Steve's 2012 Metal Reviews

It's a little belated, but it's high time for the 2012 top 5 metal list!  Like Tony last year, I opted out of the bottom 5, but that's mainly due to the fact that I have no time.  This year was kind of tough because there were several really solid albums.  There's some honorable mentions in there, but these top 5 really made my regular rotation for several months after they came out.

This year seemed to be the year of old school bands bringing their absolute best.  I'd say at least 3 albums on here are the bands' best to date, and you could make an argument for all of them in my opinion, so let's get to it.

5.  Running Wild - Shadowmaker

We thought that 2009 was the end of Running Wild when Rock N' Rolf announced they were done, but when they started making a best-of album with a couple of bonus tracks, Rolf decided to give us one more album!  And I'm glad he did.  This album combines some of the newer production we've become accustomed to with later Running Wild with the songwriting of the 80s where every song stands out and gets stuck in your head!  There's a couple shitters on there, but generally, this is a winner.  Back to their roots!

4.  Firewind - Few Against Many

I have no problem saying this is their best album to date.  Maybe playing with Ozzy supercharged Gus G's songwriting abilities?  Who knows.  All I know is the songs on here are almost all catchy as hell and also damn heavy.  I didn't care for their last effort, "Days of Defiance", but this more than makes up for that.  Rock over London, Rock on Athens. Polaroid, see what develops!

3.  Accept - Stalingrad

The only problem I have with this album is that it's NOT Blood of the Nations!  That album raised the bar so damn high, I knew it'd be virtually impossible to trump.  They didn't, but damn, they tried!  There's no skippers on here, it's just all out, straight ahead metal: so just turn this fucker on and kick back with a cold one!  Highlights are Stalingrad, Twist of Fate and Flash to Bang Time.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but as they proved with Blood, they are actually better off without UDO.

2.  Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

The second album that I have to say is probably their best album to date.  That's a hard thing to do when you've been around for 25+ years, but here they are doing it!  While this thing just melts your face with raw speed and power straight through, the songs are somehow catchy and melodic.  Honestly, it's hard to even fathom how the hell they pull it off.  Highlights for me are Civilization Collapse and Phantom Antichrist.

1.  Testament - Dark Roots of Earth

Wow.  Holy shit.  This album came out in July and it's still in my regular rotation.  To me, this is their best effort of all time by a longshot...and they have a TON of other great albums in their 25 year career!  Like Kreator, they managed to make some damn heavy songs, but still make them incredibly melodic and catchy.  It's like "The Ritual" with modern production and a drummer (Gene Hoglan) that could power the country of Iceland for an hour with his double kick-drums!  Again, every song is a winner, but to me highlights are Native Blood, Rise Up and Throne of Thorns.  This is a must for every metalhead!

Honorable Mentions:

• Overkill - The Electric Age
• Jaded Heart - Common Destiny
• Tygers of Pan Tang - Ambush
• Rush - Clockword Angels
• Primal Fear - Unbreakable
• Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth (Yes, the single sucked, I know)

8-5-2012: Dokken - Back for the Attack

Oddly, this rare Dokken gem is not on the US release of the epic 1987 album of the same name.  In fact, I'm I wasn't sure where in their catalog it came from until I saw the Wikipedia article saying it's a Japanese bonus track on there, but to me, the music and vocal style sounds more like "Under Lock and Key" era Dokken rather than "Back for the Attack" Dokken.

I first heard this song on HardRockin80s.com about 6-7 years ago and thought it was new Dokken, but lo and behold, it was not.  We did get a return to form with 2008's "Lightning Strikes Again" though, so it's all good.

Anyway, this one is an absolutely phenomonal song that most people probably don't know exists.  In my opinion, you could take any one of about half the songs on "Back for the Attack", replace it with this one, and it would have been fine.  Give this one a listen, especially if you're a die hard old school Dokken fan!

7-24-2012: Saxon - Krakatoa

There are a few hidden gems in the Saxon catalog, and this is definitely my favorite.  I found this song by accident back in the Napster era and was instantly blown away.  I subsequently purchased the entire Saxon catalog and never found where this came from.  Apparently, it's supposed to be a bonus track on some anniversary edition of Innocense, but who knows...it's not on my copy.
Check this out and a song called "Live Fast Die Young", which we'll save for another day...

7-19-2012: Running Wild - Shadowmaker

It's been a while, but I'm going to try and start posting at least semi-frequently again!
Running Wild has a new album and SURPRISE!  It kicks ass just like damn near every Running Wild album to date.  Yeah, they have some filler albums there in the 90s, but Rogues En Vogue was awesome and this thing is a real return to their 80s form!  Melodic riffs and the usual pirate themes throughout have you pumping your arm and yelling yo-ho-ho!  There's only a song or 2 that I consider a filler, and the rest of it is catchy as hell with months or even years of replay value.
This is the title track and quite possibly my favorite on the album.

6-6-2012: Helloween - Escalation 666

I know I just did a Helloween song, but it's 6-6 and you gotta find something relevant in the metal world.  It's not 6/6/06, but hey, close enough!  Great song here off the Dark Ride album.  VERY different album for them that I never liked until recently.  Check it out if you want some different sounding, kick ass metal!

