Tag Archives: Iron Maiden

COMMENT OF THE DAY: Wait, did Gene Simmons die or something?

Posted by gruesomegreg on

RIP Jeff Hanneman.  The Slayer shredder, who had contracted necrotizing fasciitis from a spider bite, passed away yesterday before he could write a ripping rager about necrotizing fasciitis.  Cuz that had to be a topic tailor-made for Slayer—if not Cannibal Corpse or Carcass.  (Flesh-Eaten Back to Life?)

Anyways, tributes have been pouring in from across the web, including the National Post, where somebody thinks Slayer is the most recognizable brand in popular music.  No, really.

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Don’t get me wrong, I like Slayer as much as the next guy who doesn’t have their logo carved into his skin, but that assertion is pretty far-fetched.  Now, if buddy wrote “one of, if not the, most recognizable brands in heavy metal,” he’d have a valid point—even though I’d give the edge to Iron Maiden.  (I just so happen to be wearing a Maiden t-shirt as I type this.)  But man, when I first read that comment, I coulda sworn he was talking about KISS…

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TOP 10 CONCERTS OF 2012

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Y’know, it almost feels like I didn’t attend as many concerts as I did last year.  Mind you, if I were to count up and tally every local gig I went to, there’d probably be twice as many shows that didn’t make the cut as there are gigs on here.  And hey, looking at this list, there’s really nothing but quality from start to finish.  As it were, the top gigs I saw in 2012 spanned two countries, three states and five cities, although most of them occurred in Toronto, naturally.  Here they are in ascending order…

10. Accept/Kreator @ The Phoenix, September 12th

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Accept was one of the bands that first got me into metal back in the day, and I certainly can’t complain about their latest post-reunion album, either.  The subsequent tour saw them team up with Teutonic thrashers Kreator for what turned out to be a pretty bitchin’ double bill.

CHOICE WORDS: And yes, they still played all the hits, “Fast as a Shark,” “Restless and Wild,” “Breaker,” “Princess of the Dawn,” “Balls to the Wall” and “Teutonic Terror”–the latter of which firmly belongs in the Accept canon.  If they can pull a couple more “Terrors” out of their army helmets in the next studio session, I know I’ll be back for Round 4 — Accept: Third time’s slightly less charming… (Hellbound.ca)

Click for more pics!

On that note, check out my top 10 German metal bands.

9. Melvins Lite @ Opera House, July 5th

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The Seattle sludge forefathers/idols of Cobain were sporting a slightly different lineup this time around.  Eschewing their recent double-drumkit attack, they went out as Melvins Lite, a three-piece featuring Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle fame) on standup bass.  That said, I can now attest that this incarnation is almost equally excellent as the full-bodied, five-per-cent-alcohol version. ;)

CHOICE WORDS: Having seen the Melvins last time, I sorta knew what to expect.  They went on right at 10, played for 75 minutes, didn’t really do an encore (although both Buzz ‘n Dale left the stage for a Trevor Dunn bass solo) and left everybody satisfied yet wanting more. — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: MELVINS, Retox @ Opera House, July 5, 2012

They also did a bitchin’ cover of Sir Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It.”  I count down my top five Melvins cover tunes over here.

8. Corrosion of Conformity/Torche/Black Cobra @ Opera House, June 21st

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Another reinvigorated, stripped-down lineup performing at the Opera House, and just as couple weeks before the Melvins, as it were.  I’ve really dug COC’s self-titled comeback record–and that new EP ain’t too shabby, either!  When they took their act on the road with possibly the best stoner/sludge/whatever lineup to hit Toronto this year, needless to say I made sure to mark it on my calendar.

CHOICE WORDS: Seeing a good chunk of the record in the flesh a few feet from my face only reaffirms its status as a top contender for Album of the Year 2012 in my books.  And it’s safe to say that Mike Dean isn’t lip-synching on stage, either.  His voice is just as raw, his delivery as garbled as it was in ’85. — COC still sounds good to me! (Hellbound.ca)

More pics here!

7. Iron Maiden/Alice Cooper @ Molson Amphitheatre, July 13th

(This was taken by someone with a much better camera than me.)

Another band that I’ve been listening to for a really long time, and for whom I’m guaranteed to be in attendance at their biennial Toronto concerts, is Iron Maiden.  I’ve seen ‘em at the Amp a couple times now, as well as the ACC.  And while I’ve never been able to get floor tickets at the former, you really don’t need to be in front of the stage to enjoy Maiden in concert, lemme tell ya!  They also got bonus points this year for bringing Alice Cooper along as an opening act; twas worth getting there early, that’s for sure…

CHOICE WORDS: Though they didn’t have me leaping out of my seat by starting their set with “Moonchild,” the elaborate stage production coupled with a classic set certainly won me over by the end of the night.  By injecting the aforementioned “Trooper” and “2 Minutes” into the set, along with “The Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills” and “Phantom of the Opera,” it certainly made the material from their 1988 release appear more palatable. — Maiden pulls out all the stops to make Seventh Son number one! (Hellbound.ca)

In case you’re wondering how they stack up, I compared Maiden’s back catalogue to Cooper’s–albeit with a 10-year distance–back in July.

