Let's Talk Metal.

[BaronLatos35]

Killers is a great metal album. "Innocent Exile" "Purgatory" "Wrathchild" all kick ass. Number of the Beast flat out jams. I remember seeing the album in the stores when I was 10 and with out hearing any songs knew I had to have it off the bad ass cover alone. After hearing "Hallowed Be Thy Name" I was hooked.

I love all their work through 7th Son but never got into any of their 90's stuff. Fear of the Dark was the last Maiden I listened to until Dickinson came back. Although I only downloaded a couple songs off A Matter of Life and Death and the album with The Wicker Man. Their newer stuff just didn't do it for me. In '08 I saw their greatest hits tour Somewhere Back in Time and it rocked.

Don't know about Final Frontier but it's Maiden. I'm going July 20th and it will only be my 3rd time seeing them, so I'm ready.

Up The Irons!!!

[BlackLagoon]

Fear Of The Dark is a great album!!

I think Bruce's departure had alot of fans falling off the Maiden wagon---X-Factor and Virtual XI were the nail in the coffin.

I thought Brave New World was fanstastic--the title track, Wicker Man--and Ghost Of Navigators are killer!

Dance Of Death--Seriously, to me anyway--I thought if you never heard Maiden before and mixed that in with Number, Piece, Powerslave etc--you could totally fool someone. It was great.

Then Matter Of Life And Death--they made such a big deal out of it, I just had higher expectations.

If they can do what they did with Dance and Brave New World for the new album--plus pull off the old stuff I'll be happy.

Oh yeah that was another thing, when they toured for Matter Of Life and Death--they ONLY played that album in its entirety then did Hallowed and Iron Maiden as the encore.

Get that sh*t out of your system for this tour...please!

[BaronLatos35]

I hope they don't pull that junk and only play this new unheard album. Please open with Churchill's Speech/Aces High at least!

Never heard Dance of Death, I will have to check it out in iTunes. Brave New World was good as well as the Wicker man, but they still didn't do it 100% for me. These Colors Don't Run and Ben Breeg were the same. OK at best. I rarely listen to them. My wife keeps messing with me about updating my music, but seriously there was something about that era of music. Man that sounded old!

Fear of the Dark was cool. I'm hoping for the best with Final Frontier.

[zombiehorror]

I listened to all things Maiden until No Prayer for the Dying came out, I dunno the album just didn't do anything for me.  After that one I never really checked out anything they were doing.  I did hear some stuff off of Brave New World and thought it was pretty good but never got the album.

I'd give No Prayer another chance but I don't think I even have the disc anymore, maybe I'll see if there are any MP3s I can check out!

[BlackLagoon]

Baron, if you want I can add "Dance Of Death" to the list for you.

Zombie--I think Bruce's voice flat out blows on No Prayer lol.

It's rough and raspy, and it was hard hearing that especially since 7th Son, right before it he was as good as ever.

Some of those songs are a little weak, but some of them grew on me...Bring your daughter to the slaughter and holy smoke are pretty cool. Hooks in you is pretty cool too---but in comparison to other stuff its def not their strongest release.

I think anytime a band has that many releases and this much longevity, there are gonna be a few albums that kinda suck. Judas Priest has Turbo, Slayer has Diabolus--which sounds rushed and watered down--

Even some of the stuff Led Zeppelin did towards the end had people scratching their heads--though I will say alot of Zep's latter work is my favorite stuff.

Actually Iron Maiden covers Communication Breakdown on the No Prayer For The Dying B'Sides---pretty cool too.

[Wicked Lester]

Killers is a great metal album. "Innocent Exile" "Purgatory" "Wrathchild" all kick ass. Number of the Beast flat out jams. I remember seeing the album in the stores when I was 10 and with out hearing any songs knew I had to have it off the bad ass cover alone. After hearing "Hallowed Be Thy Name" I was hooked.

Never been much of a Maiden fan. During that time frame I was mostly into Hardcore and various punk. Early Metallica/Slayer/Exciter/Venom etc etc. I thought the Maiden Debut was pretty good so I bought Killers , listened to it 3-4 times and found it rather boring and all samey same same. Gave it to a friend who liked it much more than me.
It's true. YMMV.

[BaronLatos35]

I'm the opposite there Lester. The first Maiden was cool, but Killers left it in its dust. Supposedly most of Killer's songs were surplus from the first album.

Loved Metallica's first 4 albums, never got into Exciter/Venom or punk. I liked Hell Awaits and Reign inBlood but never was a big Slayer Fan. However I was a big Megadeth fan. Peace Sells... and Rust in Peace flat out whup ass. Megadeth/Overkill was also my first concert in'87.

And of course...Ozzy.

[BlackLagoon]

I guess I'm all of the above. KISS (original) turned me on to music 1st and foremost--but everything changed when I found Iron Maiden.

Maiden turned me onto heavier things and I found Slayer...then Pantera. Then the Misfits which was what actually got me playing.

From there I got into heavier things and Obituary was my 1st and still favorite death metal band of all time--then black metal happened.

Somewhere in the mix I found that raw, blackend thrash with a punk edge that was Venom, Bathory, Sacrifice, etc and loved that too.

Now, I guess I'm old enough and mature to stop labeling things--back when if you liked death metal, black metal guys thought you were a sell out---you couldnt like hardcore and power metal--stupid.

If I told you that some of my favorite albums were from Rainbow to Dismember, back to Iron Maiden, then Anthrax, over to Cannibal Corpse, back to Emperor, then I'll go from Dead Kennedys to Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest to Napalm Death--

I just like good, creative, aggresive music--that is my bottom line.

