one big clump, and finding a way to get into it, the key to the hook, was the first big problem. That was solved through the debut album which grabbed a hold on me very early on, and an enjoyment of their style of music came from that. Once this was achieved, I moved onto the other two albums, and while initially I was less enamoured with their output compared to the debut, I still found them good albums. Indeed, it was “Renegade” that drew me in the most next, and there isn’t much doubt that it was because of the similar stylings of some of the songs here to the debut album, and once you look at the writing combinations of those tracks that I was attracted to you could see why – Dronjak, Cans and Stromblad.
I haven’t been as attracted to HammerFall’s albums after the release of this one, and thus they have fallen out of my rotation a bit. There’s always a danger of that. Which meant that although I have always enjoyed the album for what it is, I haven’t listened to it very often over the years since. I finally got around to buying a CD copy of this album just recently, knowing this episode was fast approaching, and the physical aspect of the album does make it feel more real. And having had that CD on my stereo at home in the Metal Cavern in the weeks since has been a real joy. Because there is still no better way to enjoy music than having it fill your room. And it brings a different perspective to hearing on my mp3 copy or through streaming. It brings a depth to the music and songs that isn’t always obvious on those other formats. And as such I have totally enjoyed listening to this album once again. It brought back some great memories of the first house my wife and bought together, where I first listened to this album. I most definitely enjoyed the songs written by the original writing trio the best here, they are the ones that engender the true spirit of HammerFall. And perhaps this explains my less-than-love for the albums after this, as Stromblad does not appear beyond this album in any capacity.
For those that enjoy power metal, there is plenty here to enjoy. It is an album worth listening to. If you are not a big fan, then perhaps what you have heard on this episode will be enough for you.

1318. Testament / Souls of Black. 1990. 4/5

The fact that Testament had made their way out of the Bay Area thrash scene from the early and mid-1980's to become a force in their own right is something that was based on hard work and great songs. Their first three albums mirror the major thrash elements that were born of that era in that area, bathing from the same aura as the other major bands that found their way into the bigger recording phases of their careers. On the back of “The Legacy” and “The New Order”, Testament built a reputation for produced fast thrashy songs that established themselves apart from the other bands of their ilk, creating their own style on which they could build their sound.
On 1989’s “Practice What You Preach” the band changed their focus lyrically, moving away from occult and gothic themes to focus on more socio-economic issues, and musically while still portraying its thrash metal roots it saw them utilising other influences, bringing a more traditional heavy metal sound to their songs. This saw some discussions within the fan base and music critics who felt they were abandoning their roots, but in general the album was met with high praise and sales. It also saw them tour with much of the cream of the trash metal artists from around the world, which lifted their profile greatly.
For the release of their follow up album, the band found themselves under time pressure to produce and complete the album. The album only came about as quickly as it did because Testament was offered the chance to participate on the European ‘Clash of the Titans’ tour, with Megadeth, Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies. Guitarist Eric Peterson explained to Guitar World magazine after the tour, "We kind of rushed out “Souls of Black” just to get on the bill, because we didn't want to miss the tour and our label said we had to have an album out. We had done some touring with Slayer that year, and we did shows with Megadeth two or three years prior to that”. The ultimatum from the record company led to the band coming off the road in June of 1990, cutting short a successful and popular run of shows, in order to record the new album and have it released prior to the tour occurring. Did the album suffer from this rushed preparation, or did the band already have in their heads how they wanted to proceed with it? All would be revealed with the eventual release of their fourth studio album, ominously titled “Souls of Black”.

