Def Leppard - Def Leppard

Happy Halloween!
OK, let's look at this new Def Leppard album.

Def Leppard are one of those bands that the casual Rock fan probably will have heard of but will be unable to name more than about three of their songs. This probably isn't helped by the band's (or maybe just Joe Elliott's) idiotic decision to keep most of their back catalogue off services such as Spotify and iTunes, making it even harder to discover just how great this band were during the first couple of years of their career. However, if you have listened to & enjoyed a wide range of this band's music released between now and the mid-80's, this album might be to your tastes.
The eponymous album is named so because the track listing is essentially supposed to capture the essence of Def Leppard throughout their career, containing a little bit of Pyromania, a little bit of Slang and a generous helping of Hysteria. This is glaringly obvious from the album opener, "Let's Go", a song that I believe was deliberately written to conjure memories of better songs from the band such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me" or their last single "Undefeated". It's a decent song but a tepid introduction, especially with a name like "Let's Go" that implies action and excitement when performed by a band such as Def Leppard.
I wish I could say it's just the album opener that falls a bit flat but there are a few other deflated notes here and there too. For starters, Joe Elliott's singing lack the power that a good Hard Rock vocalist needs and there are several songs that suffer as a result of almost bored sounding vocals ("Invincible"). Then there are generic Hard Rock songs designed to be listened to a few times and then forgotten ("Wings Of An Angel"). At the end of the day, this isn't a triumphant comeback album, nor is it an experimental journey into the 21st Century for these 80's Rockers. It's a beefed up nostalgia trip for fans of heavily produced Arena Rock.

However, considering this is what the band pretty much promised during the promotion for Def Leppard a few months ago, I can hardly hold this against them. True to their word, there are many scattered fragments of the band's better known material peppering these songs such as the use of Hysteria era guitar synths and tones in "Dangerous" and "We Belong" respectively, not to mention the obligatory power ballad in the form of "Last Dance". Classic Def Leppard fans won't be disappointed and it may even reignite your passion for the band's older works if you've since gone off their material.
Not only that but the band have seemingly taken heavy inspiration from other Rock songs during the writing process for this album. "Blind Faith" is eerily similar to Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" at times and "Man Enough" flat out copies most of the structure to Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" (even if, in my opinion, it does a far better job than Queen's song did). In fact, it's worth mentioning that Rick Savage's bass playing is possibly one of the album's shining positives, not just because of "Man Enough".
On top of this jaunt down memory lane, there are a couple of tracks that stand out due to trying something a bit different, such as acoustic number "Battle Of My Own" which achieves the impossible by making an acoustic song sound powerful. There's also "Energized" which gives the band a bit of a modern twist with electronic drum effects that will likely divide opinion on whether this is a good track. It doesn't sound like it was used as a gimmick to entice new fans (unlike the use of dubstep in The 2nd Law - Muse) but when paired with the aforementioned flat vocals, it's unlikely to strike a chord.

Def Leppard (album) won't win many new fans, if any at all. What it will do is give you several solid driving songs or stadium anthems to bang your head or stamp your feet to and since that was likely the band's intention, they've done a good job. It's not an amazing album but it is one I'd recommend to friends and family if they just wanted a collection of glamorised Hard Rock with a track listing that reads like Spinal Tap's discography to play in the background of their daily activities.
A lot of work has clearly gone into this album and I didn't dislike the majority of the songs so it's definitely not bad; it's just not great either so don't expect much from it. My rating for the album is 6/10 due to the good quality but lack of standout amazing songs. I would recommend giving it a listen before purchasing but you'll be lucky to find all the songs anywhere online for free.
After all, Def Leppard don't want you stealing their music because stealing something that someone else has created and listening to it for your own personal enjoyment is far worse than stealing something that someone else has created and tweaking it just enough to get away with calling it your own song, shortly before making damn sure people pay before listening to it. These guys would never think of doing that.


EDIT: The album is now available on Spotify, although the rest of their original material isn't at the time of posting this edit.

Fire Of Unknown Origin - Blue Oyster Cult

I wasn't sure what to write about this week as the only posts I could think of were video game related. In the end, I had a think about classic albums that I could review and since Halloween is coming up, I decided to revisit the "spookiest" album I've listened to as I've got next week's post planned already. I mean, just look at this fucking cover and tell me you're not even a little bit unnerved!

Blue Oyster Cult are definitely highly regarded in my books and Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser) is probably one of my all-time favourite guitarists. Their 70's hits such as "Godzilla" and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" are all built around instantly memorable and immensely powerful riffs, often blurring the line between Hard Rock and Metal to the point that I still find myself disputing it even as I type this up.
However, there was always an air of mysticism about them, whether it was in the supernatural lyrical themes from tracks such as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" or the progressive elements that were less about showing off the ability of each band member and more on creating an atmosphere within the song ("Astronomy"). This album is the pinnacle of their mainstream mystical side.
Gone are the crunching guitar riffs and in come the piercing synths, giving the album a mysterious vibe which echoes from start to finish. Title track and album opener is perhaps a little bit too...shall we say "disco" to be called one of the band's best songs but it does get one thing right. It's not rocking a heavy riff and power chords. Yes, I probably would've preferred THAT song but this is not what the album is about. If the title track/album opener sounded nothing like the rest of the album, it'd be a slap in the face to anyone who listened to it and got their hopes up.

Fortunately, the rest of the album does a better job of blending Synth Rock and Riff-Based-Rock, as evidenced by tracks like "Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver" and "Burnin' For You", one of the band's most popular songs. Despite using similar lyrical themes throughout the record due to the band's hopes of getting the bulk of it onto the soundtrack for the animated mindfuck that is Heavy Metal, there's a decent level of variety running through the album that gives each track a rightful place.
For example, "Sole Survivor" is a slow yet haunting tune with a simplistic riff that I can almost guarantee you'll want to listen to again several songs later, whereas "After Dark" is a fast and borderline goofy rocker that some may argue is ruined by the use of keyboard in the chorus but I would personally say is a minor flaw in a track with a killer solo and some fine drumming. The only downside to this is that it's unlikely you'll be able to casually dive into many of these songs if you just want a catchy tune whilst driving to work or making dinner.
"Burnin' For You" aside, the album doesn't contain tracks designed to be featured on Best Rock Anthems CDs and, depending on personal taste, probably won't introduce you to your new favourite song. The album's strength comes from the overall quality of the material, not the individual quality. If you listen to it from start to finish and find one track you like, it's a safe bet that you'll find at least one more you'll also enjoy and with albums like Blue Oyster Cult and Spectres under their belt, there's always room for growers in a collection of showers.

Fire Of Unknown Origin is an album that'll strike a chord with you if you let it. Not by how amazing/bad it is but how different it is to any other Rock album you'll hear. If I told you about an album that was loaded with Synth whilst still belonging to the Hard Rock genre, you'd be more likely to imagine music similar to Europe or Journey than what the album actually sounds like. However, I admit it's not for everyone and whilst I still do enjoy a large portion of the album, I regret the fact that I can't simply jump into random tracks from it in the same way I can with other Hard Rock or Blue Oyster Cult albums.
It's an album that's worth a listen and multiple revisits over time, so I think a 7/10 is a pretty decent score. If you're looking for spooky music to play on Halloween, this is officially my recommendation. Then, once Halloween passes, do yourself a favour and give some of the earlier Blue Oyster Cult albums a listen, particularly Secret Treaties. Lots to enjoy on that one!

Rock Band 4

A while ago, I was asked to write a blog post about my opinion on each of the on-disc tracks for Rock Band 4. I didn't want to write this post right after the game came out as I needed time to play each song on Expert Guitar (only) and see if any of them grew on me over time.
However, now that I've played every track in the game and listened to songs that were previously unavailable on Spotify, here's what I think about all 65 songs in the game followed by my verdict on whether you should get the game based on soundtrack and how it ties into gameplay.

"Ain't Messin' Round" - Gary Clark, Jr
Here's a song that definitely isn't "Gimme Some Lovin" - The Spencer Davis Group. I know that because I actually quite like that one whereas this is just...well, it's got everything that would make a track OK to play. Active solo, interesting strum pattern, all that jazz and yet I'm bored almost all of the way through it. I get the feeling this track was added not because it'd be really great to play but because it was by Gary Clark, Jr. I've heard that name a lot recently but if this is the best he's got to offer, I have no idea why. THUMBS DOWN.