6. Witch Mountain/Blood Ceremony/Castle @ Hard Luck Bar, June 13th

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The first appearance of Witch Mountain on Torontonian soil–surprisingly, they’d be back by October–was arguably the best stoner/doom gig this city had seen in 2012.  (OK, maybe second best–more on that later…)  Bolstered by support bands Blood Ceremony and Castle, this three-headed Medusa delivered an unhealthy triple dose of female-fronted doom, capped off by the headliners showcasing the just-released Cauldron of the Wild album in its entirety.  The initial live impression might not have been as overpowering as when I first stumbled across South of Salem, which I’d later crown as album of that year, but it was definitely right up there, to be sure.  You can bet their new record figures on my list for 2012, too–more on that tomorrow! ;)

CHOICE WORDS: I was a little disappointed that they only played one song offa South of Salem, opting instead to play their new album in its entirety, but y’know what, that new record is pretty amazing in its own right–as seen last night. — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Witch Mountain, Blood Ceremony, Castle @ Hard Luck Bar, June 13th

On that note, check out my list of the top 10 female-fronted doom bands going!

5. All That Is Heavy II feat. Iron Man, Blood Ceremony, Blizaro, Revelation @ Mavericks, Ottawa, May 12th

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Yes indeed, Blood Ceremony appears twice on this list.  (Their gig with Ghost back in January missed the cut, mind you.)  But while they headlined this biennial(?) festival in the nation’s capital, the biggest draw for yours truly, who’s seen BC about a dozen times, was the first-ever Canadian appearance for Maryland doomsters Iron Man.  Hey, if you’re keeping score at home, Iron Man finished two spots higher than Iron Maiden this year. ;)

CHOICE WORDS: New frontman Dee Calhoun is quite the imposing figure, but this band is truly the Al Morris Show, the man channeling Iommi for some serious doom riffage!  And I must say, Mr. Morris and his cohorts were much more animated than the last time I remembered… — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: All That Is Heavy II @ Maverick’s, Ottawa, May 12th

4. Church of Misery/Hail! Hornet/The Gates of Slumber @ Studio Seven, Seattle, WA, June 9th

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I don’t wanna say that Seattle is like a home away from home–fact of the matter is, I’ve only been there twice.  But as a long-time Seahawks fan, I definitely feel a certain connection to the city.  And while I didn’t fly out there back in June solely to see Church of Misery (along with TGOS and Hail! Hornet), you could say I feel a certain connection to the Japanese serial-killer stoner-doomsters as well.  And since the closest date on their first-ever North American tour was Philly, well, I figured I’d head out to the Land of the Hawks instead…

CHOICE WORDS: This being the last date of the tour, Church of Misery brought Karl Simon and T-Roy up on stage for a rousing rendition of “War is Our Destiny” with the other members of TGOS and Hail Hornet lurking in the background.  This is the great thing about seeing the last date of a tour–the headliner not having any merch left, well, that’s the not-so-great thing. — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: CHURCH OF MISERY, Hail Hornet, The Gates of Slumber @ Studio Seven, Seattle, June 9, 2012

3. Saint Vitus/Weedeater/Sourvein @ The Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH, September 29th

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Incidentally, Vitus also took the third spot on last year’s list, albeit their all-too-brief Metalliance Tour appearance left me wanting more.  Fortunately, with a new record in the can, the band embarked on their first North American tour in nearly two decades, and a Saturday night in Cleveland Heights was alright with me, merci!  (That said, trying to catch a cab in Cleveland at 1 am isn’t tons o’ fun…)  You could even say the added bonus of Weedeater and Sourvein made the seven-hour bus ride worthwhile.

CHOICE WORDS: Vitus came through with a solid 13-song set that included all the non-instrumental numbers off their new album, a fistful from Hallow’s Victim, and other classic tunes like “Dying Inside,” “I Bleed Black,” “The Troll” and of course, “Born Too Late.”  Unbeknownst to me beforehand, the 29th was Wino’s birthday, and even though he’s now 51, old age didn’t stop him from stage diving on a couple occasions. — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: SAINT VITUS, Weedeater, Sourvein @ Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH, September 29, 2012

Leading up to this gig, I reviewed every single Saint Vitus album.  Perhaps that’ll give you some idea of what you missed. :P

2. Dream Death reunion @ 31st Street Pub, Pittsburgh, PA, April 21st

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If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed quite a few big-name metal bands on this list.  However, one of the best gigs I saw all year was when I took a little trip down to Pittsburgh to catch a cult band that only released one album–way back in 1987.  Although they don’t fit its modern-day description, Dream Death actually coined the term “sludge metal,” and like several sludge bands, their sound is somewhat of a head-on collision between hardcore punk and doom.  This home-town, one-off (well, they are playing next year’s Days of the Doomed fest…) gig was sold out in advance, packing a bar about twice the size of the Bovine, and the energy was certainly palpable.  Now this is why I collect Air Miles, right here! ;)

CHOICE WORDS: As Dream Death took an awfully long time to set up, you could feel the anticipation building, along with the urge to urinate–but hey, I was NOT giving up my spot for this.  It was, after all, their first gig in 24 years!  But the band sounded as good as ever, hell, better than some of the dodgy demos and bootlegs in their discography. — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: DREAM DEATH/ARGUS @ 31st St Pub, Pittsburgh, April 21, 2012

1. Kyuss Lives @ Cherry Cola’s, January 1st

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I may have initially balked at shelling out 200 bucks to see Kyuss Lives on New Year’s Eve, but I eventually came around.  Hey, your average New Year’s evening of dinner and dancing costs at least 50–and they don’t have Kyuss.  It turned out to be a good call, especially since this was effectively the outfit’s last gig before the lawsuits started rolling in.  (More on that below–if you’re on the homepage, that is.)  Vista Chino might end up playing venues the size of Cherry Cola’s, but it just won’t be the saaaame, maaaan!

