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In a homage to recent lists that have made their way online regarding what was great about 90′s metal, possibly a cue for a nineties revival seeing as the eighties one is slowing down, I though I’d shove my two pennies worth down your throats.

In no particular order (apart from number one, which is meant to be there) here are the best things I can remember from what I feel I can term ‘my time’:

1) Sepultura – Doing what Metallica did in the eighties – taking an extreme form of music and bringing it to the mainstream – but with less commercial aspirations, Sepultura came from underground metal obscurity and managed to get three singles from ‘Roots’ into the charts, released four classic albums in a row, appeared on The Big Breakfast, The Word and Hotel Babylon, and appealed to old-school metal fans and nu-metal fans alike, as well as introducing a lot of metalheads to hardcore. Not bad for a death metal band from Brazil. Just a shame we’ll never know what could have been…

2) Black Sabbath reunion – The ‘Nativity in Black’ tribute album lit the fuse, and then everybody from Pantera to Cathedral was putting out Sabbath covers, so it was inevitable – and on a cold December night in 1997, the original line-up of the original metal band were reunited for a full set of classic anthems. Grown men were seen weeping into their beer as Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward proved why they are the most imitated band in rock, and gave everybody in attendance a night to remember. Expectation was high for a new album, but Ozzy let his family take over his career and decided that mainstream celebrity acceptance was the way forward…so we got some more mediocre solo Ozzy albums instead. At least we got Heaven & Hell to make up for it. It was good while it lasted…

3) Fear Factory ‘Demanufacture’ – Combining death metal and industrial was always going to be a noisy affair, but following on from their relatively primitive debut ‘Soul of a New Machine’, Fear Factory streamlined their sound and produced a classic. When everyone else was looking back in time for inspiration (Cradle of Filth, Sepultura) or commenting on the mundane goings on of everyday life (Godflesh), Fear Factory looked to the future and gave what was described at the time as ‘Terminator metal’. Producer Colin Richardson wiped out Raymond Herrera’s tom-tom’s from the mix, so the drums were cold and machine-like, while Dino Cazares’ simple-yet-brutal riffing dominated the whole sound, with the kick drums following his rhythms rather than the bass. Vocalist Burton C.Bell did aggressive and melodic in equal measure, inspiring the likes of Robb Flynn to try expanding their range, but it was the songs…oh the songs! Replica, Self Bias Resistor, Pisschrist, New Breed, A Therapy For Pain, the seizmic title track…all brilliant and still howling. Shame everything else they did sounded so generic by comparison.

4) Nu-Metal – Every decade has it’s scene and it’s sound, and after grunge had disappeared (yay!) the cutting edge sounds of Korn, Deftones, Coal Chamber and Limp Bizkit broke through and layed down the template for the new millennium. Yes, we look back and laugh now at what it became, but those first few vital releases by the aforementioned bands really were groundbreaking. ‘Korn’, ‘Around the Fur’, ‘Life is Peachy’, ‘Three Dollar Bill, Y’all’, ‘Coal Chamber’ and ‘Slipknot’ were all great examples of the burgeoning new sound, but it couldn’t last. Korn got fat and had a makeover, Coal Chamber called their music ‘spookycore’ and lost the plot, Fred Durst became a figure of ridicule and somebody came up with the idea of Linkin Park. It all went commercial and the once youthful sound of adolescent angst became bloated and middle-aged, but for about five years in the nineties it all seemed like a good idea.

5) White Zombie – Unclassifiable and very bizarre, White Zombie first emerged on the New York art-noise scene in the mid-eighties. Refining their b-movie inspired noise into a well-balanced blend of metal riffing, punk attitude, techno beats and a polished industrial edge, White Zombie became a touring freak show across America in the mid-nineties and released what could probably be described as the ultimate nineties metal album in ‘Astro Creep 2000′. Songs like the grinding ‘More Human Than Human’ and the psycho rock n’roll of ‘Super-Charger Heaven’ became MTV staples and White Zombie were on the verge of greatness without compromise – until Rob Zombie quit to go solo and direct horror movies. Rumour is there is to be a reunion – without Rob – but would there be any point? It was a moment, a special moment that could never be repeated. Just put on ‘Astro Creep…’ and listen to how genius should sound.