"Albert" - Eddie Japan
This is one of the few songs that really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it, despite not knowing or remembering it after a listen on Spotify beforehand. Sure, it's pretty simple but it's still got a fun chart if you can tolerate easy tracks. It also proves modern Indie tracks can be fun without being mindless strumming/chord-fests (more on that later). THUMBS UP!

"All Over You" - Live
Whenever I see a 90's Alternative song on GH/RB, part of me dreads the oncoming slog of dull chord progressions and strumming. This song is no different. It's not so easy that it's dull but it's not really fun either. Can't say I know much from this band except one of their newer singles so for me, it's THUMBS DOWN.

"Arabella" - Arctic Monkeys
Well now I know why "Feel Like Makin' Love" - Bad Company wasn't in the game. This song pretty much rips off the chorus without shame. On the plus side, it has a surprisingly sharp solo that might catch you off guard. It's also not bad to play more than once so I suppose it's worth a THUMBS UP.

"At Night In Dreams" - White Denim
Yes, yes, yes, love this one! HOPO riffs, fun rhythm, top choice! This and "Albert" are the kind of songs to pick if you're going for a modern Indie/Alt soundtrack, not the shite that was in Rock Band 3 or Guitar Hero 5. Songs that are cheaper to license but actually fun to play. Do I even need to say THUMBS UP on this one?

"Birth In Reverse" - St. Vincent
Bit of a funny sounding one, this. Still, it's got a solid chart. Some hammer-ons here and there, a bit of fun chord strumming and a somewhat industrial sound (not the musical genre). I can see myself playing this frequently and not wanting to physically drown myself afterwards so THUMBS UP.

"Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
It's hardly known for being an amazing guitar song but hey, it's not that bad. If you like easier songs and enjoy the actual tune (that's probably an overriding factor for any of these tracks), you'll like playing this one too. I bet this is a fun one on Vocals too but as far as Guitar goes, it's another THUMBS UP.

"Caught Up In You" - .38 Special
I recently bought a compilation album by these boys and even though this and "Hold On Loosely" are their biggest songs, they're definitely not the best. Either way, it's got a pretty challenging solo at the end that comes out of fucking nowhere after an otherwise gentle Southern Rock track so watch out for that. I quite like the song although maybe another 80's Rock song would've been better...eh, still a THUMBS UP.

"Cedarwood Road" - U2
Wow! U2 are finally in a music game...I mean, they're finally in a music game with guitar...I mean, they're finally in a music game that people have heard of...I mean...fuck it, it's still legendary band U2! With these guys on board, they're bound to pick some good tunes, right? What's this first one? A boring track off the recent album that was almost universally despised after it invaded everyone's iTunes account? Yeah, THUMBS DOWN.

"Centuries" - Fall Out Boy
This song gets points for sampling "Tom's Diner" but that's pretty much it. It's a fucking dull riff played over and over in between moments of doing sod-all. Surely there are more fun tracks than this? Or are Harmonix waiting to release "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" as DLC shortly before Guitar Hero: Live comes out? Whatever, THUMBS DOWN.

"Cold Clear Light" - Johnny Blazes And The Pretty Boys
This is one of the few songs I hadn't heard before the game came out and it's definitely stuck with me as being a highlight of the game. It hasn't got the greatest Guitar chart in the world but it's still a very fun track with a Bluesy rhythm and a catchy chorus. THUMBS UP without a doubt.

"Dead Black (Heart Of Ice)" - Soul Remnants
I'm not a fan of deep screaming in Metal and it always makes me think of a bunch of lanky 13-year olds in a garage practicing for the school's talent show. Either way, it's a fairly fun chart, I guess. Probably more challenging than fun but at least it didn't bore me so for now, it's getting a THUMBS UP.

"Dream Genie" - Lightning Bolt
Oh dear God, what fucking shit is this? Essentially, it's the "Visions" or "Antibodies" of the game for RB2/RB3 fans except those songs were actually fucking songs. A repetitive riff that's tricky to play if your calibration is even slightly off, dull whiny sustains and a sound that encapsulates everything wrong with the modern Experimental Rock scene. Everything about this track can eat an STD infected pus-covered dick. THUMBS DOWN.

"The Feast And The Famine" - Foo Fighters
I wasn't impressed by the new Foo Fighters album BUT there were a couple of tracks I enjoyed on it, even if they were pretty much old rope. I was expecting "Congregation" to be in the game but wasn't annoyed when this song made it in...at least that was until I played it. I know most of the Foo Fighters that people like are DLC already but come on, surely there were better tracks to pick than this. "Bridge Burning" deserved a spot over this Pearl Jam imitation. THUMBS DOWN.

"Fever" - Black Keys
Similar to the last song, I can understand a need to put more modern tracks in a game that's essentially been on hiatus without putting out new tracks for several years. However, what I can't understand is picking a track that's so fucking boring! "Gold On The Ceiling" would've been the obvious choice for each band member's benefit, especially with Guitar Hero: Live coming out soon. THUMBS DOWN.

"Follow You Down" - Gin Blossoms
There are 90's Alternative tracks like "All Over You" and then there are tracks like this. THIS is a good 90's Alternative track. Sure, it might not be that fun on Guitar but it has its moments and it's not just miserable chord strumming for three minutes. THUMBS UP.

"Free Falling" - The Warning
Are we still, as a society, producing songs that are just tepid four chord progressions without any flair or notable riffs? Combine this with moaning vocals about how everything's shit and I think it's safe to say The Warning came about 20 years too late. Godawful. THUMBS DOWN.

"Friday I'm In Love" - The Cure
Would've preferred something like "A Forest", "Inbetween Days" or "Love Song" but it's good to see The Cure are still getting recognised, even if the songs aren't particularly amazing. However, I can imagine a lot of people who are into The Cure enjoying this track so I suppose it's not a dumb choice, just not the best one. THUMBS UP.

"Hail To The King" - Avenged Sevenfold
On a technical level, the chart for this song could've been improved with more lead guitar in the verses instead of just rhythm. However, what you do play is pretty awesome and definitely fun for Guitar players who love a constant but steady stream of HOPOs. Also, good choice of track considering the band's bigger songs are already available. THUMBS UP.

"Halls Of Valhalla" - Judas Priest
Not entirely sure why this song off the new album was picked when a track like "Dragonaut" that was actually released as a single probably would've had a better Guitar chart. I know Judas Priest have caused trouble when it comes to licensing tracks in GH/RB before so maybe Rob Halford wanted this song to be in the game to promote it as an upcoming single or something. Ah well, at least he picked one of the album's better tracks with challenging guitar. THUMBS UP.

"I Am Electric" - Heaven's Basement
A solid modern Rock track with more than just chord strumming, although there is a fair bit of regular strumming. Luckily, it's a decent tune if you like your Rock to be angry. Hopefully we'll see more Heaven's Basement tracks hitting Rock Band in the future! THUMBS UP.

"I Bet My Life" - Imagine Dragons
I have to admit, more than anything I'm just glad this isn't "Radioactive". I love the acoustic version of that track but hate the studio one. Anyway, this song has strumming, chords and repetition. Not one I enjoyed playing or hope to play again unless I exhaust all the other tracks I actually enjoyed. But hey, it's Imagine Dragons! I recognise that name from another song so they deserve a place in the soundtrack, right? Wrong. THUMBS DOWN.

"I Miss The Misery" - Halestorm
This is the only Halestorm song I knew before RB4 so needless to say I was pretty happy when it was confirmed to be playable. Turns out the Guitar chart is slightly more fun than I originally thought, even if it is still pretty easy. Probably a good one to play at parties as I imagine it's quite tough to fail this one unless you're fuckawful. It's a THUMBS UP from me.

"I Will Follow" - U2
I get the logic behind this choice. It's not the band's most well known song but a) it's a good tune, b) it's not the most dull warm-up song there is (even if the entire song is chords and strumming) and c) it might introduce people to U2 material they hadn't heard of. After all, U2 DLC has pretty much been confirmed so chances are we'll get a chance to play "Vertigo" or "Desire" or whatever U2 track you like in the future. Yeah, I'll give this a THUMBS UP.