CHOICE WORDS: It’s one thing seeing ‘em on a massive stage, and quite another being in a tiny bar, where the bouncer knocked over half the drumkit while forcibly removing a patron from the premises.  Unfortunately, I did not have my camera out when that happened… — AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Kyuss Lives @ Cherry Cola’s, January 1st, 2012

MAIDEN ALICE: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) vs. Trash (1989)

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After a couple tours with questionable openers, Iron Maiden finally gives us a reason to show up early for their latest North American trek–with support from shock-rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper.  In some regards, it’s a little odd having Alice open the show as his commercial peak came a decade before the headliner’s, but, much like Judas Priest bringing a reconstituted Thin Lizzy on tour last winter, I suppose this is a case of honouring your elders, or something like that.  After all, I’m not sure that Alice Cooper sells out stadiums on his lonesome anymore…

Though they achieved their fame in different decades, Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper both shared the spotlight in the late 80′s.  In April of ’88, Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son topped the British charts, while the following year, Alice’s Trash made it all the way up to Number Two during the summer of Gloria Estefan.  While both albums were commercially successful, spawning eight(!) music videos between them, each could be considered a departure from the artist’s classic sound.  Here’s how they stack up:

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Maiden’s 1988 release topped the charts in the UK—their first album to do so since The Number of the Beast—and just narrowly missed the Top 10 in the US and Canada.  Spurred by four singles (and their accompanying music videos) that all cracked the UK Top 10, Seventh Son was nevertheless a bit of a departure for the band at the time, though it introduced some of the more progressive elements that have become prevalent in their later work.  Speaking of departures, guitarist Adrian Smith would leave Maiden after this record—though his eventual return in 2000 would usher in the three-guitar lineup we now know and love (except for Janick Gers).

“Moonchild” doesn’t exactly open the album with a bang, as the first thing we hear is Bruce singing over some strummed acoustic chords—and the next is a simplistic synthesizer pattern.  But then the riffs start pounding, and things pick up speed, this one just about as aggressive, even if it’s not as memorable, as some of their earlier work.  “Infinite Dreams” comes next, the fourth single from this record.  This one is a little softer by Maiden standards—it’s certainly not unusual for Maiden to stick a slower song second on a record (see “Children of the Damned,” “Revelations”) but this one just doesn’t have the “oomph” of its predecessors, for lack of a better term.

If Seventh Son is remembered fondly, it’s best remembered for “Can I Play With Madness,” its first, and most successful, single.  The only song shy of four (nearly four-and-a-half at that) minutes on this one, it’s known for its clean, jangly riffs, pulsating bassline—but mostly its soaring, uplifting chorus that’s induced many concert sing-a-longs throughout the years.  Likewise, “The Evil That Men Do” has become somewhat of a concert staple, another song that begins with synths and some clean, high-register riffing.  This song drives along with a sense of desperation, Dickinson tuning down the high-pitched sirens in the verses for a more emotive performance, which makes the extended pre-chorus pack even more of a punch—to say nothing of another chorus that’s simply out of the range of most mere mortals.

Up to this point, Maiden had usually saved the lengthy epics for last, and thus, sticking the nearly 10-minute title track smack dab in the middle was a bit of an oddity.  It begins on a faux-operatic note, someone selecting the “chamber choir” option on the synth settings, I’m sure.  The song rumbles and chugs along, not unlike “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”—albeit with much, much more keyboards.  The chorus simply repeats the song title several times, before Bruce breaks into an Udo Dirkschneider-esque “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” (I think I got all of them).  Samuel Coleridge, this is not.

Though this was meant to be a concept album, it just sorta ended up being “about good and evil, heaven and hell, but isn’t every Iron Maiden record?” as Dickinson would later ponder in Kerrang.  On that note, both “The Prophecy” and “The Clairvoyant” sound like they could be chapter titles to a fantasy novel or something.  The former is chuggy, gallopy—basically it sounds like a Maiden tune, with Bruce doing a double-tracked duet with himself to (kinda) cut through the monotony.  The latter, which would become the album’s third single, is a little more upbeat, those bright, sparkly riffs cutting through the mix and a chorus pondering the futility of man’s existence—whoa, that’s pretty deep.  I’d be lying if I said I was dying to hear this one tomorrow night, though.

“Only the Good Die Young,” fittingly enough, ends a sparkly, synth-filled album on a synth-heavy note.  But hey, at least it’s not a Billy Joel cover.  In any case, this is certainly the beginning of Progressive Maiden, which depending on who you ask, either is or is not a good thing.  But hey, if they keep on touring, they can play the noodly prog stuff to their hearts’ content—just as long as they don’t forget to play the hits. ;)

…

Trash

If Iron Maiden went prog in ’88, Alice Cooper went pop in ’89.  After a decade’s worth of albums that barely dented the charts, Coop ended the 80’s in style with this Desmond Child-produced pop-metal album that yielded four hit singles (and their accompanying music videos), most notably “Poison,” Alice’s first Top 10 hit since ’77—and arguably his catchiest song since “School’s Out.”  The album barely cracked the Top 20 in the US and Canada—something he hadn’t accomplished Stateside since Welcome to My Nightmare, mind you—but went all the way to Number Two in the UK, kept from the top spot by Gloria Estefan’s Greatest Hits.  Sad but true…

Alice wastes no time on this one, leading off with “Poison” and its guitar riffs that scream Def Leppard—as do the group vocals on the chorus.  Alice does add his trademark sneer to the verses, interspersed with a single drum-hit.  This single was co-written by Child, famous for his work with Aerosmith and Bon Jovi—although he never actually worked with Def Lep, he certainly knew a thing or two about big hair-metal hooks.  “Spark in the Dark,” meanwhile, sounds a little like Corey Hart—he who’d wear his sunglasses for such an occasion, I’m sure.

