Tenology: Great Guitarists In Rock/Metal

Another post, another subject that it's taken me way too long to write about.
I've written about overrated trends in Rock/Metal that have included musicians but I've never actually dedicated a blog post to musicians I admire. In this post, I'll be looking at ten guitarists firmly planted in the Rock/Metal genre that may or may not be personal favourites of mine.
As always, I'm hesitant to say "MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE EVER GUITARISTS" because I feel like there are probably some guitarists out there that I'd rate highly if I knew more of their work. As it stands right now, these are just 10 guitar players whom I'd like to shine my own personal spotlight on. Some will probably be hailed as exceptional guitarists all over the web and others may not get the love they deserve but ultimately, it's all down to my opinion and any notable absences aren't a reflection of my opinion on those specific guitarists...except Randy Rhoads, he's deliberately left out.


1. Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser

This is a good picture. Thanks for ruining it, gettyimages.

Despite the fact that I'm not a huge Blue Oyster Cult fan, Buck Dharma is probably my number one favourite guitarist due to his ability to create epic riffs, sweet solos and sing decent lead vocals too. Whilst his guitar playing doesn't stand out as much as guitarists with iconic sounds such as Brian May or Richie Blackmore, the band could boast some of the best riffs Rock has to offer thanks to this man. Songs such as "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" proved he could write amazing single-note riffs (much better than Joe Perry, in my opinion) whereas songs like "Godzilla" and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" showcased his talent for guitar solos and Classic Rock shredding.


2. John Petrucci

You know he's serious because he's got a knee up

You could probably choose any Rock related forum with Dream Theater or John Petrucci involved and find at least one comment praising his work...and with good reason too! Whilst each member of the band is shit hot at their chosen instrument, Petrucci shoots the band into the stratosphere of awesome Rock thanks to his excellent playing. At the first listen, his solos may sound like bog standard shredding but unlike other guitarists who are so focused on complex scales/arpeggios that they forget to add soul (not saying a word), each melody is well crafted and incredibly well executed. However, Petrucci isn't afraid to let loose and as a result we get songs with epic riffs and blistering solos like "As I Am" and "Constant Motion".


3. Eddie Van Halen

That's the face he has to pull to stop it from melting

I've dedicated several blog posts to writing about the original lineup Van Halen albums and one of the strongest attributes from all of them is the fretwork of EVH (along with Lee Roth's vocals). He's often credited with inventing two handed guitar tapping but some guitarists were doing it long before Van Halen's debut came out. He did popularise the technique and fire it into the mainstream, inspiring future guitarists for decades to come, but none of them quite mastered the skill of iconic riffs and solos like EVH. Not only that but during the early years, Eddie wasn't afraid to challenge himself and adapt his sound with each album rather than coasting on one specific skill. He might be known for "Eruption" but to me, "Spanish Fly" is the stronger song.


4. Dave Murray

I should've posted some pics of guitarists in different positions

Iron Maiden have had many guitarists over the years but the only one to appear on every studio album (and my personal favourite) is Mr Dave Murray. Currently one of three six-string wielding amigos with the band, Dave's guitar playing can be recognised by the soft yet high pitched sound that you tend to hear in most Iron Maiden solos. Adrian might be the main driving force behind the band's great riffs but Dave's the one bringing the thunder in the solos. Again, I've written about all of the band's studio albums on the blog before but I couldn't write this post without mentioning my favourite guitarist from my favourite band.


5. Gary Rossington

This man's single-handedly keeping Lynyrd Skynyrd alive

One of the founding and the last original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for his slide guitar and clean sound. Lynyrd Skynyrd might only be known for a handful of songs but those songs have some damn fine guitar. "Sweet Home Alabama" has one of Rock's greatest riffs and I don't need to tell you about how fucking awesome the "Free Bird" is again. The band's back catalogue is full of great tunes containing excellent riffs ("Simple Man", "The Needle And The Spoon") and some underrated solos ("Call Me The Breeze", "I Know A Little") but to me, Rossington really showed off his talents on the band's exceptional live album, One More From The Road, where he took the band's existing material and turned them up to 11.


6. Tom Morello

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure he's flipping off some dick in the audience

In my recent post on Audioslave's debut album, I praised Chris Cornell's vocals and Tom Morello's guitar playing. In a not so recent post, I wrote about crap songs saved by one standout amazing feature that I affectionately named after this guitarist in reference to his role in the band Rage Against The Machine. Without Tom, they'd be another mediocre modern Metal outfit but his playing amplifies the rest of the band. His riffs are heavy and his solos sound unlike any other guitarist due to his unique playing styles (the same can be said for certain Audioslave tracks like "Gasoline"). Now and then, he brought out the big guns in RATM songs like "Know Your Enemy" but even if he isn't showing off with great solos, one thing you can count on with his playing is that it rarely (if at all) sounds boring.


7. Dave Mustaine

Said it before & I'll say it again; has anyone ever seen this guy and Donald Trump in the same room?