"The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
It's no secret that I prefer playing on the Activision Guitar Hero engine so I knew I was always going to prefer the Band Hero chart to this one, even though they are almost identical. The alternating chord strums are there as well as the rapid strumming choke minefield in the chorus. However, it's still a great tune that will always remind me of Donkey Konga. Any track that reminds me of Donkey Konga will pretty much get a pass from me but if the song is great in its own right, you know it's getting a THUMBS UP.

"Kick It Out" - Heart
I was hugely surprised when this song was announced. I thought it was an awesome deep cut that I'd stumbled upon by accident when perusing Heart's back catalogue so learning I'd be able to play it in Rock Band was a massive bonus. Obviously, tracks like "Magic Man" and "Crazy On You" would've been preferred by most players but I get the feeling that master recordings from Dreamboat Annie are unavailable so this is a solid pick under the circumstances. THUMBS UP.

"Knock 'Em Down" - Duck & Cover
Well would you look at that! It's a Punk song that's actually pretty damn fun to play on Guitar as well as Bass! It's got a Green Day riff but without the Green Day smell all over the rest of the band, not to mention a tidy little solo that's fun as well. Another surprise for me, another THUMBS UP.

"Lazaretto" - Jack White
I keep telling myself to just be glad it's not the Shite Wipes but then it gets all weird in the middle. However, that riff does sound pretty tasty and it plays exactly as you would expect. Top this off with a Diet Rage Against The Machine solo and it's not a bad track if you can tolerate the experimental shite throughout. Sod it, THUMBS UP but only just. It's tripping the line and I'm being generous here, only because I'm enjoying the game overall.

"Light The Fuse" - Slydigs
Remarkably forgettable and about as generic as modern Rock can get. That's all there is to say on this. THUMBS DOWN.

"Light Up The Night" - The Protomen
Despite the charm and hype about The Protomen being in Rock Band, this is not a very fun song on Guitar. The only thing going for it is the fact that it's a hell of a catchy tune that only grows on you over time. Hopefully "This City Made Us" will make its way onto Rock Band as DLC, as that would be much more fun to play but sadly came out after production on the game started. THUMBS UP if you like the song, which I do.

"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" - Spin Doctors
Pretty much the "Tones Of Home" of the game, for any GH:WOR fans reading. A funky little number with great Guitar and perfect for parties, especially if you want to show off your skills on the plastic instrument to a bunch of drunk teens who are too busy filming shit Vines or waiting to play "Uptown Funk". THUMBS UP.

"Little White Church" - Little Big Town
If you're not allergic to Country, this is definitely one to try out. Guitar isn't complicated although the solo might catch you off guard. So far, this game is doing a good job of picking easy but fun songs for the inexperienced player. As for the furious fretting enthusiast, wait your turn. Believe me, there's plenty for you as well. THUMBS UP.

"Mainstream Kid" - Brandi Carlile
This song has a right cunt of a Guitar chart, unless you're all about that awkward strumming and chord sequences. In which case, this is your Shambala. For me personally, the chorus reminds me too much of another song I hate and the annoying guitar chart lands this in THUMBS DOWN territory.

"Metropolis Pt 1. The Miracle And The Sleeper" - Dream Theater
Initially, I was kind of disappointed that they chose this track over "Under A Glass Moon" but that feeling faded away after actually playing the song. As I tweeted shortly afterwards, this song would've sold me on Dream Theater were it included in GH:WT instead of "Pull Me Under". It may be long and have more time changes than a flight to Australia but if you can master those guitar solos, you're in for a treat! THUMBS UP.

"Milwaukee" - The Both
I'll not lie, I was caught snoozing during that intro solo and I suffered for it. Once that passed, I started to enjoy the track although the chorus reminds me of another song I can't quite place. Either way, there's plenty to keep Guitar players occupied in this track so it gets a THUMBS UP.

"Miracle Man" - Ozzy Osbourne
Yes, it's not one of his bigger hits but almost all of them are already available via on-disc songs or DLC. Despite this, it's actually pretty awesome. I'm always happy to play an Ozzy track that doesn't have Randy Rhoads tickling the fretboard and whilst I possibly would've preferred "Centre Of Eternity" or "Hellraiser" before listening to this one, a single playthough convinced me that Harmonix made the right choice. THUMBS UP.

"My God Is The Sun" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Even a blind hermit could've predicted that a QOTSA song from the new album would be on-disc, I'm just annoyed they went for this one instead of "If I Had A Tail". Sure, that track would've had a lot of sustains and probably would've bored the drummer to death but it wouldn't have been as cruddy as this one...I think. THUMBS DOWN but only if you didn't care about the new QOTSA album. If you liked the track, you'll like playing it.

"No One Like You" - Scorpions
About time someone made use of the Comeblack album full of re-records! There's some issue with Scorpions master recordings which basically meant every game after Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock lacked any of their songs...until now! This is possibly the most well known and least offensive re-record that Harmonix could've picked for the game; the fact that it has moderately fun Guitar is purely a bonus at this stage. I mean, now we know Comeblack masters are available, that opens up possibilities of playing "Blackout", "The Zoo" and "Rock You Like A Hurricane" again. Oh yeah, sorry, got off topic for a moment. THUMBS UP for this one.

"The One I Love" - R.E.M
Eh, consider me uninterested in this song. Yeah, it's well known and probably the only popular R.E.M. song not in Rock Band (unless you count "Shiny Happy People" but I don't think even the band would count that one) so it fills a quota of getting a well known track into the game. Personally, I would've gone with "Pop Song 89" for the superior Guitar chart. Yeah, THUMBS DOWN here. It's a track I've played once and after sightread FCing it, I feel no need to try it again.

"Panama" - Van Halen
"Hey guys, Van Halen are coming to Rock Band!"
"Oh awesome, it's about time! Which track?"
"Panama".
"...oh. The one with the twat of a solo".
That's the internal dialogue that went on in my head and probably other heads too. Yes, it's great that Van Halen are finally here even though Van Halen DLC for Rock Band would probably be 80% inferior charts to GH:VH. Yes, the song is fairly fun until the solo. However, it's a track I enjoy that I don't want to play unless I have to or it's the best of a bad bunch of random tracks. For that reason, THUMBS DOWN.

"A Passage To Bangkok" - Rush
Opting to go for a filler track from 2112 instead of many of the other live show staples of Rush ("Freewill"? "A Farewell To Kings"? I'd even take "Finding My Way" or "Bastille Day"!), Harmonix maybe made a bit of a tactical error here. It's a decent song that I enjoy listening to but not very fun for Guitar players, although I imagine the Bass makes up for it. This song maybe would've been a decent DLC choice but as far as on-disc songs go, got to be a THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid.

"Pistol Whipped" - Tijuana Sweetheart
Do you like mad HOPO riffs? How about fast paced rhythms and frantic strumming? If so, apply inside! Seriously though, this is a short and sweet track included to appease Guitar players who want to be challenged when going for an FC. THUMBS UP.

"Prayer" - Disturbed
One of Disturbed's earlier songs that might challenge players who are making a transition from one difficulty to another. However, players who have mastered the difficulty they're on will probably find this relatively simple. Also, spoiler warning, don't expect a complex solo or anything like that. Remember, this is modern Metal and guitar solos are tricky! THUMBS DOWN.

"Recession" - Jeff Allen ft. Noelle LeBlanc and Naoko Takamoto
I don't know any of those three names but the expression "too many cooks spoil the broth" comes to mind after playing this, or rather "too many cooks end up giving the entire restaurant the screaming shits". In a summary, moderately challenging and not enjoyable. Therefore, THUMBS DOWN.

"Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo" - Rick Derringer
I started really getting into this track about a week before it was announced for the game. Turns out the Guitar chart is just as fun as could be hoped for, although it's tiered a little bit too high (should be a 6 instead of 7). Before I give this the obvious THUMBS UP for being really fun on guitar, shout out to Harmonix for going with the original recording instead of the re-recording like Activision probably would've done. Anyway, THUMBS UP.

