Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Update 3/24/06

[Deathstroke]

Welcome to the 13th edition of my HR/HM Update for 2006!

I figured I start this week with a new feature. It's going to be:

Rock/Metal Album Of The Week

I draw this from my own collection, and I'm starting off with Iron Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. It's in my top 3 Maiden albums ever, running neck and neck with The Number of The Beast and Somewhere In Time.

It's Maiden's concept album with a battle between good and evil over one man. It features one of Maiden's true "hits" with "Can I Play With Madness?" and it also has one of the all time classic tracks in "The Clairvoyant."

Hard driving metallic romps, instrumental work second to none, and of course classic Air Raid Siren Dickinson vocals. It's just pure classic Iron Maiden.

Miscellaneous News

The death of the former Femme Fatale member Bill D'Angelo on November 21st has been ruled a methamphetamine overdose.

Former Fates Warning guitarist Frank Aresti has a new project called Dark Day Sunday. You can check out 3 songs at the band's Myspace page. (http://www.myspace.com/darkdaysunday)


Music & Video Of The Week

Here's a live MPG video of Lullacry performing an acoustic version of their song "Fire Within." (http://koti.welho.com/svauhko2/Lullacry_acoustic_fire.mpg)

Ted Poley's Collateral Damage CD is coming out from Kivel Records. Here's a sample from that CD.

"Breathing Doll" (http://www.melodicrock.com/audio/TedPoley02.mp3)

Here's a Melodicrock.com CD Showcase for the new Survivor album Reach. (http://www.melodicrock.com/showcase/survivor-reach.html)

This Week's Interviews

Rob Zombie (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060321/ap_en_mu/celeb_q_a_rob_zombie)
Witchery bassist Patrik Jensen (http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=4438)
Slave To The System singer/guitarist Damon Johnson (http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=4436)
Mudvayne drummer Matt McDonough (http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=4449)
Napalm Death vocalist Barney Greenway (http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=4448)
Beyond Fear's Tim "Ripper" Owens & John Comprix (http://www.piercingmetal.com/interview_beyondfear_031706.htm)

Record Deals

Black Label Society has signed a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Roadrunner Records.

Jon Oliva's Pain has signed with Germany's AFM Records. The new album Maniacal Renderings will be out in September 2006.

Comings & Goings

Chris Caffery has parted ways with drummer Jeff Plate. Statement! (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=49835)

Lizzy Borden is back! A Statement from Lizzy (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=50031). You can check the band out via their MySpace page. (http://www.myspace.com/lizzybordenband)

Ryan Roxie has quit the Alice Cooper band. He will reportedly be replaced by guitarist Keri Kelli.

Here's a look at the 2006 lineup for Metal Church with new drummer Jeff Plate (far right)
http://metalchurch.com/images/bw2006.jpg

CD Reviews

Rob Zombie - Educated Horses (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=655)
Venom - Metal Black (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=654)
Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear (http://www.piercingmetal.com/cd_beyondfear_beyondfear.htm)


CD & DVD News Of The Week

Therion will release a six disc DVD/CD set called Celebrators Of Becoming on May 5th. Here's the details. (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=50095) In related news, the group's vocalist plans to give up the position. The story (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=49941)

D-A-D has a new live DVD/CD called Scare Yourself Alive coming out May 8th on EMI.

Here's news on the plans for Rainbow DVD releases (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=49977) and live CD releases. (http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=50078)

The third album from Audioslave will be titled Revelations.

Here's the cover art for the new Tool album 10,000 Days.
http://www.toolband.com/news/images/xmdays_mini_art.jpg

House of Lords has signed with Frontiers Records and will release their new studio album World Upside Down on May 19th, 2006.

Here's a look at the new lineup (original member Gregg Giuffria also helped with the new album)
http://www.melodicrock.com/houseoflords-2006.jpg
(from L-R: vocalist James Christian, drummer B.J. Zampa, guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist/keyboardist Jeff Kent)

The track listing below contains four song samples.

01. Mask Of Eternity
02. These Are The Times (http://www.frontiers.it/portals/0/hol_02theseare.mp3)
03. All The Way To Heaven (http://www.frontiers.it/portals/0/hol_03-alltheway.mp3)
04. Field Of Shattered Dreams
05. I Am Free
06. All The Pieces Falling (http://www.frontiers.it/portals/0/hol_06allthepiecesf.mp3)
07. Rock Bottom
08. Million Miles
09. Your Eyes
10. Ghost Of Time
11. My Generation
12. "S.O.S." (http://www.frontiers.it/portals/0/hol_12-sos.mp3)
13. World Upside Down

The cover art:
http://www.melodicrock.com/houseoflords-worldupsidedown250.jpg

[DonC]

Didn't Audioslave just release an album like 6 months ago? They're already recording their third one?

