At the  time of the band ‘s formation they weren’t playing thrash metal but by the time of the 1985 demo Black Metal (featuring a cover of Venom’s landmark song of the same name), the band was delivering speedy metal.

The demo dropped just a bit after the debut full-length albums from Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer and same year that Exodus released their debut album. However, a full-length album wouldn’t come about until 1990. What we’re looking at is the 1998 album To Kill Evil, a reissue of the 1990 self-titled debut sans the four extra tracks.

A-Side of To Kill Evil

Off the bat, the first two tracks slap. They slap hard. The titular track sets up what you think the entire album will be with a strong, fast-paced pounder led by Coffey’s vocal work but then you get the awesome display of speed and vocal ability that is the Starks-led “Time Is at Hand”. Remember the opening as we go through the album.

I’m a big fan of vocalists such Sergeant Salsten from Deathhammer and Stace “Sheepdog” McLaren formerly of Razor where both of their voices have bite and grit to them but they can also fling their voices into piercing, screams. I’ll always mark out for a piercing scream in a song and “Time Is at Hand” has the right amount.

“Pain” slows things down early into the album. It’s one of three slower or mid-tempo tunes on the album but it’s solid. Things pick up a bit with “The Great Controversy” which starts on the slow side but heads into speed metal territory in the second half of the song. The vocals here are more spoken word which works well here.

Stone Vengeance picks things up again with “The Persecution” which is a bit thrashy at points but pretty funky and speedy throughout. I dig this song a bit for the bass and drum heaviness here. We’ll run with this track as the A-side closer since this reissue was on CD and featured a reshuffling of tracks.

Strongest Tracks: To Kill Evil, Time Is at Hand**

B-side

The B-side opens with a short instrumental which is almost inaudible on the iTunes version of the album. It’s an acoustic piece. Following that is “Malice” which returns to the thrash approach of the first two tracks of the album.

I wouldn’t say it’s stronger than “Time Is at Hand” but it has more power and punch than the title track which opens the album. Coffey continues the vocal duties here and a song like this is what I lean into more to appreciate his vocal ability and delivery.

Now, I love my faster tracks but “Higher Now” is a pretty good, slower-tempo piece. Beyond the faster stuff which Coffey’s voice is suited for, something like this works. Following that is another instrumental which is more audible than the first (“Bullfight”). It sets up for what is technically the album’s closer of the original tracks: “Long Live Stone Vengeance”.

Coffey’s vocal performance here features moments where he pops a scream and I could’ve used more of those here. The band as a whole delivers a speedy ride that is similar to very early thrash where it isn’t pure power, speed and aggression. Again, see the first two tracks on the album.

Strongest Tracks: Malice, Higher Now, Long Live Stone Vengeance

Best of the Bonuses

Looking at the four bonus or additional tracks, you have a good cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and “The Pill” as the standouts. The cover has Coffey more in his bluesy hard rock bag. He was also in that bag for the song “Chase” which is worth a listen as well. For me, it had the relatability of hip-hop or soul in rock trappings was thumbs up from me.

“The Pill” does the same but in thrashier trappings. It’s as if Rick James did speed metal or thrash without ending up at groove metal or funk metal. Stone Vengeance took Black musical storytelling throughout and kept it well within a speedy approach.

The Best: Foxy Lady, The Pill*

Strength of the Opener: To Kill Evil

With there being a few style and tempo changes throughout the album, the opener did it’s job in getting me interested in checking out the rest of the project. It lets you know that there will be some thrashing going on but it doesn’t let you know about the entire musical journey.

Well, to a degree. You kind of get an idea of the lyrical approach or themed covered here with songs about belief and basically spirituality but it isn’t antagonistic. Had the album been entirely thrash along the lines of the strongest songs on the album with some venturing into “Chase” territory, I’d say it’s a strong opener. However, it’s more of a strong song on it’s own and a solid opener.

“Time Is at Hand” would be the best replacement opener while “Malice” would do alright in that slot. Overall, this was an enjoyable listen and I’m looking for to checking out the available 2000 release The Angel.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Cristobal Gallardo – A Puro Corazón (Pure Heart)

However, Gallarado also has a solo project where the focus is on more technical, soulful playing. We’ll be looking at his 2024 release A puro corazón (Pure Heart). It’s a brief listen at just over 31 minutes and packing seven tracks.

Let’s dive in! Also, expect a look at their This New World… EP soon. As always, “*” next to a song is totally worth playing while “**” is one that was added to a playlist.

Side A

Track lists for A puro corazón don’t include sides since it’s a digital release but we’ll make the first four tracks side A, just to keep with our usual reviewing format.

