RAYSREALM

Friday, February 6, 2009

GRAND HALLS 17

FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST – “In The Name Of” 1984 (Amar, US) – Ok, now we’re talking weird. Are there a Weird Halls, because if there are, this record would be one of the first ones in. Arriving in unsuspecting record stores during 1984, this complete oddity ended up in “Heavy Metal” sections, lodged between “Exciter” and “Fist.” There it probably stayed, it’s shrink wrap splitting & yellowing until it was purchased by someone sick freak (like me) who, eyeing the comedic-grotesque cover art, figured it for something to spin while giving “Show No Mercy” a rest. And yet…it wasn’t. See, FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST were not proto-death metal, thrash, or even all that heavy. They were an almost indescribable brand of kinda hard rock that was, at times, even laced with a commercial funk vibe and drizzled with a dollop of Jackson/Charvel guitar shred. Even more bizarre is the lyrical and visual aspect. First you’ve got the garish funeral cover art, then combined with a pseudo religious feel, marked by the inside cover photos in a huge cross and the band name itself. Then, figure a lyric like that from “Stayin’ Power”: “White hot, I’ve got all I need. It’s so hard, baby, don’t let me breathe…heatin’ up my rocket and watchin’ it grow…And I’ve got a hot nerve, touch it…Stayin’ Power – thank you, God.” What the freaking hell?! To cap off the left-field factor of this band/release and to partially explain the moniker, the vocalist (Joe Ferentino) and lead guitarist (Mike Ferentino) are father and son! I have no idea what kind of rating I would give this album, except for 3 things: 1) When I sold all my vinyl a few years ago, for some reason (which may be an indicator of mental illness on my part), it was one of the 40 records I could not bring myself to part with. 2) Ozzy Osbourne is the first name in the thanks section 3) One of my most treasured fanzines of the early metal days was Rudo Anvilmeister’s Suck City. It was a mag that worshipped Cirith Ungol, featured an ongoing fictional work about a planet ruled by a race of Uli Jon Roths and once included an article about why Styx was the worst band of all time. So, in Rudo’s spirit, I now pronounce this record: 8 Cents

GRAND HALLS 16

1980 BRATS – “1980 Brats” 1980 (CBS, Denmark) – Like a lot of other albums that are very important to me, I remember the day I got this one in a very cool trade. I actually remember calling in to work & saying I had a doctor’s appointment so that I could go to the Post Office & pick up the package that I knew contained this motherfucker. As it happened, I’d only been initially interested in the record for collector’s purposes, as it features the embryonic guitar work of Mercyful Fate’s Hank Shermann & Michael Denner. I had heard from a friend that it was predominantly trashy & somewhat pedestrian punk and, on my first listen, that’s how it hit me. Only one problem with that scenario, however. Over the years, it came to pass that 1980 BRATS lone effort became one of my most-played platters. Explaining that may not be as difficult as it seems. To begin with, this LP is easily one of the most weirdly original things I’ve ever heard. Cross some “Hell Bent…” Priest-styled rhythms with a, yes, punk feel and mix in totally over-the-top, ferocious lead guitar. Think BOULDER, in that regard. Then, stir in pure catchiness. The riffs to “Heavy Rocker” and “OY-905,” while being as heavy as a girl named Birtha driving a dump truck, also sport some of the best hooks I’ve heard in life. When you combine that all with Yenz Cheyenne’s in-your-face, “fuck off” vocal delivery, you’ve got a mix that I’ve never heard anywhere else and that defies genres while straddling several. Did I mention the Russian folk song SUNG by Michael Denner?! How ‘bout the impossibly rare-looking silver-foil cover with the band jamming? Both Hank & Michael are playing Flying V’s and Shermann has a Priest shirt on! Lead axe death, incredibly rare, find and die! 10.0

