Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Rebirth of Mattowarrior's Metal Madness
As of today, October 23rd 2011, I am reactivating the blog Mattowarrior's Metal Madness. I decided to reactivate the blog and give it a more serious intent and interests. Reviews, interviews and more to come!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Pantera "Glam Years" Part One- Metal Magic. (Rating 1.9/5)
And so it starts, for our Texas Metal favorites worldwide. But a humble start it is. The little known fact (to many fans) that Pantera were actually an Eighties band with 4 albums before "Cowboys to Hell". Previously, to that album, the band was an amalgamation of influences from Kiss to Judas Priest on Metal Magic, to Motley Crue and Metallica on subsequent albums. But this album (Metal Magic) is an amateur, sloppy, and calculated attempt at both credibility and commercial potential. Right out of the gate we have "Ride My Rocket", basically a Kiss Tribute (with maybe a bit of Priest thrown in for good measure). Riff for riff, the beginning bass line is the same as "Detroit Rock City". A cheesy robotic voice announces "We need Metal Magic..we need Pantera", and then the song starts. "I'll be Alright" is the second track, and reveals a few more NWOBHM influences than the previous track (we're on a better track overall). Then the third track comes, and its quite a stinker. A commercial, Loverboy meets early Def Leppard track "Tell Me if You Want It". Featuring lyrics such as "we're making love in the back of my limousine" (despite Pantera's then more than likely admiration of used 70's Chevy Novas and Camaros lol), this really takes the urinal cake. "Biggest Part of Me" (no not in reference to then singer Terry Lee's penile measurements hopefully) then continues the downward trend into proto hair metal meets AOR mediocrity with "Latest Lover". A glimmer of light appears (For a few moments) in the form of the Priest-like "Metal Magic" and it seems like a medicore album is saved (at least for now). The song's early speed metal riffs and catchy (though cheesy) chorus makes the song the first one that can actually be called more than mediocre. But sadly, this early peak is decimated with the next two songs, the turgid "Widowmaker" and "Sad Lover". Horrible, just horrible, and not even worth mentioning! But for some reason "Rock Out" is the last track, and it further shows the potential that the title track (four songs before (!)) showed. The album then ends (thankfully) and we are saved from Pantera's very worst album. And worst cover art (of all time?). A cheesy, picture of a tiger and a logo that could be drawn by a fifth grader is what adorns this "magnum opus".
All in all, Pantera's Metal Magic isn't the steaming pile of shit that bashers of pre-Cowboys Pantera would have it as, but its no gem either. Its more like a steaming pile of dung with a few gold flakes scattered in the debris. But we will continue this journey to the past with the next installment of this review series, same mattowarrior time, same mattowarrior channel.
All in all, Pantera's Metal Magic isn't the steaming pile of shit that bashers of pre-Cowboys Pantera would have it as, but its no gem either. Its more like a steaming pile of dung with a few gold flakes scattered in the debris. But we will continue this journey to the past with the next installment of this review series, same mattowarrior time, same mattowarrior channel.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Coming soon- Pantera's "Glam" period explored in depth!
I feel that this period of time in Pantera's history has not been explored enough, as far as blogs, and review sites. So I'm going to be going through each of the first four albums, one by one, and giving my analysis of each. As I have stated elsewhere, some of the songs are actually pretty good, and Power Metal (the band's first album and the first featuring vocalist Phil Anselmo) is a bona fide classic. So look forward to this beginning in the next couple of days.
Review: Blind Guardian- At the Edge of Time 4.5/5
So let us begin again. I wished to review this album a couple months ago and didn't do so, but in reviving this blog's activity I decided it will be my first review in awhile. Anyway, with no further adieu, here we go:
Its been four (long) years since Blind Guardian's last album, A Twist in the Myth. Before that, it had been FOUR YEARS since their previous (studio) album, A Night at the Opera. Before that, 1998 was the year of their magnum opus, Nightfall in Middle Earth. So, needless to say, the band releases albums about every four years, and its always awaited by many in the same way that many mainstream metal fans await a Metallica album.