Kicking things off is “Maldita Tentación (Damn Temptation)”. It’s a strong, soulful opener that sets the pace for the album and you definitely want that for an album. That is unless the opener is more of an atmosphere-setting intro.

In the case of “Maldita Tentación” gets right into it but the song doesn’t slam you into the album. It’s not an aggressive piece, it’s soulful piece with varying tempos. Expect this approach for most the album and it actually works. “María Magdalena” is a solid follow-up to the opener and keeps the pace established going.

Things get a shot in the arm with “Carpe Diem” or rather it was more of my pace. I wouldn’t say it was blistering fast. I’ve heard Gallardo rip with Headfist and it’s a mixture of speed and aggression. This track is the other star of the A-side and showcases a mixture of speed and power. He’s not ripping here, he’s shredding.

All that said, the ending was an interesting choice of an edit. This track also feels shorter than it actually is. It clocks in at a little over four minutes but felt like two or three minutes. On my initial listen it actually seemed to bleed into the next track and I didn’t pick up the ending.

Closing out side A is my pick for the best track of the side and the album: “My All”. It’s a cover of one of Mariah Carey’s classic songs from the 1997 album Butterfly. Some track listings don’t include that this is a cover in the title but the song title looked familiar. While listening to it, I instantly picked up the lyrics from Carey’s song and was surprised that it was a cover!

It definitely got a few replays and ended up in a playlist or two. Check this song out if you dig neoclassical metal or a shred cover of songs from another genre. It’s damn good.

Strongest Tracks: Carpe Diem, My All**

Side B

Our fifth track and B-side opener is “A puro corazón (Pure Heart)”. It’s another track that showcases Cristobal Gallarado’s technique very well but it doesn’t exactly have that energy you’ll hear from him in “Carpe Diem” on this album and comes after that performance of “My All”. It’s closer to the opener, “Maldita Tentación” and “María Magdalena”.

Next, we have “Toma Tiempo Sanar… (It Takes Time…)”. This track starts out similar to “A puro corazón” in tempo but business picks up in the second half of the song before closing out strong in the last minute. I’m a track placement nerd and this is definitely a track that could I see earlier in the album. It has heart to it and a bit of the energy that I like.

“Por ti le rezo” or “For you I pray” is a strong closer that starts as a soulful piece but at two minute and forty seconds grows into a riding pounder which surprised me. That ending run of the song is also why I remembered the exact time. I had to run it back to see.

I was expecting a somber ending to A puro corazón but I was pleasantly surprised here. Could it have been placed anywhere else on the album? Probably if you swapped its placement on the album with “My All”, the only other track that could’ve ended this project on a high note.

Strongest Tracks: Por ti le rezo*

Verdict

Neoclassical metal and shred are always harder for me to review when there isn’t a vocalist on the project. In the case of older Yngwei J. Malmsteen albums, he often had a strong vocalist who got some of the spotlight. This is similar to a modern Yngwei album where the spotlight is all on the axeman and their guitar gymnastics.

That aside, this was a fun listen. You have a young guitarist who is dedicated to his craft balancing two projects and this album showcases a serious, passionate approach to playing. Cristobal Gallardo having a cover of a Mimi song was the surprise here for me. The entire project had a lot to dig into if you enjoy hearing players take the starring role as opposed to playing an important role in the band or within other musicians’ focus for an act.

Strongest Track of the Album: My All (Mariah Carey cover)

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Chad Brown of Engage

Engage was a Virginia-based power metal band that played speedy pounders. The combination of fast-tempo, explosive playing powerful, operatic vocals were the key for power metal of the European variety. Bands such as Blind Guardian, Helloween, and Gamma Ray had major roles to play in this direction with BG and Helloween coming from speed metal origins.

Engage’s direction on their 2005 demo was the fastest of Blind Guardian and Hammerfall with some great vocals. As mentioned previously, I’m a big vocals fan and Chad Brown’s performance on the demo was great. I was already sold on the band from the blistering tempo but Brown’s sing and piercing screech sealed the deal.

I first heard Engage on a Pandora power metal stream and looked them up on metal blogs. This would’ve been 2008, a year after their second demo and last release Don’t Look Back. That’s where the band ends, no word of what other bands the members went to or the different musical directions taken afterwards.

I always felt that was a shame because Engage was everything I like and want in a band down to the screeching vocals with this kind of lyrical content.

Songs to Check Out: Pain and Glory, Conqueror

Sergeant Saitan of Deathhammer

Next, we head to Norway for another favorite vocalist of that period, Sergeant Saitan of Deathhammer. This band formed a little after Engage but is still going strong today with banger after banger of albums filled to the brim with rippers.