“House of Fire” would be the third single, though it barely cracked the Mainstream Rock Top 40, what with its big 80’s drum sound, simple, straight-forward bluesy rock riffs and a big, dumb, arena-rock chorus.  If this one sounds a little like a Joan Jett tune, well, she actually got a co-writing credit, so there ya go.  “Why Trust You” is a synth-rocker—not in the proggy Maiden sense—but in the whole 80’s new-wavey vein.  This one at least has some of the venom not heard on here since “Poison”—the outside songwriters stripping away a lot of the quirky carnival qualities that had been a staple of Cooper’s early success.

As opposed to the eerie piano ballads that marked Cooper’s work with Bob Ezrin, “Only My Heart Talkin’” is a slickly-produced 80’s-style ballad—this doesn’t sound like something Alice should be singing at all.  Yet it still went all the way up to 19 on the “Mainstream Rock Chart”—which shows just how much Billboard loved ballads back in ’89, I guess.  It’s worth noting that Steven Tyler, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Anthony and Stiv Bators(!?) lend their (backing) vocals to the chorus—you can clearly hear a couple of Tyler’s trademarks “Gah-gah-gah-gah-gows” as the song fades out.  “Bed of Nails” also charted at Number 20, the creepy intro kinda sounds like Vincent Price—though I’m pretty sure that’s just Alice (and his heart) talkin’.  Though it oozes 80’s hairspray and sleeze, it actually sounds like Alice’s idea of a love-song—as opposed to its predecessor.

The rest of the album alternates between cheesy love-songs and what I suppose passes for “down-and-dirty,” including the title track.  “This Maniacs’ (sic) in Love with You” is gag-inducing, a really bad piece of 80’s pop that could’ve been written for Michael San Bello (or whatever his name is).  Everything wrong with 80’s music can be found here, synth horns, rapping, soulless female backing vocals, you name it.  You almost wanna take a shower after hearing it to get rid of the ickiness.  The title track sounds like solid gold afterwards, Alice oozing sleeze and sex over what passes for (overproduced) 80’s blues rock.  His call-and-response with (what sounds like) Tyler at the end is pretty lame, though.

“Hell is Living Without You” opens with a synthesizer flourish—another late 80’s power ballad, you betcha.  The chorus is sort of a reprise of “Poison,” minus the clever wordplay, and that’s about its only redeeming quality.  The intro to “I’m Your Gun” is cheesy as hell, but the verses have drive and a couple decent double-entendres.  I’m not even sure what’s up with that pre-chorus, though.  It’s like they actually tried to make Alice sound like a snake, or something.  Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple decent tunes here, but this album has not aged well at all.  Another forgettable late-80’s rock record, the kind that we can’t blame grunge for killing in retrospect.

THE VERDICT: Though it wasn’t their finest hour, Maiden still has enough faith in Seventh Son to take it back out on the road after all these years.  On the other hand, I’m sure that 64-year-old Alice would be too embarrassed by most of this Trash—not to mention that it would come off as awfully creepy on stage (and not in a good way).  Gotta go with the one that (sorta) stands the test of time…  Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

And in a five-round decision, your winner, by a score of 3-2, IRON MAIDEN!  I guess that’s why they’re the ones headlining this shindig, eh?

MAIDEN ALICE: Welcome to My Nightmare (1975) vs. Powerslave (1984)

Posted by gruesomegreg on

After a couple tours with questionable openers, Iron Maiden finally gives us a reason to show up early for their latest North American trek–with support from shock-rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper.  In some regards, it’s a little odd having Alice open the show as his commercial peak came a decade before the headliner’s, but, much like Judas Priest bringing a reconstituted Thin Lizzy on tour last winter, I suppose this is a case of honouring your elders, or something like that.  After all, I’m not sure that Alice Cooper sells out stadiums on his lonesome anymore…

Looking back, it almost seems that neither artist ever really topped these two records.  After breaking ties with the Alice Cooper Band, the Coop would stagger through a decades-long solo career that, aside from a brief revival in the late 80′s, would never reach the heights of his early 70′s output.  Meanwhile, Maiden’s next few albums might have garnered some commercial success (up until Bruce Dickinson left the band), but it’s hard to pit any of them against Powerslave from an artistic standpoint.  While not necessarily their finest hours, you could say that these records captured their respective creators at the climax of their careers–and it’s been one big, long denouement ever since.

Welcome to My Nightmare

After ditching the rest of his original bandmates, Alice bounced back with Welcome to My Nightmare, a horror-themed concept album on which producer Bob Ezrin received several songwriting credits.  This record did fairly well upon release, Top 5 in the US and Australia, with Led Zep’s Physical Graffiti the only thing keeping it from the top spot in Canada back in May ’75.  The record yielded three singles, with “Only Women Bleed” hitting Number 12 on the Billboard charts and the title track cracking the Top 50, though it’s the second song, “The Black Widow,” with its Vincent Price monologue that remains a staple of Alice’s live set to this day.

