EleKtriK

Time for some Prog rock. For those not as adventurous as others you may wanna glance over this post. King Crimson are among the forefathers of Prog Rock, up there with the likes of Genesis, Yes, and Rush. The band has been bringing their unique take on Prog since the late 60's. Granted there's been some breaks and hiatuses and reunions, but the band still somehow comes back with something great each time. I featured the bands landmark record, "In The Court Of The Crimson King' many moons again. That still remains one of my favorite Prog rock albums ever. For a band that has an illustrious career there are plenty of Live records to choose from. So much so the band has released a ton of Live records under their "Collectors Club" and "Collectable King Crimson" line. Needless to say I've got my pick of Live albums to feature. But I wanted to go with something a little more modern and offbeat. So we feature the 2003 release 'EleKtriK: Live In Japan'

2003 marked a decent year for the band. Having released a new record in 'The Power To Believe', the band decided to tour in support of the release. 'EleKtrik' was recorded at Kouseinenkin Kaikan in Tokyo Japan on April 16, 2003. The album is pretty much latter period music from the band. The CD can also been seen as the audio counterpart to their DVD 'Eyes Wide Open', which features most of the audio from that show. Musically like I mentioned it's latter era Crimson material, with some stand out tracks like "Happy With What You Have to be Happy With", "ProzaKc Blues" and "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum". This would pretty much be the end of the band before going on their third hiatus. I feel like this era of the band doesn't get a whole lot of recognition. I mean the classic era of the band is amazing, but the latter period stuff has some real technical and great stuff in there. If you're feeling weird and ya need some music to back it up, enjoy this Live gem.

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Live Consternation

Festival season is a glorious time of year if you're in Europe. Tons of festivals with tons of great bands. America could stand to learn something. So for this post we're going to Germany and the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival and feature some Katatonia.

Of course I've featured some Katatonia on the blog before, but for a band with a well established career, the band to date only has two Live albums. We'll focus on the first here. 'Live Consternation' was taken from the bands performance at Summer Breeze in '06. It wasn't released until '07 as part of a Live CD/DVD package. The DVD portion captures the same show for your visual pleasure. This is a pretty simple Live record. Clocks in at just over 52 minutes and features 11 tracks. The album tends to focus on the bands more recent works in 'The Great Cold Distance' and 'Viva Emptiness'. So for fans of their earlier stuff, sorry. That being said, the setlist is still solid Katatonia. The band is amazing Live and while they tend to not tour stateside all that often, definitely see them Live if you get the chance.

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Unleashed In The East

What would this blog be without another classic Live album tossed in the mix? Don't answer that. Time to go back to Japan for some Live Judas Priest. 'Unleashed In The East' was Priest's first Live record. Released in '79 and recorded in Japan on February 10th and 15th 1979, this is Priest on the cusp of greatness. Released just a year before the classic 'British Steel' album, this is Priest in top form, like there's any other. Since the original issue, there's been many versions of this record floating around. US got a nine track release, while Japan got a 13 track release. And somehow the UK got a bonus 7' vinyl with it. CBS for ya folks. In any case you get the remastered US release which features the bonus tracks, "Rock Forever", "Delivering The Goods", "Hell Bent For Leather" and "Starbreaker". Priest would of course go on to release a few more Live albums, even a couple with Ripper Owens when he was handling vocals. However 'Unleashed In The East' remains the best of the Live material.

I got to see Priest a few years back now with Thin Lizzy and Black Label Society opening for them. And I gotta say for a back whose roots go back to the late 60's, the band can still bring it. Halford still has a pretty good range and hell can even take a few songs off and let the crowd sing, as was the case with "Breaking The Law". While the band is still active, they've scaled the touring back a bit, but they're still worth catching Live if you can.

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The Tokyo Showdown

Let's go back to Japan for some Live records this week. First up is some more of that Swedish Metal goodness. In Flames along with other Swedes At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity helped pioneer what would become to be known as the Gothenburg Sound in the early and mid '90's. In fact In Flames and Dark Tranquillity swapped vocalists in the early days. Formed in '90, In Flames has consistently been a figure in the Metal scene and now is more featured in the mainstream Rock/Alternative scene, evolving their sound from their classic sound to a more modern refined Rock approach that has left many longtime fans alienated.

For a band that's been around nearly 25 years now, the band has only one official Live release. That release is the '01 effort 'The Tokyo Showdown'. Recorded over the Japanese tour in November of 2000, this album captures what is pretty much the last of the classic sound before the evolution began. Fifteen tracks that cover their albums, 'Clayman', 'Colony', 'Whoracle' and 'The Jester Race'. Clocking in a just about an hour long, this gives the listener a rare glimpse into an In Flames Live show. The audio for me on this is a bit sub par and really could've been better. After all this is a Live record.

Of course in recent years In Flames has become a pale comparison of what they used to be. Their latest effort, 'Siren Charms' is for me just a staple of all the bland modern Rock that mainstream radio currently plays. Sadly the band doesn't seem to keen on revisiting the early days and sound of the band anytime soon. I've gotten the chance to see In Flames twice now. Once opening for Slayer in support of their 'ReRoute To Remain' album and then again in '08 as part of the Gigantour tour. Both times the band has been solid Live. Loads of energy on stage and cranking through sets and taking names. A lot of people, including myself, would love for a return to the old sound, but I don't see that happening. This however is a good reminder of what the band used to be like.

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Live (Hot Curry & Wine)

Haven't has any good ol NWOBHM up here in a while, so lets change that with some Holocaust. I has featured Holocaust a while back with their debut album 'The Nightcomers' and remembered they put out two pretty killer Live records. So decided to feature the more well known one in 'Live (Hot Curry & Wine).' The album actually is the second Live album in a row following the bands debut album. Touring in the early days was critical if you wanted to stand out from the other NWOBHM bands, and well Holocaust did. This version of the album is the reissue from Metal Blade that features two bonus tracks in "Lovin' Feelin' Danger" and "Death Or Glory".