In light of this, I must admit that their last two albums left me cold in some ways. I enjoyed Night at the Opera, but in many ways that album was overblown. It was missing the guts, the "balls" if you will that previous albums had. The gutsy thrashy riffs, the heavy rhythm guitars. Also the speed, and the anguished vocals of Hansi Kursch which sounded almost to the point of breaking at times. These elements (in ADDITION to the awesome Queen like guitar and vocal harmonies as well as other elements) were what made the band to me. But the balance was skewed and in its place were neutered guitars, way too many harmonies, and overblown arrangements. The RIFFS were missing and the band's progressive side, however appealing, could wear thin at times. Night at the Opera remained a terrifically uneven album, with many highlights. But nothing could prepare me for the disappointment that was to follow. Longtime drummer Thomen Stauch left a couple years later, and the band tried to rebound with 2006's followup, A Twist in the Myth. This album stripped down many of the elements on the previous 2-3 albums, but in a way that would prove disastrous. The songs were stale and the production muddy and turgid. It was all around, a low point in a career with almost impossibly high standards, Blind Guardian being of a rare breed with nearly no critically panned albums (and I would say, on a string of albums worthy of a highly coveted metal status in the scene). Twist sounded uninspired all around, and the chunky rhythms, missing in action since Nightfall, were totally absent here. The "Riffs" that were left almost sounded like commercial hard rock in comparison, and overall, even the medieval atmospheres that could save a song or two failed here. I reckon this period of time to the time Iron Maiden were in after the opening of the Nineties, with album after mediocre album (though of course if you read my reviews of this period the story is not quite that simple). So, though something was amiss, early reports from the songwriting of the new album sounded promising. The band subtly hinted at Twist being a mediocre album in hindsight in interviews, and there was hope among many fans. And the hopes I am happy to say were very founded! All in all, At the Edge of Time is a return to form for the German Power Metallers. It begins with a song not unlike the title track of Imaginations from the Other Side, Sacred Worlds. Sacred Worlds is also, with its use of full orchestra, a hint of the long awaited "Orchestral album" which has rumored to have been in the works for over a decade. Whether or not this album sees the light of day remains to be seen.
For a song partially based on a computer game, its pretty damn good!
We then continue with the Michael Moorcock inspired Tanelorn, which is a return to the speedier, earlier Blind Guardian that we haven't seen since parts of Nightfall in Middle Earth. This song is a welcome second track, almost in the tradition of second tracks on BG albums such as "I'm Alive".
A more mid-paced track, Road of No Release follows and breaks up any potential tedium. All in all a decent song, though not one of my faves on the album.
We next follow up with probably my vote for most intense track on the album, Ride into Obsession. A careening, fast paced power metal epic, the track features the best vocals I've heard from Hansi Kursch in over a decade.
Curse my Name is another so-so track, followed by the decent Valkyries and then the OK Control the Divine. War of the Thrones is another mideveal song in the tradition of Skalds and Shadows or A Past and Future Secret. Not as dark as some previous balladic works of Guardian, but nevertheless a tune that takes one to a place around a campfire of bards!
Next up is another flash from the past, A Voice in the Dark. This song is pretty much early speed/thrash Blind Guardian but revamped for 2010. Another terrific track then follows, the epic "Wheel of Time". "Wheel of Time" basically continues with the orchestra from the first song, and probably (to me anyway) rivals the much lauded And Then There Was Silence.
Overall, the album is a return to form for the mighty Guardian. And my contender for album of the year. An essential release with a few so-so songs, but overall even the "Filler" is better than much of the last album's!
4.5/5
Its been four (long) years since Blind Guardian's last album, A Twist in the Myth. Before that, it had been FOUR YEARS since their previous (studio) album, A Night at the Opera. Before that, 1998 was the year of their magnum opus, Nightfall in Middle Earth. So, needless to say, the band releases albums about every four years, and its always awaited by many in the same way that many mainstream metal fans await a Metallica album.