Saitan’s vocals are pretty much what I’m usually looking for with thrash: dirty, growl-riddled with shrieks that can come out of nowhere. With the instrument barrage of band member Sadomancer (who also does backing vocals), Sergeant Saitan’s vocals really pop during a rapid, rowdy ripper.

Songs to Check Out: Fullmoon Sorcery, Rot Shreds

Jason Conde-Houston of Skelator

The Seattle-based metal band Skelator is a favorite of mine from the early 2000s. I first came across them on a metal blog and looked into them purely on the album cover of their 2008 full-length debut Give Me Metal or Give Me Death. I was not disappointed at all. There’s a lot of speed metal in Skelator to go along with their heavier power metal approach.

Hell, even the more mid-tempo (kind of rare for Skelator) tracks have a tendency to explode into a fast-paced pounder. It’s what they’ve excelled at since 1998 and the vocals leading the charge belong to Jason Conde-Houston.

Now, I’ve gone into the band’s style and vocalist in a review of their demo. The band has only gotten better from that release with experience, better production and expanding their topics lyrically. Sure you can still hear swords, sorcery, and magical evils but you’re also getting love for anime, video games, and metal.

And still you have JCH either speeding through verses frantically or growling through them yet always firing off his screeching wail like some fusion between Rob Halford and  80s Mark “The Shark” Shelton.

Again, this is right up my alley. It’s the same approach as Engage only the band stayed the course and improved with time and lineup changes.

Songs to Check Out: Raging Demon, Agents of Power

Adam G. Warrior of Dismantle

I’ve definitely discussed California’s Dismantle and their 2009 debut Satanic Force. It’s in my top five new wave of thrash debuts because of how the raw energy the entire album had. It wasn’t the most musically unique of that wave nor would I say it was the best but few speed metal and thrash bands from that period match that level of energy on a debut.

I’d put Power from Hell’s The True Metal, Evil in the Night by Merciless Death, and Apokalyptic Raids’ Only Death is Real in that same realm of roughness mixed with tons of energy in playing and singing. Sure, there were bands with higher technical skill and better control over their voice but that unchained approach was what made Satanic Force such an incredible debut.

A major factor of that was the performance of Adam G. Warrior smashing the gas on his voice on each song as he belted out his shriek. There were some songs where you’d get it multiple times and it fit whatever track the album had reached each time.

His vocal approach was more muted in the follow-up release Enter the Forbidden and while Satanic Force isn’t on Apple Music, you can check it out on YouTube.

Songs to Check Out: Satanic Force, Vile Spell

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

We’ll have to dive into this project as there was no listed demos or other projects before the full-length debut for Three. It simply dropped in March 2023 via Black Mold Records, a label that has typically released sludge metal and doom metal projects.

Now, a label’s usual output doesn’t indicate that’s all you’re going to find. You could look through the catalog of a black metal label and find some old school metal in the mix of album releases by bands on the label.

In the case of Three, the release is in the slower waters of doom but with a late 70s-early 80s metal sound. Not so much Black Sabbath but more like a grimier Cirith Ungol with some healthy splashes of Brocas Helm thrown in.

A major contributing factor to that approach is the tandem of  multi-instrumentalist Corey Bing and guitarist/bass player Bahb Branca. The two are Ohio sludge scene veterans who have played in several acts together—many most with releases on Black Mold Records.

Opening Act of Three

Three has seven tracks across almost 31-minutes. The opener is “County Line”, a track that gives “controlled Brocas Helm” vibes. It’s not a rapid jaunt but it’s not s slog either, we’re talking about a pounder that gives the listener some idea of what to expect sonically. This song and “Red Dragon” have a kind of dungeon epicness to it—especially “Red Dragon”.

That track really piqued my interest in the rest of album because it reminds me of what I like to hear from epic heavy metal or U.S power metal: not too produced or clean but still epic in a Conan or Kull sense.

While “Red Dragon” really impressed, “For Your Love”, the second track on the album is the standout of the opening three songs. The longest track on the album, “For Your Love” is a slower-paced affair but it showed what this trio could do with a lengthier piece.

Strongest Tracks: For Your Love, Red Dragon

Second Act

The fourth  “Missing You” is somewhat similar to “For Your Love” only shorter and heavier. The doom is much thicker here. “Remember” is a longer rocker that could’ve been on Black Death. It still has that cavernous sound and slower-tempo while not being similar to other tunes on the album.