"The Seeker" - The Who
One of the few well known songs by The Who not playable in Rock Band. Definitely a good choice and the Guitar chart is so much better than the GH3 one, mainly due to getting rid of that annoying strumming part sandwiching the solo. Solid choice once more! THUMBS UP.

"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" - Cake
I've been waiting for this song to be playable since hearing it in full and my expectations were met accordingly. Fun and easy song with a killer riff and (presumably) some fun vocal harmonies. The only downside to this song is that it might make you miss the show Chuck. THUMBS UP.

"Somebody Told Me" - The Killers
I understand that some people like The Killers for some fucking reason and if you're one of those twats, you'll probably enjoy this song. For everyone who's actually listened to more than about four bands, you'll probably dislike the repetitive chords and shitty quality of this track. Good choice if you've been waiting to play this song for a while but for me, it's a clear THUMBS DOWN.

"Spiders" - System Of A Down
When I learn of System Of A Down in a rhythm game, I immediately assume it's going to be a nightmare on Guitar. This song completely flies in the face of that with a gentle chart up until the solo. I can't say I'm a fan of this song and probably would've preferred something like "Vicinity Of Obscenity" but hey, SOAD on disc means there's hope of more from them in future, even though a few of their tracks were removed from the store due to licenses running out. Sadly, it's a THUMBS DOWN for this one.

"Start A Band" - Brad Paisley ft. Keith Urban
Quite a bit of Country in this game, isn't there? Luckily, for the most part, it's pretty great and this is no exception. Plenty of fun Guitar to keep you happy and a pleasant sound to match it. I'd definitely play this one again although I didn't enjoy it as much as, say, "Cold Clear Light" or "Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo". Still great, though. THUMBS UP.

"Still Into You" - Paramore
Even though I kind of like "Misery Business", I generally don't give a flying toss about Paramore. I find their music just as whiny and teen-focused as other American Rock bands but I could forgive that if the song was fun to play or even listen to. This song isn't either of those. They might as well have put one of Paramore's other songs on like "Wanna Take Me To Prom?" or "It's, Like, So Hard Being 17 And Hot". THUMBS DOWN.

"Superunknown" - Soundgarden
After Guitar Hero put out a load of Soundgarden DLC, I was hoping that this track would get some love in the future as it's the only Soundgarden song I've listened to outside of a rhythm game that I really wanted to play. Turns out my instincts were right and it is indeed awesome on Guitar. Tough solo but easily passable if you've got pocket Overdrive stashed away. THUMBS UP.

"Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley
First things first, this is a big catch for Harmonix. Kudos to the team that fought for Elvis Presley in the game and managed to pull it off without relying on a live version or shitty remix. However, if this is the most fun Guitar song they could choose from, I honestly wouldn't care to get any more Elvis again. I already disliked this track before but now I've played what's basically the same riff and a few chords/sustains over and over again, I fucking hate it. If there is DLC in future, hopefully "Burnin' Love" "Her Latest Flame" will be available. THUMBS DOWN.

"That Smell" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
At this stage, I honestly have no idea what the deal is with Lynyrd Skynyrd licensing. At first, I thought it was only the first album and One More From The Road. But now it seems there are a few tracks from the third album and Street Survivors that are available? Anyway, I'm not a massive fan of this song on its own but I must say, it does have a killer Guitar chart. It's not as fun as "Call Me The Breeze (Live)" or even "Sweet Home Alabama (Live)" but it's a good choice for the game. THUMBS UP.

"Tongue Tied" - Grouplove
Can't help but think of "Japanese Boy" - Aneka when I hear this shit. It sounds like one of those songs that's used in an advert for a camera or some shit. As far as the chart goes, it's everything you'd expect from pretentious Indie wank. Strumming and chords and a big heap of boredom until the last part of the song, which is too little too late. Unless you're one of those wanker game journalists who laments the inclusion of older music and wants to hear bands that are even too obscure for Apple's Track Of The Week, THUMBS DOWN.

"Toys In The Attic" - Aerosmith
Excellent choice of Aerosmith track here! There was a danger of Harmonix choosing a new song that wasn't on Guitar Hero: Aerosmith like "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" or something shit off the new album. Instead, they went for the song with the most fun Guitar chart in all of GH:A and didn't fuck with that chart too much when translated it to RB. Spot on work, guys! THUMBS UP.

"Turn It Around" - Lucius
Didn't I cover this song already? I actually had to watch charts for this track and "Tongue Tied" on Youtube just to remember which interchangeable toss was which. Bottom line is this is as terrible as that song with all the passion and personality of a leaflet on banking thrown into the already cruddy mix. Songs like this were probably included because Harmonix were running low on cash and needed to license something cheap to bet the numbers up to 65 songs. THUMBS DOWN.

"Uptown Funk" - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Fuck me, Disco is making a comeback in the form of this ubiquitous shite! I pointed out on Twitter that whilst there's nothing exactly offensive about this song, I still hate it. In the end, I decided to give it a bash just in case it turned out to be one of those songs with a fun chart and it doesn't even fucking have one of those. It's just the same shitty chords or occasional strum punctuated by long moments of doing sod-all. A song included just to be played at parties would be fucking shite for Guitar players at parties. THUMBS DOWN forever, motherfunkers.

"V-Bomb" - Dark Wheels
A solid Alternative song with a passable chart and a few cool sounding riffs. A decent mix of strumming and HOPOs here, yeah it's alright overall. Nothing special but I didn't hate playing it and I can imagine it being enjoyable for players who have just got to grips with a certain difficulty. THUMBS UP although if I had to rate all the tracks I'd like, this would likely be near the bottom.

"Violent Shiver" - Benjamin Booker
There's something weird about the riffs that play periodically throughout this song. They sound like someone trying to play the solo in "Leaving Here" - The Who on Rock Band but fucking up every other note. It's an OK song, I guess. Not hugely fond of the chart but it's a country mile ahead of other picks for this game. Still, being better than crap doesn't make this great otherwise everything other than "Dream Genie" would be awesome. THUMBS DOWN.

"The Warrior" - Scandal
This song was probably picked for nostalgia's sake as there's nothing really special about it other than it was in GH:80's. Dull track with a catchy chorus but an otherwise forgettable Guitar chart. Probably should've gone with a more fun but still easy GH:80's chart like "Heat Of The Moment" - Asia. THUMBS DOWN.

"What's Up?" - 4 Non Blondes
A piss easy chart that's only fun if you imagine that He-Man video whilst playing. It's got a place in the game although mainly for vocalists who want to sound like a drunk chick on a roller-coaster. It's not as bland as some strumfests and there are a couple of sustain based solos that you might like but for me personally, it's got to be a THUMBS DOWN.

"The Wolf" - Mumford & Sons
Oh great, more generic Indie crap! Hope you like chords and strumming because that's all you're gonna get from this lot. Another band who are in the game because of their name, not their talent. Easily a THUMBS DOWN if you want fun charts.

"You Make Loving Fun" - Fleetwood Mac
Really? Still no "The Chain" after seven years of getting Fleetwood Mac in GH/RB? Either the master recording for that song's gone and all hope is lost or rhythm game developers have a collective blind spot towards that awesome song. Anyway, they went ahead and picked a track off Rumours just to play it safe, I guess. It's not amazing but it's what you'd expect from Fleetwood Mac. Sort this into the "you'll like it if you like the song/bad" category or, if you're me, THUMBS DOWN.

"Your Love" - The Outfield
Last song right here! Seems like a good choice for the game, since it's pretty well known, although the Guitar reminds me too much of "Summer Of '69" - Bryan Adams for me to truly enjoy it. It's worth noting that you can't drift off during the last solo, as there are so many random chord changes during the steady strumming that you'll end up making mistakes if you're caught snoozing. Other than that, it's tolerable I guess. Not amazing but far from crap. Not far enough to avoid a THUMBS DOWN from me though.


So that's my verdict on the entire soundtrack. 35 thumbs up, 30 thumbs down. Just under 54% of the songs are good, in my books. Of course this might be different for you and I'd recommend listening to the tracks before deciding whether you want the game or not but before I finish this post, I'd like to give you my verdict on Rock Band 4.