In light of this, I must admit that their last two albums left me cold in some ways. I enjoyed Night at the Opera, but in many ways that album was overblown. It was missing the guts, the "balls" if you will that previous albums had. The gutsy thrashy riffs, the heavy rhythm guitars. Also the speed, and the anguished vocals of Hansi Kursch which sounded almost to the point of breaking at times. These elements (in ADDITION to the awesome Queen like guitar and vocal harmonies as well as other elements) were what made the band to me. But the balance was skewed and in its place were neutered guitars, way too many harmonies, and overblown arrangements. The RIFFS were missing and the band's progressive side, however appealing, could wear thin at times. Night at the Opera remained a terrifically uneven album, with many highlights. But nothing could prepare me for the disappointment that was to follow. Longtime drummer Thomen Stauch left a couple years later, and the band tried to rebound with 2006's followup, A Twist in the Myth. This album stripped down many of the elements on the previous 2-3 albums, but in a way that would prove disastrous. The songs were stale and the production muddy and turgid. It was all around, a low point in a career with almost impossibly high standards, Blind Guardian being of a rare breed with nearly no critically panned albums (and I would say, on a string of albums worthy of a highly coveted metal status in the scene). Twist sounded uninspired all around, and the chunky rhythms, missing in action since Nightfall, were totally absent here. The "Riffs" that were left almost sounded like commercial hard rock in comparison, and overall, even the medieval atmospheres that could save a song or two failed here. I reckon this period of time to the time Iron Maiden were in after the opening of the Nineties, with album after mediocre album (though of course if you read my reviews of this period the story is not quite that simple). So, though something was amiss, early reports from the songwriting of the new album sounded promising. The band subtly hinted at Twist being a mediocre album in hindsight in interviews, and there was hope among many fans. And the hopes I am happy to say were very founded! All in all, At the Edge of Time is a return to form for the German Power Metallers. It begins with a song not unlike the title track of Imaginations from the Other Side, Sacred Worlds. Sacred Worlds is also, with its use of full orchestra, a hint of the long awaited "Orchestral album" which has rumored to have been in the works for over a decade. Whether or not this album sees the light of day remains to be seen.
For a song partially based on a computer game, its pretty damn good!
We then continue with the Michael Moorcock inspired Tanelorn, which is a return to the speedier, earlier Blind Guardian that we haven't seen since parts of Nightfall in Middle Earth. This song is a welcome second track, almost in the tradition of second tracks on BG albums such as "I'm Alive".
A more mid-paced track, Road of No Release follows and breaks up any potential tedium. All in all a decent song, though not one of my faves on the album.
We next follow up with probably my vote for most intense track on the album, Ride into Obsession. A careening, fast paced power metal epic, the track features the best vocals I've heard from Hansi Kursch in over a decade.
Curse my Name is another so-so track, followed by the decent Valkyries and then the OK Control the Divine. War of the Thrones is another mideveal song in the tradition of Skalds and Shadows or A Past and Future Secret. Not as dark as some previous balladic works of Guardian, but nevertheless a tune that takes one to a place around a campfire of bards!
Next up is another flash from the past, A Voice in the Dark. This song is pretty much early speed/thrash Blind Guardian but revamped for 2010. Another terrific track then follows, the epic "Wheel of Time". "Wheel of Time" basically continues with the orchestra from the first song, and probably (to me anyway) rivals the much lauded And Then There Was Silence.
Overall, the album is a return to form for the mighty Guardian. And my contender for album of the year. An essential release with a few so-so songs, but overall even the "Filler" is better than much of the last album's!
4.5/5
Saturday, December 11, 2010
King Diamond- Get Well Soon!
Reading the article written today- http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=150748 - I wanted to express my best wishes to King Diamond, a Metal Icon for nearly 3 decades.
King Diamond and his bands Mercyful Fate and also his eponymous band have remained metal staples for many years. A influence on countless legions of metal fans and who has spawned countless imitators as well.
So let's all pray/wish/intend for a clean bill of health for King.
King Diamond and his bands Mercyful Fate and also his eponymous band have remained metal staples for many years. A influence on countless legions of metal fans and who has spawned countless imitators as well.
So let's all pray/wish/intend for a clean bill of health for King.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Iron Maiden's "Dark Years" Part Two- Fear of the Dark 3.2/5.
So I figured that I would do my second installment of this blog series.
After No Prayer for the Dying, Iron Maiden had decided to go back into the studio and make a more "ambitious" record more in line with some of their mid eighties classics.
They spent more time writing and recording the subsequent album than the previous one, and also used a higher "grade" of production methods. It was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded using some digital recording techniques (more on this in a second).
The result was the album, Fear of the Dark.
Now Fear in the Dark in my eyes (and ears) has a lot in common with No Prayer for the Dying in many ways. Iron Maiden still had that "hard rock" influence pop up in songs like Weekend Warrior or From Here to Eternity. However, its not as "annoying" as in songs like Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter on the last album.
The album starts out with the first Janick Gers contribution (he wrote many of the riffs) Be Quick or Be Dead.
