Metal Hammer's Judas Priest Tribute Album.

Judas Priest was one of my favorite bands growing up. I might not listen to them as much as I used to, but it always brings a smile to my face when I hear them, so I am not only very familiar with their body of work , but have a deep respect for it. Metal Hammer complied this album of previously recorded covers. Covering Judas Priest first and foremost in my mind requires a solid vocal performance. You don't have to hit all the notes Rob Halford does as there not not a ton of singers who can do that. But you need to convey where he was going with it and tell the same story. So I know this is going to be problematic.  This album  opens with Arch Enemy's cover of "Breaking the Law" . This gets a more "Painkiller" treatment. The verse riff is so iconic that trying to add extra chugs in it is self defeating. Here the problem with the vocals that I predicted wastes no time coming true. Just growling through not matter how nuanced the growl is only works on the chorus of this song. There are still enough trademark to recognize it. A power metal band like Sabaton, certainly seems more capable of handling "All Guns Blazing" . There higher register vocals, they are more of a choked AC/DC nature, but at least they are trying. Power Wolf's cover of "Night Crawler" even with the help of sung vocals comes across a little stiff .

 I love Katatonia, so was eager to hear how they did  "Night Comes Down".  This one is off of "Defenders of the Faith" not one of their strongest songs, it's more of a power ballad so it works for these guys. Granted his range doesn't reach beyond what Jonas normally does. Huntress does just fine with "Running Wild" which is a safer picker than "Beyond the Realms of Death" which Blind Guardian takes on. I guess I have never given these guys a fair shot as he does a great job with the more baritone croon. The higher notes at the chorus are more snarled like Ice Earth or even Blackie Lawless.  Kreator does a much better job with "Grinder" than I expected. They should the kind of restraint and served the song like Arch Enemy could have stood to have done a better job of.

Death's cover of "Painkiller" is taken from their 1998 album "the Sound of Perseverance" . I am pretty impressed with Chuck's vocals. Even though it's a scratchier tone he hits the notes. It also has him singing in clean voice on parts. Drummer Richard Christy who also played with Iced Earth nails his parts to the wall. Primal Fear covering "Metal Gods" is pretty much a no-brainer cus they are almost a Judas Priest cover band. I'll give this album a 8.5 . Granted these bands all benefited from having excellent source material to work off of.

Report to the Dance Floor - The Faint's "Egowerk'

The bar is high for these guys  since they have made some of my favorite albums. ,the first thing that strikes me is how this sounds less like a rock band playing electronic instruments and more like an EDM records. A more aggressive beat drops midway into the song. It almost sounds more like something my girl friend would listen to rather than the band who made "Danse Macabre" and "Wet From Birth".  Once called electro punk, now the punk is out of the equation. The vocals are not a central part of the song either. When it comes to electronic music I like it better than most of the MGMTS out there , but I was beginning to think this drastic change was phasing out song structure altogether . This is cleared up on "Chameleon Nights". The vocals conform to the fact that these guys are making songs. There is a futuristic plastic to their sound that is more pronounced here.

The more biting social commentary that I have always liked about their lyrics surfaces on "Life's A Joke". "Alien Angel" is much more in line with what you expect when you think of this band. The beat is more of a robotic funk on the title track. It works and makes the song  coldly angular. The subtle chorus is a nice touch. "Own My Eyes" is one of the album's best songs as it is a little darker and more sardonic lyrically.  "Source of the Sun " is coolly detached, but all the moving pieces create a groove well. I like the effects on his vocals on "Another World" . "Quench the Flame" moves into a more upbeat direction. The vocals still keep things centered. The layered synths here don't have the same sense of ugency as when the album is firing on all cylinders. A case of where it is by no means a bad song it just doesn't have then same sense of urgency.

The title "Young & Realistic" makes me think the irony is coming on thick. It is more of a disco pulse moving the song. It's a well made mockery of that sound.  Though while smooth and efficient it doesn't have the bite they used to. Everything after "Wet From Birth" has owed a great deal more to Gary Numan. "Automaton" highlights like facts, in the synths even more than the vocals . I'll round this one up to a 9. Despite the stylistic shift into a more electronic direction , they key ingredients still make these guys more than worthwhile.