Considering how much has been removed from Rock Band 3 (instruments, game modes, number of songs, challenges and small but useful features), Rock Band 4 is a pretty large step backwards even when you look at the things that have been added. It's also a bit of a slap in the face when you look at the price, as it's currently selling for about £55 as a digital download which is nothing short of a fucking con for what you get.
Rock Band 4 is obviously going to be more fun if you have a load of DLC but a game shouldn't rely on extra content to be acceptably enjoyable, which this game does. If you're on the fence about getting RB4, wait until it comes down in price or they patch in some extra features as I have the feeling this game was rushed to get it out before Guitar Hero: Live.
I like the game and it's a lot better for Guitar players than Rock Band 3 where the on-disc soundtrack is concerned (in my opinion) but it's not quite as awesome as, say, Lego Rock Band or Rock Band 2. If you have contradicting views or simply want to share any thoughts on the game/soundtrack, do so in the comments. If you also have any other posts that you'd like me to write, let me know on Twitter and I'll see what I can do!

Tenology: Amazing Album Openers

When I review an album on this blog, one of the first things I'll talk about is the album opener. The simple reason for this is because it's the first track you'll listen from the record but, as well as that, the album opener is designed to introduce you to the band's latest release.
Think of it like a new film that's just come out; the lead single from a new album is a two minute trailer whereas the album opener is the first scene after all the production company logos have been shown. If that opening scene is crap, you're less likely to enjoy the film than if the opening scene was excellent and that same principle applies to albums too.
If an album opener is boring or completely inappropriate for the overall sound of the following songs, you've already started on a literal and figurative dull note. Nailing track number one can make all the difference and this post is designed to celebrate the ones that got it just right.

As is often the case with Tenology posts, I'm not putting these in any particular order as there are still plenty of albums I want to listen to and almost certainly many album openers which are better than some of these choices. I'm also not counting any album openers from an album I haven't fully listened to, as it might be a great track but completely wrong for the start of the record.
However, out of every album opener I've listened to and can remember, these are the ones that stand out as being particularly awesome.


1. "Rock Brigade" - Def Leppard from On Through The Night

Most of you will know late-80's material from Def Leppard when they were aiming for an American audience with stadium anthems like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" but before they became huge, their material was had more of a rough-edged sound. Their riffs were more complex, the tracks had better rhythms (although points to the band for sticking with a one-armed drummer and still sounding pretty great) and the lyrics weren't all about generic topics that Hair Metal bands were making millions out of.
"Rock Brigade" perfectly encapsulates the bands talents in their youth with a perfectly layered and performed track that any Classic Rock fan is bound to tap their feet or bob their head to. In fact, On Through The Night is possibly one of my all-time favourite albums and the album opener is one of the reasons why. I definitely recommend this album to anyone who likes Thin Lizzy or Blue Oyster Cult style Classic Rock!


2. "Aces High" - Iron Maiden from Powerslave

OK, maybe I lied when I said I wouldn't discuss Iron Maiden for a while but don't worry, I won't spend long talking about this track. After all, I talked about the album AND this song in more detail here but I will say that it was a tough decision between this track and something like "Prowler" or "The Wicker Man". In the end, I went with my gut and picked something I'd previously raved about but if you've read my Iron Maiden album shout outs, you'll know I was pretty positive about most of the band's album openers over the years.


3. "Rock And Roll Preacher" - Slade from Till Deaf Do Us Part

Slade are mostly known for Glam Rock but in 1981, they decided to toughen up a bit and release Till Deaf Do Us Part, an album that likely inspired many Hair Metal and Hard Rock bands that followed. "Rock And Roll Preacher" combines the cheeky Glam sound from their 70's material with a heavier riff, some apocalyptic organ work and Noddy's rasping vocals that the band are arguably most well known for. The album itself is pretty decent and it has an awesome title track but it's definitely the album opener that steals the show here.


4. "Wake Up Dead" - Megadeth from Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?

I was torn between this and "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due", as both are fantastic album openers. However, whilst I rate Rust In Peace much higher as an album, I chose "Wake Up Dead" because of the unrelenting force behind the entire track. I love "Holy Wars" but once "The Punishment Due" starts, I tend to lose interest until the final solo starts again and yes, I know this track slows down towards the end but if you listen to it, you'll agree that it's hardly dull. In short, I felt "Wake Up Dead" acted as a better introduction to a collection of Thrash Metal than "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" but honestly, both tracks deserve spots on this list (so does "Skin O' My Teeth" from Countdown To Extinction).


5. "Kielbasa" - Tenacious D from Tenacious D

I tend to absolutely despise tracks with a false start or silly ending as they completely piss all over the rest of the song. It takes a truly outstanding track to make me forget about a duff start or look past an unnecessary ending and "Kielbasa" is one of those...sort of. If you know anything about Jack Black, you'll know any band with him in isn't going to take itself too seriously. The first song on an album with him on the front cover has got to combine awesome music with amusing lyrics, something the D seamlessly pull off in a tune unashamedly named after a dick. "Kickapoo" could also be on this list although if you haven't seen The Pick Of Destiny film, some of the magic may be lost on you.


6. "The Heretic (The Lost Child)" - W.A.S.P. from The Headless Children

If you made a Venn diagram for music with circles reading "Over five minutes", "Doesn't lose energy throughout" and "Doesn't rely on the same riffs until they're played to death", you'd probably be hard pressed to find a truly great Heavy Metal track that would fit between more than two of those choices...well, hard pressed to find one that ISN'T "The Heretic (The Lost Child)". Clocking in at over seven minutes, this album opener may seem a bit tiresome on paper but trust me, it's a hell of a ride from start to finish. I'd recommend the album to anyone who likes Heavy Metal and Hair Metal, as the two genres are combined perfectly here.


7. "Rock & Roll Feeling" - Styx from Man Of Miracles

Another album I've already discussed on the blog and with good reason. I said there that I loved this album and that includes the upbeat album opener. Having listened to the other Styx albums from the Wooden Nickel days, this is easily the best introduction to a Classic Rock/Prog album that sounds like the best song The Doobie Brothers never recorded. You could argue that it's not progressive enough to be a good album opener for Man Of Miracles but since the album is a fair split between Rock and Prog, it's not a bad decision to place this at the top of the track listing.


8. "Help!" - The Beatles from Help!

Maybe I'm biased because this is actually the first album I bought and listened to but "Help!" is definitely my favourite Beatles album and the title track could well be in my Top 10 or Top 20 favourite Beatles songs. It's a pretty simple track with some underrated guitar licks and a catchy rhythm. What's more, it isn't wasted on anyone who hasn't seen the film (which I still love watching now) and manages to stand up on its own feet. It may not be as instantly memorable as "Twist And Shout" or "Hey Jude" but it kicks off a great album on the right note.


9. "A.I.R." - Anthrax from Spreading The Disease

It's an unwritten rule that every Thrash Metal album (especially from The Big 4) needs to start on a fast paced, angry bastard of a track. "A.I.R." starts off a bit slow but not before long, every band member is pushing their skills to the limit. It's an explosive opening to a furious album and definitely beats any Metallica album opener, despite following a similar formula with soft starts and rapid riffing.


10. "Highway To Hell" - AC/DC from Highway To Hell

Everyone knows this track. Everyone. If they don't, they're not worth talking to about music. It's arguably the most iconic Rock song and whether you like it or not, you have to admit that it's the band at their best. What some people might not know is that the entire album contains similarly awesome tracks as well, although the title track introduces the whole thing. This is another example where I was torn between two songs from one band and in the end, I decided on this one instead of "Rock N Roll Train" from Black Ice, although if that album were released in the 70's instead of Highway To Hell, that track would probably be as overplayed as this one.

Those are my ten personal favourites of the ones that I've heard but since I had a list of 45 album openers to whittle down, here are some honourable mentions that would've probably made a top 20 (also in no order of personal preference).