Dave Mustaine's made waves in the past with some questionable political opinions (many of them being featured in Megadeth's lyrics) but as a guitarist, this guy fucking gets. it. done. He may not have been responsible for one of my favourite solos ("Tornado Of Souls" was largely written by Marty Friedman, another great guitarist who nearly made it to this list) but he was responsible for popularising the spider chord playing style you frequently hear in Thrash Metal. Plus, for all the rage and dickishness Mustaine showed in his early days, to create a band as great as Megadeth out of it with a massive collection of great Metal tunes is quite impressive. Just a shame he has the appearance of a dad who's used all his three genie wishes to become a Rock star.


8. John Frusciante

Pretty sure the photographer captured the exact moment John levelled up

Up until 2009, John was the guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers but that wasn't his first time leaving the band. His clean tone is synonymous with the band's sound and whilst the band's riffs/solos are fairly straightforward, John was a clear believer in less is more. I've said before on the blog that I prefer softer Alternative RHCP songs to heavier Funk ones and that's mostly down to John's playing style. However, I will say that songs like "Suck My Kiss" and "Can't Stop" that ARE heavy tracks by the band are only as good as they are because of their solos and riffs respectively, and that's all John. That's all I really need to say on the guy but I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight one song in particular; "Snow ((Hey Oh))". A friend of mine who's seen them live reported that John played the riff perfectly without looping it all the way through, which is fucking impressive. It's not an easy riff to master and John makes it sound like "Smoke On The Water", so hats off to the man!


9. Eric Johnson

It was a choice between Johnson, Satriani, Vai or Malmsteen...I think I made the right choice

To me, one of the strongest attributes a musician can have is to be able to alert everyone to their presence with only a few notes. Eric Johnson has that absolutely nailed. His music always sounds so dreamy and magical, even when he's shredding away. He might not be as technically skilled as virtuosos such as Satriani or Batio but it's not all about how fast you can play. To me, Johnson's music is stronger on the whole than most of the music of those artists because of his unique melodies and combination of different styles to make exceptional Rock music. He's also pretty adept at other instruments too, although he's here entirely because of his guitar playing.


10. Slash

Be honest, how many of you saw this coming?

The ultimate image of a badass Rock guitarist. I don't know what your opinion of Slash is but I've seen several sources claiming he's overrated. I would agree if I hadn't seen him live but watching him flawlessly bust out an 18 minute solo during "Rocket Queen" in front of me eyes without showing any signs of fatigue thirty years after his "peak" performances shows stamina that I'd like to see any of those naysayers match. Not just that but come on, his riffs are fucking great. Guns N' Roses stuff is what he's known for (even if I personally think the "Paradise City" riff sounds a little janky) but his solo material contains way better guitar songs, as you'd expect. Definitely better Hard Rock albums than anything GNR put out; it's just a shame him and Axl patched it up, as he's genuinely much better without that shit awful excuse for a vocalist.


Do you agree with my list? Again, this isn't a Top 10 list and I know there are other amazing guitarists out there that are absent and may appear on a sequel to this post if I feel like writing one but who would you rank highly in your own personal collection of great guitarists and why?
In future, I plan on writing similar posts for bassists, drummers and vocalists too so if you have anyone you believe deserves some love, let me know here or via Twitter.

Tenology: My Ten Favourite Rock/Metal Songs Of 2016

Finally, we're here. The end of 2016 and about fucking time too. From celebrity deaths to celebrity presidents, it's been an absolute shitshow that all seemed to start with Lemmy's death at the end of last year.
However, despite the overwhelming negatives about 2016, there have been some positives to take away such as a collection of decent Rock/Metal songs that I intend to list here. On previous Tenology posts celebrating the year's music, I don't categorise songs in order of greatness; instead, I just list ten of my personal favourite songs from the year in random order. Since there's no reason to change the formula, that's exactly what I'll be doing this year too!
It's also worth noting that these songs have been chosen based entirely on my opinion, not how well they charted or fared among Rock/Metal fans. If I wanted to write about the "best" songs of the year, I'd spend the whole post wanking off about how amazing Beyonce and Radiohead are. But fuck that, right? Here are 10 songs I liked!


1. "The Getaway" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

If you cast your mind back to July (or click this link and spend a couple of minutes reading the post), you may recall me reviewing The Getaway - Red Hot Chili Peppers and talking about how much I loved this album. It's probably joint-first for my album of the year along with Dystopia - Megadeth and this album opener/title track is a solid reason why. It sounds like classic RHCP but at the same time doesn't feel like the band going through the motions, partly due to Josh Klinghoffer picking up the strings from John Frusciante. Great tune!


2. "Breathing Lightning" - Anthrax

If your mind hasn't returned from July yet (or you got curious and followed this link), you may ALSO recall me briefly writing about the new Anthrax album, For All Kings. Despite not really enjoying it, I did love this song and would recommend it if you like Heavy Metal over the usual Thrash stuff Anthrax is known for. Thankfully, there are some single edits of the song that don't have the shitty instrumental reprise at the end so if you want to buy the track, search for that version instead of the six minute one.


3. "Let It Begin" - The Treatment

Aha, a new track! I've mentioned The Treatment before on a previous Tenology post celebrating 2014's music but this song is stronger than "The Outlaw". It's still another uncompromising Hard Rock track with epic riffs and a catchy chorus by a band who seem to be happy in the ass-kicking-Rock sector of the industry so what's not to like? In a year literally plagued with death and despair, sometimes you need a good Hard Rock track to blast out loud and this song fits the bill nicely.


