Not for me you don't, but I imagine others might prefer that. Still, for me, I just like talking about music and I'm certainly not a genre Nazi when it comes to that kind of thing. As far as the rateyourmusic.com deal, yeah, it's been around for years. I used to be meticulous about keeping up with my purchases, rating them, and, sometimes, writing reviews, but life has overwhelmed these days. I just do what I can anymore.
Yeah, I mainly listen on my commute...up until last September I had a 90-120 commute each way, so it was good for reading and listening to music. My commute got cut down to about 45-50 each way (which is a good thing!) but it has cut into my leisure time. So I can usually finish a new album in a day...
I'm two years into digitalizing my CD collection. I'm on the T's now so the end is in sight. Uploaded the Testament collection over the weekend. Separated by twenty years, The New Order (1988) and The Formation of the Damnation (2008) are my two favorites. Anyway, as I've been copying the CD, I've been adding them do my Discogs collection. Works out pretty good and I've got a on-line database I can check whilst browsing the used bins. I'll be at Vinny Vincent's "Invasion" soon and suppose I'll have to give that one a listen.
Been spinning Old Faithful, today: Rainbow Rising. The original Polydor 823 655-2 and despite the bass shyness, Birch's exposition of the instrumentation is nevertheless sensational. The sound of Cozy Powell's attack on the intro to The Track is startling and Tony Carey's playing throughout is one of Heavy Rock's most criminally undercelebrated outings. Of course, Blackmore is simply on fire; free form frettage, quite unrestrained by anything less than his own genius but Ronnie's vocal... Ronnie's vocal... I'm sorry but nobody has ever matched this performance: I do close my eyes when I'm listening to this record and see so clearly my all time hero intone each and every word, every inflective, facial contortion and gloriously expressive hand gesture - boy, do the tears well - eight years on and I'm still hurting from his passing. It's so easy to dismiss something so tediousy familiar but the several high peaks of this record set the standard by which everything is judged, in my head, anyway.
Well, quite; I'm certainly not from 'upstate New York' nor have I ever brought down a carribou with a bow and arrow but it didn't stop me taking a certain liking to blaaack wind, fi-y-er - and - steeyeeyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyeel!
Nuthin' Fancy, to plagiarize Skynyrd. I like the straightforwardness. Releases March 30, 2018 Exile Amongst the Ruins, by Primordial
Exceedingly excellent cover of Rush's "Subdivisions" A few deviations here and there - but they work. Definitely lacking in the over-embellishing/over-emoting qualities of a Dream Theater Rush cover. The drummer nails's Neil's tempo (many Rush covers tend to either rush or slow down Peart's beats) As a fan of mostly "old" metal, I'm not quite sure what picking/strumming technique the guitarists are using in the intro section - could that be the infamous DJENT sound?
I'd say that it was either Powerslave and Piece Of Mind was the album that influenced those two genres the most given both the subject matter and the composition. That said, I wouldn't say they were the only band as others like Queensryche, Omen, Savatage, Watchtower (for progressive more than power), Dio, etc. did quite a lot to bring those genres into fruition.
Which is why I said one of those touchstones. In fact, none of those bands had even released an album in 82.
On the subject of production/record sound quality and how it can/does (subconsciously?) influence a person's judgement for any given piece of music... 'Beyond The Realms Of Death,' my favourite Judas Priest song just also happens top be produced to joy: no limit to its crankability, this all analogue affair possesses a similar, searing sonic insight to Rising but also generously proffers a tangible lower register with which to thoroughly dunk witchkind. The mix is judged to absolute perfection, enabling all the instruments to positively shimmer in the mid air, hovvering like flecks of invisible, aural magma 'twixt the speakers and all the while, Roberto's stupendous vocal weaves you in and out of the banged head. An incredible moment of purest Heavy Metal from 1978.
I had posted this in another thread as being one of the best live releases. I am listening to this again now to make sure my memory of this was not wrong. HINT - it wasn't! There is no better live concert opening than "Hell Awaits" - really! This is the perfect head-banging, live document of metal music at it best. Aw dang, the pounding drum, guitar feedback of "Raining Blood" just hit............look out, time to Hulk smash! Naw, too old now and I don't want to break my music room.....
One of my faves as well. I remember seeing the live vid below on Headbangers Ball for Raining Blood/Black Magic. I still have my double cassette release and the metal box edition of it.
I had posted this in the Slayer final tour thread back in January but it seems relevant here as Decade Of Aggession is from the Clash Of The Titans tour. I'm not a fan of Rolling Stone magazine but sometimes they get it right. From a July 1991 article: There is nothing in all modern pop like the moment Slayer takes a stage. The whole place rises to its feet as the band slams into "HellAwaits" at a ludicrous breakneck pace, and hundreds of fans press their way to the front of the stage. At 7:00pm, Slayer takes the stage and tears into its set. There is a dense, pummeling quality to the band's sound – the bass rumbles, the drums explode at a rat-a-tat clip, and the guitars blare in buzz-saw unison – but it's all played with a remarkable precision and deftness. Meanwhile, the audience that is jammed up close to the stage erupts in frenzy, with some slamming and bounding hard against each other, while others clamber atop one another so they can dive over the barricade. This goes on and on until even the band can't take its eyes off the action. On a night such as this, there isn't anything in all rock & roll like a Slayer show.
I remember that article, and I think I still have that rolling stone somewhere as well, I had a subscription to it back in the late 80's/early 90's. I didn't get to see the Clash of the Titans tour, but several years ago I saw Anthrax/Megadeth/Slayer on tour and Megadeth was playing all of Rust in Peace and Slayer was playing all of Seasons in the Abyss. I thought it was funny that the Titans lineup was reversed with Anthrax now the opening band and Slayer closing.
For the COS tour the three bands rotated so each night a different band came on first, second or last. AIC always opened of course. Nowadays Anthrax is definitely an opener for Slayer and/or Megadeth.
I saw the 1991Clash of the Titans tour as well. Weird thing is that I don't remember Slayer playing at all, which typically is something I would remember. It was an outdoor venue and perhaps I may have been out in left field partaking in the hashish (I do remember that part ) during that set. Who knows. I also remember Anthrax had dancing girls on top of their speakers during their show. Good times.
