What are you currently listening to?

[eckart]

The Fall

https://youtu.be/gJvuTh1qnP8

[Stevens]

today's vinyl get. I'm happy. listening to those right now.

Bring a ya daughter to the slaughter.

Man did Maiden know his to sell albums. Don't partake in them as much as I used too, but every once in a while I get that itch. Seventh Son is my go to. Powerslave and SIT are just behind it.

[FinalBaton]

Powerslave rips so hard. Might be the most consistently good Maiden record when all is said and done. I adore SIT as well, superb one. some of its songs are the strongest in Maiden catalog, and it's pretty consistent too

I had forgotten that Bring Your Daughter To The SLaughter was the theme song to one of the Nightmare on Elm Street flicks. Dokken scored one as well (Dream Warriors, for part III)

[Marc]

Therapy? The Abbey Road Sessions. Re-recorded versions of their best-known songs. Good stuff, sounded odd at first but really liking them now.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Much impressed by The Young Gods 2019 album Data Mirage Tangram. Some part of me keeps faith in old hands like Wire*, Swans, The Plastic People of the Universe or TYG, who, when stay in business, or come back, it never seems to be just so then can pay instalments.
Pretty gutsy of Treichler to come out as guitar player (harmonica, being more natural "extension" for a singer, it's less of a surprise here) this late in the day. Reminds me of David Bowie, who, I heard, never thought much of his own guitarmanship, but kept doing his thing all the same. Sometimes you're better off answering such calling of yours.

*) I confess having skipped Wire concert a couple of years ago in my town, then The Young Gods' playing material from their first two albums (little did I know Cesare Pizzi was back on board at the time). I feel pretty bad about that to this day, but those were the days of social turmoil in my life. In hindsight, going to gigs again started process of my coming to terms with the fact that we need each other after all. At least before my misanthropy peaked, I was at The Plastic People of the Universe gig with their late composer and bassist still on stage.

Easter music on the radio, from the cornerstone Händel's Messiah way back to medieval period through Renaissance through Baroque. Very "springtime", invigorating.

[BIL]

Blasting Megadeth's Killing Is My Business - THE FINAL KILL Was happy enough with the previous official remaster (and I don't give a FUCK about the Nancy Sinatra cover - fuck outta here...), but this has indeed packed on the last remaining pounds of muscle the once criminally-weedy KIMB needed to make weight with heretofore infinitely meatier Peace Sells. Good shit. THERES NO COMIN BACK EVEN IF WE COULD - FUCK YEAAAA

[FinalBaton]

Much impressed by The Young Gods 2019 album Data Mirage Tangram. Some part of me keeps faith in old hands like Wire*, Swans, The Plastic People of the Universe or TYG, who, when stay in business, or come back, it never seems to be just so then can pay instalments.
Pretty gutsy of Treichler to come out as guitar player (harmonica, being more natural "extension" for a singer, it's less of a surprise here) this late in the day. Reminds me of David Bowie, who, I heard, never thought much of his own guitarmanship, but kept doing his thing all the same. Sometimes you're better off answering such calling of yours.

*) I confess having skipped Wire concert a couple of years ago in my town, then The Young Gods' playing material from their first two albums (little did I know Cesare Pizzi was back on board at the time). I feel pretty bad about that to this day, but those were the days of social turmoil in my life. In hindsight, going to gigs again started process of my coming to terms with the fact that we need each other after all. At least before my misanthropy peaked, I was at The Plastic People of the Universe gig with their late composer and bassist still on stage.

Easter music on the radio, from the cornerstone Händel's Messiah way back to medieval period through Renaissance through Baroque. Very "springtime", invigorating.

Tell me about The Young Gods, I don't know them. maybe recommend an album or two. I do know Wire well, being really into post-punk and I'm familiar with the unsettling sounds of Swans since I dig noise-rock and dissonant post-hardcore quite a lot (but haven't listened to them outside of a song or two or three, I must say. ANd I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for cathartic, unsettling music these days)

What syles do they dabble in and what year did they come out and do they have affilation with some scene or bands that I might know?

Blasting Megadeth's Killing Is My Business - THE FINAL KILL Was happy enough with the previous official remaster (and I don't give a FUCK about the Nancy Sinatra cover - fuck outta here...), but this has indeed packed on the last remaining pounds of muscle the once criminally-weedy KIMB needed to make weight with heretofore infinitely meatier Peace Sells. Good shit. THERES NO COMIN BACK EVEN IF WE COULD - FUCK YEAAAA

Newly remastered KIMB? That has my interest. seems like great excuse to spin this one afain this week. Thanks for the heads up

[BIL]

It's great - just a bit more oomph, really stands out in the verses of the title track, which I always thought sounded a little Loony Toons before.

