Album Of The Week: Firepower by Judas Priest

When it became time to decide who was going to be included in the metal album of the year category, it was tough to decide because there were a lot of great choices. You had amazing albums from Visigoth, High On Fire, Judas Priest, and so many more. Out of all those bands, I couldn’t leave Judas Priest out of the category because their 18TH studio album Firepower left quite the mark on 2018 as it debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Charts selling 49,000 units in it’s first week. So, it came as no surprise when the album won the award for Metal Album Of The Year at the 8TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards. The album once again featured Rob Halford (Vocals), Glenn Tipton (Guitars), Ian Hill (Bass), Scott Travis (Drums), and for the second album Richie Faulkner (Guitars). The album also marked the first time that Tom Allom would be the producer of a Judas Priest record since 1988’s Ram It Down and it’s also the first Priest album to have Andy Sneap as a Co-Producer. The album was widely successful as WJCU out of Cleveland voted it number one on their Top 25 Albums of 2018 list. Rolling Stone ranked it number 3 on their 20 Best Metal Albums of 2018 list while Loudwire ranked it number three on their The 30 Best Metal Albums of 2018 list.

1. Firepower-The title track opens up with a heavy metal fury that is unlike no other that just rips your face off in what seems to be a track about how the governments are just arming themselves with deadly firepower. 5/5

2. Lightning Strikes-a track that just screams of classic Judas Priest that is exactly what the Judas Priest fan ordered here. It has a very Ram It Down sound to it and it might have to do with Allom’s influence on the track. 5/5

3. Evil Never Dies-Richie Faulkner brings the heaviness to this track as it just hammers through in a track that is all about how no matter how we try to deny him, evil does indeed exist. Around the 2:28 mark, there is a very cool melodic break int he music that just leads into some awesomeness. 4.5/5

4. Never The Heroes-a cool and heavy track that is very melodic during the verses in a track that talks about how soldiers are forced to be thrown into war which in turn makes them heroes. Scott commented saying, “”Never the Heroes” is a great, meaningful song in the sense just lyrically, even though I had nothing to do with the lyrics, but it’s a great song [with] a great hook.” 4.5/5

5. Necromancer-a cool ass metal track that is about you guessed it a Necromancer who is someone who practices the dark arts and communicates with the dead. 4.5/5

6. Children Of The Sun– I hate to think that every track like this one is about the end of the world, but that’s what I get from the lyrics. The track kind of brings that Sad Wings feel to it at times which I thought was cool. 4/5

7. Guardians– An instrumental track on the album 4/5

8. Rising from Ruins-a cool track whose message may seem religious to some just because of the content, but I think it’s more than just that. I think the song is just telling you that no matter how many times life knocks you down, you have to keep getting back up. 4.5/5

9. Flame Thrower-Priest adds a little bit of a rock swagger to their music with this track and I don’t think the song is being literal in it’s meaning, but I also don’t think it’s an apocalypse song either. 4.5/5

10.  Spectre-I never thought that I would ever read lyrics from Judas Priest and think they were about a James Bond film and villain, but that is what it seems to be about. 4/5

11. Traitors Gate– a very melodic intro begins the track before the band launches into overdrive with this track about a man who is about to be executed for his rebellious nature, but he’s OK with it because he’ll be a martyr. 4.5/5

12. No Surrender-Another track that is similar to Flame Thrower as far as the rock swagger is concerned, but this is a very cool track. It seems to be about someone who knows that he is willing to do anything to accomplish his goals no matter what. 5/5

13. Lone Wolf– A very Sabbath-esque track and they do a fantastic job with it in a track that speaks about those of us who are lone wolfs. We live and do things by our rules. The chorus is very Priest like, but when it goes to the verse it turns back to the Sabbath like riffage. 5/5

14. Sea Of Red-Richie Faulkner said that this was one of his favorite tracks on the album and it’s the closer. The track seems to be about honoring those that sacrificed so that we may live our lives to the fullest, but it reminds us to not forget. 4.5/5

My Final Thoughts-There are a lot of great tracks on this album despite all the questions of how much did Tipton really contribute to the album since he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s shortly after it’s release I believe. My favorite tracks on the album are 1, 2, 12, and 13 with Spectre being my least favorite track. I am going to give the album 4.5 stars out of five for a final grade.