The band of course is most known for having Metallica cover their song "The Small Hours". But they also got covered by Gamma Ray and Six Feet Under. The band is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the NWOBHM movement. Despite the praise the band released one more album in '84 before dropping off the grid til the early '90's where their sound evolved into more of a Progressive, Post Rock sound. The old sound did come back some with the '03 release of 'Primal'. Despite another decade long hiatus the band has returned again and are working on a new record.

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Woodstock

Sometimes an artist can turn a Live recording into something that captures a generation. A snapshot of that point in time if you will. Jimi Hendrix did that on two occasions with his God like playing. Monterey Pop Festival, in which we are introduced to the Hippie Generation and where we have the iconic image of him destroying his Fender and lighting it on fire. The other being Hendrix playing The Star Spangled Banner to the masses at Woodstock. Practically everyone and their mother recognizes the image of Hendrix at Woodstock or the tune. In fact that image is currently in an eBay commercial. Proof that singular performance is still relevant today.

'Woodstock' was released in '94. Probably in a sly way to tie in the twenty-five years since Woodstock happened. Actually it was released two days after the actual twenty five year mark. Hendrix of course played the final day of Woodstock. Most people familiar with him were expecting to see him preform with The Experience, his backing back consisting of Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding. Instead they got his new band, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. In fact the only time real time anyone ever saw this lineup was at Woodstock. The band would be revamped and shorted down to A Band Of Gypsy's for the next album.

The album captures a chunk of Hendrix's performance at Woodstock. August 18, 1969, marked the end of of the three day festival. Hendrix was initially to hit the stage at Midnight, but decided to wait til the morning to play. At 8 AM, Hendrix took the stage and gave one of the best performances ever. Even more amazing was the fact that Hendrix had been up for three days straight before, only to collapse from exhaustion after his set. The performance is still cited as one of the greatest ever in the history of Rock. And why shouldn't they, after all Hendrix say hello and goodbye to the Hippie Generation in two superb performances.

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Road Kill

Time to feature another band that I featured a few years back. And yes it's some more Thrash Metal. The Haunted have been forging ahead wit their take on The Gothenburg Sound for over two decades now. The band did release an early Live record entitled 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' that was originally released only in Japan before before repackaged stateside with their second album 'Made Me Do It'. The band went through a few vocalist shifts before releasing 2010's 'Roadkill'. 

'Roadkill' was recorded at The Melkweg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on February 13, 2009. The album here features the original 16 song set with 5 extra bonus studio tracks. The band at this time was riding high with the success of the reunion with original vocalist Peter Dolving. Dolving gives it everything on this record. I mean nothing against the band, who amongst it's lineup has members who played in one of the most influential Swedish Metal bands, At The Gates. But this album is nothing without an amazing frontman. Open to close this is just in your face, get up and thrash metal.

Sadly the band only released one more album with Dolving before he and two other members of the band split in '12. The last effort with Dolving, 'Unseen' was seen as a huge departure from the bands sound. The album wasn't well received and the proverbial backlash ensued. The band went into a hiatus status for a bit before reuniting with second vocalist Marco Aro and original drummer Adrian Erlandsson. The band has since released a new album 'Exit Wounds' that picks up musically where the band was when Aro left.

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Sleepy Buildings

Continuing on with the Female Fronted Metal thing for one more post. We feature one of the bigger names in the genre and a band that has been featured here and referenced a few times before. I speak of course of The Gathering. A band with a few Live records in their career, I've decided to go with Live album number two. 'Sleepy Buildings - A Semi Acoustic Evening'.

This album is a bit better in terms of material and quality from their first Live album, 'Superheat'. This album is as the title states, a semi acoustic Live gig. Recorded on August 21st and 22nd 2003 at the LUX Theater in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The album does cover material from the majority of their previous efforts including reworked versions of the tracks, "The Mirror Waters", "Stonegarden" and "Like Fountains". Those tracks of course were originally on the bands first two albums 'Always..' and 'Almost A Dance'. Back when the band was more of a Doom/Death Metal band. Of course the band later found their sound and place on album number three, 'Mandylion'. The band continued to release albums up until this year when it was announced after playing a few reunion show with the older lineups the band would go on a hiatus. After twenty-five years playing The Gathering remains as one of the premier Female Fronted Metal bands with their unique sound. Again this is a band to check out if you're not into Metal.

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Invanity

When I started this blog out I wanted to showcase bands that have had an impact of myself and at the same time shed some light on some lesser known bands. With Live albums sometimes that can be a tad tricky. However with today's post I feel like I can accomplish that. Sometime ago I showcased this band and mentioned them as part of the ABBA tribute I had featured. Once again I'm going to shed some light on the band Flowing Tears. A German female fronted Atmospheric/Goth Metal band is about the best way you could describe Flowing Tears. The band has released a short Live album entitled 'Invanity - Live In Berlin', which we will take a look at.

Flowing Tears began life as more an Atmospheric Doom Metal band back in '94. Back then they were known as the rather wordy Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers. If that name doesn't drip depressing Metal I dunno what does. The band did manage to release two albums and an EP under that name. By '99 they decided to chop the name down a bit and release what is considered the great album in 'Jade', which was profiled here. The band has released two albums under the new name before parting with vocalist Stefanie Duchene and replacing her with Helen Vogt. Despite being signed to Century Media their first album with Helen, 'Razorbliss' went largely unnoticed. If I recall there was some promotion for the new album and lineup, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. In '07 the band released their Live album 'Invanity - Live In Berlin'. The album is somewhat of an acoustic/electronic effort. A short nine tracks in length, the album pulls from their three albums. It also includes an eerie cover of Slayer's "Dead Skin Mask" as well as a cover of Nick Cave's "The Weeping Song", which features Tiamat frontman Johan Edlund sharing vocals.