If you like your dark and slow romantic doom then “When Your Love Comes Down” might not be too up your alley. It’s notably faster than other tracks on Three and it gets the thumbs up from me. One thing I always liked about old school doom is that you could get a speeder on a slower-paced or mid-tempo release and it would stand out—sometimes as if it was the star of the show such as “Free Country” from Witchfinder General’s Death Penalty.

Closing out the album is “Mirror of Darkness”, a song that has a similar tempo to “When Your Love Comes Down” and gave me more of what I was seeking from this release lyrically: fantasy or dark fantasy themes. It’s a strong closer and could’ve been a stronger opener.

Strongest Tracks: Missing You, When Your Love Comes Down*, Mirror of Darkness*

Strength of the Opener: County Line

Opening tracks are very important since they can set the pace for the album or give the listener an idea of what they’re getting into. The faster and more bombastic, the stronger the opening, for me. In the case of Three, “County Line” is an opener: not the strongest but not the worst choice to kick things off.

However, tunes like “For Your Love”, “Red Dragon”, and the closer “Mirror of Darkness” are very strong picks to open the album just by being the standout tracks on this release.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Canada’s metal scene at this time always piqued my interest. While Razor’s releases really impressed me, it was the acts that had something “extra” to them that always had me returning and digging into their discographies.

Let’s look at five old school bands from the Great White North—a bit of a refresher or soft introduction, if you will.

Razor

Hailing from Ontario, Razor is one of the bands that were referenced in Darkthrone’s 2007 song “Canadian Metal”, this thrash reminds me of a Canadian Sodom in the speed and fury of their performances and the consistency in quality of their releases.

During its existence, the Canadian thrashers have had two vocalists of note in the late “Sheepdog” McLaren—known for some aggressive squeals—and Bob Reid, who added even more attitude to the vocal approach of the band.

Mind you, Razor has had more than two vocalists but these are the two who appear on their projects. Switching vocalists is always precarious work but when the albums dropped, they always had bangers regardless of the decade or period in metal.

Tracks to Try: Speed Merchants, Cross Me Fool, Road Gunner, Bad Vibrations

Exciter

Another Ontario act, Exciter is somewhat similar to Razor—or rather, Exciter was always recommended alongside Razor. If you’re unfamiliar with Exciter but you know of our next entry in Anvil, they’re a faster, more aggressive Anvil.

What always stood out about Exciter to me was that their drummer Dan Beehler does the vocals. Beehler the vocals until the early 1990s and it made some exciting songs with him shouting over the riffs and blasts of the band.

Look at that, a band living up to an on-the-nose band name! I dig it.

If you’re considering diving into Exciter, I recommend their first three albums; Heavy Metal Maniac, Violence & Force, and Long Live the Loud with Violence & Force being a treat.

Tracks to Try: Violence & Force, Pounding Metal, Cry of the Banshee, Iron Dogs

Anvil

Guess where these Canadian legends hail from—correct! Another Ontario band. If you guessed “Quebec” or “The Maritimes” then…maybe next time?

Anvil tends to play speed metal but you will get some mid-tempo pounders. That’s what the band always excelled at one their albums: pounders of varying tempos.

If the intensity of Razor or Exciter are a bit much and you just want to headbang or rock out: Anvil’s your band. I recommend UK speed metal legends Raven for a similar sound and tempo.

As for some recommend viewing check out their 2013 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

Tracks to Try: Winged Assassins, Metal on Metal, Shadow Zone, Embalmer

Piledriver

Yeah, we’re not leaving Ontario. As a matter of fact, the original entry here was a British Columbia veteran in Thor. Yes, Jon-Mikl “Thunder on the Tundra” Thor.

There are two periods of the Piledriver band: OG ‘driver and The Exalted Piledriver of the 2000s. Well, technically there’s three as during the late 80s and early 90s, Piledriver performed as Dogs with Jobs.

DWJ had two good full length releases but they lacked that abrasive humor and catchiness of Piledriver. We’re mainly looking at the first iteration of ‘driver as those two albums Metal Inquisition and Stay Ugly—from 1984 and 1986, respectively—had bangers. Some of those bangers were pounders while others were rippers but Piledriver had them both.

Lyrically, ‘driver delivers what you’d hear from their thrash contemporaries with a good dose of dirty humor. Even some serious trappings of thrash pushed into comic book territory at times as with songs like “Sex with Satan” and “Alien R**e” from Metal Inquisition.

It’s a song that had me wondering “What’s even going on here?” As for the landmark Piledriver track: give the pounder “The Fire God” a whirl.