"NOW PAY MEH QUICKLY! NOW WE'RE THROUGH..."
"IT BRINGS ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SAY MY NEXT JOB IS U"

The "Boots" cover is redone, AFAIK, but I never cared about it anyway. This is a record for YOUNG MAN ANGST

I DO IT FOR MY LIFE! FUCK YEAHHH!

[Obiwanshinobi]

Tell me about The Young Gods, I don't know them. maybe recommend an album or two. I do know Wire well, being really into post-punk and I'm familiar with the unsettling sounds of Swans since I dig noise-rock and dissonant post-hardcore quite a lot (but haven't listened to them outside of a song or two or three, I must say. ANd I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for cathartic, unsettling music these days)

What syles do they dabble in and what year did they come out and do they have affilation with some scene or bands that I might know?

They are Swiss to begin with. Like Celtic Frost, Coroner or Yello. That out of the way, it's the L'eau rouge album, easily.

[FinalBaton]

What music style?

[null1024]

Powerslave rips so hard. Might be the most consistently good Maiden record when all is said and done.

I have listened to Powerslave twice this week in almost its entirety each time. It's a stunner from start to finish.

[Obiwanshinobi]

What music style?

Some would say "industrial", but I've issues with such classification. To me, REAL industrial music is played all by machines (I think I understand, these days, what Blixa Bargeld meant saying that all the control humans have over them is freedom to switch them on). It's true that, originally, The Young Gods worked exclusively with vocal, percussion and sampler, making "electric guitar music" not even touching actual guitar, which was pretty radical at the time (treating sampler as a fully fledged solo instrument rather than half-measure). Then again, wildly polirhythmic Only Heaven album was not so much exploring guitar sounds anymore as "tribal" drumming, which turned out to be a tough sell for most people.
Others would say "cabaret", and they made a whole album of Kurt Weil covers indeed, but I beg to differ. I'd sooner call Marc Almond cabaret. It takes just this kind of writing.
In terms of "which bands they are like", the first album bears a degree of resemblance to Swans, about as much as early Swans (without girl) resemble The Birthday Party. Such a sensual, "carnal" music about creatures doing things to each other.
Another association improbable not to have is with The Doors. Half of it comes free with Franz Treichler's voice, not unlike one must think of Jim and Elvis when hearing Glenn Danzig's voice. The other half is due to - dare I say - lyrical content. All of T.V. Sky album, sung entirely in English, is like a medium for the U.S. part of North America (they seem like seduced by the land on there, I find no better words for it). As if they sincerely tried to become American band (Sonic Temple by The Cult comes to mind).
Their most "classic" albums would be: The Young Gods, L'eau rouge and T.V. Sky, all pretty short even with CD extras, thus no good reason not to lend ear. Myself, I've caught their bug with this L'amourir* music video. It was a small discovery of mine just how becoming rock music French language can be (perhaps rock music in general favours tongues not very pleasant to sing in). I'd yet to hear Noir Désir back then (I guess music is like tap water for kids these days, whereas for us back then it was more like a well in the middle of desert).

*) CD bonus track on L'eau rouge, released as a single earlier.

Bring a ya daughter to the slaughter.

When all is said and done, yeah. I've felt like singing this one almost every day at work lately (maidenhead chap I work with decorated all of the place with Maiden references, so it keeps haunting me). Although (bear with me) listening to opera and thoroughly "educated" singing a lot in recent years altered my hearing of uncle metal, it seems, irreversibly. Some of the singers' deficiencies are unable to "unhear" anymore, Bruce in particular, when doing those quasi-operatic recitativa, well, can't really do them properly (then again - those ARE technically difficult accroding to the pros, good voice alone won't suffice). That being said, in Maiden's case it kind of sits well within the style. I've more problem with Operation Mindcrime these days (and, I suppose, so had Geoff Tate himself, if it's true that he eventually took "proper" singing lessons).
I did not seem to have much problem with Blind Guardian's A Twist in the Myth a couple of years ago, though. As if all necessary technique was there.

[vol.2]

To me, REAL industrial music is played all by machines (

I more or less concur. I put a stylistic timeline on it like Throbbing Gristle--->KMFDM/Ministry--->Skinny Puppy/NIN and then it was over. Anything after that isn't industrial unless it was so in either a retro way or a "we're going to make a new kind of music and call it industrial because we like the cache of that style" kind of way. Even NIN era industrial was pushing it for the genre name because the flavor had permeated so many different sub genres that it didn't really exist anymore as a scene in any one city.