6) John Bush Joins Anthrax – Anthrax were always a great band, with a tight thrash metal sound and a back catalogue of cracking tunes, but there was always one piece of the puzzle that didn’t quite fit – the singer. Although Joey Belladonna had a powerful set of pipes, his voice just never seemed to suit the music – imagine Ronnie James Dio singing for Megadeth; it just wouldn’t go. So come 1993, Anthrax released ‘The Sound of White Noise’ with new singer John Bush and the address was balanced. Bush could replicate Belladonna’s warbling, but with a gritty edge to his voice, meaning that the band could expand their sound further. Bush could also write songs as well, and was a commanding presence on the stage, whereas Belladonna just sung and wore a Red Indian headdress. Shame nobody bought their records, though.

7) Machine Head ‘Burn My Eyes’ – Contrary to what a lot of people say, Machine Head did not revitalise a flagging metal scene when they released their debut album in 1994. Korn and Deftones were about to break barriers with their debuts, Pantera, Sepultura and Biohazard had all released what would be their defining masterpieces around that time, while Slayer and Megadeth were about to release follow-ups to their biggest commercial successes. Except for a lack of new releases from Maiden, Metallica, Priest and Ozzy, there was a decent set of albums doing the rounds, so why is ‘Burn My Eyes’ held up in such high regard? Simply because it kicks major ass. Opening with the anthemic ‘Davidian’ and not letting up until the closing bars of ‘Block’, ‘BME’ was a masterclass in sophisticated aggression. Mixing the hardcore stomp of Biohazard with the dynamics of Bay Area thrash and a hint of death metal’s downtuned riffing, all wrapped up with Colin Richardson’s crystal-clear production, Machine Head did the typical crime of the nineties and made a brilliant debut that they have spent the rest of their careers trying to live up to. Just play the main riff to ‘Old’ at full volume and try to stop yourself bouncing along.

8) Roadrunner Records – As the eighties turned into the nineties, it was arguably Earache records who were regarded as the home of the cutting edge metal bands – until about three years into the new decade, when all of a sudden a lot of their popular bands were starting to leave the label for one reason or another, and Roadrunner seemed to have all the good stuff – Sepultura, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, Machine Head, Life Of Agony, Obituary, Dog Eat Dog, Biohazard, The Misfits, Soulfly, Slipknot, Coal Chamber…Just check out the bill for Donington in 1996 for proof that the label knew how to promote their bands.

9) Pantera – As with Sepultura, Pantera took an extreme style of music and took it to the mainstream with impressive success. Unlike Sepultura, or Metallica before them, Pantera didn’t start out making extreme music and streamlining it for mass-consumption. Instead they started out playing a more glam style of heavy metal and got heavier with each release, so by the time of ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ in 1992, when they could have followed it up with something more accessible to capitalise on their success, they went the other way and made an even heavier album with ‘Far Beyond Driven’, which went to number one in both the UK and the US. Although the scene changed with the advent of nu-metal and Pantera seemed to go out of vogue, their influence is undeniable and even to this day their name is still a benchmark by which other bands are judged. Just ask DevilDriver or Lamb of God.

10) Crossover Appeal – It was fairly straightforward before. There was hard rock (Led Zeppelin, Thunder, etc.), heavy metal (Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, etc.), thrash metal (Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, etc.) and death metal (Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, etc.), and anything else had to slot into those pigeonholes. In the nineties, though, it all changed. Due to the public’s need to categorise everything, there were all sorts of labels bandied around – goth metal, gothic metal (not the same thing!), doom, hardcore, grindcore, industrial, ambient, noise, electronica, stoner, sludge, southern, nu-metal, alternative, grunge, punk, pop-punk, straight-edge, emo, screamo; and those are just the immediate ones I can think of! Of course, it did have it’s plus points – bands who wouldn’t normally have anything in common would tour together (I once saw a bill of Type O Negative, Entombed and Stuck Mojo – something for everyone!) and bands also started to incorporate other styles into their sound. Death metal bands would experiment with hardcore (Obituary), while hardcore bands would rap (Biohazard) or even appeal to Goths (Life of Agony, Type O Negative). Sepultura and Machine Head would cover obscure punk bands, while traditional metal bands started upping the ante with thrashier riffs and double bass drumming (Saxon, Priest) and some bands even started toying with techo and drum n’bass (Fear Factory, Pitchshifter). It was a mish-mash of styles and it didn’t matter if you were into rap, metal, rock or techno because there would be something for everyone to grasp onto. Kind of miss that, really…