Tracks to Try: Metal Inquisition, Witch Hunt, Metal Death Racer, The Fire God

Voivod

Our fifth entry hails from—hey! Look at that, we got a Quebecoise band in Voivod. This was a band that evolved its sound over the decades while remaining consistent from project to project.

In the same way as changing vocalists can be dicey business, transitioning styles can be troublesome. However, Voivod did that well going from nasty, ripping thrash in their debut War and Pain to evolving their sound along progressive metal lines before the 80s ended.

Listening to those 80s and early 90s albums and hearing that rapid growth is very interesting. I’m a fan of the Motorhead-Sodom school of “If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It” but there’s also the Darkthrone school of “Explore and change over time”. Have eras to your sound, don’t be afraid to revisit the dark arts every now and then.

Voivod is a great example of that.

Tracks to Try: Iron Gang, War and Pain, Slaughter in a Grave, Psychic Vacuum

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

A-Side of Sacred Steel’s “Ritual Supremacy”

Getting right into it, the album starts off with a titular pounder. You’d think it set the tone for the album for wait until the B-side, folks. “Ritual Supremacy” has the speed and heaviness balance I prefer down pat and wouldn’t you know it: “Leather, Spikes, and Chains” follows up in the same fashion.

“Watcher Infernal” is slower but heavy and it breaks things up a bit. It’s not a slow as the following tune but it’s definitely a tempo shift. This isn’t unusual for Sacred Steel releases and depending on the album you might come across it sooner or later on the A-side.

What’s certain is that Sacred bloody Steel really runs with it when they’ve a slam fest of fast tracks going then you’ll might get a double dose of doom after.

They’re a versatile band and have something for the speed freaks like yours truly and the doom hounds. It might not be exactly what you want for one or both but it’s on the table should you choose to partake.

“A Shadow in the Bell Tower” is another of the dark, macabre pounders that Sacred Steel excels at. It rides similarly to the titular song and “Leather, Spikes, and Chains”. What I also enjoyed about this track is that it didn’t overstay its welcome. It’s one of the three short speedsters on Ritual Supremacy and it just works. I could’ve done with another minute but the length is perfect for a track of this pace.

The A side closer, “Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis” is a gloomy epic about the titular Dis from Dante’s Inferno. It jumps between the band’s aggressive speed and epic doom during the more melodic parts.

Vocalist Gerri P. Mutz has a lot of experience in speed, power and doom metal, so these kinds of songs aren’t exactly experimental for him or Sacred Steel. I’m going to put this in the “banger” column.

Strongest Tracks: Leather, Spikes, and Chains*, A Shadow in the Bell Tower*, Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis**

B-Side

“Bedlam Eternal” is similar to four of the A side tracks and I’m good with that. The pace of the album was awesome on that side—why not keep it up. I’m not a listener who gets speed weariness, it gets the thumbs up from me.

“Demon Witch Possession” is a pounder that could’ve started the B-side easily. As a matter of fact, it could’ve been on the A-side since it’s a little more aggressive than a track like “Watcher Infernal” or the titular track. It’s one of the 3-minute slammers on the album.

The epic for the B-side is “Covenant of Grace” which clocks in at just a little over 6-minutes. It’s different from “Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis”, in that it leans more into doom trappings pace-wise. The heaviness of this epic is played up more and that works to break up the pounders.

“Omen Rider” is one of the songs on Ritual Supremacy that is squarely an epic heavy metal song. It’s far from doom metal and rides with speed metal but it isn’t a pounder like the majority of the tracks here.

Don’t get me wrong, there is speed to be had here but it’s more in bursts. For the majority of the song, there’s a heavy, galloping pace—like a faster Iron Maiden.

The album closer “Let the Blackness Comes to Me” sees Sacred Steel return to its magical doom and gloom sorrow bag. Pace-wise, it’s a follow up to “Omen Rider”, it’s just sorrow-laden but not chock full of misery—that’s always a plus in my book for songs.

All that aside, it’s a good song and a great closer. Sure, I prefer speed but this is a good song and something different after banging my head hard for the first half.

Strongest Tracks: Demon Witch Possession*, Omen Rider

Strength of the Opener: Ritual Supremacy

Having listened to Sacred Steel since 2007 and having gone back to listen to older albums, there are things you come to expect from the band that they always hit each album. One of those is hot dropping with a double dose of speed to kick things off.

If there isn’t a double dose, the pounder tends to come after a heavy opener as was the case with 2004’s Iron Blessings and the opener-follow up combo of “Open Wide the Gates” and “Your Darkest Saviour”.

