-This last weekend nights for playin good, old vinyls and I give you a summary of it here. When Friday evenin started I felt like I needed somethin to get in ecstatic motion from and a kick-off right a-fuckin-way, so I started with MINISTRY: «The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste» (1989). Its difficult to sit down quiet when this LP runs on the record-player. Electrometal crossover that works so damn well and makes u feel like a fearless superman! With songs like «Thieves», «Burning Inside», «Breath» and «So What» get u right there in motion right away, and the rest of the songs the same vein and quality. Just a pity my dog before loved this LP just as much and bite off one corner. I dont know about the rest of the world, but at least some places in Norway this was one important album to make the synth-people and metalheads shake hands instead of throwin rocks in each others heads.
-Next LP chosen was MÖTLEY CRÜE: «Shout At The Devil» (1983). This is a long time metal fave of mine and I guess, if u dont like this album u probably dont like me either. This LP is an obvious choice play round round when I chosin music, and it collects no dust here. A revolutionary US Heavy Metal album both music, style, sound, image, lyrix. And the album that started so much music that would follow later. Songs like «Looks That Kill», «Too Young To Fall In Love» and the title-track have got the coolest kinds of riffs, roughness and good, old US Metal feelin. The original bad boys of US Heavy Metal tourin Canada these days and the clips Ive seen from shows earlier this year left me with the impression this is still amazin. Mick Mars has a more ghostly look now and Vince Neil seems to have got himself a pretty nice stomach. The reunion of the original line-up in 2004 resulted in the «Carnival Of Sins» DVD in 2005, which is still one of my fave concert DVDs. Its much focus on the «Shout At The Devil» album, startin with its intro and playin many songs from it. A long concert far beyond 2 hours with naughty dwarfs, demonic clowns, female acrobats in the air, motorcycles on stage, incredible light show and all in all very, very good. On the DVD it says the runnin-time is 3 hours and 17 mins, thats becoz its a lot of bonus material as well. Also Vince Neil sings the songs in a bit different way but still with the feelin of the old days. I thought this perhaps would be the bands last chapter, but thats definately not true since they're still goin strong and havin an amazin theatrical stage show. MÖTLEY CRÜE sold out on the Joint in Las Vegas in Feb 2012 and they be back there this Sept/Oct.
-This was supposed to be a summary of some LPs I listened through, so lets continue. Ok, after the last quite calm song on the «Shout At The Devil» album it was time for somethin more rough and I picked RAZOR: «Evil Invaders» (1985). God damn this LP hurts almost like the SAW movies from the very first moment. Its got a sound so sharp and dirty and brutal its like a cheese grater cut off the skin of ur body! «Up your ass, right here, right now!» (btw, tht is a boot or a knife if u prefer). Im just as surprised of how rough and brutal this album sounds every time I listen to it. Definately one of the absolute fave thrash albums in my collection. RAZOR havent released a new album since 1997, but its plans for a new recordin. So far they have been tourin and playin festivals in the new millennium. Guitarist Dave Carlo was diagnosed with cancer last year, but he seems to have been cured and he has actually been rehearsin with the original RAZOR line-up now in 2013.
-Its kind of funny each time I pull out and play KISS: «Lick It Up» (1983). I smile coz its not what people expect but each and every time people get surprised and get into the heavy and bombastic «Not For The Innocent» (maybe people have forgot it, I dont know). Considerin its 1983 its also hard and rough on «Young And Wasted». Party LP and among the Kings of the Jews best albums.
-Ok lets go further back in time with NAZARETH: «Expect No Mercy» (1977). My body start movin like the music from the first moment of this LP, openin with the title-track, which has got such a coool riff. Then a fast country blues song and next one a ballad (time for some talkin instead). «Revenge Is Sweet» is more like the title-track and A-side ends with «Gimme Whats Mine» which is groovy like «Kentucky Fried Blues» and «New York Broken Toy» on the B side, while «Busted» is blues. If some thought NAZARETH was a christian rock band before and now 45 years later, better think twice and listen to «When Jesus Comes To Save The World Again» from their «Big Dogz» 2011 album, such a great song!! Also a very good album with the kind of rock I like to hear combined with the typical hoarse vocal of Dan McCafferty. Even NAZARETH has been branded as a ballad-band they do much more than that and they have for sure no plans to quit their carreer. NAZARETH song «God Of The Mountain» for the Austrian Ski Federation world cup season this year, Stevie Agnew's debut-album «Wreckin Yard» out in January and in between the band's worldwide tourin this year they intend to record a new album expected released 2013.
-Ok, better not fall asleep and time put on somethin that usually works like an energy drink. HELLOWEEN: «Helloween» (pic.disc 1986) is one fine, structured classic album of Speed Metal Power Thrash. Its always nice hear this old sound with their early songs and even the middle part of «Victim Of Fear» like a dark, satanic tale. The pic.disc has the 2 minutes and 8 seconds «Surprise Track» which starts with the «Halloween» movie soundtrack theme, then a version of «White X-Mas» and this 3-part-song ends with some country tunes. The new HELLOWEEN album «Straight Out Of Hell» (Sony, 2013) is better than I expected, pretty cool catchy thrash and pretty raw sound not exactly polished. So even its a new band line-up than the 80s they can still do some interestin music.
-Can just as well continue with some more brutality and chose POSSESSED: «Seven Churches» (1985). This is a revolutionary Death Metal album openin with the excellent «The Exorcist» and the song «Death Metal» introduced this music-style to the world. If you're familiar with D.M. u know wht this album is all about, if ure not familiar with D.M. this is a good choice to make u get the feelin of how things be with the dirty, sharp and very aggressive sound of the early days of this genree.