Alice welcomes us to the proceedings with the title track, which starts off softly, taking on more of a funk/jazz feel as it picks up the pace, complete with saxophone solo.  “Devil’s Food” is classic Cooper, a slowish bluesy rock jam with a great big chorus (a little too much Autotune on the backing vocals, perhaps), though this one doesn’t hit home quite like “School’s Out” or “No More Mr. Nice Guy.”  Mind you, the second half of the track belongs to Vincent Price, who provides a monologue on spiders that leads into “The Black Widow.”  Seemingly keeping the same shuffling backbeat as its predecessor, this spider stings with Cooper’s venomous vocals and some radioactive lead-guitar work.

“Some Folks” is a finger-snapping power ballad, a less-creepy “I Love the Dead” with some jazzy bass-playing, an uplifting chorus and a Memphis horn section that leads us into the album’s two big singles.  “Only Women Bleed” is not your typical Alice Cooper hit; it’s more his answer to “Beth,” another Ezrin-produced piece of adult contemporary pop from an artist that wore a lotta makeup, though this tune actually reminds me more of Supertramp, one of the bands that effectively ruined my childhood.  (Thanks, Dad!)  “Department of Youth” does bring back the rock, a number that sounds somewhat akin to KISS’ “Flaming Youth,” albeit with a bit less bite—I almost hate to say it, but I sorta hear some strains of Supertramp in this tune, too…

“Cold Ethyl” is somewhat heavier, reminiscent of the Stones.  Let’s just say that this tune doesn’t need more cowbell, to put it mildly.  Tis also a tune that makes necrophilia fun again.  The rest of the record is a little less than impressive, however.  Alice adopts a child-like voice for “Years Ago,” a three-minute tune that doesn’t add much to the whole, similar to “Steven,” another piece of piano-based power balladry.  Y’know, it would be easier to follow along with the concept if the lyrics were provided with the album…

“The Awakening” is, you guessed it, another piano ballad!  “Escape” ends the album, a decent 70’s radio-rock number similar to “Department of Youth” with a pretty decent chorus, but again, this tune is fairly mild and laid-back.  Of course, Cooper’s career would head dramatically downhill for 14 years after this one, but it’s hard to consider this the summit or the apex.  Man, the studio band just doesn’t bring the rock like the original group did.  Nuff said.

…

Powerslave

For whatever reason, Powerslave didn’t chart as well in Canada as the last two, peaking at Number 21—the same position it would hold in the States.  But it was another Top 10 hit across Europe, debuting at Number Two in England behind Now That’s What I Call Music 3, an early edition of the pop compilation that included Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.  Ick.  Mind you, this record should easily chase the addictive pop crap away with its massive opening double-dose of “Aces High” and “2 Minutes to Midnight.”

With its soaring intro and nose-diving guitar attack, overtaken by a jet-fuelled Dickinson vocal, “Aces High” comes screaming out of the gate with power and speed.  Speaking of screaming, I once tried to sing karaoke to this song.  It was not pretty.  Of course, the sound and fury of “Aces” is matched, if not exceeded, by the punishing “2 Minutes to Midnight.”  Featuring one of the most epic, iconic choruses in heavy-metal history, this is the song that got me hooked on Maiden in my formative years.  If I owned a bar, I would play it on the sound system every evening at 11:58 pm and it would never get old.

The next few tunes may not have been smash-hit singles, but I wouldn’t call ‘em filler, either.  “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)” is a four-minute instrumental that keeps the juices flowing with its uptempo stomp.  “Flash of the Blade” kinda continues with the power-metal themes scattered throughout Piece of Mind, but y’know, I actually don’t mind this one.  “The Duellists” is another song about swordplay, and with its upbeat tempo, soaring vocals and scintillating solos, it actually kinda makes fencing sound cool.  “Back to the Village” is also a tad familiar, another rip-roaring takeover tune, somewhat akin to “Invaders” from Number of the Beast, though this one has more of a grimy, 70’s rock feel, which is still cool with me.

The title track is pretty epic in its own right, a seven-minute journey into the abyss that asks the fundamental question “Tell me why I have to be a Powerslave?”—but it pales in comparison to its successor, the 13-minute literary masterpiece “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”  As far as album-closers are concerned, this tune makes “Hallowed Be Thy Name” seem like a brief musical interlude.  Utilizing actual lines from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, this song takes the listener on a sea-faring journey with not a drop to drink.  Twas pretty amazing to see ‘em play it live on the Somewhere Back in Time tour a few years ago!

You know how I said Piece of Mind lacked memorable tunes aside from “The Trooper”?  Well, they seemed to have rectified that on this record, another one of my personal favourites.  To someone (born yesterday) who hasn’t heard Maiden before, I would highly recommend The Number of the Beast and Powerslave, and not necessarily in that order.