The opener here was could’ve opened or closed the album, it’s a flexible song that could’ve also been any place on the album. It did well as an opener, the majority of the songs were in a similar vein, and I’m pro-starting things off with a fast-paced banger. I wouldn’t give “banger” honors to “Ritual Supremacy” but it did a good job kicking things off.

As for other opening options, I’m going with “Leather, Spikes and Chains”, “Demon. Witch Possession”, or “A Shadow in the Bell Tower”. In that order.

The album as a whole is an extremely fun listen from start to finish. It reminded me of  a blend of their 2004 release Iron Blessings and 2013’s The Bloodshed Summoning, two albums I really enjoyed. I found this release to be a better follow up to The Bloodshed Summoning than Heavy Metal Sacrifice.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Kiss and 90s Promotion

The poorly executed crossover of Kiss and pro-wrestling will be looked at later but we’re looking at the album that followed the comic: Psycho Circus. Kiss fans would be familiar with the comic and action figures handled by Image Comics and Todd McFarlane. It was when I noticed the different personas of the band.

It was mentioned in the comics that they were one of the most well-known bands in the world—it probably said “the universe”. Before that, I picked up the comic because I saw it mentioned in an ad in Curse of Spawn comic for the Kiss action figures. I figured they were more in Image Comics’ roster of dark, grittier superheroes.

While Kiss was always good at promoting themselves—or rather they’ve always had a good PR team—it was interesting to look back on how they promoted the band throughout the decades. There were no Kiss cartoons in the 90s, you could see them in one of those episodes of Scooby Doo with celebrities in them, and there were bands more relevant to the times around.

However, they managed to snatch up some gold records in another decade. Let’s take a look at Psycho Circus and see what were the bangers.

A Strong Opener and a Few Kiss Ballads

The opening track often sets the pace for the album but on occasion, it can surprise you and turn out to be unlike anything else on the album. In the case of Psycho Circus, the titular track kind of sets the pace. There’s a mix of tempos and sounds on this release but you have some that follow along the same lines as the opener.

Actually, there are several on the album and I wish the entire album was just that. Simply a bunch of hard rockers and heavy songs. Of course, Kiss can craft a good ballad and have several in their arsenal. We’ll get into the bangers but we’ve got to discuss these ballads—or ballad-adjacent songs.

“We Are One” and “I Finally Found My Way” are slower tunes with good placement on the album. I’m not a fan of ballads or most slow tunes but they’re not in odd places in the track list or even worse: stacked. If they had both followed “Within” on the A-side, I probably would’ve been turned off on the album. No one wants to will themselves through an album to give it a fair listen.

Then again, if those three songs all followed each other, the rest of the album would’ve been a fun ride!

Psycho Circus: The Bangers

I couldn’t tell you how I interpreted Psycho Circus the first time I heard it. Now, the title song I always enjoyed. I remember the video being pretty cool at the time and listening to the opener—the first banger of the album—really took me back. Again, I wanted the entire album to be this.

Having gave it a listen decades later and I found it to be an enjoyable album for the most part. “I Pledge Alliance to Rock & Roll” is a fun rock semi-anthem. I say “semi-anthem” in that it’s supposed to be an anthem track but lacks the punch of “You Wanted the Best” and “Raise Your Glasses”.

The other bangers vary between your heavy tracks like “Into the Void” and “Journey of 1,000 Years” and your hard rockers of “Psycho Circus”, “I Pledge Alliance to Rock & Roll”, “You Wanted the Best”, and “Dreamin’”. I’d say Kiss could’ve done two albums in both musical directions and it would’ve been a blast. I can’t say it’s the best Kiss album or the greatest Kiss album but it is the Kiss album I enjoyed throughout the most. If you’ve heard the band or their hard rock contemporaries, you’ve heard a lot of Psycho Circus but it’s all put together very well on this release.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Lizzy Borden – Visual Lies (1987)

We checked out Lizzy Borden’s debut album Love You to Pieces in a “Greatest Album Debuts”. The L.A act kept things going with Menace to Society which was as fast as they debut but a little more aggressive without going into thrash territory. Visual Lies continues where Menace to Society left off but mixes in some stuff you’d hear in glam metal or L.A heavy metal.

“Oh, like Nitro?!” No, not at all like Nitro. I’d say more like our next entry only faster and more polished.

The Bangers: Me Against the World*, Den of Thieves***, Visual Lies*, Voyuer**

Savage Grace – Master of Disguise (1985)

I don’t know if it’s the production, the lyrical content included or both but Master of Disguise is some speedy U.S power metal with some bite and their debut is a mixture of sinister tales, rebellion, lust, and a little fantasy just because. At a little over 35-minutes and with nine tracks, you’re in for a brisk listen featuring some anthems.