GRAND HALLS 15

INDIAN SUMMER – “Indian Summer” 1971 (Neon, Eng) – Roger Bain is one of the greatest producers of heavy rock ever. Period. End of story. Well, you know it’s not the end of the story, you know I’m going to keep going, so bear with me. Just listen to all the old Sabbath & Budgie records in your collection. He had a way of combining a band’s heaviness and subtlety, bringing out the creativity in them and taking them to the next level. What people may not realize is that this studio god twiddled the knobs for some lesser-known groups like Wild Turkey and Coventry’s INDIAN SUMMER. This band was composed of Bob Jackson (keys/lead vox), Colin Williams (guitar/vox), Paul Hooper (drums/vox) and Malcolm Harper (bass/vox). It’s clear, however, that the stars of the bunch were Jackson & Williams. Through the 8 lengthy cuts here (all in the 5 ½ to 6 ½ minute range) Bob & Colin trade extended, exploratory solos while Mr. Jackson belts out some wailing that even gets into the Ian Gillan area. The entire feel of this record is not what I would call gut-wrenchingly heavy, so those who can only be satisfied by tuned-down distorted mayhem need not investigate. No, this is a deeper, more pastoral form of “heavy” that permeated every band Roger Bain touched and since I’ve first heard the album it’s been one I can grab nearly any time and enjoy. All 8 cuts are great, but when you listen to Colin William’s long-assed guitar solos in numbers like “Emotions Of Men” and “Glimpse,” you’ll fly your freak flag high. A word of warning is that the original vinyl of “Indian Summer” is horrible in terms of surface noise. So, I’m glad to say that this has been re-issued on CD and is fairly easy to find in listenable condition. 9.0

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

GRAND HALLS 14

VAN HALEN – “Fair Warning” 1981 (Warner Bros., US) – I’m suspecting all the “underground only” types are circling the wagons upon reading the heading of this article. Cries of “Ray’s gone mainstream!” fill the air like a raucous din as an angry mob with pitchforks & torches marches upon the buttresses of the ‘REALM. Well, ok, maybe that’s a little extreme because any rawker, no matter how far their gnarled tendrils extend into the depths of “obscure” knows that the first VAN HALEN album kicks friggin’ ass. What some may not be aware of, though, is the molten monster that came some 3 albums later. See, “Fair Warning” was not so much of a warning at all, as by the time needle hit vinyl, the storm was already upon you, giving you six-string friction burns.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s try and figure out why this damn thing is such a beast…what events conspired to make this, yes, my favourite VAN HALEN album. Let’s look closer at the band’s recorded history at that point. Not much needs to be said about their 1978 eponymous debut. Non-stop heavy metal party classic with one of the most brash, ass-busting lead guitar performances of all-time. Then came “Van Halen II” in ’79. It was…um…ok. Sort of like everything the first album was…and less. Funny, but you can go through the record & almost match the 2 records up, song-for-song, with each one on “II” being a lesser version of those on “One.” Sheezus, the opening cover of “She’s No Good” is a poorer man’s “Runnin’ With The Devil,” right down to the bass line. There were 3 roaring numbers that could hold their own with the debut’s fare, the scorching duo of “Somebody Get Me A Doctor” & “Light Up The Sky” and a piledriver called “D.O.A.” With 1980’s “Women and Children First,” VAN HALEN displayed an alarming creative dip as well as a serious nod at attracting an even more commercial audience. The opener “And The Cradle Will Rock” sounds tired and plodding. Things don’t improve a whole lot during the next 30 minutes. Tracks like “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “Fools” each drag through nearly 6-minute slogs of mid-paced boredom and the only real bright spot is the jaunty blues of “Take Your Whiskey Home.”

So, it’s clear at this point, that VAN HALEN were poised to either shit or get off the pot on the next album. Surely, there was something left of the band that created that brain-crunching debut? Another factor in what was to come next lay in that strange old bedfellow of oft-great recordings: internal strife. Apparently, those were the days that the sparks were really beginning to fly between David Lee Roth and his party-hardy outlook dueling with Eddie Van Halen’s interest in pursuing some heavier, more complex material. Those sparks would extend to the upcoming music. And, finally…remember the year that “Fair Warning” was released: 1981. Think about it! The absolute height of the NWOBHM. Maybe VH were big-time arena superstars by then, but I’m certain the rawer, more visceral sounds from across the pond in the form of Iron Maiden, Diamond Head & Angel Witch were not lost on these guys.

And so, we come to 1981’s VAN HALEN release, “Fair Warning.” Opening with a short, untitled guitar piece, the album proceeds to explode with my favourite VH song ever, the marauding “Mean Street.” Borne on a riff that can only be described as completely classic, Roth surprises the listener by eschewing his usual banter about beautiful girls in the California sun to speak of “stinking streets” & “the living dead.” Midway, Eddie unleashes a solo that, as so many of his old ones do, has the listener’s jaw on the floor but this one is different. It flaunts a lyrical, jazzy overtone that may well speak of his, at that time, growing interest in fusion players like Alan Holdsworth. “Dirty Movies,” while taking a somewhat lighter-handed approach than it’s monster predecessor is still plenty rocking and, once again, takes on a decidedly darker lyrical tenor than we’d come to expect from Diamond Dave. Without a warning (ouch!), then, VAN HALEN bursts into the 3-minute hailstorm of “Sinner’s Swing!” Here, Roth ups the ante by snarling “she looks so fucking good” (no attempt at a single there) and Eddie delivers another corking lead, one he himself described as sounding like “falling down the stairs.” It does! Side One comes to a convincing close with the catchy albeit kick ass “Heard About It Later” and with that, “Women & Children First” is nothing but a bad memory.