Some exciting news to start the day with – bassist David Ellefson, who co-founded thrash giants Megadeth with frontman Dave Mustaine and appeared on all of their albums up until the band’s hiatus in 2002, has returned to their ranks, replacing James LoMenzo, who had played with the band since 2006.

Mustaine and Ellefson fell out over royalties after the band’s original split, and Mustaine put together a new line-up minus Ellefson for 2004′s ‘comeback’ album ‘The System Has Failed’.  Ellefson has contributed to various projects since 2002, most notably appearing on the Soulfly albums ‘Prophecy’ and ‘Dark Ages’ as well as metal supergroup HAIL! with Andreas Kisser, Paul Bostaph and Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens. 

A statement from Dave Mustaine on Megadeth’s website reads:

“This shows the power of brotherly love and forgiveness.  David Ellefson belongs in Megadeth.  Next we are going to show you the power of getting your asses kicked…HARD!”

Good timing really, as the band are just about to embark on the 20th anniversary tour of their landmark album ‘Rust in Peace’ with fellow thrashers Testament and Exodus, before joining Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax for those very special European festival dates in the summer.  Ellefson being back on board for these dates is great news for the fans, who can now get to see one of the thrash-era’s most prominent figures back where he belongs and giving Megadeth some extra edge onstage.  See below for some classic live ‘Deth featuring Mustaine and Ellefson…

Source: www.megadeth.com

L.A. heavyweights Fear Factory have released the video for the second single from their brilliant new album Mechanize. The video for the song Fear Campaign features a startling array of subliminal images showcasing the atrocities of the world, all designed to break down the word ‘fear’ and capture the intensity of the band.

Follow the link below to see the video for Fear Campaign:

http://www.roxwel.com/player/fearfactoryfearcampaign.html

Fear Factory‘s Mechanize is available now via Candlelight Records.  The band will be touring the UK in February and are playing at Sonisphere in the summer.  For more info go to www.fearfactorymusic.com.

Click on image to purchase Mechanize.

Another piece of sad news for the metal world today, as it has been confirmed that James ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, drummer with US metal band Avenged Sevenfold, was found dead at his home in Huntington Beach, California.

Formed in 1999, Avenged Sevenfold have steadily built a massive following in the metal world, releasing two albums before achieving mainstream success with their 2005 major label debut ‘City of Evil’. The band followed this up with a self-titled fourth album in 2007, and were in the writing process for album number five, to be released next year.

A statement on the band’s official website reads “It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy’s family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Jimmy you are forever in our hearts.
We love you.”

Sullivan leaves behind his wife Leana MacFadden, and our thoughts go out to his family and bandmates at this time.

Well, what a year it’s been for the beast known as metal. There have been many highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies and most of all, some cracking music that really shows the world-beating power of metal in the 21st century. It also means that next year – with expected albums from Iron Maiden, Soulfly, Fear Factory, Ihsahn, Rob Zombie and, fingers crossed, Anthrax – is shaping up to be even better.

Anyway, as is the trend for the end of the year, here are my top 20 albums from the last twelve months. As with my movies list, the criteria is I have to have actually heard it; Gallows had some good reviews this year, but as I haven’t heard it I haven’t included it (although if somebody wants to send it to me I would certainly appreciate it). You may agree, disagree or not even care, but please feel free to leave feedback, and here we go:

20. Lamb of God ‘Wrath’ – Rapidly working their way up the metal hierarchy without compromise, Virginia’s Lamb of God proved their worthiness by bagging the support slot on Metallica’s ‘World Magnetic’ tour and releasing their fifth studio album to rapturous applause. At a point in their career where most bands would start to soften their sound and move towards mainstream acceptance, LOG have done the opposite and gone more brutal, minimising the groovier overtones of previous album ‘Sacrament’ and going straight for the jugular with a full-on metal attack. Just listen to the short, sharp, shock of ‘Contractor’ for proof.

