Iced Earth - "The Glorious Burden"

Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden

2004, SPV

Disc One:

1. The Star-Spangled Banner

2. Declaration Day

3. When the Eagle Cries

4. The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me)

5. Greenface

6. Attila

7. Red Baron/Blue Max

8. Hollow Man

9. Valley Forge

10. Waterloo

11. When the Eagle Cries (Unplugged)

Disc Two: Gettysburg

1. The Devil To Pay

2. Hold At All Costs

3. High Water Mark

I really don't listen to much Iced Earth. I personally have a problem with some of the dark themes they revel in. It's probably guitarist Jon Schaeffer's anti-religious stance that does it, though I understand that it's leveled more at organized/institutional religion that it is actual belief. I got this disc because I heard it was about history and I thought that was pretty cool. This album is pretty cool too. Schaeffer's got the fastest wrist in all of metal I think - the speed of some of these riffs (like on "The Reckoning") are mind boggling! I just can't believe a human can pick a guitar that fast. A lot of people complain about the new vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex-Judas Priest) but I think he does a fine job. He does sound a little "Halfordy" at times but since I've never been a big fan I don't really miss Matt Barlow as much as a fan would. Some people think that "When the Eagle Cries" is cheesy... and it kind of is. Sorry. But that's not such a big deal for me though I could have done without the pansy version at the end of disc one. Finally, I think Jon Schaeffer should get some kind of award for "Gettysburg" because that is the coolest Civil War themed progressive metal song I've ever heard. Okay it's the only one, but still!

Useless Fact: I actually managed to snag the two disc version of this one! The single disc doesn't have "Waterloo" on it or the unplugged version of "Eagles."

Holy Soldier - "Last Train"

Holy Soldier - Last Train
1992/2017, Roxx Productions

1. Virtue and Vice
2. Crazy
3. Hallow's Eve
4. Gimmie Shelter
5. Love Is On the Way
6. Dead End Drive
7. Tuesday Mourning
8. Fairweather Friend
9. Last Train

For some reason I never cared for this band's debut. I have absolutely no reason as to why, I just didn't. Last Train on the other hand is really good. I think the production is a bit less metallic... more earthy if that makes any sense at all, and I think the songs are better. Stephen Patrick's voice is unique - you can just hear the emotion he puts into his performances. My copy is the recently released Roxx Productions edition. Unfortunately, as is the case with many Roxx reissues, there are no liner notes or lyrics. So... someday I'll still have to find an old Myrrh records copy.

Here's a funny story: My cousin and I went to see these guys with some friends (the same place I saw Seraiah, actually) and their set was... in a word... hilarious. Vocalist Stephen Patrick sauntered and pranced around the stage all limp-wristed (literally!). Picture Captain Jack Sparrow singing Christian rock songs. Yeah... his mannerisms were so weird that my mother and aunt had to excuse themselves from the auditorium specifically so they could laugh until they cried. Their drummer was awesome though. He did this amazing solo where he was using those giant red plastic baseball bats to beat on the toms and his gong. That was definitely the best part of that show.

Useless Fact: The band took some guff for covering the Stones "Gimmie Shelter." "Fairweather Friend" is about the band being misquoted in a magazine. After this disc, Stephen Patrick left Holy Soldier so the band replaced him and released Promise Man.

Haven - "Age of Darkness"

Haven - Age of Darkness

1991/2005, Retroactive

1. Tenacious Volition

2. Divination

3. When You Said Goodbye

4. Holly

5. Exaltation

6. The Witching Hour

7. Seance

8. Spend My Life With You

9. Unchanging Love

10. Blood of the Lamb

11. Once Upon a Time

Bonus Tracks

12. 30 of Silence

13. Mamma

14. Black Friday

15. All the Wrong Heroes

16. Mudshoe Moses

17. The Sea

18. Her Eyes

I never really liked Haven that much. I wasn't terribly impressed with Your Dying Day originally but I like this one alright. I picked up the Retroactive's reissue to replace my CD rotted copy. Speaking of which, this is some fine power metal. A lot of cool riffs and and a few catchy almost radio-ready songs like "When You Said Goodbye." I also really like the classical interludes, "Tenacious Volition" and "Exaltation." Thought the brightest spot for me on this whole album is the album closer, "Once Upon a Time" in which Kevin sings over the guitar which is actually running backwards.