This album and band is one of those times I can spin something from them and say Metal is all guttural death chants and screaming. Once again this is an album you can ease someone not familiar with the genre into. Sadly the band really hasn't done anything since their '08 release 'Thy Kingdom Gone' and has split up as of earlier this year. Flowing Tears were a great band I think that just got lost by the wayside of the other more well know Female Fronted Metal bands like Nightwish, The Gathering, Tristania, Lacuna Coil and the such. Really a shame this band wasn't as big as they could have been.

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Another Lesson In Violence

Time to come back stateside and get back into the pit with some Bay Area Thrash. Widely considered to be among the second Big 4 of Thrash Metal, Exodus have been a staple of Thrash music since the early 80's. Perhaps what Exodus is best known for is Kirk Hammett's part in forming the band before joining Metallica. But despite losing such talent, Exodus remained a staple of the Bay Area Thrash scene. The band despite having some what of an issue holding onto a vocalist at times, continues to Thrash today, releasing new material and playing live.

The band has released a few Live albums. Three "official" releases, all three with a different vocalist. For this one though we go to '97 and a reunion with original vocalist Paul Baloff. Recorded at the Trocadero on March 8th, 1997,  'Another Lesson In Violence' marked a change for Exodus. Five years removed from their last dismal effort in 'Force Of Habit', the band had spent the early 90's struggling to remain a relevant name in Metal. By the mid 90's the band dropped vocalist Steve 'Zetro' Souza and brought back original wild man Paul Baloff. This Live Album captures the Baloff era Exodus. This album also captures the dual Thrash attack of Guitarist Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt. Face melting solos and amazing fret work make this album worth cranking up. An album was in the works after the Baloff reunion , but sadly Baloff passed away before the '04 release 'Tempo Of The Damned' could be finished. Instead former vocalist Zetro stepped in to complete the album. The band continues to push the Thrash attack on the masses, releasing a new album that features Kirk Hammett providing some guest work. Funny how things come full circle.

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Made In Japan

We go back to the Land Of The Rising Sun with this post. And we feature one of the most prolific Rock Live albums every issued. I of course speak about the legendary 'Made In Japan' from Deep Purple. Recorded on October 15th-17th in '72 in Osaka and Tokyo Japan, this was initially a Japan only release. The album was released stateside in '73 to capture some more of the profit. Thanks Warner Bros.

The album is pretty much the pinnacle of the classic Deep Purple lineup. Ritchie Blackmore playing like a crazed madman. You know before he went into hiding mode and made fairy music with his wife. Then there's the late Jon Lord smashing at the Hammond B-3 like no one else ever could. Ian Paice and Roger Glover handling the low end of things, while Ian Gillan belts out the classics. This was Deep Purple riding high after releasing a great album in 'Machine Head' just a year earlier.

I decided to go with the Deluxe edition of 'Made In Japan'. Simply cause you have to. The Deluxe Edition adds three extra tracks on the bonus disc. "Black Night", "Speed King" and the Little Richard cover of "Lucille" add to the already stellar track list.

Deep Purple for most will forever be know as that band that did "Smoke On The Water", the most famous chord progression in Rock. Stop humming it, I know you are. But Purple wasn't a one song wonder. The band released some critically acclaimed records in their prime. And while the lineups changed, the music evolved and in some cases got better with the addition of Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale. Don't believe me, go check out the the classic albums, 'Burn' and 'Stormbringer' for proof that Coverdale is much more than just that dude from Whitesnake. And stop humming "Here I Go Again" now. Purple has been together off and on since '68. There was a time where Purple didn't exist from '76 to '84 but the band still carries on despite the fact the axeman Ritchie Blackmore wants nothing to do with the band or Rock music in general and the recent passing of Jon Lord. The band continues to release new albums along with a massive collection on unearthed Live material from the years past. Deep Purple is truly one of Rock's giants.

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Death & Raw

Since it's Halloween here stateside let's get thematic for a moment. Today we shine a light on one of the most influential and legendary Death Metal bands to come out of the Florida Metal scene. I of course speak of Death. A band who's influence on the genre can still be felt today. There were two Live albums released in '01 to help Chuck with his medical expenses at the time. Both feature the 'The Sound Of Perseverance' era lineups. I will focus on the first release 'Live In LA, Death & Raw'  to showcase an incredibly talented band.

Death originally formed under the name Mantas way back in '83. Formed by Guitarist and Vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, the band toiled in the underground in the early 80's, releasing nearly two dozen Live tapes and Demos before releasing their first album in '87. The band initially started out playing what would become Death Metal before incorporating elements of Progressive throughout the years. The band has somewhat of a revolving lineup. In fact the band never had the same lineup on records. In a rare case Bassist Steve DiGiorgio and Drummer Gene Hoglan play together on two records. While having a rotating lineup wasn't bad considering the players had played with the likes of other metal giants like, Obituary, Massacre, Testament, Six Feet Under, SYL, and King Diamond to name a few. The albums never lacked talent or were weak musically in any sense. Death ultimately turned out seven albums and two Live records during their run.