The 8TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards- The Winners

2018 was definitely an interesting year for music and movies and we were proud to celebrate the year while we look forward to what 2019 may bring. We did things a little differently this year with the 8TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards as we had you guys take a quick survey to decide who you wanted to win Rock album of the year, rookie of the year (which was a new category) as well as movie of the year, actor of the year and many more. One of the other reasons why we decided to do things in a survey style is because we wanted the winners to be a total surprise to all of you out there. That way you can sit in anticipation to see if the album or film that you voted for won and if not I’m sure a film or album you like will win next year. Here are the winners below and here are the winners not pictured Rock Single Of The Year was Never Fade by Alice In Chains, Metal Single Of The Year was Bartzabel by Behemoth, Rock Video Of The Year was Mindf**ker by Monster Magnet, and Metal Video Of The Year was Interdimensional Summit by Dimmu Borgir :

Album Of The Week: Forever by Code Orange

Every once in a while, there is a band that comes out of nowhere and shocks me when they win an award on The Monster Entertainment Awards. Bobaflex did it one year winning the rock album of the year and this year we can add metalcore act Code Orange to that list. The band made up of Eric Balderose (Vocals/Guitar), Reba Myers (Vocals/Guitar), Joe Goldman (Bass), and Jami Morgan (Drums/Vocals) were able to snag the award for Metal Album Of The Year with their major label debut Forever. It’s the band’s third album overall, but their first with Roadrunner Records and it did pretty well for itself. While the album did not crack the Billboard Top 200 Charts, it peaked at 62 on the Top US Album Sales, number four on the US Top Hard Rock Albums, number 7 on the US Top Tastemaker album charts, and number 12 on US Vinyl Albums. It was also voted number one on Revolver Magazines 20 Best Albums Of 2017 and Rolling Stone’s Best Metal Albums of 2017. Loudwire ranked it number three on their 25 Best Metal Albums of 2017 while Exclaim! ranked number three on their Top 10 Metal and Hardcore Albums of 2017. While some may have trashed the album and it’s lyrical content, it did pretty well in other people’s eyes.

1. Forever- The album’s opener and title track opens up with one heck of a groove that drives forward with Morgan’s screams. The song just screams intensity and it’s a statement that Code Orange is here forever. 5/5

2. Kill The Creator-The track explodes right out of the gate and right where the last track left off with it’s mix of industrial elements and the most bad ass breakdown you’ve ever heard all in two plus minutes. 5/5

3. Real– if you thought the last couple of tracks featured that in your face metalcore madness then brace yourself for this track, but one thing it’s does is mix in some cool electronics. 4.5/5

4. Bleeding In The Blur– This is a rock anthem that mixes in my favorite stoner metal elements that just bodes well with Myers clean vocals. I love Goldman’s bass playing on this track as well, it just shines when he is called upon. 5/5

5. The Mud– This track has that sluggish sledgehammer like riffs that just drives with the mix of electronic elements reminding me a little of a White Zombie track musically anyways. 4/5

6. The New Reality– A track that takes influence from the Nu-Metal genre, but they do it in a way that makes it their own with the hardcore element.  4/5

7. Spy– This is the better of the two tracks that features the Nu-Metal elements because it grooves like the best of them. It reminds me a little of Puya’s track Ride. 4.5/5

8. Ugly– This is a weird track compared to the others, but I love it. it starts with eerie clean channel playing that is just stalking until it hits the chorus and they turn it up. A very cool track and different from the rest. 5/5

9. No One Is Untouchable– A sledgehammer to the face kind of track that is going to get everyone going in a circle pit. It’s hardcore music at it’s finest. 4/5

10. Hurt Goes On– A track that makes you believe that it was totally influenced by the Nine Inch Nails with it’s spoken word vocals and industrial machine like beats. it’s an eerie gothic like track that will haunt you all the way into the next track. 4/5

11. dream2– This is another track that Myers shines on vocally as she hypnotizes you with every word on this eerie track. It just further showcases all of the ingredients the band poured into this record right here. 4.5/5

My Final Thoughts– The first time I saw these guys it was on a WWE event for their NXT Takeover show and I was hooked or at least interested. The album is a melting pot of musical styles and I think that’s a great thing. Bands should be able to explore a little bit as far as musical diversity. I’m all for that and I enjoyed listening to the album. My favorite tracks on the album are Ugly, Bleeding In The Blur, and Kill The Creator. My least favorite tracks are The New Reality and The Mud. I am giving the album 4.5 stars out of five for a final grade.