19. Neverborne ‘In Absence of Fear EP’ – Alright, it may not be a full album but this debut EP by London-based metallers Neverborne deserves to be on this list, such is the strength of their material and the promise of greater things to come. Combining the muscle of American metalcore and the harsh melodies of Swedish death metal, Neverborne have actually written songs that stay in your head as opposed to just having a solid production and a few throwaway riffs. If you were disappointed by recent effort by Killswitch Engage or In Flames, this is definitely one to get hold of and the forthcoming full-length debut promises to be something great.

18. Clutch ‘Strange Cousins from the West’ – Darker and bluesier than previous albums but still undeniably Clutch, ‘Strange Cousins…’ is one of those albums that needs to be played a few times to sink in. You may argue that if an album needs to be played a few times to be appreciated then it can’t be that great, but Clutch have never been a band to make songs for instant gratification (or hit singles, if you like), and this album, while not drastically different from previous album ‘From Beale Street to Oblivion’, does benefit from having a few different influences that aren’t immediately obvious.

17. Napalm Death ‘Time Waits for No Slave’ – Returning with an album of acoustic folk ballads was never going to be a wise move for these Brummie legends, so it’s just as well they didn’t do it! You know what to expect from a Napalm Death album and they don’t mind giving it to you – in spades. Schizo riffing, blast beats, socio-political diatribes and Barney Greenway growling over the top of it all. Still brilliant, still relevant and still played with a fury and passion that belies the bands near thirty-year history, Napalm are still the final word in extreme metal…

16. Hatebreed ‘Hatebreed’ – …Although this lot may be up for challenging them. Hardcore heroes Hatebreed returned with their self-titled fifth studio album and pretty much blew away everybody with how furious yet catchy they could be. Showing off a more metallic edge than previous albums, songs like ‘In Ashes They Shall Reap’ and ‘Merciless Tide’ immediately became moshpit favourites and, as with Lamb of God, if they carry on in this vein, Hatebreed could soon be sharing stages with some of the bigger names from the metal spectrum.

15. Judas Priest ‘A Touch of Evil: Live’ – After releasing their most ambitious album yet – the concept double-album ‘Nostradamus’ – last year, it was likely that British metal legends Judas Priest would record some kind of live document to follow it up. Foregoing the obvious and releasing a full live set with all the hits included, the band instead opted to release this collection of rarely played album tracks with a few newies thrown in, all recorded over the last two world tours. Including ‘Dissident Aggressor’ from 1977’s ‘Sin After Sin’ and a handful of tracks from 1990’s ‘Painkiller’, as well as a few more underrated classics, this was really a ‘for the fans’ album and showed that although they’re rapidly approaching their sixties, Judas Priest still have the live intensity of old and can match the power of those pesky kids.

14. Saxon ‘Into the Labyrinth’ – All hail the old school! NWOBHM stalwarts Saxon continued a run of high quality albums with this stormer released back in January. Although there are few surprises from Saxon these days, songs about demon barbers, Egyptian kings and the power of rock n’roll played with such conviction can never fail, and these purveyors of amped-up trad metal can still pull it off with style.

13. Kiss ‘Sonic Boom’ – Judas Priest? Saxon? And now Kiss? Is it 1988 again? American glam rockers Kiss returned in typically flamboyant style with a re-energised line-up and an album chocked full of great songs. Looking at what made Kiss albums appeal to fans in the past, the band put together eleven tracks of sheer anthemic goodness that take the best of the band’s history and put it all on one album. Even the bonus disc of re-recorded classics (a practice that I’m not too fond of) sounded brilliant.