[Deathstroke]

Didn't Audioslave just release an album like 6 months ago? They're already recording their third one?

Yes Indeed!

It's been a real busy week for me, so I haven't even had time to listen to some of the stuff I posted in the links this week.

I'm looking forward to hearing the House of Lords and Dark Day Sunday.

[Hiromi]

House of Lords new stuff sounds good, and I continue to wait anxiously for the new Tool album.

[Core]

Rock/Metal Album Of The Week

I draw this from my own collection, and I'm starting off with Iron Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. It's in my top 3 Maiden albums ever, running neck and neck with The Number of The Beast and Somewhere In Time.

It's Maiden's concept album with a battle between good and evil over one man. It features one of Maiden's true "hits" with "Can I Play With Madness?" and it also has one of the all time classic tracks in "The Clairvoyant."

Hard driving metallic romps, instrumental work second to none, and of course classic Air Raid Siren Dickinson vocals. It's just pure classic Iron Maiden.



Agreed on all points. Seventh Son has been a staple of my metal collection ever since it was first released, and I'd go as far as saying it's my favorite Maiden album by a considerable margin. I think the album works best if listened to all at once, but despite that, songs like "Infinite Dreams" and "The Prophecy" stand up well by themselves.

On a side note, I nearly had to break up with my girlfriend last week when she said that Dickinson doesn’t have a distinctive vocal sound. It might be excusable if she hadn't heard much 80's metal, but for someone who has more than a nodding familiarity with those powerhouse metal acts, it's a cardinal offense. Thankfully, she agreed to sing all of the Priest Screaming for Vengeance album acapella as penance.

[Hiromi]

Heh, yeah, we just call him The Air Raid Siren for the Hell of it, no other reason at all.

[Deathstroke]

On a side note, I nearly had to break up with my girlfriend last week when she said that Dickinson doesn’t have a distinctive vocal sound. It might be excusable if she hadn't heard much 80's metal, but for someone who has more than a nodding familiarity with those powerhouse metal acts, it's a cardinal offense. Thankfully, she agreed to sing all of the Priest Screaming for Vengeance album acapella as penance.

Seriously, if I had a girlfriend who could sing Screaming For Vengeance electric or acapella, she'd be my wife.

[DonC]

On a side note, I nearly had to break up with my girlfriend last week when she said that Dickinson doesn’t have a distinctive vocal sound. It might be excusable if she hadn't heard much 80's metal, but for someone who has more than a nodding familiarity with those powerhouse metal acts, it's a cardinal offense. Thankfully, she agreed to sing all of the Priest Screaming for Vengeance album acapella as penance.


Lemme know if you ever break up with her, okay? ;)

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Didn't Audioslave just release an album like 6 months ago? They're already recording their third one?


Cornell and the group had enough material left from thier last album to really start work on thier 3rd album. Its pretty wild that Audioslave is rolling into thier 3rd album while it took so many years for RATM to put out albums . And whatever happened to Zach De-Rocha's solo album ?

[Deathstroke]

Former Fates Warning guitarist Frank Aresti has a new project called Dark Day Sunday. You can check out 3 songs at the band's Myspace page. (http://www.myspace.com/darkdaysunday)


I finally got to check this out today and man, I was very surprised to find out how much I enjoyed the three songs. Definitely check this out!

[Generic Eric]

anyone listen to Rob Zombies new album? Would you call it a must buy?

[Deathstroke]

I've only heard a couple of tracks off the Rob Zombie album. They are okay, but nothing that would make me buy the album.

[Generic Eric]

I've only heard a couple of tracks off the Rob Zombie album. They are okay, but nothing that would make me buy the album.
Yeah, maybe I'll just save my money to go see him live at the House of Blues.

[Deathstroke]

I finally got the chance to listen to the Ted Poley and House Of Lords samples.

Ted Poley - The "Breathing Doll" clip is okay, but it doesn't make me want to go out and get the album.

House Of Lords: - I really liked "These Are The Times." Very muscular sounding, rougher sounding vocals.

"All The Way To Heaven" and "All The Pieces Falling" are okay, but not great.

"S.O.S." - This song is a pretty damn good rocker.

I hope that the website I write reviews for gets the House Of Lords CD for us to review.