[FinalBaton]

Thanks for describing their style Obiwanshinobi

These days I'm not really interested in industrial except the really early stuff. But one exception is Skinny Puppy. Their nightmarish sound collages are just oozing with damn style and the guys are so exceptionally talented, the ratio of interesting sound design idea per minute is staggering, it's so clever. Dwayne R. Goettel, you are sorely missed from this mortal coil...

I listened to a lot of NiN and Ministry and KMFDM back then, but not anymore. Not throwing shade at these bands; I just don't dig them nowadays.

Now when I'm in that rare mood, it's Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten. And the aforementionned Puppy. Oh and I forgot : Cabaret Voltaire too. CV rules HARD.

Now we have summoned Sumezu, for sure haha

[Obiwanshinobi]

I so have a soft spot for Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey! Come to think of it, they are something of a cabaret on there.

Another Onkel-Metal/dad-rock singer who stood the test of my opening up for opera and such was Ronnie James Dio, credit where it's due. I did not even like Operation: Mindcrime II all that much when listening to it some years ago, but Dio had what it took to put life in his character. I'm just reading about him on Wikipedia and indeed opera is said to influence him greatly there. I also believe his experience as a trumpet player to had helped his breathing technique great deal. Having just read a book about clarinet, merely a couple of paragraphs about breathing influenced my own humble, shower-taking voice job considerably. Long story short, it's not about taking deep breath as much as it's about breath just deep enough FOR THE NEXT PHRASE, taken at just the right time, no more, no less. Well, of course, whether you take it dominantly with your chest, your midriff or both, and just how all of your body is positioned as you do matters too. Nothing complicated, but you need to keep it in mind all the time as you control other aspects of performance, look up music sheet, stay in touch with the rest of performers and the conductor (who, oneself, should be keeping quite an "image" of every wind musician's and singer's breath and phrasing, to avoid overdriving any single one them).
Just take note how many rock singers played harmonica solos quite competently. I'm not even dwelling on the blues, where it's a kind of standard.

[FinalBaton]

Interesting, I couldn't rate the voice of rock and metal singers like that. I don't listen to classical music. nor opera. Those people are the real expert of voice craft for sure. I don't have any notion of singing body-optimisation either

I do like the diminutive force that is Dio. Not just for his medieval fantasy lyrics, or his great presence/aura. I like the dude's voice too. Oh and his character might be what I like most. Hearing his retorts to Ozzy via the press is a DOOZY. Guy is savage af, lol. Yet a gentleman pretty funny guy

[Steamflogger Boss]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM5AYgKpKg0

A timeless masterpiece.

[Stevens]

I've always felt No Prayer for the Dying was among Maidens weakest offerings - but seriously the run up to it is untouchable for quality - Beast, POM, PS, SIT and SSoaSS are all incredible. Any band ever would take five albums in a row like that.

Even their 1st two albums with Dianno aren't without their charm, although I've admittedly listened to them less than the five above.

Similarly when Bruce came back (lets not talk about the 90's Brave New World was as close to a return to form as I could have hoped for. Pretty much vintage Maiden all around. Dance of Death was fun - it does have Passchendaele - which is seriously one fo the best songs they ever recorded. I loved A Matter of Life and Death. Haven't listened to much after that with the exception of The Talisman which I also like.

[FinalBaton]

@ Stevens I've really re-discovered No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of the Dark lately. They're not as consistent, some meh moments on thme but several great tracks too. too many to ignore. Especially the former.

On NPFTD : I think Fates Warning, The Assassin, Run Silent Run Deep, Bring Your Daughter and Mother Russia are all really strong. Tailgunner is solid. and strangely I enjoy the energy of Hooks in you even though it's cheesy af. but I get why people hate it. The rest are meh but not annoying enough so as to prevent me from listening to the record in full and not skipping tracks. I let the whole thing roll.

On FOTD : I think Be Quick Or Be Dead, Judas Be My Guide and Fear of the Dark are really strong. outside of that a couple are good-ish and a couple wonky but again - nothing that prevents me from listening to the record in full and not skipping tracks.

I love the DiAnno albums, it's great stuff. I wasn't always digging them that much but recently rediscovred how good they are. Really raw and punk but still sounds like Maiden, the essence of high energy twin guitar is there. I love Paul's voice, great mid range snarl, nice booming lower register. good texture to his vocals, it's grown on me.