4. "Moth Into Flame" - Metallica

Back to old tracks again. I liked Metallica's new album and there were definitely some solid contenders on there for this post. However, there was only one track that I knew deserved to be on the main list without a doubt; "Moth Into Flame". Unlike "Hardwired" and "Atlas, Rise!", it contains all the hallmarks of a top quality Metallica song without sounding repetitive or losing too much energy throughout the track. It should've been the lead single from the album as it triumphantly declares "We're fucken back!" much more heroically than the album's title track.


5. "At War With The World" - Primal Fear

I haven't actually discussed Rulebreaker - Primal Fear on the blog yet but if you haven't listened to it, it's a pretty awesome Metal album. Granted there's not much variety on it but if you want pure Heavy Metal, you get exactly that. There were several songs I could've picked for this list but my personal favourite is probably this one due to the steady rhythm and epic chorus. Seriously though, if you like Heavy Metal, seek out Rulebreaker - Primal Fear.


6. "Breakin' Outta Hell" - Airbourne

A track so good, I've discussed it twice; once in an album review, once in a taster session. Basically, similar to "Let It Begin", it's a heavy Hard Rock song by a band that are masters of awesome singles but getting progressively weaker at awesome albums. Despite this, I still love listening to this song and hope that Airbourne will keep churning 'em out every couple of years or so.


7. "The Emperor" - Megadeth

Come on, I couldn't leave out a track from Dystopia from this post. I'll admit that if "The Threat Is Real" wasn't released as a single at the end of 2015, I would've chosen that instead but "The Emperor" is probably my second favourite track off the album. Lyrically and musically, it's fucking great; a song flipping the middle finger off at incompetent leaders with brilliant riffs throughout and a hell of a sweet solo with echoes of "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due".


8. "When The Night Comes In" - Black Star Riders

If you're unfamiliar with Black Star Riders, they're basically a heavier version of Thin Lizzy made up of Thin Lizzy band members who didn't want to record new material for that band without Phil Lynott. I've heard quite a few of their songs and definitely like some more than others ("Valley Of The Stones" over "Bound For Glory", any day) but this is my favourite so far and it just so happens to be a single released this year. If you like Thin Lizzy and heavier music, I'd recommend them unless you're a die-hard Phil Lynott fan, as the vocalist sounds like a poorer version of him and it'd probably just piss you off.


9. "Eye Of The Beholder" - Wolfmother

Another song from an album I've already reviewed. Similar to Dystopia, this might not be my favourite song off the album but it IS my favourite off the songs released this year. It's got your standard trippy apocalypse sound that Wolfmother have cultivated through the use of organ and fuzzy guitars but when you get to the halfway point, the track picks up a bit and shifts gear into full-on Rock. It's a shame they couldn't add a guitar solo to that section but it's still great.


10. "Goodbye Angels" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

What's this? ANOTHER Red Hot Chili Peppers song? Technically, I never said I couldn't include multiple songs by the same band on this post and if I'm being totally honest, I would rate this higher than most of the songs in this list and upcoming honourable mentions. It's not a balls-out riff-heavy Rock anthem but it is pure RHCP at their finest, which is saying something without Frusciante involved. I may have been hasty in the past when I claimed the song would be better without Flea's little bass solo before the outro but having given it some thought, I think it works better that way after all. My personal favourite song off The Getaway and maybe, JUST MAYBE, my favourite song of 2016.

Those were my ten favourite songs from 2016 (that I heard and will probably change over time) but that's not to say everything else was rubbish. Here are five tracks that could've made the list if not for the strength of the ten above:


"Bullets & Tears" - Primal Fear

As I said when writing about "At War With The World", I could've chosen from a few songs for the list and if not for that track, this would've made it instead. I can imagine this track being fucking amazing live when that chorus comes around and for that reason, I love listening to it. However, even though I included two RHCP tracks on the list, I couldn't remove one of my top ten for another Primal Fear song.


"Medication For The Melancholy" - Rob Zombie

Yeah, Rob Zombie released an album this year. I should probably listen to it if only to seek out tracks like this. He doesn't do them often but when Rob speeds up the tempo, he fucking rocks. I didn't include this track because it sounds like just another Rob Zombie track off one of his previous albums and I've already got enough of them in my list. I went with Airbourne instead because I can honestly say I prefer "Breakin' Outta Hell" to this, although it's still a great Heavy Metal tune.


"See You Rise" - Diamond Head

Considering how much I said I enjoyed Diamond Head - Diamond Head in my review this year, some of you might be confused as to why I didn't include any tracks in the main list. I do still love the album and "See You Rise" is still my favourite track off it but it just couldn't beat the others on the list. If it didn't have the slower section in the middle, it may have done.


"This Train" - Joe Bonamassa

I don't think I'll ever quite understand why everyone seems to rave about Joe Bonamassa so much when most of the songs I've heard him involved in are just alright but I have to say, this track is pretty solid. It's a fun Blues number, which makes a change from just about every other popular modern Blues track in existence. It's not strong enough to take on any of the main ten but it deserves a mention here.