By '99 Chuck was working on his other band Control Denied when health issues began to take hold. In May of '99 it was discovered that a tumor that causes brain cancer and popped up. Chuck began treatments for it and by Oct of '99 he was given a clean bill of health. Sadly the cost of medical procedures had run quite high. The family was unable to pay the costs. Several benefit shows and auctions were held and the Metal community came together as a whole to assist Chuck's family with the cost. Sadly in May of '01 the cancer had returned. With treatment ongoing the side effects of chemo began to take hold leaving Chuck weak and his condition weakened as he became ill with an pneumonia. Sadly Chuck passed away on Dec. 13, 2001 due to complications from the cancer. In the years since Chuck's passing legal issues with unreleased material from both Death and Control Denied have come and gone. Death's legacy is handled by their former manager and the family. Several reissues have been recently released. Former members of Death are currently out on the road as a tribute band called Death To All. The shows are a tribute to the man referred to as "The Father Of Death Metal".

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Live Around The World

Continuing on with the Jazz theme for Live records, we shift to another Jazz legend in Miles Davis. A while ago I profiled the classic David record 'Kind Of Blue'. Shifting to his later period of work, 'Live Around The World' focuses on his later more modern style of playing. Originally released in '96, five years after his death, the album pulls material recorded in various places from '88 to '91. Clocking in at just under 71 minutes, this single disc captures Davis during his latter more synth infused periods. Included in this album are two covers. "Human Nature" is a spin of a Michael Jackson track and "Time After Time" is a take of the classic Cyndi Lauper track. Overall this is still a great Davis record, but to a newcomer to the Jazz scene this record may be a little harder to get into. For someone new I would recommend starting points for Davis with the major releases. Albums like 'The Complete Birth Of The Cool', 'Kind Of Blue' 'Bitches Brew' and 'Sketches Of Spain'. Any of those records are excellent starter albums. Even better if you listen to them in that order to see the progression. In any case keep your inner cool cat hip and happy and grab this Live record, ya dig?

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Live At Birdland

Time to Jazz the blog up some. Yes bad puns aside, the next couple of posts will feature some Jazz legends. First up we have the great Sax legend in John Coltrane. Most people who don't really enjoy Jazz will still know the name Coltrane. A legend who basically turn the Jazz world on its ear. Recording several great pieces over the years and playing with other legends like Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. This is a bit of a different Live album in the sense that it does feature two studio tracks in addition to the four Live cuts.

'Live At Birdland' marks Coltrane's fourth Live record. Recorded Live on March 6, 1963 and October 8, 1963 at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York. Originally just 5 tracks, 3 Live cuts and 2 studio pieces, 'Live At Birdland' got an extra Live cut when issued onto CD. It also includes a false start at the start of the opening cut "Afro Blue". At just under 44 minutes, this Live album captures everything the Coltrane was, a great player with an even greater band. Just listen to the intense opening cut and you'll see what I mean.

For people not that big into Jazz I tend to recommend Coltrane as a starting point for listening. Albums like 'Settin' The Pace', 'Blue Train' and 'My Favorite Things' are three great albums to pick up. Each showing a different period if you will. As all three were released on different labels. Don't be afraid to give Jazz a try, I love the genre and it does take some time to get a like for it, but it's worth it.

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Live From MSG

Quite a large Live album for this post. Double Live album to be exact, with well over two hours of simply great rock and blues. Take two musical giants in Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, throw them on tour and what do you get? An awesome night of music for one, but you also get a killer double Live album. Simply titled, 'Live From Madison Square Garden', this album captures two giants of rock and blues doing what they do best.

Recorded over the nights of February 25th-28th 2008 at New York's Madison Square Garden, this '09 release showcases two legends. Pulling material from their days in Blind Faith together, to solo material, to covering rock/blues classics. Two plus hours that only leaves you wanting another encore. The show in addition to being released on CD was also issued out on DVD. I was lucky enough to catch this tour when it rolled through Phoenix. This was one of the best shows I've ever seen. If you get the chance to see either Clapton or Winwood before the call it day, do yourself a favor a go, you will not be disappointed.

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Gig

We leave the Land Of The Rising Sun to go back to our DIY roots and Punk Rock. This time it's the Circle Jerks. I have previously profiled the Circle Jerks here, as well as some related bands, namely Black Flag and OFF!. The band is citied as one of the more influential Punk bands of the first wave of Punk. Featuring in its ranks original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. The band is currently on hiatus, but pretty much split up again. They have reformed a few times with various members over the years. Fun fact, former Megadeth Guitarist Chris Poland was briefly a member of the band after his dismissal from Megadeth. But for this one we feature the bands only official Live release, the aptly named, 'Gig'.

Released in '92, even though tracks were recorded during the bands final tour in '90, 'Gig'  is simply 22 tracks of Punk that clocks in at just under 40 mins. This Live album captures the band in what would be their final form before their first hiatus. Capturing the band still in fine form and showcasing material from all the albums to date. The band would disband for a few years with Hetson continuing to play with Bad Religion and Morris taking up everyday jobs for a bit. The band reunited briefly to turn out another album, but has been pretty much inactive since the decades start. Nevertheless the Circle Jerks remain influential for a whole new generation of Punks.

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Tokyo Warhearts

Staying in Japan for this post. Noticing a theme yet? This time we'll go with some wild and crazy Fins. Children of Bodom have been making a name in the thrash/melodic metal circuit for a good fifteen years now. Perceived by same as some what of a joke band due to their tendency to cover songs and put the Bodom spin on it. See my post on 'Skeletons In The Closet' for proof on that. The band has put out two live albums to date. For this one though I'm going back to their first one, 'Tokyo Warhearts'.