12. Candlemass ‘Death Magic Doom’ – It’s all in the title, really. Swedish doom legends Candlemass followed up the rather rushed ‘King of the Grey Islands’ (rush-recorded with vocalist Robert Lowe after previous singer Messiah Marcolin left the band – again!) with this epic return to form. Fusing their Sabbath worship with a greater sense of dynamics and a crushing production, tracks like ‘Hammer of Doom’ and ‘The Bleeding Baroness’ were awesome in their scope and made Candlemass sound like a cohesive unit once again. Play very loud!

11. Mastodon ‘Crack the Skye’ – Virtually creating a musical sub-genre of their own, Mastodon followed-up 2006’s ‘Blood Mountain’ with this epic piece of pseudo-progressive metal. Bringing in even more diverse influences than before – certain band members have confessed to listening to Frank Zappa every day – the album is a trippy, yet focused tour-de-force of off-kilter time changes and vocal hooks that will still resonate in your head for days after listening, bringing to mind the best works of Neurosis, Hawkwind, the aforementioned Frank Zappa and even some of the more epic Metallica tunes. An important album from an important band.

10. Katatonia ‘Night is the New Day’ – Slipping under the radar slightly, Sweden’s Katatonia released their eighth full-length studio album in November and immediately reminded why this band are so highly revered in metal circles. Fusing the best elements of death metal, doom and prog rock, the band have produced a rich, melancholy soundscape that flows from beautiful progressive passages to edgy metal riffing that deserves to played in full, rather than cherry-picking tracks. With obvious nods to Opeth and Paradise Lost, this could (should?) see Katatonia reaching out from the underground and reaping some of the rewards their hard work should be earning them.

9. Devildriver ‘Pray for Villains’ – Isn’t it marvellous when a band who really ought to be bigger finally start getting the recognition they deserve? 2009 was definitely Devildriver’s year, as frontman Dez Fafara’s past in nu-metal loons Coal Chamber was finally laid to rest and Devildriver stepped up to the plate and delivered an album that was as brutal as anything they’ve done so far, yet had the melodic hooks that the band had hinted at on previous albums. The title track, ‘Back With a Vengeance’, ‘Fate Stepped In’, ‘Resurrection Blvd.’, ‘Another Night in London’…the list of new moshpit anthems goes on, and Devildriver are definitely leading the charge. Can’t wait for the next one!

8. Slayer ‘World Painted Blood’ – Following on from the disappointing ‘Christ Illusion’, Slayer released their eleventh studio album in November and showed that they could still make albums that, although maybe not as consistently brilliant as their glory days, could still compete for sheer intensity and heaviness. There’s nothing here that reinvents the wheel, but unlike ‘Christ…’, it doesn’t sound so flat and uninspired, and although they’ll probably never make another ‘Reign in Blood’ or ‘Seasons in the Abyss’, this is the most ‘Slayer’ album they’ve released for some time.

7. Iron Maiden ‘Flight 666’ – Does the world need another Iron Maiden live album? Hell yeah! One look at the track listing is enough to make the most cynical gumby weep into his pint, as the 80’s glory days are relived through tracks like ‘Moonchild’, ‘Powerslave’, Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and ‘Heaven Can Wait’. Of course, the ubiquitous ‘Run to the Hills’, ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Number of the Beast’ are still there, but had they not been then people would have gone ‘where’s the hits?’ It may have worked for Judas Priest on their latest live opus, but the Maiden are a slightly different beast and wouldn’t have got away with it. Like Priest, a full set from one gig may have been better as you would have a flavour of the whole event, but being handpicked from different gigs, at least the songs all have a high energy level throughout. With a sound this tight, maybe their next album should be recorded from the stage…

6. Firebird ‘Grand Union’ – A very different band from his previous two outfits, former Napalm Death/Carcass guitarist Bill Steer put together Firebird in the late 90’s as a blues-based power trio and have been busying themselves ever since releasing a handful of cracking albums. ‘Grand Union’ is their fifth release and, quite frankly, is a stormer. Comparable to classic blues/rock bands such as Cream, Free and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Firebird not only know how to pen classic riffs and solid, thumping rhythms but can make each song as catchy as hell and make headbanging compulsory. And Steer’s vocals sound uncannily like Maiden-era Paul Di’Anno, so good stuff all round.