Of course the Retroactive version comes with some extra tracks from Kevin Ayer's new (well... in 2003 anyway) band Thunder Bucket. These were a pleasant surprise. It's not metal but really good groove oriented modern rock with good vocals and lyrics. I found myself really digging these tracks. I almost wish Thunder Bucket would have come out with some more stuff.

Useless Fact: Haven released a third self-titled album. I've heard it's not as good as the previous ones.

Guns N' Roses - "Appetite For Destruction"

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

1987, Geffin

1. Welcome to the Jungle

2. It's So Easy

3. Nightrain

4. Out Ta Get Me

5. Mr. Brownstone

6. Paradise City

7. My Michelle

8. Think About You

9. Sweet Child O' Mine

10. You're Crazy

11. Anything Goes

12. Rocket Queen

I remember the first time I saw the video for "Welcome to the Jungle." Man... it was like nothing I'd ever seen or heard. It was a bit.... scary. The band had this raw power behind the music that just made you wonder just how hard hard rock could be. Axel Rose was the sleaziest, grimiest, dirtiest vocalist around. The album itself is full of that selfsame hard rock. It's all about the seedier side of life and doesn't care what you think. Slash is truly earns his "guitar hero" stripes with this one too. It's too bad the band was tripped up by Axel's ego - they never were as good as they were on this disc. Incidentally, this was the first disc I ever heard the "f" word in.

Useless Fact: The cover pictured was actually the second cover choice. The first cover had a robot and a monster on it as well as a depiction of a recently raped women. I think they made the right choice because this cover, in addition to being less depraved, is more iconic.

Guardian - "Miracle Mile"

Guardian - Miracle Mile

1993, Pakaderm

1. Dr. Jones & the Kings of Rhythm

2. Shoeshine Johnny

3. Long Way Home

4. I Found Love

5. Sweet Mystery

6. Let it Roll

7. Mr. Do Wrong

8. Curiosity Killed the Cat

9. Sister Wisdom

10. The Captain

11. You & I

12. Do You Know What Love Is?

Miracle Mile continues in the same mold as Fire and Love. It's a little bit more commercial than the last one too. There's a few more ballads on this one but there's also songs like "Long Way Home" and "Let it Roll" that are just wide open. I also really like the acoustic "The Captain."

Useless Fact: This was the last album the band did in this style. They went on to produce an acoustic album and then went alternative.

Guardian - "Fire and Love"

Guardian - Fire and Love

1990, Pakaderm

1. Power of Love

2. Send a Message

3. Time Stands Still

4. Forever and a Day

5. Takin' on the World

6. Fire and Love

7. Turnaround

8. Time and Time Again

9. The Rain

10. Never Say Goodbye

This second Guardian disc is filled to the brim with rock n' roll goodness! Tony Palacios guitar playing is all over the place - in a good way. He uses tons of fills and writes awesome riffs. And Jamie's Rowe's raspy, powerful voice is one of the finest in rock. The band is one tight unit. Nothing much more to say, if you've heard it, you know - if not... well... you're missing out.

Useless Fact: The band was at one time called Fusion and Voyager. Jamie Rowe sang for a band called Tempest.

Wish For Eden - "Pet the Fish"

Wish For Eden - Pet the Fish

1993, Tooth and Nail

1. Questions

2. Oceans

3. Don't Know

4. U Could

5. Green

6. Fly

7. Me

8. Fade

9. Blood

10. Pet the Fish

Hmmm.... I think sometimes my "awesome oldies" aren't nearly as awesome as they were fifteen years ago. I got this when it first came out and loved it. It was supposed to be grunge and Tooth and Nail was a brand new label supposed to be putting out cutting edge music. This really isn't grunge though - a lot of people say it sounds like Helmet. I'll tell you what I think it sounds like - the same riff over and over. Seriously, I could sing the lyrics to "Questions" right over "Green." There are a couple of decent songs like "Fly" and "Blood," but for the most part it's very repetitive. I'm not sure why this band is considered by some as groundbreaking, cuz they ain't.

Useless Fact: This was the one and only album Wish For Eden ever put out. This was also the first album out on Tooth and Nail records. Rob Walker came out with a solo album a couple years later, but that wasn't very good either.