Initially released in 1999, the album was released on the Finnish label Spinefarm Records and was limited to 10,000 copies. More recently the album got the Picture LP treatment and was reissued. The album was recorded at Club Citta in Tokyo Japan on July 10th and 11th 1999. This album is 11 tracks of blistering guitar solo and keyboard solos from a young band. Young enough that just a year before the bands keyboardist virtuoso Janne Warman was still in school and couldn't tour with the band. The band perfectly captures their two albums to date, 'Something Wild' and 'Hatebreeder' on this Live album. This is where people began to notice the talent of such a young metal band. Of course the band continues to put out material pretty steadily despite issues with frontman Alexi 'Wildchild' Laiho. Not to mention the band has had one lineup change since releasing their debut in '97. That's pretty impressive. Even more impressive is the band actually dates back to '93 when they cut a few demos as Inearthed, before "splitting up" and "reforming" as Bodom. You can kinda see the tongue in cheek here as the Intro samples "Crockett's Theme" from the TV show Miami Vice and at the start of "Touch Like Angel Of Death" it opens with another Jan Hammer gem in "Hummel Gets The Rockets" from the '96 movie The Rock. And in a nod to Japanese Metal, at the end of the Guitar battle, you'll hear a bit of Loudness.

I've been lucky enough to see Bodom twice now. Well sort of. The first encounter was actually a meet and greet. Around the time the bands fourth record 'Hate Crew Deathroll' came out I was at the time on a Thanksgiving vacation with the ex wife to Arizona. Somehow or another I found out they were doing a signing before their gig out there at one of the local record shops. In some miracle of sorts I managed to convince the ex wife to go out and stand it line with a bunch of metal heads to get some CDs signed. She agreed and to this day I proudly display my signed copies of 'Something Wild' and 'Follow The Reaper'. The latter album was actually the first Bodom record I bought. Still love that record too. Forward to '08 and I'm now living in Arizona and the Gigantour Tour made stop in Phoenix, well Mesa, but no one knows where Mesa is, so it's easier to say Phoenix. Solid lineup that year with High on Fire, Job For Cowboy, In Flames, Children Of Bodom and Megadeth. Outdoor shows in Arizona are usually safe. You know it's gonna be hot and you know you gotta stay hydrated. Throw that out the window as that day it decided to rain off and on through out the show. The odd weather even prompted Alexi to quip, "I didn't know you had rain in Arizona". Highlight of Bodom's set that night though, the impromptu sing along to "Don't Stop Believing". Like I said tongue in cheek at it's finest. Despite the rain, which caused me to leave a few songs before the end of Megadeth's set, it was solid show.

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Tokyo Tales

Time to go back to the land of the Rising Sun with today's post. Japan as I said is a running theme through these posts. Power Metal, something I don't think I've really posted a whole lot of here. The mention of it brings to mind fantasy, Tolkien, and massive festival sing a longs. So lets go to where it started from, Germany. The Germans have pretty much perfected the art of Power Metal, churning out bands since the mid 80's. May as well be as the official music of the country. So let's pay homage to it with of the original German Power Metal bands. Blind Guardian tend to be the flag bearers for the genre. Doing it since '86, the band consistently delivers epic Power Metal. Although the band did start out like the other Metal import from Germany, as a Speed Metal band called Lucifer's Heritage. In fact the roots of the band go back to '84.

The band has officially released two Live albums thus far. I'm gonna focus on the first one. 1993 saw the release of 'Tokyo Tales'. Ten years later in '03 the band would release the Double Live record, 'Live'. The latter record is a more career spanning effort. While 'Tokyo Tales' focuses on their bands first four albums. The album is 12 tracks of epic sounding Metal. Simply showcasing what this still fairly young band could accomplish. The album was recorded over two nights in Tokyo. The first night was at Koseinenkin Hall in Tokyo on December 4, 1992 and the second night was at the NHK Hall in Tokyo on December 6, 1992. Japan in the mid 90's couldn't get enough Metal apparently. Nothing's really changed there either.

There's something about Power Metal in a Live setting that just makes you wanna put your arm over some random stranger and belt along to epic courses about Tolkien. It reminds you that being a Metal head is like being part of a bigger community and being part of something great.

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Live '84

In sticking with the controversy theme of sorts, we shift gears into some Live Punk. This time courtesy of Punk icons Black Flag. The band of course was at the forefront of the American Punk movement in the mid 70's and continues to remain a cult and iconic band today. Most Live Punk shows were circulated as bootlegs back in the day, as the tape trade scene was still a relevant way to hear new music. You know before the Internet killed it. In any case official Live releases tend to be a bit few and far between. With that being said, this release, 'Live '84' was initially only released on Cassette. The sound is a bit weak as it was remixed and released on CD in '98 by Guitarist Greg Ginn.

'Live '84' embodies the raw energy that Punk was. Loud, fast and downright angry at times. The album was recorded sometime in '84 at The Stone in San Francisco. The venue may sound familiar as that's where many of the Bay Area Thrash bands got their start playing Live. The album captures the rotating lineup that was Black Flag. The only constants at the time were Guitarist Ginn and vocalist Henry Rollins. Both Bassist Kira Roessler and Drummer Bill Stevenson had only been in the band for about a year at this point. The record isn't a typical short Punk record. In fact it opens up with the monster eight minute track "The Process Of Weeding Out". In fact there's only a handful of tracks that clock in at under three minutes. In fact instead of focusing on the bands earlier material which was praised by many, the album focuses on material from the albums, 'My War' and 'Slip It In'. It captures the band both at what could be described as their height and their fall. The band continued on for roughly another couple years before falling apart. The band has in recent years reunited with various members. There's of course been no shortage of mud slinging and lineup changes. So much so that Greg Ginn is now the only original member in the band.

The band of course spawned numerous members who went on to play and form different acts. Most notably Greg Ginn formed Gone and did some work with former Minutemen Bassist Mike Watt. Early vocalist Keith Morris went on to play in rival Punk band The Circle Jerks and is currently fronting a new Punk band, OFF!. Rollins of course is the most famous to come out of Black Flag. Releasing solo albums, as well as material with the Rollins Band. In addition to that he's a author, a spoken word master and occasionally pops up on TV, most recently on the History Channel. Rollins of course is one of those people I find in music that has a huge love/hate relationship among the masses. For all that's been done and said about the man, he did front one of the most iconic Punk bands ever. And no one can ever take that away.