The Foreign Resort : "Outnumbered"

This post- punk band from Denmark are not Joy Division rip offs as they have a fair amount of electronic interactions to create the grooves that open the first song. The vocals have more in common with Robert Smith than Ian Curtis. The first song really impressed me to the bar is set high for the rest of the album. It's a fair comparison to say these guys sound like if Depeche Mode was jamming with the Cure. Perhaps he is not as expressive as Robert Smith, but who is? The synth sound is certainly more Depeche Mode and then on a song like "Summer" they go even past that with the ambiance. Though as songs go it's more of a interlude than it's own song. There are serious dance floor sensibilities with "She is Lost". It works of a a grooving pulse.  While it has Cure like guitar its more new wave.

"Clouds" is more Gary Numan meets 90s alternative. The bass tone is pretty cool. These guys are great at going beyond the realms of your average post-punk band and creating a smoother sonic landscape. "Obsessing" has more drive to it before they smooth out into atmospheric new wave pop of "Hearts Fade Out". "Hot Summers" has a classic 80s new wave synth line and from there follows the cute past kind of dance pop of Flock of Seagulls or Pet Shop Boys, but with more guitars. "Send Your Heart to the Riot" has a "Hanging Garden" like bass line that doesn't let the song as a whole wallow in the Cure influence as I can also hear some Roxy Music.

There is more aggressive beat to the title track that lines up with what I think of as post-punk. The song does not have a wide of a musical range , but works more of the tension. Granted said tension is coated in a great deal of atmosphere. I will round this one up to a 9.5 as the song that did not connect with me as solidly on the first listen will grow on me in time. If you are a fan of post-punk or new wave then this album is worth checking out. Artoffact is releasing this Apirl 15th.

the Brian Jonestown Massacre : "s/t"

If you don't know who these guys are then this is Anton Newcombe from the Dandy Warhols. There is a moody almost post-rock feel to the strummed opener like a less goth version of the Cure. Anton makes up for what he lacks in vocal prowess with attitude. The arrangements are fairly simplistic rock n roll, darker than the Rolling Stones, but also less dangerous. Mick Jagger is never this depressed. Rather than go on any long winding roads the songs jam off a singular vibe. At times there is more of a 90s alternative vibe, which the Dandy Warhols certainly sprang out of.  Female vocals take over on the second song. This gives things a more dreamy feel. The bass player stay in motion while holding things down. "My Mind is Filled With Stuff" is a jammy instrumental that drones more than goes anywhere.

Th acoustic strum of guitar leads into the weird wonder of "A Word" which gets the whole 60s psychedelic vibe better than most bands. There is a drugged sluggishness to it despite the fact Newcombe no longer gets high. "We Never Had a Chance" falls on the more down trodden side of Brit pop. Lyrically things are bitter and bleak. "To Sad To Tell You" continues to explore the band's =more depressive side . As they rain on your parade there is some tasteful guitar and a great tone on every instrument . I prefer this to their more straight ahead rock n roll side that they indulge on " Remember Me This".

It's back to a more garage rock style strum on "What Can I Say". I suppose if the Monkees had hung out with Charles Manson, instead of the Beach Boys , they might have made this kind of music. I'll round this up to a 9 as it taps into the hazy kind of thing that the Stone Roses used to do , which I liked to get stoned to in high school.

Haunt : "If Icarus Could Fly"

I like Beastmaker, but I also grew up in the 80s when this kind of metal was big. So I have a mixed relationship with this sort of thing as I was already listening to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden in 1983. The first song starts off a little heavy on the guitar solos. The chorus is a little happy. Church's vocal is more in the Diamond Head range, perhaps a little lower and more laid back. The guitar harmonies feel more Priest than Maiden to me. His voice is not aggressive, so it gives a mellow vibe atop this. If you are smoking a bunch of pot you may not even notice. There is no shortage of guitar solos on the album. The speed picks up to a proto-thrash on "Cosmic Kiss". Even then things are beginning to take on a uniform sound. It's almost like a more upbeat version of In Solitude. This is even more apparent on "Ghosts". Though there is more of a melodic nuance on this one.

"Clarion" drifts into a more cut and paste metal homage. Thanks to the smooth vocal  this steers clear of being power metal. There is a more epic gallop feel to "Winds of Destiny". The vocals are super layered on the chorus. It's like the Scorpions heavier moments. All the songs are under the four and a half minute mark. The guitar solos keep multiplying. The title track benefits from a strong vocal melody to balance the reoccurring guitar harmonies and solos that are all now running together.