Some of the younger guys that come into the studio I hang have this thing going---"if they dont use 7 string guitars, its not heavy"--I draw the line with Cannibal Corpse. They are one of my favirote bands but even them--sometimes especially the older stuff its jumbled.

I have no idea what these new bands are doing. There is ZERO song structure--everything is 5,0000 miles an hr and there is virtually no rhythm--its just a flurry of notes and screaming.

Death metal that I dig nowadays is considered lame. Because there is song structure and time signatures?!---I'll take my Number Of The Beast, Tomb Of The Mutlilated and keep to myself---I love metal, but this new "metalcore" stuff is just---its unlistinable!

[BaronLatos35]

I hear you BlackLagoon. The "newest" metal I got into was Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. I saw them with White Zombie sometime in '94/'95?

I'm not into turning your instruments up and screaming as loud as you can just to play the fastest and loudest. There still has to be a rhythm. Even Slayer had it on Hell Awaits.

I feel this way about most music today including the sad state of Hip Hop. Uninspired and flat.

[BlackLagoon]

Yeah I'm a big rhythm guy myself---actually on my own guitar I took the high "E" string off of it--I only use the 5 strings. I keep it simple.

I think with metal, its pretty hard to come up with "brand new" ideas--kids are trying to reinvent the wheel with the guitar.

Everything is played in "C"--its layered and jumbled. Songs start and they just go, there is no hook or catch. My bass player freaks out over this band Pysopus I think--seriously, its just noise. It actually gets me annoyed when I have to hear it.

The sad part is that old school death metal is considered weak now--someone said something about my vocals asking me if I could get lower. If I got lower you would need sonar to hear it--I love brutality in music, but at what point does it go to far?

The same kids think these "new school metalcore" bands invented breakdowns and blast beats---Judas Priest was doing that stuff in "74" and almost every single riff these kids are playing can be heard on the 1st Maiden cd--Phantom Of The Opera has been stolen from so many times its a joke.

Also--if you want a song that doesnt follow traditional song structure, has a KILLER break down that will make you jump up and down--break neck riffing, and even a bass solo---you don't have to look to these new metal bands claiming they were the 1st---its all in the 6 or so minutes that are Iron Maiden's Phantom Of The Opera.

Bottom line, you dont have to like it--but you can't say there would be Sabbath without the Beatles.

[marsattacks666]

I'm a die hard punk rocker through and through. I pretty much listen to
all forms /genre of punk, metal, hardcore, grindcore, thrash, garage, surf or whatever. Everything from the
Weirdos, Slits, New York Dolls, IrON Maiden, Venom, MOTORHEAD, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, the DAMNED,
Sex Pistols, Clash, Black Flag, Minor Threat, MISFITS, COC, Napalm Death, Satan's Pilgrims, Dead Boys, Ramones,
Weed Eater, Sleep, Sword, Electric Frankenstein, DEATH.......... F**K!!!! there is so many bands I totally dig,
too many to list.

But, being a musician, I listen to everthing. I remember  my high school days, when my
punk and hardcore friends would give me s**t  for listening to Motley Crue, KISS or other
Hair-metal bands..... and my rocker friends would chastise me for listening to punk or hardcore.
What gives!!!! All that music is good.

I do have to say I'm not a fan of Nu-metal. I just can not get into Korn,
Disturbed, LP, or any of the "90's" groups. That is not Metal to me, and doesn't have
to be vintage to be Metal or Punk.

[zombiehorror]

I do have to say I'm not a fan of Nu-metal. I just can not get into Korn,
Disturbed, LP, or any of the "90's" groups. That is not Metal to me, and doesn't have
to be vintage to be Metal or Punk.

As far as Nu-metal goes I liked the first couple of Korn albums, Life of Agony, Orange 9mm and Downset that was about it from the early wave, you know before Nu-metal became the term, never could stand Marilyn Manson or Limp Bizkit.  My wife actually had Evanesence album "Fallen" and didn't care for it, I gave it a listen and actually dug it but I'm not running out to buy their whole catalog either.

[coughcool]

I finally bought "Fear of the Dark" and have yet to hear or buy No Prayer for the Dying. I'll get around to it because I'm silly that way. I have been checking out some newer bands but with very little luck. I do like some of the music of Devil Driver. Their first album is killer. "Cry for Me Sky" is a real toe tapper.

[Wicked Lester]

This is how I feel about commercial music including over hyped metal bands.

Skyclad - Penny Dreadful

[Wicked Lester]

OK,that being said. As much as I love old HC/speed metal/death metal etc I find that even tho I still listen to that stuff I prefer good solid HYBRIDS. Viking folk metal-Ensiferum/Korpiklanni and the MIGHTY Moonsorrow/Techno metal/Industrial trance/BIG fan of epic Goth metal such as Tristania/Fantasy metal like Rhapsody,symphometal like Therion. My god that band routinely puts out metalized epic movie sound tracks. Been a fan for like 17 years. Almost anyone with a few years of playing can do a good jam but it takes something WAAY extra to do an epic hybrid and make it work.

This is the MIGHTY Moonsorrow-EPIC Viking Folk with black influence.

Moonsorrow - Pakanajuhla

I love hybrid bands and Moonsorrow is and has been one of the top Viking ones for a few years.
I also call this song the POPEYE mosh. Can ya just picture the guy after a can of spimich slammin around in a pit.