THE VERDICT: While Alice ditched his entire backing band for Welcome to My Nightmare, by contrast Powerslave was the first Maiden record to keep the exact same lineup as the one before.  Gotta go with the steady hand here.  And we’re all tied at 2-2 going into the fifth and final round…

MAIDEN ALICE: Billion Dollar Babies (1973) vs. Piece of Mind (1983)

Posted by gruesomegreg on

After a couple tours with questionable openers, Iron Maiden finally gives us a reason to show up early for their latest North American trek–with support from shock-rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper.  In some regards, it’s a little odd having Alice open the show as his commercial peak came a decade before the headliner’s, but, much like Judas Priest bringing a reconstituted Thin Lizzy on tour last winter, I suppose this is a case of honouring your elders, or something like that.  After all, I’m not sure that Alice Cooper sells out stadiums on his lonesome anymore…

Alice topped both the British and American charts with his 1973 release, while Maiden broke through into the U.S. Top 20.  But if we’re looking at hit singles along, then it’s 4-2 Cooper…

Billion Dollar Babies vs. Piece of Mind

Billion Dollar Babies

Propelled by the success of “School’s Out” from their previous record, Billion Dollar Babies sent the Alice Cooper Band into the stratosphere, topping the charts in both the US and the UK.  A return to rock after its campy concept-album predecessor, Babies did not yield a Top-10 hit in America (“Elected” made it as high as Number 3 in some European countries), though four singles were released off this record, with “No More Mr. Nice Guy” achieving the highest chart position (#25) and having the most staying power.  But don’t discount some of the other songs on this one…

The album opens in grandiose fashion, “Hello Hooray” a perfect “Welcome to the Show” intro with the just the right amount of cheese, Meat Loaf meets Journey—albeit with a much darker message.  Speaking of which, I doubt you’d find another artist writing songs like “Raped and Freezin’” back in ’73—that title sounds like it coulda been a Cannibal Corpse tune some 20 years later.  But this is not a pre-proto death metal platter, rather tis more like a Satanic Steve Miller Band—which, let’s face it, is bound to be pretty bitchin’.

“Elected,” the international hit single, is perhaps the most political piece penned by Cooper & Co.  But there isn’t a real strong lyrical message here—this one’s about on par with “School’s Out.”  The title track, meanwhile, is more sexual than economic, featuring a far-out duet with none other than British teen idol Donovan.   Groovy—this tune’s got plenty of groove underpinning those creepy lyrics as well.  And speaking of creepiness, let’s just say that “Unfinished Sweet” might make you a bit nervous about your next visit to the dentist.

“No More Mr. Nice Guy” kicks off Side B with its semi-autobiographical story reportedly based on reactions from Alice’s mother’s church group.  It would also be a harbinger of things to come—his music would definitely take a turn for the “sick ‘n obscene” after his original band broke up.  “Generation Landslide” shows the band channelling The Who on an anti-war protest song, though this one is less explosive than Townsend’s best work—despite Neal Smith providing a solid Moonlike effort on the drums.

The album takes a turn for the twisted down the homestretch.  “Sick Things” is a bass-heavy number with whispered backing vocals that’s as slow as Saint Vitus in their prime and has a tuba (of all instruments) adding depth to the chorus.  “Mary Ann,” meanwhile, is a two-minute piano ballad that seems a little outta place.  Leave it to Bob Ezrin to place a piano tune on a hard rock record…  The piano also features prominently in “I Love the Dead,” a song that should’ve been used in a thousand horror-movie soundtracks—but hasn’t been, to my knowledge.  The B Side definitely gets a little weird at times, but somehow, in spite of its quirks, it still works.

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Piece of Mind

There are some Maiden fans who swear by this album—but I’m not one of them.  Based on the strength of “The Trooper” and “Flight of Icarus,” it went to Number 3 in the UK and a much-improved Number 14 in the States, but I never felt it was as good the albums that came both before and after it.  Which isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its moments, mind you…

“Where Eagles Dare” is a pretty epic opener, this tune soaring with Bruce Dickinson’s vocals chords and some blazing fretwork.  Also of note is that this is the debut of drummer Nicko McBrain, who bashes the skins stealthily throughout.  “Revelations” slows things down with some classically-tinged guitar passages, the Dickinson-penned number delivers on the chorus—this tune is sorta like “Children of the Damned” lite, albeit with a few more time changes…  “Flight of Icarus” has a chugging, galloping backbeat and an epic group chorus, showing why this one was a single, which gallops on into “Die With Your Boots On,” a pretty decent, radio-friendly, one-two punch.

But the real knockout blow here is “The Trooper,” those badass winding riffs alternating with that bellowed verse, call-and-response action going into a chugging rifforama and that chorus that ordinary humans should not even attempt to sing—but still do, anyways.  This song even succeeds in making the Crimean War sound badass.  C’mon, would you have bothered to read up on the Crimean War were it not for Maiden?  Didn’t think so.

Elsewhere, “Still Life” is a bit more of a power-ballad, stock 80’s rocker, a pretty predictable verse structure and phrasing that leave me less than impressed.  “Quest For Fire” is inspired by the movie of the same name, while “To Tame A Land” is about the book/movie Dune.  The former contains a chorus that’s a little over the top (though not nearly as bad as the Manowaresque “Sun and Steel”), but a pretty awesome guitar solo, while the latter is a lengthy seven-minute epic that kinda loses me, having never read the book.  Again, this record has its moments, but it’s no Number of the Beast or Powerslave in my books.