Album Of The Week: Dystopia by Megadeth

Just as we have done for the last couple of weeks, we are covering albums by bands that won at the 6TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards. We have already covered the album of the year (Post Pop Depression by Iggy Pop) and the rock album of the year (Gore by Deftones). So, it’s only natural that we move down the line to the next which is the metal album of the year which was taken home by Megadeth for their 15TH studio album Dystopia. In a way Dystopia was a return to form for Megadeth after lackluster sales plagued their previous album. The band had some new players for the album in Kiko Loureiro (Guitars) and Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler (who recorded the record with the band, but is not a permanent member). Together they joined Dave Mustaine (Lead Vocals/Guitars) and David Ellefson (Bass) in recording what was a huge step in the right direction as the album debuted at number three on the Billboard Top 200 charts making it the second highest charted album in the band’s history (Countdown To Extinction debuted at number two). The album also peaked in the top 5 in six other countries and the title track earned the band their first Grammy after 11 failed attempts for Best Metal Performance.

1. The Threat Is Real– The song is everything you would want to hear from Megadeth as it’s fierce, in your face, and reminds of me of Rust In Peace era Megadeth. Dave Mustaine is still writing his fierce politically driven lyrics of world destruction and it still sounds fresh. 5/5

2. Dystopia– The title track that won the band the Grammy for Best Metal Performance features some really amazing guitar work from Loureiro and Mustaine that sort of reminds me again of Rust In Peace. The song is about a world that is not ok in any way shape or form. 5/5

3. Fatal Illusion– I have always been a huge fan of Dave Mustaine and the lyrics that he writes as in this one about a prisoner so evil and against society that nothing can kill the evil inside him even the lethal injection. There is a cool bass section in the track that showcases Ellefson’s amazing abilities. 5/5

4. Death From Within– A cool track on the album about an enemy that is constantly is under attack in war that he waits for the perfect moment to enact revenge. 4.5/5

5. Bullet To The Brain– A cool drum cadence starts off the track with some acoustic guitars before the band kicks into overdrive. The track is an interesting take on relationships about how man give in easily to sex when they think they are winning, but they are really losing. 4/5

6. Post American World– an interesting commentary on the way the world is today. We all complain about what is happening in America even though we feel safe, but what if all of that changes and America falls? What will we look like in Post American World? The music reminds me a lot of The World Needs A Hero era Megadeth. 5/5

7. Poisonous Shadows– The track opens more with the clean/acoustic guitar playing before the band turns up the energy in a track about someone who holds some sort of guilt inside of them and they let it manifest. I love hearing Farah Siraj’s vocals in the background, it adds to the track. 5/5

8. Conquer Or Die– A very cool instrumental track on the album that showcases what these guys can do. I think Kiko adds some of that Brazilian flavor to this track and it’s very cool. 5/5

9. Lying In State– An in your face track right from the get go that is hammering and is classic Megadeth. The track is about the government and how they distract you fromt he real issues that are going on as our society is in decline. 5/5

10. The Emperor– The track has more of a hard rock flavor to it then the rest of the album and it may be the band showcasing their influences in a track about a president who thinks he is King, but doesn’t realize he is a joke. 4/5

11. Foreign Policy– This is the band’s cover of California punk band Fear’s track that is actually pretty kick ass. Check it out cause it sounds like something Suicidal Tendencies should have covered. 4.5/5

My Final Thoughts– Sadly I do not know if Chris Adler will return to the fold for future albums, but this was truly an amazing record. It was definitely Megadeth moving in the right direction and they deserved the Grammy and the win here. Kiko Loureiro is an amazing edition to the band and I can not wait to here what else he brings to the table. I am giving the album 4.7 stars out of five for a final grade.

 

6TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards: Voting Begins: The Music Side

It’s that time of the year, it’s award season which can only mean one thing and that the Sixth Annual Monster Entertainment Awards is here. We have the usual categories for you guys like Bad Ass Movie Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Horror Film Of The Year, but we also have some new ones for you guys this year. We have new categories like Netflix Show Of The Year, Metal Music Video Of The Year, Rock Music Video Of The Year, Metal Single Of The Year, and Rock Single Of The Year to name a few. This year is definitely going to be better than ever and once again we are also teaming up with Mr. X’s Punchout Blog where they have Male and Female Wrestler Of The Year as well as some new ones like Match Of The Year and many more. The beautiful part of these awards is that you the fans get to pick who you want to win each category as always and that is what is beautiful cause your voice will be heard and it won’t be hacked by Russians cause Archer is on the case. What we have for you right here is the music side of the awards so check out all the categories, vote wisely, and you have until January 29TH to do so.