-Ok, we go back in time again to feel rock'n'roll in a trance way with the fantastic LP «World Anthem» (1977) by Frank Marino & MAHOGANY RUSH. U be captured in a musicspace beyond recognition with the solos of Frank Marino and the sound of tunes makin it both catchy and strange. The A side start with «Requiem For A Sinner» which is such a great song and the A side ends with the song «In My Ways», which I consider one of the best songs in the history of music!!! Im lucky I didnt run out of RÅKK OG RÅLLS some time back in the 90s when owner kind of hold me back so I could hear this music. I got into it right away and I listened to the whole A side, resultin in me buyin it that same day and I have never regret it. JUDAS PRIEST was the support band for MAHOGANY RUSH in 1978 and in 1979 AC/DC was their support band. Even if the main music influence for Frank Marino was his many acid trips in the early days he has still shown his extraordinary talent for guitar-playin as sober through the new millennium.
-From one guitar magician to another, ØYSTEIN SUNDE: «1001 Fnatt» (1970). This LP opens with a kind of space jazz song and the next takes us back in time to the music of the early 20th century. Third song, the instrumental «400 Meter Hekk» has some real fast and very impressive banjo playin, ala music of «Deliverance» the movie. The longest song (3:20) on this LP is «Sykkel Eiker» which is one real experimental guitar instrumental. Two of ØYSTEIN SUNDEs most familiar and funny songs included on this album: «Super-SS-Rally-GT-Fastback-Hardtop-Sprint» and «Jaktprat». Its lots of humour in many of ØYSTEIN SUNDEs lyrix and another example is the strange Norwegian voice on the intro of «Sigurd Jorsalfar». Yeah, unfortunately for foreigners (hehe) its all in Norwegian. Anyway, even on this album, which is the debut, he proved his skills and when guitar heroes like Mark Knopfler call him one of the best guitar players in the world, well that pretty much says it all. ØYSTEIN SUNDE was the first Scandinavian to get a signature guitar from Martin back in Oct 2009. Norwegian tour 2013 started in the beginnin of this year and will continue in the autumn.
-Ok, time to sleep some before the next vinyl day and another summary of LPs, but in between I like to mention the new Danish kings of Thrash Metal, whos name is ESSENCE. Their new album «Last Night Of Solace» (out on NoiseArt Rec, 29th of March) is one really catchy Thrash Metal album with a raw, sharp and unpolished sound and I like the performance as well, also great technical musicians. They have been described as a mix between KREATOR and DESTRUCTION and I may add SODOM as well. If ure lookin for some new quality Thrash Metal with reference to the old days, then this is absolutely an album u should get!
-Next vinyl day started with MADAM X: «High In High School» (1984). This is cool Heavyrock which makes a party started. This is another example of music that got me interested in Heavy Metal as a teenager. Anyway, sometimes its enough playin a couple of songs from an LP, in this case the openin-title-track and the next «Come One, Come All», the best choice, and not to forget the last song on the album «Stand Up And Fight». If ure not familiar with this band u should trace pix of the bassist Chris Doliber and u will find out why he was nicknamed Godzilla. Well, ok, I place a photo here and u will see. Drummer Roxy Petrucci is now active with the glam band JSRG (with members from the female band VIXEN). JSRG uploaded trailer for new song on their youtube channel this week.
-Alright, lets continue with Metal and another band who released an LP in 1984, Denmark's PRETTY MAIDS and their «Red, Hot And Heavy». Damn this is one fast and raw Heavy Metal album with unpolished sound. Heavy Metal of the best kind. I heard their 2013 album «Motherland» which is more like symphonic Metal. Actually its got several songs that could have been real interestin if it wasnt for the smooth sound «Who What Where When Why», «Mother Of All Lies», «Hooligan», «Why So Serious» and «I See Ghosts».
-Now an LP that really much surprised me first time I heard it and I still think its one real good album. Talkin about ZZ TOP: «Recycler» (1990). Wow! This is just a take-off right away, rough start with «Concrete And Steel» much different from their commercial songs of the 80s. And the next song «Lovething» just get right there into the groove, concludin with a nice guitar solo as well. This is such a catchy blues rock album that makes me feel real fine. THE MOVING SIDEWALKS, the psychedelic blues rock band Billy Gibbons led before ZZ TOP reunite for a show at the Austin Psych Fest in Texas on the 28th of April.
-Next LP is somethin real unusual, THE SECOND COMING: «The Second Coming» (1970). Its kind of BEATLES then suddenly trad jazz, next song bit strange similar to FRANK ZAPPA, then somethin like Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack and it takes off with more noisy and weirdo jazz, then it sounds like old DEEP PURPLE. Next song startin like a ritual thn some funny synth, melancholic mood rock which shift to faster rock. Oh yeah, this album is incredible. And this is just the A side Ive described.
-The last vinyl I gonna mention here now is LOVE AND ROCKETS: «So Alive» (12 Maxi, 1989). This was one among many alternative bands introduced to me by Sukke (the KARDINAL drummer). The song «So Alive» is pretty cool, even its a hit-song. Its when turnin the maxi around and playin the B-side things really become experimental. «Bike» has got such a cool and catchy riff. «Dream Time» starts slow and calm but changes to somethin completely different. LOVE AND ROCKETS formed in 1985 by former members of BAUHAUS (Godfathers of Gothic Rock). They continued playin various kinds of alternative rock till 1999 and were also around playin live from 2007 to 2009.
-Alright, its time for me to end this writings here for today. But before I go I like u to know that Borg's Sommer Øl was in the shops since last week and YEAAAHHH its got one round fine taste this year, absolutely recommended!