"Back At The Funny Farm" - Motorhead from Another Perfect Day

"More Than A Feeling" - Boston from Boston

"School" - Supertramp from Crime Of The Century

"Demon Eyes" - The Answer from Everyday Demons

"Neon Knights" - Black Sabbath from Heaven And Hell

"Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin III

"Highway Star" - Deep Purple from Machine Head

"I Live For The Weekend" - Triumph from Progressions Of Power

"Back In The Saddle" - Aerosmith from Rocks

"Let It Rock" - Bon Jovi from Slippery When Wet


If there are any album openers you feel belong on this list, let me know in the comments. I may have left them out because I haven't heard the whole album so chances are I'll agree with you. If that is the case, I'll have to give the rest of the album a try in future.

Zipper Down - Eagles Of Death Metal

Kicking off the first non Iron Maiden review is one from kooky Alternative Rockers, Eagles Of Death Metal. After a long period of silence, the band have finally returned although their first song from the album didn't impress me when I discussed it on this blog a few months ago. Time to see if the rest of the album struck a fuzzy power chord.

After seven years of absence, it's understandable for a band to come back with the same formula as their best known work. Eagles Of Death Metal try to do just that with a selection of Garage Rock perfect for the heavily nostalgic fans who want more from the power duo of Jesse Hughes and Josh Hommes. Yes, this is another Eagles Of Death Metal album and whilst there are a couple of tracks that deviate from the typical sound of this group, it's more or less what you'd expect if you've listened to an entire album before Zipper Down. It's just a shame that those albums sound a lot better than anything on here.
My opinion on album opener "Complexity" hasn't changed in the slightest, it's still the band at their most average and sounds like the kind of song you'd hear in the background of a scene at a college bar in an American drama. However, I hesitate to call it a bad track as it sets up the rest of the album perfectly. If you love the track, you're in for a treat with the remaining ones but if you felt completely underwhelmed, get ready to feel this way for another half an hour.
If this album was played to the person who claimed they sounded like the "Eagles of Death Metal" before they stuck with that name, they'd probably be known as the "Strokes Of Classic Rock" as that's a far better description of the band's music that works on several different levels. It's an Indie Alt/70's Rock blend that occasionally works but doesn't quite hit home for me on Zipper Down. You've got faster songs that sound like lesser known Slade tracks on speed ("Got A Woman") and slower tunes akin to the softer melodies of bands like Wings ("I Love You All The Time"), along with a cover of a Duran Duran song that isn't catchy or upbeat ("Save A Prayer"), although it's worth mentioning that the vocals are spot on here even if the music is unimpressive.

The album could've done with a few more tracks like "Skin-Tight Boogie". It starts off with maximum fuzz on the bass and gets progressively weirder as more instruments and tones are introduced but it all works, even if it doesn't sound like the kind of song the band are known for writing. I've said before that I'm happy for bands to rely on the same sound for consecutive albums if the sound is good but when it starts to get a bit stale, it's time to mix it up a little.
Zipper Down will please fans of modern Alternative Rock that doesn't get carried away with itself. Most of these songs are pretty simple tunes with extra vocal and synth effects although the album seems less focused on heavy crunching riffs than Peace Love Death Metal, so that could be problematic for some of you. Mind you, it probably won't for those who enjoyed the mediocre Rolling Stonesesque sound of Heart On filler tracks. It's just a shame these guys couldn't write another belter like "Wannabe In L.A" or "Speaking In Tongues" along with all the average songs they rewrote for this album.
Anyway, tough call with this album. I always find myself divided by personal and unbiased opinions when it comes to scoring albums. Sometimes, I get really lucky and both opinions intertwine but I don't feel like this will be the case here. Music reviewing websites will likely praise the sound and style of this album whereas I feel like it doesn't deserve any higher than 4/10 for a collection of forgettable songs with the band's same formula that have been played really well. If you have an opinion on this album feel free to share it in the comments along with whether you believe I'm right to call it out on being unremarkable or wrong for not appreciating something that is clearly "art".

Guitar Hero: Iron Maiden

No, this isn't an official game or even a rumoured game.
It's a passion project of mine that I started back in 2010, a fictional Guitar Hero game centred around my favourite Metal band at the time. I'm aware this isn't the first fan-made game to bless the Internet but every now and then, I like to revisit the tracklist I assembled (occasionally changing it here and there) and enjoy some great tunes.
Since Iron Maiden aren't one for selling out in the same way Metallica or Van Halen have done and now that the Guitar Hero developers have activated the clean slate protocol on the entire franchise, it's unlikely we'll ever see anything resembling this in the slightest. There's no real reason for me to keep this alive other than personal reflection but since I'm quite proud of my setlist and believe it's probably as close as a real game's song selection would be (assuming licensing isn't too much of an issue), I've decided to share it here.

First though, a few small notes.
Each batch of songs is supposed to follow some kind of Career on Guitar, where the easier songs would come first and gradually get more challenging. Each group of Iron Maiden tracks are separated by "guest acts", which will make more sense when you see them. I tried to go for a selection of tunes/bands Iron Maiden have covered or artists that I think members of Iron Maiden either enjoy listening to/respect as musicians. I've also included my guesses for what the difficulty tier would be for each song on Guitar, if you're interested in that kind of thing. If any of you want to give me Bass, Drum and Vocal tiers too, go right ahead.
When I first made this list, I'd originally included venues and locations where you'd play each tracks ranging from The Rainbow Theatre to Rock In Rio, finally ending in a made up location set in the street seen on the first two Iron Maiden albums (which I dubbed Acacia Avenue). Sadly, I can't remember most of them and can't be bothered to research new ones so you'll have to come up with some yourself.
Instead of the standard single encore track for Iron Maiden sections, I've decided to put two encore songs that would be played consecutively to add an extra challenge. If you have any questions about this setlist or want to offer your own feedback regarding difficulty tiers, song choices or anything else, you can do so either in the comment section or via Twitter. Also, if you want to listen to these songs on Spotify then here's a playlist link for you. Right then, time to start posting these tracks!


"The Wicker Man" - Iron Maiden, 2000, Metal
Guitar Tier - 4/10
"Iron Maiden" - Iron Maiden, 1980, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10

"Doctor Doctor" - UFO, 1974, Hard Rock
Guitar Tier - 3/10
"The Zoo (Re-Record)" - Scorpions, 2011, Metal
Guitar Tier - 3/10
"Rosalie (Live)" - Thin Lizzy, 1978, Classic Rock
Guitar Tier - 4/10
"Seven Seas Of Rhye" - Queen, 1974, Classic Rock
Guitar Tier - 4/10
ENCORE
"Riding With The Angels" - Samson, 1981, Metal
Guitar Tier - 3/10

"Different World" - Iron Maiden, 2006, Metal
Guitar Tier - 4/10
"Running Free" - Iron Maiden, 1980, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Tailgunner" - Iron Maiden, 1990, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Fear Of The Dark" - Iron Maiden, 1992, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
ENCORE
"Satellite 15...The Final Frontier" - Iron Maiden, 2010, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Revelations" - Iron Maiden, 1983, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10

"Mother Goose" - Jethro Tull, 1971, Prog Rock
Guitar Tier - 4/10
"Bad Penny" - Rory Gallagher, 1979, Blues Rock
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Black Night" - Deep Purple, 1970, Hard Rock
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Blowin' Free" - Wishbone Ash, 1972, Classic Rock
Guitar Tier - 5/10
ENCORE
"A Farewell To Kings" - Rush, 1977, Prog Rock
Guitar Tier - 5/10

"The Evil That Men Do" - Iron Maiden, 1988, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Paschendale" - Iron Maiden, 2003, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Can I Play With Madness" - Iron Maiden, 1988, Metal
Guitar Tier - 5/10
"Wasted Years" - Iron Maiden, 1986, Metal
Guitar Tier - 6/10
ENCORE
"Wrathchild" - Iron Maiden, 1981, Metal
Guitar Tier - 6/10
"Speed Of Light" - Iron Maiden, 2015, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10

"Halo Of Flies" - Alice Cooper, 1971, Classic Rock
Guitar Tier - 6/10
"Dead Memories" - Slipknot, 2008, Metal
Guitar Tier - 6/10
"Kill Me (Ce Soir)" - Golden Earring, 1975, Rock
Guitar Tier - 7/10
ENCORE
"I Got The Fire" - Montrose, 1974, Hard Rock
Guitar Tier - 7/10

"Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter" - Iron Maiden, 1990, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
"Futureal" - Iron Maiden, 1998, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
"Out Of The Silent Planet" - Iron Maiden, 2000, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
"Flight Of Icarus" - Iron Maiden, 1983, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
ENCORE
"Man On The Edge" - Iron Maiden, 1995, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Hallowed Be Thy Name" - Iron Maiden, 1982, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10

"Starship Trooper" - Yes, 1971, Prog Rock
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Don't Talk To Strangers" - Dio, 1983, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
"Under A Glass Moon" - Dream Theater, 1992, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
ENCORE
"Pure Evil" - Iced Earth, 1991, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10

"For The Greater Good Of God" - Iron Maiden, 2006, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Dance Of Death" - Iron Maiden, 2003, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Caught Somewhere In Time" - Iron Maiden, 1986, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
"Transylvania" - Iron Maiden, 1980, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
ENCORE
"El Dorado" - Iron Maiden, 2010, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
"The Number Of The Beast" - Iron Maiden, 1982, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10

FINAL CHALLENGE
(this entire group of tracks is designed to be played consecutively without any breaks to act as the "final boss" of the game)

"Aces High" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"2 Minutes To Midnight" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 6/10
"Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Flash Of The Blade" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 6/10
"The Duelists" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
"Back In The Village" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Powerslave" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" - Iron Maiden, 1984, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10

BONUS TRACKS

"Charlotte The Harlot" - Iron Maiden, 1980, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Killers" - Iron Maiden, 1981, Metal
Guitar Tier - 9/10
"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden, 1983, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Phantom Of The Opera" - Iron Maiden, 1980, Metal
Guitar Tier - 7/10
ENCORE
"Heaven Can Wait" - Iron Maiden, 1986, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10
"Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden, 1982, Metal
Guitar Tier - 8/10


I picked a selection of songs that I thought GH & Iron Maiden fans would want to play. I'll admit, the six-pack of "Iron Maiden Epics" that Rock Band released as DLC including "The Prisoner" and "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" influenced my decision, as I was going to include those but felt there was no need as they're not particularly significant tracks in the band's history and they've already been included in a music game.
Also, "The Trooper" and "2 Minutes To Midnight" would pretty much be identical charts to the versions that were on Smash Hits and GH5. I actually made a GH7 playlist that included "Phantom Of The Opera" so, assuming that were real, the chart would be the same too. As for "Wrathchild" and "The Number Of The Beast", those would be updated charts for a new engine instead of the GH:80s and GH3 charts. "The Number Of The Beast" would definitely be harder to play than in GH3.
Anyway, that's the end of Iron Maiden Month on this blog! I hope you've enjoyed the posts and weren't too bored by the lack of variety. Next week, I'll be back to posting other album reviews or opinions posts regarding bands that aren't Iron Maiden.

Shout Out: All Studio Albums - Iron Maiden, part 4

Time to conclude this mini-series with the three latest albums, excluding The Book Of Souls which I've reviewed already. After coming back with Brave New World in 2000, Iron Maiden decided to give fans more of the same rather than experiment or completely change everything about their sound.

Dance Of Death may have the appearance of an off-the-wall album that takes crazy risks with the style and sound but all in all, it's quite a straightforward record. This is apparent after listening to album opener, "Wildest Dreams". It's quite similar to previous album opener, "The Wicker Man", in structure and sound, suggesting the band's desire to keep things the way they are for now. After all, it's not compulsory for each album to be completely different to the last.
Many songs deal with the topic of war in one form or another, whether it's wars from many generations ago ("Paschendale") or more modern conflicts ("Face In The Sand") so naturally, the songs dealing with heavier topics have a more magnificent sound. The album is also the first to have an acoustic track ("Journeyman"), ending the record on a softer note instead of an epic one like previous albums. My main gripe with the album is that there's nothing particularly special about it if you're not into the longer tracks.
It definitely sounds like they focused more on writing impressive songs over the seven minute mark with lots of layers to the music than on creating shorter tracks with the same impact as "The Number Of The Beast" or "Aces High". This isn't a problem with Dance Of Death exactly, more a problem for people who prefer the band when they're playing short and sharp tracks...like me. However, this album & its critical reaction is possibly the one most responsible for Iron Maiden's recent obsession with epic tracks.

1. Wildest Dreams

2. Rainmaker

3. No More Lies

4. Montsegur

5. Dance Of Death

6. Gates Of Tomorrow

7. New Frontier

8. Paschendale

9. Face In The Sand

10. Age Of Innocence

11. Journeyman

ALBUM RATING - 4/10

If you thought the band would take a break from the darker songs about war for now, boy were you in for a disappointment. In 2006, another three years after the last album, Iron Maiden released A Matter Of Life And Death. Once again, it may not be a concept album but...well, I think the cover speaks for itself.

Having successfully found their groove and settled comfortably into their new sound, the band return for another confident display of roaring guitars and screeching vocals. "Different World" starts the album off with a bang and if Dance Of Death had more tracks like this, I probably would've given it a slightly higher rating. Considering this is the band's 14th studio album and each band member has been recording for nearly 30 years, there's no sign of battle fatigue in the guitar solos or any of the individual performances. Sure, Bruce's vocals have changed since 1982 but they haven't substantially dipped in quality and he can still scream out a good chorus!

This album is another one for fans of Somewhere In Time or Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, one for people to listen to at home where they can appreciate each note, as the album wasn't mastered so it contains no studio alteration; what you hear is what the band played. Aside from a few tracks which change tempo and speed up throughout, many of the songs on the album take it steady and sound more solemn than the last two records. I suppose you could label this as more Prog Metal than Heavy Metal, although there are a few of those tracks on the album ("The Pilgrim") and even a few that blend the two ("Lord Of Light").

A Matter Of Life And Death isn't a strong candidate for anyone's favourite album. Even Top 5 would be pushing it, unless you prefer Prog Metal, but it's still good. It's well written and better performed than some material by bands still in their youth. It'd be ignorant of me to say this is their strongest material since Piece Of Mind or an earlier album but it's definitely a testament to the band's lasting appeal and talent.

1. Different World

2. These Colours Don't Run

3. Brighter Than A Thousand Suns

4. The Pilgrim

5. The Longest Day

6. Out Of The Shadows

7. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

8. For The Greater Good Of God

9. Lord Of Light

10. The Legacy

ALBUM RATING - 6/10

Between 2006 and 2010 (when the next album was released), Iron Maiden released Flight 666, a documentary about their Somewhere Back In Time tour. In this film, the band talked about how the audience for their gigs tends to stay the same age as kids now are starting to get into the band. It was that reason they decided to revisit older songs, so the fans could see these tracks played live for the first time. With this in mind, you'd have thought they'd be more inclined to write new shorter tracks with the same energy to give new fans what they wanted. Instead we got this.

When this album first came out about five years ago, I actually reviewed it and basically said that it's one of my least favourite albums. There were a few songs on it that I enjoyed but the majority weren't to my taste, although I acknowledged the appeal other fans might have for it. For starters, the album opener probably should've been split into two different songs. "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier" starts off with about four minutes of apocalyptic drums and bass before kicking off what would've been a really solid album opener without the intro.
Whilst the critics couldn't praise this album enough (arguably in an attempt to validate themselves as intellectuals), I remember feeling an immense disappointment with this album. It felt like there were several ideas that I could've enjoyed if they were tweaked slightly such as the drumbeat for "Starblind" or just trimming the length of a couple of tracks. I could talk about each track individually like I did before but honestly, I still believe this album suffers from how long it is.
A lot of the power and energy some of these songs deserved is lost once they enter the ninth minute (or sooner, depending on how tolerant you are towards Prog Metal). I could endure the longer tracks on previous albums but it's a lot harder to do so on this album. I'm not entirely sure why, as there's nothing especially wrong or flawed with the material. It's just a bit tiring now, like listening to a child telling their fifth story that just goes on and on and on and on. Even the shorter songs feel uninspired, as if they were designed just to be to be filler between the epics.