6-4-2012: The Cult - Fire Woman

This song was easily the Cult's crown jewel.  A favorite on Metal Mania even now, you gotta love this one!  Even fans of old school 80s rock will recognize it...but if one of those people actually knows it's the Cult, well "you might be a real metalhead".  You've gotta go a little deeper than that IMO, but hey, knowing that this is The Cult is a nice start to weeding out poseurs!

6-3-2012: Saxon - Broken Heroes

I saw Saxon one time and it was roughly 5 months after 9/11...they shocked the shit out of me when they broke out this classic from Innocence is No Excuse!  This was the song that really got me hooked on them.  I had bought a "Best of Saxon" CD a few years before at a used CD shop in South County (I think CD Reunion), and this was the standout track.  I bought Unleash the Beast a few months after that and that was it, I was hooked!  Innocence is by far my favorite "classic" Saxon album, and this may very well be one of the best classic Saxon songs!

6-2-2012: Hardline - Hot Cherie

I just saw these guys have a new album out.  I thought they put out the album in 1992 which this classic was on, did a brief reunion in 2002 and that was it.  I'll have to check out the new one, but Double Eclipse is worth any hard rock fan's listen, that's for sure.

6-1-2012: Helloween - Raise the Noise

This has been my alarm clock wake up song since it came out damn near 2 years ago!  It still isn't old either.  The heaviness and hooks of the 7 Sinners album are just fucking epic!  Album of the year 2010 for me, and with good reason!

5-31-2012: Sleeze Beez - Stranger than Paradise

It was 2001, I was trying desperately to find the most obscure, kick-ass 80s metal bands out there.  Quite the challenge at the time because the internet simply wasn't what it is today.  Rolla, MO had a great station that played hair bands late every Saturday night and I happened to be visiting my buddy Chief for the weekend.  They played this gem and I was blown away!  While I can't say that the rest of their catalog holds up to this song, if you've never heard this song, and you like 80s/melodic metal, give this song a good listen and prepare to be vaulted back to big hair and great sounds!

5-30-2012: Lion - Lock Up Your Daughters

I only just realized that this is a Slade cover song.  For some reason, it made me like the song even more.  I've loved this band since the epic Crispin Glover did the infamous dance in Friday the 13th Part IV!
These guys are highly underrated, and I can't stress enough that fans of the more hard-rock laden, melodic metal MUST check these guys out!

5-28-2012: Dokken - Standing on the Outside

I love me some new Dokken!  When this album came out, I was blown away.  I had wanted catchy, melodic music out of at least one of my favorite 80s bands since I had become hooked on that music in the 90s.  Well, as we all know, many 80s bands turned shitty or weird in the 90s and Dokken was right there with such crap as Shadowlife and Dysfunctional.  They made a good album with "Erase the Slate" in 1999, but it still wasn't quite the same.  This was a real return to form and it looks like they haven't looked back (I got to hear the sample of Burning Empire before they pulled it and it's BITCH!)

5-26-2012: Firewind - Wall of Sound

I've been wanting to do this song since the single came out a few weeks back, but I was in the middle of a theme.
This song is just a no-frills, epic metal song.  No BS, just a straight ahead, get stuck in your head ass kicker!  The album came out Tuesday and it's equally good.  The album takes a slightly harder edge compared to their previous albums, which is exactly what Gus G says they were going for.  They were highly successful IMO.  This is easily my favorite album of their entire catalog already.  For those who have never listened to Firewind, this is an excellent starting point.  For those who have, well, you won't be disappointed!

5-25-2012: Y&T - 25 Hours a Day

Another track I've never heard, but this blog has been void of Y&T until now, so it was long overdue.  When my "May Number Month" is over, I'll have to post some of the Y&T songs that got me going on them.

5-24-2012: Savatage - 24 hours ago

Back to it!  The opening track from the epic "Hall of the Mountain King" album.  This is one of the first Savatage songs I ever heard, and it's a beaut!  I had no idea this thing had a real video until just now.  Not nearly as epic as Hall of the Mountain King, but back in the 80s, most "2nd single" videos weren't.

5-23-2012: Tarot - Descendants of Power

OK, I'm finally fucked.  I couldn't find a song anywhere with 23 in the title, so I give you another Tarot song!  Sure, I've been posting the shit out of them since this blog started, but with good reason!  They kick so much ass, that I have been listening to them rather consistently now for almost a year.  Tarot rules, this song rules...not much else to say.

5-22-2012: Iron Maiden - 22, Acacia Ave.

I thought I was screwed on this 22nd day of May!  But holy shit!  If I would have missed this, one of my all time favorite Maiden songs, I would have been pissed!  This song is pure, kick-ass Maiden.  A song that really just sums up what early Maiden is all about.  Great vocals, great lyrics, great riffs and catchy as all hell.  22, the avenue, that's the place where we all go!

5-21-2012: Rage - Twenty One

This song is from this year, has already been posted, and just generally kicks ass!  I've had a lull for a couple of days with 19 and 20 that I had to pull out of my ass.  This song, however, is worthy of an actual post.  Enjoy this one!

5-20-2012: Montrose - Twenty Flight Rock

Off the first non-Sammy album, I've never heard this song and I don't think I'm going to listen to it now.  Doesn't Montrose without Sammy suck?  Someone comment on this thing if I'm off and should listen to this...