The last  song sound more like solo. Obviously Ozzy's knack for vocal lines is a few tiers higher, but these guys are making a pretty decent stab at it. The solos are more Jake E Lee, than Randy Rhodes. I like more than the first album, or at least of what I remember of the first album. Prefer Beastmaker , since they are darker and a form of metal I lean into more as an adult. This is shit that I listened to more as a kid. Though Iron Maiden does stay in regular rotation. I'll give this a 9, it's very well done and the album sounds great. This comes out on Shadow Kingdom Records May 17th.

Louise Lemon : "A Broken Heart is an Open Heart"

Have had a pretty varied month so far, so it makes sense to check this album out. I am not sure how this is called doom pop, as it is not any darker than Zola Jesus. It does have a more soulful pop vocal performance as she packs a good deal of power when she belts it out. Musically it has a big Vegas lounge feel. It is not until "Blurry Vision" that things take on a more distinct sound. Then it's back in Adelle's zip code for "Swimming In Sadness" . At this point I begin to get bored. I like Taylor Swift and other pop music, so when I hear doom pop then that should be in my wheel house. It is not until "Susceptible Soul" that I hear any traces of anything that could be thought of as doom. There is a darker bluesy tone to this song and some great guitar playing.

"Cross" has a very soulful 70s sound, which is not dark, but it is a good song. Nothing doom here and at this point I have almost gotten that out of my head. "Honest Heart" is pretty steamy and the album seems to be improving the deeper I get into it. Is it the most original thing I have heard? No , but it works for her voice. I like when she doubles her self. I think some harmony parts could have been interesting. It's a silly song title , but "Almond Milk" gets better as it goes. At first I did not pay as much attention to it , because her voice begins to take a uniform approach to these songs. There is more gospel than blues as the Hammond organ purrs under the swell of the song . It almost goes into more a Pink Floyd sound.

The album ends with the title track. It is a stripped down piano ballad. There are echoes of guitar in the corners. The vocal melody is rather loose and she seems to just be vocalizing rather than really giving anything to latch onto. Sure she has a good voice, but it is about where you put your voice against the other instrumentation. I'll round this one down to a 7.5. It has some strong moments, but it leaves me kinda lukewarm.

80s vs 90s

Inspired by a Facebook debate. I decided to weigh them in pound for pound to see who really had the better music of the two . The first dozen are pitting artists against their own work. Then the next dozen are artist vs artist.


 1988 Jane's Addiction - "Nothing's Shocking"  Vs 1990 "Ritual  de lo Habitual"

So we are not looking for what was a better hit, as most radio songs are shit since they are packaged for masses which is the lowest common denominator. We are looking for which album is better. Hand's down "Nothings Shocking" wins this one. Sure there is "Three Days" for it to contend with, but "Ted, Just Admit it" and "Mountain Song" slam this one home. 

80s -1
90s- 0

1989 Nirvana- "Bleach" vs 1991 "Nevermind"

Sure "Nevermind" took grunge to the masses, meaning the songs were user friendly enough for widespread radio consumption. "Bleach" has more emotion behind it and songs like "Love Buzz" , "Floyd the Barber" and "About a Girl" beat out "Smells Like Teen Spirit". They are more brooding and have more balls.

80s- 2

90s-0

1989 Soundgarden -"Louder Than Love"  vs 1991 "Badmotorfinger"

We have already covered the fact we do not care about hits, so that takes  "Rusty Cage" out of the equation, but even then there are 5 good songs on it. "Louder Than Love" is darker and has a more sensual throb to it . "Jesus Christ Pose" you say?  "Gun" is a better song.

80s- 3

90s-0


1989 Faith No More- "the Real Thing" vs 1992 "Angel Dust"

This was tough as there are some great songs on "the Real Thing". "Angel Dust" found the band giving mainstream a middle finger and went harder and darker , so " Angel Dust" wins out.

80s- 3

90s- 1

1989 Nine Inch Nails - "Pretty Hate Machine"  vs  1994 "the Downward Spiral"

"Pretty Hate Machine" is a great album though in more of a Depeche Mode direction. "Downward Spiral" has a more emotional heaviness to it , along with vastly better production quality and guitar sound so it wins

80s3

90s- 2

1986 Metallica - "Master of Puppets" vs  1991 "the Black Album"

Are you fucking kidding me ? This is not even close. There is no need to even explain this. If you don't get it , then you don't know shit about metal.