1. Satellite 15...The Final Frontier

2. El Dorado

3. Mother Of Mercy

4. Coming Home

5. The Alchemist

6. Isle Of Avalon

7. Starblind

8. The Talisman

9. The Man Who Would Be King

10. When The Wild Wind Blows

ALBUM RATING - 5/10

I could (and probably will) change my mind about this as I get older/wiser but for now, here is my personal ranking order for all 16 Iron Maiden albums from highest to lowest:

1. Powerslave

2. Piece Of Mind

3. The Number Of The Beast

4. Somewhere In Time

5. Iron Maiden

6. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

7. The Book Of Souls

8. Killers

9. Fear Of The Dark

10. Brave New World

11. No Prayer For The Dying

12. A Matter Of Life And Death

13. The Final Frontier

14. Virtual XI

15. Dance Of Death

16. The X Factor

I'm aware some of the ratings I've given the albums on this blog don't match up with the order I've listed them above. Chances are I'll change some of the ratings at a later date but for now, this is how I would rate the albums. Thanks for reading all/some of these posts! I'm not entirely certain about what to post next week but I do know it'll be Iron Maiden related, as we're not out of September yet!

Shout Out: All Studio Albums - Iron Maiden, part 3

Continuing on from part 2, I'll be discussing the band's career throughout the 90's and early 00's here. Since the band had released what is generally considered to be their first "bad" album (even if I don't fully agree), they needed to get back on track with another great release.

Fear Of The Dark is a little bit darker than previous albums, featuring songs with more sombre lyrical themes and different musical styles. Album opener "Be Quick Or Be Dead" was likely picked to lead into the record because of the aggressive chorus and fast tempo typically found on Speed Metal tracks, as it's a great start to a relatively slow album. Sadly, the band haven't quite captured the same energy that the stellar material from the 80's had. In a way, this is quite good.
It's a respectable decision to continue to produce art your way rather than buckling under commercial pressure and just giving into what you think people want, which is what makes Iron Maiden different to Def Leppard. Instead of writing another Powerslave the band continue to develop their sound and even though they made a few mistakes along the way, namely in the form of a power ballad ("Wasting Love"), at least they're willing to try.
Most fans will know this album for the title track alone, as it's probably one of the band's best songs despite coming from a remarkably average album. Overall, there are several decent tracks but as I mentioned in the last post, decent tracks aren't enough when the band have created several years worth of amazing songs. This album is more likely to be someone's favourite if they're into Metal with a grander sound and mature lyrics, as there's plenty of that on Fear Of The Dark...even if some of the song titles sound plain silly.

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead

2. From Here To Eternity

3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

4. Fear Is The Key

5. Childhood's End

6. Wasting Love

7. The Fugitive

8. Chains Of Misery

9. The Apparition

10. Judas Be My Guide

11. Weekend Warrior

12. Fear Of The Dark

ALBUM RATING - 6/10

Having lost Adrian Smith during pre-production for the last album, the band suffer another line-up change as Bruce Dickinson decides to walk in favour of a solo career. Replacing him was Wolfsbane vocalist Blaze Bayley, a sort of cross between Di'Anno and Dickinson without any distinct vocal traits of his own.

If you thought the last album was a little bit too moody, you probably won't think much of The X Factor. Everything right down to the grotesque album cover feels dark and depressing, although this is generally considered to be down to Steve Harris' ongoing divorce during the writing process. 11 minute album opener "Sign Of The Cross" starts off with a Gregorian chant and after nearly 90 seconds of this, a melancholy riff introduces us to Blaze's hushed vocals. If I'm honest, there are far better ways to open a Metal album with a new line-up than something that sounds too dark to be played at a funeral.

"Lord Of The Flies" probably would've been a better choice for album opener, as it actually makes me want to listen to the rest of the record and has a great performance from each band member...except Blaze, who sounds like a parallel version of Bruce who's making up how to sing each line as he goes along. This album returns to the progressive format with longer song lengths and frequent tempo changes but since most of the songs start with the same atmospheric guitar/bass intro, the amount of songs that you could call filler is higher than ever before.

Even the better songs on this album aren't significant when compared to other popular Metal tracks released before 1995. It's genuinely difficult to remember more than about three different songs on The X Factor after listening to them and regardless of whether you're into Metal or Iron Maiden specifically, you could easily miss this album and not lose out on anything. THIS is the first "bad" Iron Maiden album in my books, not No Prayer For The Dying.

1. Sign Of The Cross

2. Lord Of The Flies

3. Man On The Edge

4. Fortunes Of War

5. Look For The Truth

6. The Aftermath

7. Judgement Of Heaven

8. Blood On The World's Hands

9. The Edge Of Darkness

10. 2 A.M.

11. The Unbeliever

ALBUM RATING - 2/10

As much as I'd love to say that this was the last album with Blaze Bayley on vocals, there's one more fans had to sit through. Virtual XI was released three years later to tie into both an Iron Maiden video game and the 1998 World Cup, for some reason.

Having got over their personal problems, Iron Maiden return with a slightly more energetic offering. "Futureal" is a perfect album opener following The X Factor and probably the one song where Blaze doesn't sound poor behind the mic. The rest of the album isn't half bad either, as each song has a slightly more distinct sound from the last. The quality of each track is also more in touch with 80's material and even though the second half of the album starts to trot out the homogenised intros en masse, at least the first half is enjoyable.

It's not the band's best when it comes to songwriting, especially when you compare the opening riff of "Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger" and Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", but for fans of the long Maiden tunes, this is probably somewhat of a guilty pleasure. If you can ignore the vocals and focus on the music, you might get something out of it.

Virtual XI deserves points just for giving fans hope, more than anything. If Iron Maiden released another X Factor or No Prayer For The Dying, they could've gone out with a whimper and become another Deep Purple, periodically touring capital cities after releasing a Greatest Hits/live album every five years or so. Fortunately, this album is indisputably better than the last one and proves the band are capable of slowly returning to glory after a down period, even if it's by taking baby steps.

1. Futureal

2. The Angel And The Gambler

3. Lightning Strikes Twice

4. The Clansmen

5. When Two Worlds Collide

6. The Educated Fool

7. Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger

8. Como Estais Amigos

ALBUM RATING - 3/10

In 1999, the band kicked out Blaze Bayley and Bruce Dickinson returned to the mic, bringing ex-member Adrian Smith along with him to become the third guitarist for the band. This is still the current line-up for Iron Maiden and it doesn't appear to need changing any time soon.

Brave New World marks the start of Iron Maiden's journey into the third decade of their career (ignoring demo tapes and gigs before their first album's release) and thankfully, it's a good start! Album opener "The Wicker Man" is just what fans needed to remember why they fell in love with the band in the first place, hearing all three guitars going at it with Bruce confidently belting out each line again. Whilst the main responsibility for songwriting tends to be with Steve Harris, Bruce is no slouch when it comes to writing himself. His return meant both his vocal AND creative talents could be put to good use again.
As is often the case on highly regarded albums, there are longer tracks for the Prog Metal enthusiast ("The Nomad" and "Dream Of Mirrors") and shorter tracks for casual Metal fans ("The Mercenary" and "The Fallen Angel") but all in all, the whole album is enjoyable regardless of which type of song you prefer. Anyone who compares it to earlier albums like Piece Of Mind or Somewhere In Time is completely wrong though; it's a completely different sound and use of musical structure to those albums. It may have similar traits of Iron Maiden albums in the past but as the title suggests, it's the band exploring a new millennium with different expectations of musical talent and Metal.
It's a bit of old and a bit of new, creating something relatively unique and more memorable than anything from the Blaze era, for sure. Above all else though, this album is a return to form. It's a great band that's back on track after some four albums that collectively missed the mark. If you listened to Brave New World after Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, it might not sound as great due to the lack of disappointing material you've had to endure in the middle. However, if you ignored No Prayer For The Dying and listened to this one after Fear Of The Dark, it would probably sound like a flawless transition.

1. The Wicker Man

2. Ghost Of The Navigator

3. Brave New World

4. Blood Brothers

5. The Mercenary

6. Dream Of Mirrors

7. The Fallen Angel

8. The Nomad

9. Out Of The Silent Planet

10. The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

Since I've already reviewed The Book Of Souls on this blog, the last part of this Shout Out will only contain three albums: Dance Of Death, A Matter Of Life And Death and The Final Frontier. Probably should've thought about that before writing these, as I could've done three parts with five albums each. Ah well.