Like the last album, the "social commentary" element of Maiden was even more in the forefront. Be Quick or Be Dead is a song that deals with the excesses of capitalism, and its lyrics actually were not as clunky as previous Maiden's lyrics involving similar subjects. It is a fast song, not quite to power metal levels, but a very catchy song in the vein of classics like Aces High (and probably a better opener than Tailgunner from the previous album).
Then we get to "From Here to Eternity", a continuing of a lot of musical elements from the last album, but in a better fashion. It is a continuation of the saga of "Charlotte the Harlot" a semi-conceptual lyrical tradition started in the namesake song and continued in the songs "22 Acacia Avenue" and "Hooks In You".
We then go to the first "epic" song on the album, the highly underrated "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" an anti war epic penned by Steve Harris. Its twists and turns almost recall classic 70's Pink Floyd or Genesis at times, complete with a Deep Purple influenced mid section. Probably one of the best songs Maiden had done in a long time, and definitely an essential part of the album.
Next up we have the slightly plodding, but also somewhat entertaining "Fear is the Key". Lyrically it seems to be about the AIDS epidemic (among other things). It has the middle eastern sounding feel of 80's Deep Purple songs such as "Perfect Strangers". Next up is "Childhoods End", which is a more succinct version of parts of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers". "Wasting Love" is a ballad, almost hearkening back to the days of "Prodigal Son" off Killers.
"The Fugitive" (based on the TV show of the same name) then follows, and I think this song is somewhat unappreciated (and catchy).
Next we have more (of what could be considered by some) "filler", "The Apparition" and "Chains of Misery". Both songs feature progressive style riffs and cool chord changes, but ultimately kind of plod along at a ponderous pace.
Dave Murray's "Judas Be My Guide" saves the boredom at this point, before denigrating with the worst song Maiden had written since "Bring Your Daughter..", "Weekend Warrior".
"Weekend Warrior", is about British Soccer hooligans, and while its slightly more tolerable than "Bring Your Daughter" it features some of the same hard rock/ AC/DC cliches as that song (but with an added acoustic guitar part for good measure.
Now we finally come to a real "Classic" Maiden song again, "Fear of the Dark". The song's gothic type structure, psychological lyrics and epic pace make this a classic Iron Maiden song, to this day.
So that about wraps up Iron Maiden's second album with Janick Gers.
So what went wrong?
To me, even though I still enjoy the "filler" tracks to some extent, the "wrong" came in with digital recording and the "CD" age. CDs were not as common place until the early nineties, and up until then (or the late eighties even), albums were required to fit on two sides of a vinyl record (unless it was a double album, which were more expensive). With the increased availability of CDs, many bands and artists chose to make longer albums, Maiden being no exception. And its not as already Maiden weren't making long albums, but this only increased their desire to do so. But to me that is not the downfall of the album, it really has to do with the "flat" production that I always thought the album has.
While I like atmosphere, and I appreciate bands ranging from Genesis to Pink Floyd to Porcupine Tree for this, I think when Iron Maiden tried to add too much atmosphere to the proceedings, a lot of the "guts" or "balls" that make up Heavy Metal music went out the window. Or, its just a weak production, pick one of the two. I think that the album Fear of the Dark is too drenched in reverb. The digital (a first for Maiden) recording sounds flat, especially by today's standards. If it had more guts to the guitars, and more depth to the drums (rather than "added" depth of reverb) I believe it would have been a far better album. Keyboards on a metal album are fine, as is reverb, but this was too much of a good thing for Maiden. A lot of the songs (and today's Maiden is no exception) meander aimlessly, and while I appreciate that Steve Harris, Dickinson and Smith all appreciate their 70's prog rock influence, they need to learn from some of these same musicians and make prog that goes somewhere. Maiden tried to have it both ways by adding the prog into their sound while also pursuing the traditional (some would say stagnant) sum of their previous work, and it can be both a blessing and a curse (as it is today). So I do not like this as much as the previous album, but it definitely has songs (and parts) that would please any more experienced Maiden fan. And the cover art kicks ass! Though it is not Derek Riggs, it still is one of my favorite covers!
After No Prayer for the Dying, Iron Maiden had decided to go back into the studio and make a more "ambitious" record more in line with some of their mid eighties classics.
They spent more time writing and recording the subsequent album than the previous one, and also used a higher "grade" of production methods. It was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded using some digital recording techniques (more on this in a second).
The result was the album, Fear of the Dark.