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At The Arena Ov Aion

Controversy, it's a lot like milk. It can do you good or if you're lactose intolerant, it can back fire. And yes pun intended. Music in general despite the genre has never been a stranger to controversy. From The Beatles to Death Metal acts to Pop music. It's all been done before. Someone runs their mouth or does something stupid and it makes headlines. One genre perhaps makes more waves than others and that's Heavy Metal. It's got a checkered past and is no stranger to controversy. There are many sub genres, but Death and Black Metal seem to get a lot of attention when it comes to controversy. So for this post I've decided to go with some controversial Black/Death Metal in the form of the Polish band Behemoth.

Behemoth have been around since the early 90's when a couple of Polish teens decided to form a Black Metal band. Since then the band has tooled around in the underground before gaining some notoriety in the past few decade or so. Led by Bassist/Guitarist/Vocalist Negral, the band issued a few demos in the early 90's before releasing their first EP 'And The Forests Dream Eternally' in 94. The band continue to release material and tour largely unnoticed before 2002's monster of an album 'Zos Kia Cultus'. That's where things began to change. The band began to gain steam and gain some attention due to their crushing Live shows. With two Live videos under their belt, the band released 'At The Arena Ov Aion-Live Apostasy' in 2008. Culling material from their entire career, this Live album is, well brutal. The album was recorded Live at La Loco in Paris France on February 17, 2008 during the European Apostasy tour.

Never to one to hide opinions or mince words in the media. Negral has made it clear his and the bands dislike for organized religion. He's even gone as so far as tearing up a Bible on stage a few times. An act that's landed the band in court in Poland and on the watchdog list. However at current time the band is still free to play in Poland, but it comes with great protest by the state. In addition to that, Russia has recently barred the band from playing there, so far as detaining the band. In 2010 though Negral was diagnosed with Leukemia and was forced to take sometime off while Negral underwent treatment. Eventually Negral underwent a Bone Marrow transplant and has since recovered. Once again no stranger to controversy, Negral did do a stint on a Polish singing competition show that raised a few eyebrows.  In the end the band continues to record and tour, although the end may be in sight for the band as Negral has stated about the uncertain paths he wants to take regarding the band. Controversy, ever present no matter where you turn.

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Saints Will Conquer

I have the thing where I tend to cross reference another band in a post then a few posts later profile that particular band or artists. Sometimes by choice, other times by accident. This is one of those posts. Few posts back I profiled Anthrax. In that post I made reference to Armored Saint. For what they are, Armored Saint seem to be a forgotten band of the 80's Metal scene. So let's take a trip back and revisit their Live record, 'Saints Will Conquer'

Somewhere in my collection I have a copy of the record on vinyl. It's unopened and I may have paid like $2 back when I was slumming around Phoenix. In fact the CD version is actually different from the vinyl, but more on that in a sec. Armored Saint to most people are know for having former Anthrax vocalist John Bush in their ranks. Others may know the tale of how John Bush almost became the singer for Metallica around the time of 'Ride The Lightning'.  But most die hard Metal heads know that Armored Saint were a pretty well known band with lots of radio and MTV airplay in their hey day. However for as a well known band in their initial ten years together, they only released an EP, four studio albums and a Live Record. The band dissolved after Bush was asked to join Anthrax in the early 90's as well as the untimely passing of Guitarist Dave Prichard from Leukemia. However in '88 the band did release a short little Live album called 'Saints Will Conquer'. The original vinyl release only 5 live tracks and a cut from their original EP. The CD version actually added two more songs in "Chemical Euphoria" and "Long Before I Die". As far as I know it's far from a full set. The band at that time had been riding high for some time. The album was recorded at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland OH on October 9, 1987. Short in nature it serves as a reminder of what a great band Armored Saint was at the time.

Like many of the great 80's metal bands, Armored Saint did make a comeback. Releasing 'Revelation' in 2000, the band was poised for a comeback of sorts. However Bush continue to sing for Anthrax on and off again and Bassist Joey Vera has been busy with his other band Fates Warning. The band has more recently released an album. 'La Raza' was released in 2010 with some splash but again the band seems to be on a get together when we feel like it mentality of late. There is talks of a new record in the near future. Armored Saint to me still sounds fresh as they did when they first unleashed 'March Of The Saint' on us some nearly 30 years ago.

 

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Burning Japan

There's something about Japan. From the amazing food, to the technology, to the sheer weird stuff and even to the Godzilla sightings. However all kidding aside there's one thing that Japan takes seriously and that is Live Music. This post is one of the many with the show being recorded in Japan. And what better way to start off then with a Japanese only release. Sweden's Arch Enemy have been flying the flag for Swedish Metal for the past two decades now. Initially a side project when Guitarist Michael Amott left Grindcore Gods Carcass, the band has continued to solider one, proving you don't always need a male vocalist to get your attention.

By 1999 Arch Enemy had three albums under their belt and went from being big in Japan to catching ears in Europe and the US. Led by the Amott brothers, the band released their first record 'Black Earth' in 96 and by 99 begin to pick up some steam carrying on what is commonly referred to as "The Gothenburg Sound". Not forgetting where they had a cult following, the band returned to Japan in 99 to promote their new record 'Burning Bridges' and to records a Live record. The Live record would turn out to be, 'Burning Japan, Live 1999' and be only released in Japan under the Toy's Factory label. The album is somewhat of a hard to find release stateside as it was never officially released here by the bands label, Century Media. The album is 11 tracks of pure metal. While the sound is a bit low, you could still see a band beginning to grow. The album also marks the final release with vocalist Johan Liiva.