"Thundering Voices" - Rival Sons

A late entry, as I only heard this track a couple of days ago. I'm sure I've talked about Rival Sons before and how they're a decent Rock band who probably deserve more attention than I'm currently giving them but the reason I didn't include this on the main list is simple; the other tracks have had some time to get old (except the Black Star Riders one, but I know I'll still like that months from now) and I still enjoy listening to them. I can't say the same about this song yet but who knows, maybe I'll still like it in February next year when we're all absolutely shitting ourselves over what the world has become.

That's all from me this year. I hope you enjoyed my 52 posts and your 2017 is better than 2016...unless you're partly to majorly responsible for how shit 2016 turned out, in which case I sincerely hope your next 365 days are utter wank.

Rapid Fire: Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Megadeth

Have you worked out the theme of this month's Rapid Fire post? Don't feel bad if you haven't, it's not the most obvious one. Aside from all being heavy rocking bands around the 70s/80s, they're all bands that have released new albums I've reviewed on this blog. Rather than talk about more great/shit albums by the band, I've decided to reverse the polarity and choose great albums by bands I slammed and not-so-great albums by bands I praised.

As well as discussing the highs and lows of the three "classic" albums, I'll also be writing a short comparison of those albums and the ones I previously reviewed. If you want to read my reviews of 13 - Black Sabbath, Rock Or Bust - AC/DC and Dystopia - Megadeth, follow the links provided. If you want to read my short reviews of three different albums by those bands...well, keep scrolling. Be warned that I will be spoiling my verdicts on each of those linked albums in the new album write-ups so I'd recommend reading those full reviews first, unless you don't really care and just want to know what I think about these albums.

1. Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath

The first album I reviewed on this blog featured the closest thing to the classic Black Sabbath line-up since the actual classic Black Sabbath line-up, so I decided to choose an album featuring an even better line-up than both albums combined. If you listen to Black Sabbath tracks with Ozzy on vocals, the guitar sounds very restrained due to Tony Iommi playing most of his riffs on the lower frets (yes, I know about the factory incident and his fingertips). It also sounds a lot sludgier, arguably boasting the heaviest Metal riffs in all of the genre. Aside from the change in vocalists, the biggest difference between 70s-era Sabbath and early 80s-era Sabbath is the evolution of Tony's guitarwork.

Straight away, album opener "Neon Knights" bolts from the starting line with a much welcomed mix of old and new, something that remains the album's strongest factor from start to finish. Gone are the sluggish drumbeats from Paranoid and Master Of Reality and gone are Ozzy's oozing vocals, dripping off each line and more often than not blending with the guitar. In their places are faster rhythms courtesy of troubled drummer Bill Ward and new vocal melodies separate from the music carrying lyrics about mythology by Ronnie James Dio, apparently the driving force behind the band's improvements.

Whilst there are slower tracks on the album, they were complimented by more exciting music from Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler on guitar and bass, respectively. Tony would play his most complex riffs that he'd ever produced up until that point whilst Geezer would do what he does best and lay the bassline down thick and juicy, giving Metal fans something to sink their teeth into even if they preferred the faster tracks that were beginning to gain popularity due to the rise of Hard Rock. Overall, this album is well worth a listen to fans of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, especially those who like classic Black Sabbath and Rainbow.

After listening to Heaven And Hell, you'll understand why I consider Dio the best thing that could've happened to the band and why I would call 13 a massive step backwards for Black Sabbath in terms of quality Metal.

1. Neon Knights

2. Children Of The Sea

3. Lady Evil

4. Heaven And Hell

5. Wishing Well

6. Die Young

7. Walk Away

8. Lonely Is The Word

ALBUM RATING - 8/10

2. Highway To Hell - AC/DC

An absolute classic and definitely my favourite AC/DC album with Bon Scott on vocals...hell, it's my favourite AC/DC album period! Much like Queen and The Beatles, AC/DC are a band that have been blessed and cursed with the ability to create several iconic hits. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, knows the album opener/title track "Highway To Hell" for its simple yet epic riff and anthematic chorus. However, even though it's worthy of the fame it's accrued over almost 40 years, I wouldn't place it anywhere near the top ranking of tracks on the album.

There's a steady variety of slower rockers that the band are best known for and a couple of faster tracks thrown in too for good measure. However, the main difference between an album like this and an album like Rock Or Bust is the energy put into each track. Each song packs a punch and, in my eyes (or should that be ears?), "rocks". Rock Or Bust had a lot of mediocre material that felt tired and uninspired and whilst I'll admit that a couple of songs have grown on me over time, I still wouldn't rate it highly. Also, Angus Young was the riff-master. Even on Black Ice, he was pumping out riffs as strong as ones on this album.

The only track that lacks the same energy the rest of the album harnessed is "Night Prowler" but even that isn't a total flatline. Fans of the band's Bluesy material will probably enjoy it and if only one out of ten solid Rock tracks is a dud, I would call that a decent album. However, when the majority of those nine tracks are awesome, I would call that a great album. If there's one AC/DC album you feel like listening to, make it this one.