Leading the charge into the B-side of “Fair Warning” is another of my very favourite VH ditties, “Unchained.” This song is remarkable in that while featuring a particularly caustic distorted riff, it is catchy beyond all reason…pure genius and again, another sickly hot Eddie V solo. Actually, “Unchained” is the first of 3 consecutive cuts that should’ve been massive radio hits, the other 2 being “Push Comes To Shove” and “So This Is Love?,” again all works of rawkin’ art, pushing the boundaries of the place where butt-busting hard rock meets sterling hook craftsmanship. To be fair, “Unchained” has gotten the most radio play of any song on this record but it damn sure wasn’t enough. Then, as the album draws to a close, things really get weird. First, there’s one of the most left-field curve balls VH has ever thrown the listener, the deceptively titled “Sunday Afternoon In The Park.” While sounding for all the world like it would be a sequel to Roth’s teenage seduction dreams of “Beautiful Girls,” “Sunday…” is actually a creepy 2-minute keyboard instrumental that wouldn’t be out of place on an album by Italian doom master, Paul Chain! Finally, taking the whiskey home is “One Foot Out The Door,” another oddly-short cut this time, with somewhat strange vocals, guitar rhythms that seem synthesized and a burst of soloing from Eddie that takes my breath away every time.

Yes it’s true, if you run the words “VAN HALEN” by a lot of underground metal fans, you’re going to get your fair share of derisive laughs. …But that’s hardly fair, especially when you think about the Marshall-driven bottle rocket known as the first album and, even more so this somewhat hidden behemoth from 1981. Believe me, this sumbitch is no warning shot…it’s a direct hit. 10.0

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Putting The Final Wrap-Up On 2008!

The following 2 posts include my Top 10 for 2008 and the one compiled from all you readers who were kind enough to send in your thoughts. Thanks for making this, once again, the largest reader vote turn-out so far! And, remember...any of you who sent me a Top 10 will be receiving a special commemorative Raysrealm gift in the snail mail soon (hopefully by the end of February). Thanks again and let's hope for a great 2009 at the Realm and with all of you!

- Ray -

RAY'S TOP 10 OF 2008 REVEALED!

1. IMPERIAL BATTLESNAKE – “Sentinels Of The Hardland” - This Chicago band’s 2nd full-length album is the sonic equivalent of being thrown in an industrial-sized clothes dryer with a handful of live grenades. The guitar work of Mlodzilla & Ronnie James Theo sounds like Chuck Schuldiner & Tony Bourge dropped into a cement mixer with a 10 gallon drum of horse steroids & a box of wah-wah pedals. Wes Nile’s vocals are the unholy amalgam of Blaine Cook and Zack De La Rocha…if they were both locked in a room and told their mommies did nasty things. The album has songs called, among other things “Funeral Hymn Of The Albatross” and “Priapism.” It is totally awesome.

http://www.imperialbattlesnake.com/
www.myspace.com/imperialbattlesnake

2. BIBLE OF THE DEVIL – “Freedom Metal” – Show me a band who’s put out 5 albums over the last several years, getting better every time and giving the metal world yet another clinic in Chicago Flying V Attack 101 every time. After ‘06’s concept effort “The Diabolic Procession,” this sees ‘em dishing out a simply riveting set of post-NWOBHM rifferama that starts at the first note of “Hijack The Night” and doesn’t let up until the dying strains of “500 More.” A couple nifty surprises like the super-melodic “Heat Feeler” & the Lynott-like “Ol’ Girl” sweeten the pot. Let all your friends who don’t like lead guitar hear this and watch the melted brains ooze out their ears.

www.bibleofthedevil.com/
www.myspace.com/bibleofthedevil

3. SANTERIA – “Year Of The Knife” – Seems SANTERIA’s drummer was involved in a serious car accident after their last album (2003) and it was thought the dude may never even walk again, let alone play the tubs. Do these Louisiana Cajun rawkers snag another stickman & move on? Nah, have a little faith, wait for their bro and sure enough, he’s back on the stool. It’s an even better story because this follow-up, some 5 years later, is enough to make anyone foolish enough to worry about a Led Zeppelin reunion forget it anyway. Much like da Zep, SANTERIA move easily from catchy heavy rock to ethnic exploration to more epic & challenging pieces, all with a singular deftness & class. Show me a more powerful song this year than “Haunted Heart.”