Arch Enemy then proceeded to do a 180 if you will. The band released early demos of some new material featuring the new vocalist. The majority of people assumed the new vocalist was a guy, just from the sheer brutality of it all. Alas is turned out to be a woman. Angela Gossow would continue to front the band for the next dozen years. Angela stepped down in 2014 only to be replaced by another female, ex The Agonist singer Alissa White-Gluz. The band continues to make some pretty decent albums. Their latest effort 'War Eternal' shows a return to some older material.

I had the chance to see Arch Enemy on what was prolly their second US tour with Angela. The band was promoting at the time their new release 'Anthems Of Rebellion'. And I have to say even with Hate Eternal on the bill, that was seriously an extreme show. I was up front in a pretty well packed Troubadour club in Los Angeles, staring up at Christopher Amott all night. Bewildered to see some amazing guitar playing to say the least, but watching how tight the band sounded. One of the best metal gigs I've been to. And say what ya will about the band today, the 'Burning Bridges' album remains my favorite release from the band.

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Alive 2

For a band that's been around thirty plus years now, picking out a Live album shouldn't be too hard. Well in the case of Anthrax it's really not. The band to date has 5 of em under their belts. And why not Anthrax is a band that demands to been Live. Despite the numerous lineup changes and an almost questionable name change, the band has been part of the Big 4 for the past three decades, helping fly the flag of Thrash Metal. So for the selection I've decided to go with the 2005 'Reunion' show 'Alive 2 - The Music'.

Every since 1993 fans of the band wanted a return of vocalist Joey Belladonna. Former Armored Saint vocalist John Bush stepped in and made some outstanding records til 2003. By 03 Anthrax made a comeback record if you will in 'We've Come For You All', signaling what was sure to be a return to the glory days. Of course given the Anthrax history it was too good to be true. Bush was once again dabbling around with Armored Saint, bassist Frank Bello would go on to play with Alt-Rockers Helmet and the rest of the band kinda wondered if this was the end. However the Metal Gods intervened and delivered a Thrash Metal comeback in the form of bringing back vocalist Joey Belladonna and Guitarist Dan Spitz. The reunion was seen as a blessing by most. But in some ways it was short lived. The band parted ways once again with Belladonna shortly after the reunion and Spitz decided to call it a day. Everyone thought, great Bush is back in the band. In true Anthrax fashion the next few years were questionable at best with an unknown new vocalist in Dan Nelson. Things of course fell apart and once again paved the way for another Belladonna reunion. As again in true fashion the band hasn't been without some lineup changes over the past few years. But lets take a trip back to the first reunion.

It seemed like a great idea to bring back the classic 'Among The Living' lineup. Why not? Anthrax had gained some steam with their comeback record. 'Alive 2 - The Music' was released in 05 as a separate CD/DVD release. The band was riding high and this album captures that high. Classics pretty much fill this Live record, each song a fan favorite, there's no lull here, just straight forward in your face thrash from a classic lineup. The album was captured Live on June 3, 2005 at the legendary Starland Ballroom in Sayerville NJ. So move the furniture, crack a couple of cold ones and turn this one to 11.

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Unplugged

Continuing with the theme of Live records, MTV Unplugged was a groundbreaking idea at the time. Take bands and strip them down in an acoustic setting and see what happens. Lot of good stuff happened. Lot of iconic moments happened. This is one of those iconic moments, this is Alice in Chains 'Unplugged'.

Alice In Chains were at the forefront of the Grunge movement in the early 90's. Hailing from Seattle like so many of the other Grunge giants of the time. The band rode high along with the other Grunge bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam and many more. The band had quickly gained attention with their first record, 'Facelift'. Songs like 'Man In The Box' and 'Bleed The Freak' quickly gained radio attention and MTV airplay. By the time '92 came and grunge exploded AIC was ready with the critically acclaimed 'Dirt' record. The song 'Rooster' shot the band to the front of the grunge movement. But as the times changed and Grunge began to die off so did the band. Plagued by the heroin addiction of frontman Layne Staley, the band quickly began to fall apart. Releasing only an EP and a Self Titled record over the next four years, people began to wonder if the band would ever keep going. By '96 the majority of fans wondered how long Staley would hang on. Reports of overdoses and the like began to circulate. But just before the final nail went it, we got an amazing Live record.

'Unplugged' would prove to be the bands Swans Song for a period. The band had been off the road for some time and fans wondered of this was the end of AIC. But somehow the band got an Unplugged gig for MTV. The band fronted by a clearly frail and weak Staley, proved there was something left in the tanks still. Powering through the bands classic Grunge hits, each sounded more eerie and better than the original at times. 13 tracks of pure Grunge goodness. 'Unplugged' proved to be the final nail in the AIC coffin. Staley would go on to briefly appear in the Supergroup, Mad Season. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell went on to work on solo material which featured current Metallica Bassist Robert Trujillo. Sadly another Live record and a Box Set went on to be the last releases before the untimely death of Layne Staley due to a heroin overdose in 2002.

1999 was the last year in which any original AIC material was released. It would be ten years later before the band would reform with a new front man and release their comeback 'Black Gives Way To Blue' in 2009. While the band continues to record and tour with the new lineup, most of us are left to wonder what would have become of the band had Staley stayed clean. While we will never know, we are left with some classic albums and classic Live record.

 

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How Does It Feel To Be Live...