1. Highway To Hell

2. Girls Got Rhythm

3. Walk All Over You

4. Touch Too Much

5. Beatin' Around The Bush

6. Shot Down In Flames

7. Get It Hot

8. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)

9. Love Hungry Man

10. Night Prowler

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

3. Super Collider - Megadeth

OK, maybe this isn't the best album I could've picked to discuss a "bad" Megadeth album but it's definitely not the worst or even a choice that many fans would dispute. It was critically panned for sounding too generic and more like a Hard Rock album than a Thrash Metal one. Not only that but loyal fans took a virtual dump on it too with the usual accusations of selling out by going too commercial, only this time their arguments had a bit of weight to them. First though, before I delve into those murky waters some more, let's look at the positives as there definitely are some.

Megadeth have a history of absolutely nailing their album openers and whilst "Kingmaker" maybe paints the album to be something it isn't, it's a hell of a track! They could've rewritten and rereleased that song ten more times and the album probably would've been better received. However, critics would then pick on the absolute lack of variety the album would contain, something that you can't do with Super Collider. "The Blackest Crow" provides a bit of respite from the slog of Hard Rock/Soft Metal presented so far, opting for a welcomed Southern-fuelled twang instead.

Unfortunately, even though the tracks are sturdy and technically there's nothing wrong with them, bland Rock isn't what you expect to hear when you listen to a Megadeth album. Thank Christ Dave Mustaine realised this and remedied his mistake with Dystopia, creating an album that is well and truly Metal at its finest. Not only that but it's Metal clearly inspired by the band's back catalogue, whereas Super Collider sounds more inspired by American Hard Rock bands from the 00s. I would recommend this album if you like bands like Nickelback, Audioslave and Stone Sour. If you want (Thrash) Metal, listen to Dystopia...or Rust In Peace, that album is a timeless Metal masterpiece.

1. Kingmaker

2. Super Collider

3. Burn!

4. Built For War

5. Off The Edge

6. Dance In The Rain

7. Beginning Of Sorrow

8. The Blackest Crow

9. Forget To Remember

10. Don't Turn Your Back...

11. Cold Sweat

ALBUM RATING - 5/10

If you have any requests for albums/bands/genres/decades/anything else to cover in Rapid Fire posts, let me know in the comment section or via Twitter. I'll also take general feedback and opinions about any albums/bands I cover.

Coming soon (probably): a video games post.

Dystopia - Megadeth

Let's face it, we were all disappointed with Super Collider when it first dropped two and a half years ago. It had some decent material but was deemed too commercial overall for a Megadeth album. The smart thing for a band to do in this position would be to take the criticisms on board and try to create a record that not only avoids the pitfalls of the last album but also accentuates the positives of it too.
Cut to last week when Megadeth released Dystopia, an album that more or less does exactly that.

Straight away, "The Threat Is Real" delivers an aggressive punch of pure Heavy Metal, just what the band needed to reassert themselves as a dominant force. It's easily the best choice to be the album opener but unlike "Kingmaker", it's not a complete prick tease. The rest of Dystopia manages to keep up with the pace set by this opening track and the commercial modern Rock sound staining the previous album has been replaced with modern Thrash Metal instead, just as it should be.
Luckily, just because the band are confidently pumping out modern music doesn't mean they've neglected Metal from the past...specifically, Metal that they created. There are several songs that sound as though Dave Mustaine wanted to recreate the greatness of their more popular material such as lead single "Fatal Illusion", which I've previously compared to "Peace Sells" on this blog already, or title track "Dystopia", a standard tune that probably would've been stronger if it didn't have the same basic structure as "Hangar 18" beat for beat.
Despite these connections, it's not just money for old rope. Sure, there may be similar lyrical topics about war politics and the evil American government ("Post American World", "Lying In State") and a handful of songs beginning with acoustic guitar before breaking into heavier riffing and double bass drumming ("Bullet To The Brain", "Conquer Or Die") is about as experimental as the album gets but minor similarities aside, the band are able to record music that stands on its own feet.

There's a healthy mix of fast-paced shredders and slower more melodic foot stompers, making it perfect for the Heavy Metal fan who enjoys variety. Remember, at the end of the day, this album is a collection of Metal and that's what the band set out to achieve. The only duff choice in the track listing is a cover of Fear's "Foreign Policy" right at the end, the album equivalent of a gymnast performing a quadruple somersault but stumbling over on the landing and accidentally headbutting every single judge in the process.
Clocking in at under two and a half minutes, it's the sort of song that'd normally be banished to the realm of post-album release B-sides but has instead made it onto the main tracklist. It ends the album on a weak note (especially after "The Emperor") and gives the impression of musical regression when played after every other track. Fortunately, even during this unnecessary cover, the band are on top form through all eleven tracks. Dave Mustaine's vocals are as gravelly and consistent as they have been for the last decade and Kiko Loureiro's guitar work is on par with Mustaine's in both technical skill and prominence in the mix. However, therein lies one of the album's minor flaws.
Whilst David Ellefson has proven his worth throughout his career with the band, his bass on this album is almost non-existent. If it's not mimicking the guitar melody, it's being overshadowed by it. Similarly, Chris Adler's drumming is fantastic on this album (if you like heavy use of double bass) but could've been mixed in with the rest of the music a little bit better. The album is definitely more preferential towards the two guitarists but fortunately, it doesn't ruin the overall quality unless you were looking forward to an album that showcases the talents of the entire band...like Rust In Peace.