Album Of The Week: .5: The Gray Chapter by Slipknot

I want to apologize to everyone for not having the album of the week last week for you, but here it is. For this week’s album of the week, we are continuing along with reviewing the albums that won rock, metal, and heavy ass metal album of the year back at the 4TH Annual Monster Entertainment Awards. A couple of weeks ago, we reviewed Behemoth’s The Satanist (Heavy Ass Metal Album Of The Year) and this week we are reviewing the album that won Metal Album Of The Year in Slipknot’s .5: The Gray Chapter. This was a monumental album for the band from Iowa as it was their first album they had ever recorded without their drummer Joey Jordison (he was released) and their bassist Paul Gray (Death). The album was named after Paul Gray and it was their fifth overall studio album and the band’s first since 2008’s All Hope Is Gone. It featured the same cast of characters as Corey Taylor (Vocals), Sid Wilson (Turntables), M. Shawn Crahan (Percussion), Jim Root (Guitars), Mick Thomson (Guitars), Craig Jones (Sampling, Keyboards), and Chris Fehn (Percussion) returned to make the album while the identities of the other members remained a mystery. Jim Root claimed that original guitarist Donnie Steele helped record some bass parts for the record, but chose to not be in the band in order to pursue raising a family. The album was produced by Craig Fidelman and it peaked at number one on three charts which were The Billboard Top 200, US Top Hard Rock Albums, and US Top Rock Albums. The album also went number one in Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, and it went number two in the UK, New Zealand, Germany, and Austria.

1. XIX– The track has a very slow build up with what sounds like weird bagpipes with the occasional chimes of the keys, but it’s an intro that deals with the death of Paul Gray. 3/5

2. Sarcastrophe– This track showcases the band’s songwriting skills that they have brought to the table for over 15 years as the prove they still have it with this thunderous track. The song starts with a slow build up before they roar into the thrash-laden riffs as Root and Thomsen rule on the track matched with Corey’s world famous roars. 5/5

3. AOV– The song is an experiment in death metal as the band showcases their love for razor fast, face slicing riffs in a track that could be about Joey Jordison. The acronym AOV apparently means Approaching Original Violence. 4/5

4. The Devil In I– When this single came out, I was absolutely blown away by the intensity displayed in this track. It’s everything you would expect from the mighty Slipknot because it was in your face, catchy, and just badass. 5/5

5. Killpop– This could be the popiest song on the album, but at times it gets intense especially during the chorus. It’s definitely one of the stand out tracks on the record as he sings about loving someone, but not being able to bear seeing them destroy themselves. 4/5

6. Skeptic– Musically the song is intense combining elements of Iowa with Vol. 3 as they sing tribute to their late bassist. For Example: The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you / The world will never know another man as amazing as you. 4/5

7. Lech– It’s another trip into musical insanity, but one that is completely balls to the wall. It’s great to see the band channel their past like Slipknot has on this record. The moral of the story is that no one is bulletproof. 4/5

8. Goodbye– While the music is slowed down for this track, there is no denying the song is a rally cry for the mighty Slipknot as Corey sings about not being ready to say Goodbye yet. Oh and don’t worry because the song does intensify a little. 4/5

9. Nomadic– I love the intro to the song because it definitely reminds me a lot of Iowa cause it’s in your face whether it be the vocals, drums, and the guitars. This is definitely another favorite of mine as the guitars at times sound similar to People=Shit or even Left Behind. 5/5

10. The One That Kills The Least– I love the lyrics to this song especially the part when he says, “I know the deal, I realize the one that kills the least still kills us all.” It’s almost like he’s saying that when it comes time to survive, you’ll bend your moral rules in order to survive. I could be wrong, but that’s what I think. Great song too. 4/5

11. Custer– This track is such a throwback to the old days and I have to agree with one reviewer that this is Surfacing 2015 cause Sid gets a chance to shine with his scratching. 5/5

12. Be Prepared for Hell– This is an intro track into the next song as you take a trip through madness. 4/5

13. The Negative One– This is definitely one of the best tracks on the album if you are a die hard Slipknot fan as it’s a return to the sound of the first two records with the in your face assault of vocals from Corey, Double bass attack, and fast as hell riffs. Enjoy the chaos!!! 5/5

14. If Rain Is What You Want– This is the last track on the record and the track is definitely different than the rest of the album. It sounds very tribal in the beginning with clean guitars before it starts to intensify. It’s an amazing way to end an album like this one. 4/5

My Final Thoughts– It’s great to see the guys back at it no matter who the new drummer and bassist is. They go back to a time when the music really ruled and I love it. The band has definitely not lost their edge despite the fact that Joey is no longer in the band, the new drummer does a great job. This is a definite must have record for any Slipknot fan out there. I am giving the album 4.3 stars out of five for a final grade.