Decided to resurrect this neglected piece of the Internet with some fresh albums once again. I've decided once again to move forward with a new theme. Of late I've tried to get back in the habit of seeing Live music when I can. And in this current time of unrest, what better release then Live music to lighten the mood and improve times. I recently left my job working in an entertainment venue to pursue something a bit more full time. I'm saddened by that fact because I don't get to go to work and see some great shows. However branching out again, I recently saw Agalloch make their live debut here in STL. Amazing show. 2 hrs of unequaled musicianship. Couldn't ask for much more. On the horizon this week it's some Nerdcore with MC Frontalot and Dr. Awkward. As the year moves on, looking forward to King Diamond after almost a decade away. Live shows are nothing short of a natural high. Being there with your fellow music nerds, embracing this momentous occasion.Headbanging, screaming along to the words, leaving everything you have there. That's what Live music is about. So I've rummaged though my collection of stuff and pulled out some choice Live records. Some you may be familiar with, others maybe not so much. Each have their own unique quality about them. So lets crank it to 11.

Up first is a band I'm sure I've posted about before. At the least I know the lead singer has been mentioned in a fair amount of posts. I'm talking about of course, Agua De Annique. Or more commonly referred to as, oh yeah the band that Anneke formed after she left The Gathering. Anneke van Giersbergen of course was the voice of The Gathering for many years. Many fell in love with her voice and the band. Of late she's collaborated with a wide variety of musicians, most notably Danny Cavanagh of Anathema and Devin Townsend of SYL and DTP fame. After splitting from The Gathering, Anneke formed her own band called Agua De Annique.  She was quick to release a few albums which while still had some Gathering like tracks, were a bit more uptempo and dare I say a bit Radio friendly.

The band gained some attention in Europe, not a whole lot of attention was paid sadly Stateside. The band having toured a bit through Europe decided to release 'Live In Europe', a collection of material recorded Live throughout a trek through Europe. Released in 2010, this record was pretty much only available as an import stateside. The album is 12 Live cuts, rounded out with a wonderful rendition of the classic Gathering track, "Shrink".

This is a good album to start with for someone new to the Metal genre. While I wouldn't really classify anything The Gathering did as Metal, well save for the first two LPs, which were a Doom/Death mix. This has more an an 'lite metal' feel to it. Great female fronted band with an amazing voice. And more importantly a great Live album to put on when you need to relax.

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Free From Funkafide Filth

It's been quite some time since I've posted anything here. Not sure why, but I'm sure I have some reasons. Anyways I'm going to put up up some Classic Rock for you tonight. Some Live stuff even from one of the Guitar Gods of our lifetime. Carlos Santana, so cool the man only really needs to go by his last name. Santana for the better part of the last 40 years has been turning out some great tunes. From the earlier whacked out stuff to the more modern overplayed Top 40 stuff, he continues to tour and bring his Guitar skills and unique philosophy to crowds. With that being said I could have went with the classic debut record, but I decided to go with something maybe people aren't away was even released. So here it is Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles, "Live!". Oh yeah did I mention the legendary Buddy Miles is also included.

This album was recorded on January 1, 1972, at the Sunshine '72 Festival, inside Diamond Head, Honolulu Hawaii. Ahh the 70's, where there were so many festivals. The Sunshine Festival, also known as Diamond Head Crater Festival ran from 1970-1978. The festival by the end of the decade got too commercial and was in essence shut down by the state. Plans to revive the festival in 2006 fell through. 'Live!' is simply that, a Live record featuring two great performers together. The record clock in a 46 minutes, with the B side being a 25 minute long jam. There are really only 2 singles here that are showcased, "Evil Ways" and "Them Changes", the rest of the record is pretty much a jam.

I got a chance to see Santana last year at my job. Yes I do work in an entertainment venue and I do get to see some pretty good stuff on occasion. It's one of the perks. Of course some of my co workers really didn't have a clue on who Santana was. Recalling the famous Woodstock performance of "Soul Sacrifice" only seemed fitting to describe Santana. For those unfamiliar with the story, during the bands Woodstock performance Carlos was a little out of it, so out of it he swore his guitar he was playing was a giant snake trying to kill him. The rest of the band was about on the same level. Seriously look it up on YouTube, it's a hell of a performance, one of the many that defined Woodstock. I was introduced to Santana at a pretty young age. Growing up and hearing the classics from the band and having a few albums that got played loudly on occasion. I didn't know to much about Buddy Miles until I got into Hendrix and the history of his lineups. Over the years I've grown to appreciate both musicians and their contributions to music.

This LP has maybe been played a handful of times since I came into it. Not sure how I acquired this album really, glad I did though. The rip is split into Side A and Side B. It's a clean record, so real skips or what not. Released on Columbia records in June of 72.

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Faustian Echoes

New year and the blog rolls along with some Agalloch. This is somewhat of a different release. 'Faustian Echoes' is an EP. More specifically it's a 21 minute two part song. Originally released in 2012 as a digital download to coincide with their North American tour, the CD and LP were only available at shows initially.  The track is the longest in Agalloch's catalog. The song is based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play "Faust". For those unfamiliar with the subject matter, "Faust" is a two part tragic play. Gotta think sometimes to listen to Metal. In typical Agalloch fashion the song itself is crafted around the English translation of the play and features film samples to supplement the track. The film samples are from 94's "Faust" by Jan Svankmajer.

Agalloch for me is one of the bands that I find fascinating. Each EP and album seem to progress the band into something greater. This EP is a prime example that Metal can be smart and not be stereotyped into the ground. The band has also seem to release things in a limited amount.This EP is no different. Limited to 2,500 copies. The EP is brilliantly done with the B side an etching. The etching is Delacroix's "Mephistopheles flying over Wittenberg". The CD cover is a bit different from the LP cover. The CD cover is Faust Lisant (Faust Reading) by Salvador Dali.

A little about the EP. Recorded live to a 2-inch tape at Jackpot Studios in Portland Oregon in March 2012. The LP was released on the bands own label, Dammerung Arts (KH007). This is the first time this EP was played and most likely the last.

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