Despite all the recent deaths in the world of music, at least January gave us one blessing in the form of this album. Dystopia is a proper Heavy Metal album right down to the core and in my opinion was worth the release of the previous album if only to guide Dave Mustaine into writing this one. I give it an 8/10 and recommend it to fans of the genre, especially fans of Countdown To Extinction. I feel like this rating is representative of the music on the standard edition of the album but if you own one of the many Deluxe Editions with a whopping one or maybe even two extra tracks, this could change*.
The only thing that seemingly won't change any time soon is the trend of record labels and bands fleecing their customers/fans by releasing up to four editions of the same album, all with different track listings and none for sale in the same location, unless you either pay through the nose for an unjustified amount of new content or decide to just pirate it and suffer through news of ageing Rock stars lecturing journalists about how fans wanting to hear as much music by their favourite bands in one place hurts the industry as opposed to those same stars being too chickenshit to stand up to their greedy record producers, who absolutely do not care about just how empty they can make our wallets.

FUCK ME, that was a mouthful!


* *takes a deep breath*

Taster Session #3

Happy New Year!
2015 has given us some great material (which I'll be discussing next week) but to finish what's been a pretty decent year in music, it's time to dust off the Taster Session posts and take a look at five singles from albums that'll (hopefully) be released in 2016. If the year can be judged based on this snippet of music, we'll hopefully be in for another treat!

"Dark Energy" - The Cult           (listen here)
From the album Hidden City (5/2/16)

Our first taste of the new year comes from The Cult bringing us a song that definitely doesn't sound like The Cult I know! Don't get me wrong, it's still Hard Rock but their typical clean-toned Guitar and 4/4 rhythms have been replaced with crunching riffs and tribal drums. Luckily, Ian Astbury is still with the band and he's certainly still capable of carrying a top notch vocal line so it doesn't sound like a tribute act yet. Based on this song, I'm definitely looking forward to their new album, even if the album cover is a bit Prog Metal-ish for The Cult.


"Victorious" - Wolfmother           (listen here)
From the album Victorious (19/2/15)

If the previous song was a good example of a band straying away from their typical sound and producing something awesome, this is a great example of a band sticking with their guns and also producing something awesome. I've yet to listen to Wolfmother's third album that I'm guessing the band weren't exactly proud of when they essentially leaked it online with no announcement or anything BUT this title track is exactly what I expect when I listen to the band. A bouncing rhythm, heavy Guitar riffs, Andrew Stockdale wailing away and a catchy chorus, all wrapped up in a neat package.
I'm not sure if the band intentionally broke into a cover of "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath mid-song or if it just sort of happened during a particularly good recording take but I'm glad they left it in! Unlike several previous entries on Taster Session posts, I've actually listened to another tune teased from the upcoming album entitled "City Life". Let's just say that those two tracks combined have made me VERY excited for February 19th. VERY excited!


"Fatal Illusion" - Megadeth           (listen here)
From the album Dystopia (22/1/16)

When Super Collider was released, Metalheads all over the world felt like Megadeth had gone too commercial and accidentally recorded a Hard Rock album instead of a Metal one. Can't say I blame them, as it only really had one song worthy of Megadeth's name ("Kingmaker"), even if there were some decent tunes peppered throughout. However, this track sounds like the band have sorted themselves out and gone back to proper Thrash!
There's a strong "Peace Sells" feel about this track, whether it's in the opening bass riff or tempo change mid-song. If that was the band's intention, good on them! Hopefully the rest of the album will have the same energy and aggression, even if the band have pretty much said that they don't just want to write Rust In Peace over and over again. Yeah, consider me pumped for this as well!


"This City Made Us" - The Protomen           (listen here)
From the album Act III (??/??/??)

I'm not sure when their third album will come out but since a single's been released, I'm guessing it'll be 2016. Anyway, as I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of these guys but every now and then, they nail it. This is one of those songs that they've nailed! If you like late 80's Queensryche, do give this one a listen. It may not have a memorable solo or any of the frills of 80's Metal but it does have each band member giving it their all and coming up with something that actually makes me want to listen to more of their material, even if I thought their earlier work was a little pompous for video game inspired Rock opera.


"Lords Of Summer" - Metallica           (listen here)
From the album ???? (??/??/??)

Remember how Metallica were going to release a new studio album this year? Even Iron Maiden got The Book Of Souls out this year and their lead vocalist was busy kicking cancer's arse so I'd love to hear their excuse! So far, the closest thing to a new album tease is a demo version of a song which may or may not appear on the (as of yet) untitled 2016/17 album. Much like Megadeth's "Peace Sells" tribute, this sounds like Metallica's way of saying "So you want more ...And Justice For All, huh?" and even though this is just a demo track, I'm liking what I'm hearing.
It's full to the brim with heavy riffing and even if the mix isn't perfect or even acceptable for a studio album release, it's given me faith in the band's ability to deliver a suitable follow up to Death Magnetic that'll hopefully make up for Lulu. Hopefully the band will turn this track into a fleshed out studio version and not just keep it as a B-side that they'll occasionally play live. Also, I know this song was first heard in 2014 but the way I see it, it's to promote something that'll likely come out in 2016. Therefore, it counts!

So yeah, looks like the "Next Time..." trailer for 2016's album releases is full of action, at least on the Rock/Metal side. There are also a few albums from 2015 I've yet to listen to like the last ever Motorhead album (RIP Lemmy) and a new one from ELO...or should that be Jeff Lynne's ELO?
Once again, have a Happy New Year and I'll see you all in 2016!