THE VERDICT: “The Trooper” is a great song, and if Piece of Mind had a couple more like that, it would be a pretty good record.  But again, I gotta give this one to Alice Cooper for providing a more interesting listen from start to finish with Billion Dollar Babies.  That’s 2-1 Cooper so far if you’re keeping track at home…

MAIDEN ALICE: School’s Out (1972) vs. The Number of the Beast (1982)

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After a couple tours with questionable openers, Iron Maiden finally gives us a reason to show up early for their latest North American trek–with support from shock-rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper.  In some regards, it’s a little odd having Alice open the show as his commercial peak came a decade before the headliner’s, but, much like Judas Priest bringing a reconstituted Thin Lizzy on tour last winter, I suppose this is a case of honouring your elders, or something like that.  After all, I’m not sure that Alice Cooper sells out stadiums on his lonesome anymore…

Today, we take a look at each artist’s breakthrough release, the chart-toppers (in Canada) School’s Out and (in the UK) The Number of the Beast.  This isn’t as close a contest as you might think…

School’s Out vs. The Number of the Beast

School’s Out

Alice’s breakout album School’s Out topped the charts in Canada for four weeks while reaching as high as Number Two in the States and Number Four in the UK.  Of course, everybody knows the title track—which went all the way to Number One in Britain while ending up at Number Three up here (and Number Seven stateside)—but quick, how many other songs can you name offa this record without looking?

After the opening anthem, we’re treated to “Luney Tune,” a mellower “No More Mr. Nice Guy” of sorts with some added orchestral flourishes; “Gutter Cat vs. the Jets,” a slightly psychedelic organ-driven rocker with lyrical content akin to “Stray Cat Strut,” which then turns into a tune from West Side Story; a 55-second “Street Fight”—broken glass, sirens and fisticuffs over a surf-rock bassline—and finally “Blue Turk,” which closes out the A Side, a jazzy swing number with a rather morbid chorus.

Side B opens with “My Stars,” its verse built around a bizarre call-and-response between Alice and a rollicking piano.  Almost six minutes long, this one doesn’t do much for me.  “Public Animal #9” is a groovy little number with group backing vocals, a little like Foghat or Bad Company with an unruly schoolboy theme.  “Alma Matter” is a garage-rock ballad complete with rainfall sounds, though Alice hardly sounds like a crooner here, channelling The Who on some of their conceptual work.  “Grand Finale” is a pretty funky soundtrack-style tune with a straight-from-the-mothership horn section—but man, it’s hard to believe this sold so many copies on the strength of the leadoff single alone.  The rest of the record ranges from out-there experimentation to forgettable filler—and I doubt Alice has even played any of these other songs since the 70’s.

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Number of the Beast

Maiden’s breakout album went straight to Number One in the UK, with a respectable Top 15 showing in most other countries—aside from the US, where it peaked at 33.  (The band would not have a Top 10 record stateside until 2006’s A Matter of Life and Death—perhaps that’s why they’ve always focused on international touring…)  Leadoff single “Run to the Hills,” which announced the presence of Bruce Dickinson in a big way, was a Top 10 hit in England, while the demonic title track and artwork caused a bit of a stir in the States.  That said, this record, the first written for Dickinson’s extended range, packs quite a punch, and has been named an all-time classic by critics across the globe.  You really can’t go wrong here.

“The Invaders” storms out of the gate with an aggressive speed metal attack built overtop of Steve Harris’ galloping basslines, Dickinson showing on the chorus that he can scream with the best of them (ie Rob Halford).  “Children of the Damned” then slows things down considerably, though Dickinson’s plaintive wails and that massive chorus riff ensure that this is one of the few power ballads that don’t suck.  “The Prisoner” offers up the best of both worlds, the punch and drive of “Children” (listen to that massive rhythm section!) with the upbeat chug of “Invaders”—and a great chorus, to boot!

Of course, it doesn’t get much better than the one-two-three punch of “22 Acacia Avenue,” “The Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills.”  If you’ve ever wondered why Maiden is so beloved amongst head-bangers, you likely haven’t heard any of these three rollicking numbers, the title track being my personal favourite with its spoken-word intro and shout-a-long chorus.  Though not quite as memorable as its predecessors, “Gangland” is a pretty decent tune that gets the job done in less than four minutes with a bit more of a 70’s rock vibe and a pretty decent chorus of its own—which brings us to the epic closing number.

This album would be pretty awesome in its own right even without “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” but its inclusion certainly takes it up to the next level.  A live staple that announces its presence with the opening bells, it starts off slow before Dickinson kicks it into high-gear with the most elongated enunciation of the word “low” you’re likely ever to hear.  The guitars and drums act as a counterpunch to his bellowed pleas, then it all comes together in progressive metal harmony, setting things up for an epic outro.  Now this is how you end an album, kids!

THE VERDICT: Though School’s Out gave us one of the great rock ‘n roll anthems of all time, there are a whack of classic tracks on The Number of the Beast that make this a clear decision.  Maiden takes this round on all three judges’ scorecards!

MAIDEN ALICE: Killer (1971) vs. Killers (1981)

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After a couple tours with questionable openers, Iron Maiden finally gives us a reason to show up early for their latest North American trek–with support from shock-rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper.  In some regards, it’s a little odd having Alice open the show as his commercial peak came a decade before the headliner’s, but, much like Judas Priest bringing a reconstituted Thin Lizzy on tour last winter, I suppose this is a case of honouring your elders, or something like that.  After all, I’m not sure that Alice Cooper sells out stadiums on his lonesome anymore…

Anyways, for the next five days, I’ll be comparing the career arcs of each artist by pitting their respective albums against each other in a five-round showdown inside the octagon.  Starting things off are two similarly-titled records released a decade apart.