While the album previous to this may have had a facelift and technical changes about it which sets it apart from the band’s first two albums, those changes were more a part of the band looking to expand its influences in an era where the out-and-out thrash metal era was reaching its zenith. That in itself had required for slight changes along to way, and Testament had in its own way merely followed the signs that were being left, and taking on slight changes to help keep themselves relevant in a turbulent music period. For the most part, “Souls of Black” comes out in the same way. Are the songs here as aggressively thrash and fast as what they were playing back in 1985? No. But are they any less good as a result of the maturing that the band was undergoing in its songwriting? In my mind, no.
The instrumental opening of “Beginning of the End” kicks us into “Face in the Sky” which immediately puts forward the best of what Testament has to offer. Chuck Billy brings his vocals to us with enthusiasm and style, and that Alex Skolnick guitar makes itself noticeable from the outset, and his solo through the middle of the track brightens everything and brings a smile to the face. We then charge into “Falling Fast” which continues to push the roller coaster along the track at speed, the gathering momentum of the drums from Louie Clemente and rhythm of Christian’s bass and Petersen’s guitar drive the song to greater heights, which is topped of by Alex’s solo once again. Another beauty to open the album.
The title track “Souls of Black” is one of the best examples here of songs that are more of that traditional heavy metal focus than thrash metal. It steps into its rhythm from the outset, that head bobbing and corner-of-the-lip raising riff that follows Greg Christian’s bass riff opening of the track. It remains the basis of the song, morphing only as Alex Skolnick rips into his guitar solo. Perhaps its simplicity throughout is what turns some fans off, but it gives the listener a song to really just move along to the groove with, and with very singable singalong lyrics from Chuck Billy as well. This then crashes straight into “Absence of Light” which returns the album to its faster speed focus, and basing itself on the same building blocks as those opening to tracks on the album. “Love to Hate” is driven to its faster tempo by Louie Celemante’s double time hammering on the drums and a sensational guitar solo through the middle section from Alex Skolnick that changes the tempo even further and brings you memories of the band’s earliest work. The first half of the album is populated by tracks of which none exceed four minutes, and that is to the betterment of the album. The songs are here, they rattle your head, and then bang! We move onto the next one. Terrific stuff.
“Malpractice” is the first of the final four songs, all of whose length all stretch to almost the five minute mark. The great double time opening sets the wheels in motion here, the rhythm riff is terrific and yes, that solo again is peak Skolnick. Another of the great songs on the album. “One Man’s Fate” settles into its death like tempo and clicks along in its faster-than-mid-tempo with the rhythm holding up its end of the bargain again, Clemente bashing his drumskins harder as the song draws on and mixing up his tempo strikes along the way. To follow it up we are then offered “The Legacy”, the band’s ballad track to follow on from their ballad on the previous album which was called... (checks notes)... “The Ballad”. Right. Much like that track, this one is performed exceptionally well. Chuck again sings it amazingly well, and musically it is wonderful. Isit overlong? At 5:30, yes it is. Is it an album killer? Not particularly. It does ramp up halfway through and brings enough to the album to make it feels as though it is a part of the furniture. It’s placement this close to the end of the album allows it to be the point of difference without marginalising what comes around it. But you know... it’s a ballad... so it's a hard sell for me. The album then concludes with “Seven Days of May”, a far more desirable song, that chunks along in the mid-tempo again with Chuck delivering what is required from him, and Skolnick continuing to deliver the solo that the song needs to break out of its monotony.
There is a darker focus to this album lyrically and musically than from “Practice What You Preach”. It may not translate to the thrash and speed of the earlier albums but the more traditional heavy metal both Chuck’s vocals and those guitars from Skolnick and Petersen are the key, drawing from the depths and delivering in wonderful style. And how can anyone not love Skolnick’s soloing on this album. It has been fantastic throughout his career in Testament, but hear it seems more focused and creates a bigger result and atmosphere because we are now not just getting an out and out thrash performance, we are hearing how proficiently technical and brilliant his guitaring technique is, and it is the star attraction of this album.

My first encounter with Testament came from their third album, “Practice What You Preach”. It was in fact the music video for that title track that I first encountered them, before heading out to buy that album on vinyl at my first opportunity. And it was one I loved listening to. So when it became known to me that they had ANOTHER album coming out so soon afterwards, I was on board from the outset. On a trip to Sydney to Utopia Records, I bought this album on CD not long after its release with a whole bunch of birthday money I had acquired. And it came at a time, as I am sure you are all well aware of now, that was a massively ridiculous time in the history of heavy metal music. And during that period, this is another album that could easily have slipped through the cracks for me. But it didn’t. I wasn’t listening to this as much as say “Painkiller” and “Rust in Peace”, but I was still listening to this a lot. It still made that impression on me at that time. I still remember one of my best friends, when I first played him this album, being completely blown away by what he heard, and while not quite proclaiming it to be a masterpiece, he was unstinting in his praise for it. G’day to Anthony if you are actually listening to this episode. I’m sure you remember that time and this album well.
There can be a case made that on this album the tempo and rhythm riffs utilised become a bit mundane, a bit samey, and a bit stagnant. To those who come into this album without having heard the band’s earlier albums, they may be surprised that this is held in such high esteem. It would be a fair argument that if you were to break down every song on this album and reduce it to its base entities, there would be similarities to each song across the board. Eric Petersen is the only member to be a contributor on each song on the album, and as rhythm guitarist perhaps he can be seen to be controlling that part of the album throughout. Perhaps, given the short timeframe available to the band, this was his way of ensuring the album was completed. These are just random thoughts without any sort of evidence to back them up, but it kinda makes sense when you listen to the album.
More to the point, if that IS true, it has never bothered me in the slightest. I have always enjoyed putting this album on and listening to it. I have never second guessed it. Coming into this week, and seeing it on my list of albums to review for this podcast, it was an exciting thought that I would get to pull out my 35 year old CD version of this album and get to listen to it again. And then that thought hit me. Seriously? 35 freaking years?! Where the hell has that time gone? I still remember being in my bedroom, downstairs at my parents house, where no one came to bother me, playing this album on my stereo and trying to air guitar along with Alex Skolnick as I listened. 35 years?! That can’t be right! But it is. And that’s just a little scary sometimes. But those memories came back to me again this week as I listened to this album again, and though it seems like yesterday, they are still good memories to have.
Testament began they slow move in a different direction from this point on, one that some disliked and others approved of. With that in mind, and with my history of the band, I would class this as the last of their classic era albums. There was still lots of great stuff to come from the band, but it was practically the final of their true thrash based material.