How To Get Into Metal

[DISCLAIMER]
THE FOLLOWING BLOG POST IS MEANT TO BE LIGHT-HEARTED AND FUN IN LOOKING AT METAL. IF YOU TAKE THIS BLOG POST COMPLETELY SERIOUSLY AND ARE OFFENDED OR ANNOYED BY THE CONTENT, TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE I COULD NOT GIVE A TOSS.


Hey, casual music fan!
Did you hear a Metal song on the radio and thought it was pretty good?
Did someone you know play some Metal and you enjoyed it?
Did it whet your appetite for the genre and you want to hear more?
Then you're in a place that might not be the best source of music advice but sod it, you're here now, I might as well have a crack at it!

Unless you're listening to a specific Rock/Metal station, chances are there are only a few bands you heard on the radio. Two that immediately spring to mind are Iron Maiden and Metallica, although it's possible that you could've heard some Judas Priest, Saxon, Motley Crue, the list goes on. The aim of this blog post is to give you some recommendations and guide you as you get into more and more Metal bands. Obviously, I don't know what you're into and I can only really guide you based on what I assume is correct mixed with my own taste so I apologise if I'm wrong.
However, if you disagree with the content of this post and still want some decent Metal, I recommend going on Spotify and getting the Last.FM app. You can play the song(s) you like and then get it to make a playlist of similar songs that you can check out. It's kind of like the Genius function on iTunes only it isn't completely unreliable and crap. Anyway, let's get started!
Whilst I could talk for ages about different Iron Maiden songs and their best albums (for top quality Heavy Metal, check out "Powerslave" and "Number Of The Beast"), I'm gonna write about The Big Four. The Big Four are four Thrash Metal bands who are generally considered important in the world of Metal. What's more, they can be arranged into four tiers that get steadily more aggressive and "Heavy". At tier #1, it's Metallica.

Yep, there is a picture above. Might be worth clicking on it or something.
"Metallica" (or "The Black Album") has divided Metal fans for years. Some say it's good and has quite a few solid Metal tracks whilst most say it's shit and Lars Ulrich should burn at the stake. My opinion? It's not bad. It's different to their earlier material and I would say it's nowhere near as good but it has a couple of cool songs on it. The big hit from this album was Enter Sandman, although if you heard a Metallica song on the radio then it could've been that or (more likely) Nothing Else Matters.
Now, if you liked either or both of those, it sounds like you're not repelled by songs being quite heavy. I would recommend giving the rest of the album a try. If you enjoyed it, the next album I would recommend is my personal favourite from Metallica: "Ride The Lightning".

Whilst it's full of aggressive Thrash tracks such as Fight Fire With Fire and Trapped Under Ice, you can also find varying strengths of Metal on this album. If you liked softer tracks such as The Unforgiven, you might like Fade To Black. If you liked relatively heavy songs such as Sad But True, check out For Whom The Bell Tolls. If you liked faster songs such as The Struggle Within, you might find Creeping Death to your liking. After listening to those songs, your next best bet is probably the following album, "Master Of Puppets".

People tend to cite this as the best Metallica album. Personally, I think it's overrated. However, it still has some great songs like Orion, Welcome Home (Sanitarium) and the title track. Now, if you've enjoyed what you've heard so far, that's a good sign. Of course if you've heard some of the heavier tracks like Battery and you they're not to your taste, that's fine. You might grow to like them at a later stage, which means moving onto the next tier of Metal.
The next logical leap from Metallica is Megadeth, a band with similar riff based Rock but with more of a political stance in the lyrics and more fury in the guitar work. Small note: I haven't listened to every album by The Big Four, so I could miss some tunes that you'll enjoy more than others. However, I have listened to their most well known albums, along with a few that might not be as popular. At the end of the day, your best bet is to do a bit of independent research into these bands and their music.
Saying that, if you can't be arsed to trawl through entire back catalogues for the sake of finding a few decent tunes, carry on reading. Onto Megadeth and a passable album that's easily accessible if you're into Hard Rock.

Released last year, "Super Collider" received mostly negative reviews from critics for being less of a Thrash album and more of a generic Hard Rock one. However, for a first time listener, you're gonna find songs that may appeal to you such as the title track or The Blackest Crow. I also recommend the album opener, Kingmaker. This song is more typical of Megadeth's older sound from the 90's and if you enjoyed it, I've got another great album for you: "Countdown To Extinction".

A great follow up to a better album that contains quite a few of the band's classics, such as Symphony Of Destruction and Sweating Bullets. I also recommend the title track and, if you like your Metal a bit heavier, Skin O' My Teeth. You may have noticed that some of Megadeth's riffs are a bit darker (for lack of a better term) than Metallica's. You've got more songs in minor key and the riffs sound like they've got more power behind them.
However, Megadeth also have a fair amount of faster, aggressive tracks too. The two iconic Metal albums that contain several of these are 1986's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" and 1990's "Rust In Peace". We're gonna look at the one I prefer.