Killer vs. Killers

Killer

In an era where major-label artists were expected to release one, if not two, albums a year, Killer followed hot on the heels of Love it to Death, released in January ’71. Twas the Alice Cooper Band’s first album to chart in Canada, the US and the UK—spawning the classic hit “I’m Eighteen” among others.  Although Killer, which hit the shelves in November, didn’t contain any tunes as anthemic as “Eighteen,” it did have two charting singles in “Under My Wheels” and “Be My Lover,” which open Side One of the album.

Opening with a fleeting guitar flourish, “Under My Wheels” sees Alice adopting a bluesy sneer that certainly inspired a young George Thorogood.  Hell, the “California van…” pre-chorus riff sounds like it was later pilfered by The Destroyers as well.  Dig the horn section here too—a Bob Ezrin contribution, no doubt.   “Be My Lover” meanwhile is a straight ahead bubblegum rocker, a three-power-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust rump-shaker in the vein of the Kinks or even the Stones.  I can see why this one was a minor hit—peaking at #49 on the Billboard chart at the time.

Which hardly prepares us for what comes next.  “Halo of Flies” is an eight-minute spaced-out psych rock freakout, which Cooper later stated was the band’s best attempt at creating a Yes-style prog-rock number.  This one is a little weirder than Yes though, if you ask me, veering more towards Captain Beyond or Hawkwind territory.  The A Side ends with “Desperado,” a tune inspired by either Jim Morrison or The Magnificent Seven, depending on who you ask.  A mellow, melodic verse allows the lyrics to come through cleanly—I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that riff on “Pink Lady Lemonade” by Acid Mothers Temple—while the chorus ups the ante with some heavy riffage.  We even get orchestral accompaniment for the second half of this one, ending Side One with a bang.

Side Two opens on a funky rock note with “You Drive Me Nervous,” another solid slice of early 70’s hard rock.  Great sing-a-long chorus, Alice screaming like a demon.  This song could’ve been a hit if you ask me.  “Yeah, Yeah Yeah” is another straight-ahead rock number, a stop-start style riff that sorta recalls Rush’s “Fly By Night,” albeit with a blusier bent, complete with harmonica solo.

“Dead Babies” is a slow, eerie ballad that caused quite a bit of controversy at the time, although, much like Pat Benatar’s “Hell is for Children,” its message was typically misinterpreted.  Tis a song that denounces, rather than promotes child abuse.  I’d say the chorus riff that intersects the two vocal lines sounds a tad Maidenesque, as well.  The title track ends the album on another haunting slow-paced note, Alice channeling Jim Morrison and The Doors mere months after his death, along with some creepy sounds that could easily serve as the soundtrack to any Halloween horror movie.  Not a dull moment on this record, that’s for sure.

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Killers

After their self-titled debut took England by storm, Killers was a top 20 hit album in most of Europe, peaking at Number 10 in Germany, Number 11 in Sweden and Number 12 in the UK.  That said, it barely made a dent Stateside, where it was released four months after it came out across the pond.  While spawning the concert staple “Wrathchild,” this record is best known for being the end of Paul Di’Anno’s tenure with the band—he’d be replaced by Bruce Dickinson in September of ’81, some six months after Killers hit the shelves.  This record did mark a couple of firsts for Maiden, however.  It was the first appearance by guitarist Adrian Smith on a Maiden record, as well as their first album to be produced by Martin Birch, who had cut his teeth with Deep Purple from ’69 to ’77 and had been working at the time with Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult.  Both would prove to be long and fruitful relationships.

The first song, “Ides of March,” is a brief, percussion-heavy instrumental that sets the stage for the aforementioned “Wrathchild.”  Galloping out of the gate with that classic intro, “Wrathchild” hits home with its repetitive punk-rock style chorus and searing guitar solo, the rare Maiden hit that clocks in at less than three minutes.  “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” is another early glimpse at classic Maiden, though this song doesn’t get nearly as much airplay anymore.  A solid, driving melodic anthem with a catchy chorus, tis no coincidence this tune would be later covered by melodic death-metal bands like In Flames.

The rest of this record is a little less memorable.  “Another Life” offers a decent slice of early NWOBHM, some jagged, jangly, driving riffs that are real ‘eavy and ‘umble and shit.  “Genghis Khan,” a three-minute instrumental, is somewhat along the same lines, albeit with more flashy fretwork.  This one could easily work with some vocals in the mix.  “Innocent Exile” bursts out of the gate, but lacks the punch of their later work.  The title track, which is the second-longest song at a shade over five minutes, brings some solid speed-metal riffs to the table, Di’Anno hitting some drawn-out notes on here that if you closed your eyes (forever) would almost sound like Bruce Dickinson.

The North American release of this album included the UK single “Twilight Zone” in the eighth spot, though it comes in at 10 on the CD remaster.  I suppose the intent was to break up “Killers” from the even-longer “Prodigal Son,” a six-minute epic that leans towards cheeseball prog rock territory.  We’d hear a lot more of this kinda thing from Maiden in the new millennium, but I digress.   At 2:33, “Twilight Zone” is a made-for-7”-single, solid if unspectacular.  “Purgatory” picks up the pace, another proto-Maiden speedster that’s a blueprint for things to come but “Drifter” ends things on a drab note, an overly long rock ‘n roll tune that does nothing for me.

THE VERDICT: Don’t get me wrong, Killers has its moments, but it doesn’t capture my attention for the duration the way Killer does.  Score Round One to Cooper.