5. Cannibal Corpse ‘Evisceration Plague’ – Carrying on where astounding last album ‘Kill’ left off, Cannibal Corpse are now over twenty years into their career and show no signs of letting up. With song titles such as ‘Skewered from Ear to Ear’, ‘Priests of Sodom’ and ‘Shatter Their Bones’ you know where they’re coming from, and the blast beats, schizo riffing, demented solos and George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher’s bowels-of-Satan vocals are still there, all wrapped up in Morbid Angel/Hate Eternal man Eric Rutan’s heavy production. Not overly ambitious in the progression department, but who wants it to be? It’s Cannibal Corpse, it’s death metal and it’s bloody great.

4. Heaven & Hell ‘The Devil You Know’ – Resurrecting the Dio-era line-up of Black Sabbath under a new name was always an exciting prospect, and even though the musical pedigree of this band is beyond question, there was still the question of whether any new material would be able to stand up against the audio goodness of Black Sabbath’s ‘Heaven & Hell’, ‘Mob Rules’ and ‘Dehumanizer’ albums. Well, it did – and then some. As heavy as you would expect, everybody involved seemed to have upped their game – Tony Iommi, a man known more for his riffs than his solos, was all over the fretboard with the sort of hand action only usually displayed by teenage boys on a promise, Ronnie James Dio sang like a man possessed, Geezer Butler showed why he is so highly regarded by bass players the world over and Vinnie Appice neatly underpins everything in his own unique style. Lead single ‘Bible Black’ was easily one of the catchiest slabs of doom in recent memory, and as long as the band members can all get along this time around, then the prospect of another original Sabbath line-up reunion will just have to wait.

3. Megadeth ‘Endgame’ – One of the most anticipated releases of the year, Dave Mustaine and his band of merry men were under a fair bit of pressure to top what they achieved with 2007’s excellent ‘United Abominations’ – and they only went and bloody did it! ‘Endgame’ can justifiably claim to be one of Megadeth’s best albums; not just since the so-called ‘glory days’, but ever. First single ‘Head Crusher’ showcased how well new(ish) guitarist Chris Broderick and Mustaine have gelled as players, whilst the title track could be one of the most venomous political rants Mustaine has penned. All wrapped up in metal maestro Andy Sneap’s streamlined production, Megadeth – unlike certain other metal giants who seem to make metal albums that sound a little too contrived – have shown that they’ve still got what it takes to lead the pack.

2. Paradise Lost ‘Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us’ – Having now seemingly gotten their experimental tendencies out of their system, Halifax doomsters Paradise Lost are continuing down the raw, metallic path they started with 2005’s self-titled album and carried on with 2007’s ‘In Requiem’. More brutal than either of those albums, some of the songs nod back towards their gothic death metal days, although some of the rich melodies and snaking riffs do echo the glories of their ‘Draconian Times’ album from 1995. Now using seven-string guitars, the overall sound is a lot heavier than previous efforts and Nick Holmes’ vocals just get better with each album. Check out the title track for one of the year’s best singles and a future PL classic that encompasses everything that the band are about nowadays. Put quite simply, it’s brilliant.

1. The Resurrection Sorrow ‘Hour of the Wolf’ – Well, this one crept up on me, I don’t mind admitting. The Resurrection Sorrow hail from New York and feature former members of Malstrom and Murphy’s Law, although that doesn’t really prepare you for what’s on offer here. Taking the heavy doom approach of Cathedral and melding it to the swagger of ‘Deliverance’-era COC with a touch of classic Metallica, TRS quite proudly admit that they aren’t offering up anything original, but what they are doing is playing heavy and catchy metal anthems without compromise and without any pretentions to anything else. Opening track ‘Resurrect the Sorrow’ lays out the template for the rest of the album, and each track offers up a different take on anthemic heavy metal without repetition, with the rocking ‘Soul of the Soulless’ and the instrumental ‘Shadow of a Vampire’ being obvious standouts. Stripped of the excesses that such albums can lose themselves in, only one song exceeds the five minute mark meaning that the song never outstays its welcome, and swiftly moves onto the next before you get a chance to get too familiar with it. Roll on album number two!

Click on album covers to purchase.