Now, let’s check out a monster of U.S power metal that I feel should get more recognition.

The Bangers: Bound to Be Free, Fear My Way*, Sins of the Damned, Master of Disguise***, Sons of Iniquity*

Omen – Battle Cry (1984)

If you want power metal with no fluff or whimsy and doesn’t keep the foot on the gas all the time: Omen might be for you. They’re to epic metal what Rage is to power metal: a talented, veteran band that did and still produces good music—but there are other bands better associated with the genre. As for this release, it’s heavy and filled more with tales of battles, wars, and raids than epic quests to collect something or defeat a Big Bad.

As for Omen’s ties to Savage Grace, former SG guitarist Kenny Powell formed Omen after leaving in 1983. What I’d say really ties this album together is the late J.D Kimball’s gravely vocals.

This will definitely be an album we’ll explore in the new year.

The Bangers: Death Rider***, The Axeman*, Dragon’s Breath**, Be My Wench**, Prince of Darkness*

Manila Road – Voyager (2008)

This is a bit of a cheat entry because I was trying to keep it in the 1980s with older bands and albums but I guess the rules no longer apply. Yes, the self-imposed rules of the list. Anyway, Manila Road was a Kansas band that started in the late 1970s playing hard rock and heavy metal. Their 1980 debut shows they had a focus more along traditional heavy metal but with each release they tried a little something new: faster songs, longer tracks, slower tales, darker stories.

Manila Road had gone through epic fantasy, horror, serial killers, mysteries, and with Voyager they were on their Viking and Scandinavian folklore sh**. They kept their heaviness but better production and song writing meant they came up with something that could be built upon.

Voyager has nine tracks across over an hour. I also recommend the album before it Gates of Fire.

The Bangers: Frost and Fire, Tree of Life, Blood Eagle***, Eye of the Storm

Medieval Steel – The Dungeon Tapes (2008)

Another cheat entry, this isn’t a full length release but a compilation of demos and singles. Medieval Steel is a band from Memphis that formed in the early 1980s. They wouldn’t put out a full-length until 2013 with Dark Castle. The tunes on this release definitely should’ve been re-recorded as an album because they were good when they were originally released!

The Bangers: Eyes of Fire*, To Kill a King**, Battles Beyond the Stars***, Medieval Steel***

What are some albums from epic metal or U.S power metal bands you recommend? Let us know in the comments!

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Multi-Station Bands: Bon Jovi, KISS, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Co.

You did have a few older bands that got radio play on both stations. Bon Jovi and KISS are two bands that come to mind with 2000’s Crush and 1998’s Psycho Circus, respectively. They’re both bands from roughly a decade or two prior to the late-90s and had hits or singles you could hear on either format.

Of course, the hard rock station played the most known songs. Even at night, you weren’t getting the cuts that fans would love nor were we getting bands outside of the well-known ones—at least in my market. It’s to be expected with the influence some bands have or had on broadcast radio even when old songs are the focus.

A band that existed in an interest spot is Red Hot Chili Peppers. My hard rock station was odd in that you could hear RHCP songs from the 90s which seemed to be the cutoff for everyone but Metallica and Megadeth—but more so Metallica. For Red Hot Chili Peppers, the starting album for tunes on both stations is 1991’s  Blood Sugar Sex Magik which was loaded with hits—pretty much like Californication in 1999.

On mainstream radio, it’s as if the first four albums—seven years of music—didn’t exist. For someone who likes to dive into a band’s early stuff, it was like Evil Dead or Friday the 13^th and the first films in both franchises. Yeah, you could watch them but if you didn’t, you weren’t missing a ton.

The Xtreme Block

A bit of detour before we get in the most memorable block on our hard rock station: the Xtreme block. Over on the alternative rock station called the X—truly creative—there was an evening block called “Xtreme X”. This block usually ran on Saturdays starting at 9PM and featured mostly nu metal and modern—at the time—hard rock acts. So we’re talking Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, KoRn, Linkin Park,  Mudvayne—with Slayer, Fear Factory, and Hatebreed thrown in the mix.

Fear Factory always stood out to me because they were always a featured band on shows here around Halloween time. I’d say it just isn’t a Halloween advertisement without Fear Factory and Sloss Fright Furnace being mentioned. In the case of the contemporary bands on the station, you could hear their most recent songs during the day and throughout the week, but on “Xtreme X” the DJ would give you something else off an album—and even off older albums!