80s-4

90s- 2

1987 Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction vs 1991 "Use Your Illusion pt 1 & 2"

Another one that needs little explanation. Add all the good songs on their 1991 double album and they won't be able to touch "Appetite"

80s-5

90s-2

1987 R.E.M "Document"  vs 1992 "Automatic For The People"

This is a tough one as the 1992 album is full of raw emotion and is one of  Stipe's best performances. "Document" wins this one as it finds the band working at the peak of their power being an actual rock band rather than dripping with ballads .

80s- 6

90s-2

1987 U2 "the Joshua Tree"  vs 1991 "Achtung Baby"

The 87 has a ton of hits on the front end , but the b-side tanks . Their 1991 album thus proves superior.

80s -6 

90s-3

 1985 the Smiths "Meat is Murder"  vs 1991 Morrissey "Kill Uncle"

I love Moz's solo work, but the Smiths made some of the best albums ever

80s-7

90s-3

1986 Slayer "Reign in Blood" vs 1990 "Seasons in the Abyss"

Closer to call than "Master of Puppets " and " the Black Album". "Reign In Blood" is more of what Slayer is .

80s-8

90s-3

1980 Black Sabbath "Heaven & Hell"  vs  1991 Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears"

While most 70s  Ozzy Sabbath albums would win this one, Dio Sabbath dominates 90s solo Ozzy, even 80s Ozzy consistently beats out "No More Tears". 

80s-9

90s-3

ok now artist vs artist - we are looking at the artists of note for their respected decades and pitting them against artists from a similar genre.

Iron Maiden  vs Tool 

The battle of prog metal. Tool was once one of my favorite bands since their inception in 1990, but Iron Maiden who if we are just counting the Bruce years have stood the test of time since 1982. I sometimes get the urge to revisit Tool , they waned 4 albums in where Maiden was kicking ass well past that .

80s 10

90s 3

The Cure  vs Smashing Pumpkins

Moody rock for pasty white kids. Smashing Pumpkins really only had 2 solid albums under their belt, neither of which can hold a candle to "Pornography" much less "Disintegration"

80s 11

90s 3


Kate Bush vs Tori Amos

 Kate might have had 2 albums out by the time the 80s rolled around, but the bulk of her work is from the 80s. Tori Amos owes her entire sound to Kate Bush...end of story.

80s 12

90s 3

Tears For Fears vs Radiohead 

After "Ok Computer" Radiohead gave the record label the middle finger and got darker and more experimental. However if we look at who has the better songs, Tears For Fears beats out the bulk of Thom Yorke's introspective whining.

80s 13

90s 3

Siouxsie and the Banshees vs Bjork 

This one is a close call so it boils down to the prolific body consistent work and Bjork only had 3 albums that would be overwhelmed by the 7 Siouxsie put out.

80s 14

90s-3

The Cult vs Pearl Jam 

Battling for the throne left vacant by Jim Morrison . It comes down to "Electric" and "Sonic Temple"  against "Ten " and "Vs" so Eddie Veddar and friends are going to walk away the winners here.

80s 14

90s-4

Motley Crue vs Stone Temple Pilots 

Drugged out arena rockers clash . This boils down to the fact the first 2 Crue albums crush anything STP  put out .

80s 15

90s 4

Prince vs Lenny Kravitz 

Lets not even get into who is the better singer and guitarist, that's a no brainer. Has Kravitz ever dreamed of touching "Purple Rain"...hell no.

80s 16

90s 4

Cocteau Twins vs Cranberries 

"Every Body is Doing it So Why Don't We" is a great album and got more airplay, but it's not "Blue Bell Knoll"

80s 17

90s 4

Def Leppard vs Foo-fighters 

Ok both are cheesy radio rock. Def Leppard's songs stick with me better.

80s 18

90s 4

Celtic Frost vs Korn 

Korn did inspire a generation of glue sniffers to tune down to b. Celtic Frost's music was ahead of it's time and continues to influence black metal . Less daddy issues and more thoughtful

80s 19

90s 4

the Misfits vs Green Day

Is this even up for debate ?

80s 20

90s 4


final score it's a massacre 20 to 4