Now Fear in the Dark in my eyes (and ears) has a lot in common with No Prayer for the Dying in many ways. Iron Maiden still had that "hard rock" influence pop up in songs like Weekend Warrior or From Here to Eternity. However, its not as "annoying" as in songs like Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter on the last album.
The album starts out with the first Janick Gers contribution (he wrote many of the riffs) Be Quick or Be Dead.
Like the last album, the "social commentary" element of Maiden was even more in the forefront. Be Quick or Be Dead is a song that deals with the excesses of capitalism, and its lyrics actually were not as clunky as previous Maiden's lyrics involving similar subjects. It is a fast song, not quite to power metal levels, but a very catchy song in the vein of classics like Aces High (and probably a better opener than Tailgunner from the previous album).
Then we get to "From Here to Eternity", a continuing of a lot of musical elements from the last album, but in a better fashion. It is a continuation of the saga of "Charlotte the Harlot" a semi-conceptual lyrical tradition started in the namesake song and continued in the songs "22 Acacia Avenue" and "Hooks In You".
We then go to the first "epic" song on the album, the highly underrated "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" an anti war epic penned by Steve Harris. Its twists and turns almost recall classic 70's Pink Floyd or Genesis at times, complete with a Deep Purple influenced mid section. Probably one of the best songs Maiden had done in a long time, and definitely an essential part of the album.
Next up we have the slightly plodding, but also somewhat entertaining "Fear is the Key". Lyrically it seems to be about the AIDS epidemic (among other things). It has the middle eastern sounding feel of 80's Deep Purple songs such as "Perfect Strangers". Next up is "Childhoods End", which is a more succinct version of parts of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers". "Wasting Love" is a ballad, almost hearkening back to the days of "Prodigal Son" off Killers.
"The Fugitive" (based on the TV show of the same name) then follows, and I think this song is somewhat unappreciated (and catchy).
Next we have more (of what could be considered by some) "filler", "The Apparition" and "Chains of Misery". Both songs feature progressive style riffs and cool chord changes, but ultimately kind of plod along at a ponderous pace.
Dave Murray's "Judas Be My Guide" saves the boredom at this point, before denigrating with the worst song Maiden had written since "Bring Your Daughter..", "Weekend Warrior".
"Weekend Warrior", is about British Soccer hooligans, and while its slightly more tolerable than "Bring Your Daughter" it features some of the same hard rock/ AC/DC cliches as that song (but with an added acoustic guitar part for good measure.
Now we finally come to a real "Classic" Maiden song again, "Fear of the Dark". The song's gothic type structure, psychological lyrics and epic pace make this a classic Iron Maiden song, to this day.
So that about wraps up Iron Maiden's second album with Janick Gers.
So what went wrong?
To me, even though I still enjoy the "filler" tracks to some extent, the "wrong" came in with digital recording and the "CD" age. CDs were not as common place until the early nineties, and up until then (or the late eighties even), albums were required to fit on two sides of a vinyl record (unless it was a double album, which were more expensive). With the increased availability of CDs, many bands and artists chose to make longer albums, Maiden being no exception. And its not as already Maiden weren't making long albums, but this only increased their desire to do so. But to me that is not the downfall of the album, it really has to do with the "flat" production that I always thought the album has.
While I like atmosphere, and I appreciate bands ranging from Genesis to Pink Floyd to Porcupine Tree for this, I think when Iron Maiden tried to add too much atmosphere to the proceedings, a lot of the "guts" or "balls" that make up Heavy Metal music went out the window. Or, its just a weak production, pick one of the two. I think that the album Fear of the Dark is too drenched in reverb. The digital (a first for Maiden) recording sounds flat, especially by today's standards. If it had more guts to the guitars, and more depth to the drums (rather than "added" depth of reverb) I believe it would have been a far better album. Keyboards on a metal album are fine, as is reverb, but this was too much of a good thing for Maiden. A lot of the songs (and today's Maiden is no exception) meander aimlessly, and while I appreciate that Steve Harris, Dickinson and Smith all appreciate their 70's prog rock influence, they need to learn from some of these same musicians and make prog that goes somewhere. Maiden tried to have it both ways by adding the prog into their sound while also pursuing the traditional (some would say stagnant) sum of their previous work, and it can be both a blessing and a curse (as it is today). So I do not like this as much as the previous album, but it definitely has songs (and parts) that would please any more experienced Maiden fan. And the cover art kicks ass! Though it is not Derek Riggs, it still is one of my favorite covers!
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