If a lot of that sounds dated, you’re not the only one who thinks so as the station changed formats several times over the years. Then you have the Eagle which held its format.

Time to Get the Led Out

The block you could always count on over on the hard rock station was the Led Zeppelin marathon. The voice tag would proclaim “It’s time to get Led out!” every day at 5 PM Central. It was always with an echo and one of two songs would fade in: “Immigrant Song” or “When the Levee Breaks”. You’d think they would mix it up but nah. Mind you, you wouldn’t know which of the two you were getting but it was just those two songs to kick things off during 5 o’clock traffic.

I guess you couldn’t be too picky if you on your Led Zeppelin options pre-streaming, pre-mp3 players, and while you’re stuck in some sluggish traffic. If you were unfortunate enough to be stuck in traffic the whole hour, you likely heard “Stairway to Heaven” close out the Led block.

While we’re in a time where radio isn’t the main method of enjoying music, what memories do you have of rock radio? Was it the broadcast blocks? Marathons? Winning tickets? Requesting songs? Let us know in the comments!

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

What stands out to me about Lizzy Borden is that they’re one of those U.S bands that contributed to power metal. Mind you, Love You to Pieces isn’t exactly along those lines of fantasy/sci-fi/folklore and operatic presentation. They’re a band that had the presentation to run amongst the L.A bands of the time but didn’t have a ton of mainstream bangers on deck like some of their contemporaries.

What to Expect from Love You to Pieces

On this release, Lizzy Borden ran with the speed of acts like debut-period Jag Panzer and Omen but the lyrical content is more along the lines of a not-as-sleazy or aggressive W.A.S.P. While we haven’t gotten to this band yet, a spot-on similarity would be yet another L.A band in Savage Grace.

Lizzy Borden just didn’t have the storyline of a CHP officer who is also a sexual predator in their debut album like Savage Grace. Love You to Pieces does have some murderer/stalker tracks but there is a mix of lyrical themes here.

Sonically, the band had a speed metal approach to their power metal anchored by the clean, nimble vocals of Lizzy Borden. They would take this approach with 1986’s Menace to Society and 1987’s Visual Lies.

Version

The version I listened to is listed as the 2001 version released by Metal Blade available on Apple Music. I looked and saw a release for 2002 and the song placement has “Save Me” on the B-side and “American Metal” closing out the A-side.

The A-Side

Things get started with the speedy opener “Council for the Cauldron.” It serves as a strong introduction to the band if a listener didn’t catch their demos. Actually, the production makes this a great intro for newcomers to Lizzy Borden as it’s not rough for this time in the 1980s. Bigger acts had slicker production, sure but the production on this album—when paired with the music itself—works.

As for the rest of the A-side, you have the strongest bangers in “Psychopath” and the self-titled track. In the middle area of the A-side is “Red Rum” which is a good song on its own. However, it’s pretty much the “Psychopath”, “Love You to Pieces” and the anthem “American Metal” show on this side.

Standout Tracks: Psychopath**, Love You to Pieces**, American Metal***

The B-Side

On the review for Too Fast for Love, I said that it had the most B-side B-side I’d heard. The tracks firmly belonged on that side of the album and few would’ve made it to the A-side. Like W.A.S.P’s self-titled debut album, Love You to Pieces has a very un-B-side B-side. This side would’ve made for a tremendous A-side.

“Flesheater” is a good B-side opener but I would’ve put “Godiva” or “Rod of Iron” there and move “Save Me” to the middle. Just to break up the ass kickery. “Warfare” is one of the stronger tracks on this side but it’s really held up by the speedster “Godiva” and the anthem “Rod of Iron”.

I love ending both sides with an anthem and bonus for “Rod of Iron” having an open that sounded like a ballad—only to slam the gas. Good sh**. I’m not a big ballad fan but I could’ve done one for Lizzy Borden since the rest of the album slams.

Standout Tracks: Godiva**, Rod of Iron***

Strength of the Opener: Council for the Caldron

I believe “Council for the Caldron” is an extremely strong opener for the album. A speedy opener that gives the listener an idea of what kind of party they’re getting into? Perfect. You’re getting mostly uptempo tracks running between 3 and 4-minutes. Not only that, most of the songs feel shorter because of the track placement.

“Council for the Caldron” could hold it down on either side and it would work perfectly. As for other possible openers “Psychopath”, “American Metal”, the self-titled track, and—actually, just the entire B-side. This album has a lot of might to it and is definitely an album to check out if you haven’t.

If you’ve already listened to it and enjoyed it—it’s almost 42 minutes, a pretty light listen. Give it another spin.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.