Maybe I just prefer blue to red but I personally think this album tops "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", even if critics and Metalheads think that album is superior. Don't get me wrong, that album has a few awesome songs like Peace Sells, Wake Up Dead and Devils Island but I believe this album is better to listen to overall.
From the blistering rage of the opening track, Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, to the exceptional soloing in Tornado Of Souls, this album demonstrates the band at their best. If you like fast songs, Take No Prisoners might catch your interest. If you like slow ones with catchy riffs, Lucretia is one for you.
By now, if you've spaced out the listens to each album, you should be into Thrash a little bit more now. I would recommend revisiting Metallica's debut album, "Kill Em All" before making the leap to the next tier of The Big Four, or maybe their fourth album "...And Justice For All", which contains a fair helping of fast Thrash.
So you've listened to Metallica and you've dabbled in Megadeth. These guys are the easier bands to get into but what's that? You want more? You want to keep journeying further and further into The Big Four's music? Alrighty then, time to bring out the next band: Anthrax.
Anthrax have a sort of Punk sound to some of their well known songs but that doesn't mean they go any easier on the riffs and soloing. It simply means you can expect some fantastic bass and drums from them. Whilst it may not be their biggest album, I would say this next one is their best. Not only in terms of the music on it but also as a way to move from one tier to another.

Boasting quite a striking cover, "Spreading The Disease" is one of those great albums that keeps you engaged start to finish. Tracks like the album opener, A.I.R, go full throttle with every instrument whereas more familiar songs such as Madhouse act as great bridges between Megadeth and tunes from this band's following album. However, before moving onto the next album, you may want to spend a bit more time on this one.
Tracks like Medusa and Lone Justice are ideal for those who still want steady Heavy Metal but you've also got songs such as Armed And Dangerous, starting off slow and gradually gaining power. If you like that song, now might be a time to revisit Metallica tracks such as Battery and The Four Horsemen.
Anyway, as I mentioned before, Anthrax incorporated some Punk elements into their music (particularly in the vocals and drums) for their next album, "Among The Living".

This album contains two of their signature songs, Caught In A Mosh and Indians. Dealing with rapid tempo changes, this music might not be to your taste but if there is a part of the song you like (for example, the main riff in Indians) then it's worth sticking with them over a couple of listens. As with a lot of songs, you find that the more you listen to them, the more you grow to like them. However, this album also has a few that you might instantly enjoy. For me, that track was One World which sounds like it could've easily fit onto "Spreading The Disease".
Now by this point, I reckon you've heard enough Metal to dip your toe into the water with the final band. Some are able to listen to this band and instantly like what they hear, although others might need some warming up first. However, if you find the right material, you should grow to like them. The last band in The Big Four is Slayer.
If I were to compare these bands to drugs, I'd say Metallica is the gateway narcotic. It's relatively harmless although still frowned upon by society. After that, you've got Megadeth. A bit heavier and probably something you should avoid in large doses unless you're happy to take on the side effects. Next is Anthrax, dangerous territory. However, not as dangerous as Slayer who, in the drug world, would be the equivalent of needles and blow jobs for cash. Luckily, there's a positive to this! As is the case with quite a few 80's bands, their first album is awesome.

At this point in their career, the band hadn't quite found their groove yet. You can tell in tracks like Black Magic and Die By The Sword that the blueprints are all there but they haven't quite settled on the lightning fast guitar strumming and hellish vocal growling yet. As a result, you've got songs such as Crionics and Tormentor that might be best to start on. As an added bonus, this music is incredibly similar to the NWOBHM subgenre (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) so if you liked those songs, check out early Iron Maiden, Saxon and Venom, the band that were undoubtedly a strong influence for Slayer.
Despite containing fan favourites, Slayer's biggest song comes from their third album, "Reign In Blood". That song is appropriately titled Raining Blood and if you like that song, chances are the rest of Slayer's 80's and early 90's music will appeal to you too. However, before you check out that album, there is one more that you may consider listening to first.

Ahhh, another freaky album cover. Excellent!
Anyway, "Seasons In The Abyss" certainly contains songs that bear the Slayer rhythm, such as War Ensemble, but the band have other tracks that blend the rhythm with slower riffs, such as Spirit In Black. If you're still reading and, months down the line, you've been periodically improving your resistance to Heavy Metal, congratulations!
So, what next? You've sampled from four plates and now it's time to get out there and do some more feeding! But where to begin?
Well, there's that Spotify/Last.FM thing I mentioned near the start of this post. You could also do research into the bands that influenced The Big Four such as Diamond Head and Judas Priest. As for modern Metal...well, there are good bands who keep the Heavy Metal feel alive (see my last review), bad bands who are just emo pussies writing angsty music about suicide for tweens and bands who divide opinion and deserve a listen first before you believe comments online like "DragonForce suck! They just speed up their music in the studio and can't play it live!" (They can. I've seen them. You have no idea what you're talking about).
But if there's a message to take away from this post, I'd say it was that you'll never know what's right for you until you listen to it. You could discover your new favourite band tomorrow after just one play and if you're willing to put in the time and effort, you may find a song by a band you hate that doesn't suck as much as the rest of their material. Bottom line is you shouldn't stop at hearing one decent song. If you really liked what you heard, check out some of their other tunes.

Of course, you might be unlucky and only find one good song on the entire album, despite the band being popular and well loved. I call this The Meat Loaf Paradox.