www.officialsanteria.com/
www.myspace.com/santeria777

4. COLOSSUS – “…And The Rift Of The Pan-Dimensional Undergods” – Proving that North Carolina has something fantastic besides The Outer Banks & college basketball, this 6-man wrecking crew flew in out of nowhere with one of the best debut metal albums in many a long year. Taking elements from everything from Maiden to Mercyful Fate to early Priest to Thin Lizzy, the quality never dips an iota from one end of this bad boy to the other. It all reaches a double-zenith in the lengthy opus “Willow” as well as the impossibly catchy, wonderfully titled “Ghostfucker.” Oh and yeah…they’ve got THREE LEAD GUITAR PLAYERS!

www.meltedfaces.com/
www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou

5. VALKYRIE – “Man Of Two Visions” – Capturing the feel of a place is not something usually expected from an underground metal band, but Virginia’s VALKYRIE do it right on this, their 2nd full length effort. Between the perceptive vocals, the unforgettable melodies and the Wishbone Ash-like dual guitar leads, there’s a rural-yet-heavy vibe here that completely encapsulates The Shenandoah Valley. The songwriting of brother guitarists Jake & Pete Adams is transcendental, as they move from the Maiden/Trouble amalgam of “Running Out” through the rustic guitar piece, “The Gorge.”

www.thevalkyrierides.com/
www.myspace.com/valkyrie

6. U.S. CHRISTMAS – “Eat The Low Dogs” – Damn, North Carolina strikes again! This time it’s a band who’s been around for awhile, bubbling beneath the surface with somewhat obscure releases until the smart folks at Neurot decided to give this killer gift to the world. I’ve said it at least once & I’ll say it again, this is music that is truly frightening and yet, in a most delightful way. Thundering & dense metallic chords lay a bed for howling feedback & theremin to lay as uneasy bedfellows as a wave of psychedelic paralysis sweeps over the listener. Hurts so good.

www.myspace.com/uschristmas

7. AGAINST NATURE – “Accumulus / Natural Blue” – I gotta admit. It’s pretty hard for me to pry AN’s 2007 “The Anxiety Of Influence” out of my player. Those two 20+ minute epics comprised a helluva percentage of my listening time over the last couple years. Still, unwilling to rest on their laurels, this Baltimore band not only graced us with a few EP’s and 2 (that’s right, TWO) full lengthers this year. Forging a melodic yet way-powerful style of ‘70’s heavy rock/prog, they then lace it with aspects of jazz and somehow create songs you’ll never forget. One listen to “…Blue’s” “Lemongrass” & you’ll be hooked and John Brenner’s tone-master guitar vibe is just icing on the cake.

www.againstnature.us/
www.myspace.com/blandhandrecords

8. BLACK 47 – “Iraq” – I’m convinced that there may not be any band in the broad brushstroke of “rock” who can dance between genres with such a smooth touch as New York’s BLACK 47. For years now, this bunch has created music that begins with a basic beat and then opens it’s arms to embrace everything from Celtic folk to NYC punk to Latin to hip-hop to the vast, panoramic arrangements of The Boss’ E Street band. Topping it off are the riveting & poignant lyrics of Larry Kirwan, this time exploring the myriad feelings of the Iraq conflict from experiences of those who were there. Special stuff.

www.black47.com/
www.myspace.com/black47band

9. TIFFANY APAN – “Poet” – Having noted the relative shortage of quality Celtic folk releases over the last year or so, it was an absolute pleasure to have this disc come sliding out of the mailbox and into my player. Simply put, TIFFANY has one of those special voices that not only makes a song but completely owns it. Her ability to write top-level songs and then to mold & shape them with a voice like gold is wonderful. Songs like “Ashes To Dust” & “Warrior (Soldier For Myself)” are other-worldly in their depth & soul and Jason English’s sometimes heavy guitar work adds a surprising & welcome edge.

www.tiffany-apan.com/
www.myspace.com/tiffanyapanmusic

10. CYNIC (UK) – “Suburban Crisis” – I won’t go into the whole odd parallel of two different CYNIC’s taking year’s to release albums, only to both do it this past year. See the January ’08 blog for that. I will, however, take the time to once again sing the praises of this English band who had their origins in the NWOBHM. Sporting a sound that’s surely steeped in those golden years of the past, CYNIC brings the spirit forward in a manner that makes tracks like “Dark December” & “Eight Below” way more than just viable in today’s metal scene. Special kudos go to vocalist Shaun Grant, who manages to find a way to merge aspects of both Lemmy & Mike Lezala (Legend) into his style.

www.cynicuk.com/
www.myspace.com/cynicuk