Basically what I do when I wanna listen to some Maiden while working is : I start with Fear of the Dark and let spotify roll all the way back and play everything. Only thing I skipp is the live album usually. Bruce's voice is so shot on that one, but it's understandable since they were 7 months in a tour at that point.


I need to give another listen to the newer albums. and yeah I relistened to Brave New World recently and it's good. Have you listened to the muisc video cut of Wickerman? with gang vocals in the chorus? so much better than the album version IMO

[Stevens]

@ Stevens I've really re-discovered No Prayer For The Dying and Fear Of the Dark lately. They're not as consistent, some meh moments on thme but several great tracks too. too many to ignore. Especially the former.

On NPFTD : I think Fates Warning, The Assassin, Run Silent Run Deep, Bring Your Daughter and Mother Russia are all really strong. Tailgunner is solid. and strangely I enjoy the energy of Hooks in you even though it's cheesy af. but I get why people hate it. The rest are meh but not annoying enough so as to prevent me from listening to the record in full and not skipping tracks. I let the whole thing roll.

On FOTD : I think Be Quick Or Be Dead, Judas Be My Guide and Fear of the Dark are really strong. outside of that a couple are good-ish and a couple wonky but again - nothing that prevents me from listening to the record in full and not skipping tracks.

I love the DiAnno albums, it's great stuff. I wasn't always digging them that much but recently rediscovred how good they are. Really raw and punk but still sounds like Maiden, the essence of high energy twin guitar is there. I love Paul's voice, great mid range snarl, nice booming lower register. good texture to his vocals, it's grown on me.

Basically what I do when I wanna listen to some Maiden while working is : I start with Fear of the Dark and let spotify roll all the way back and play everything. Only thing I skipp is the live album usually. Bruce's voice is so shot on that one, but it's understandable since they were 7 months in a tour at that point.


I need to give another listen to the newer albums. and yeah I relistened to Brave New World recently and it's good. Have you listened to the muisc video cut of Wickerman? with gang vocals in the chorus? so much better than the album version IMO

Listening to Wickerman now for the first time in ages. Forgot how good it is.

[BIL]

The first two Maiden records took me decades to really appreciate, having been more into the slightly proggier later stuff as a kid. Coming back after developing a fondness for the inherently leaner Motorhead, Lizzy and Ramones, I finally got why they're so beloved - fusing punk's energy and immediacy not so much with rock n' roll ala those three, but outright metal bombast. The ST's thin production mutes it slightly, but I'd still rank it and the much meatier-sounding Killers over most of their later catalogue.

Bruce's 90s Maiden vocals (even in-studio) are so goddamn rough. Years later when I revisited those records after lots of Deep Purple, he reminded me of Ian Gillan's flagging mid-80s pipes... but he was 90% back to form a few years later on Accident of Birth, using that squawky rasp only as a sparing accent. He's naturally a bit thinner-sounding in more recent years, but I still find him infinitely more pleasing than his Bon Scott act on Prayer/Fear. (I fuckin love Bon but he'd do just as poorly fronting Bruce's songs )

Relevant to both of the above, A Real Dead One's Remember Tomorrow is one of the few times I really dug both Bruce covering Di'anno, and in his grunge voice to boot. Dim the lights and turn it up loud, it's fire & brimstone as all fuck

Accident and followup The Chemical Wedding (both with a 110% Adrian Smith and formidable shredder Roy Z) are killer records, I'd put them even with any of Maiden's best.

[FinalBaton]

LMAO Bon Scott impression. That was pretty good
I'm fine with his vocals on Fear an No Prayer. That's actually the best/most textured mirange snarl he ever got on tape (it's so damn paper thin on early records, he at least improved it here). His voice on Be Quick Or Be Dead is wicked I think, and is something he'd never have been able to pull off in his early career.

tbh I think Bruce always have had some rough patches, even on early records. Aces High is not a great vocal performance by him, he can't really hit the notes modulation in the 2nd part of the verse (the one that's same structure but higher key), he kinda all hits them on the same vague general note whereas there's 4 different, distinc higher notes he's supposed to hit (not counting the 2 lower notes at the end of the phrase)
there's always couple spots on each early record where he ends up using his head voice, which sounds thin and even muppets-ish at times (although that last occurence is more rare thankfully)

Live record has plenty of nice moments, but these days I find it hard to not focus on his lackluster voice performance on that one, which takes part of the fun away for me.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Feel free to revoke my metal card but I've been blasting Unleash the Archers.

[BIL]

Aww yiss, MC Jarbo's debut album is out. Gamergate forever, shadilay my dudes! I'll Be Honest a jam. Gospel-steeped Go With Jesus hits hard. "Put this gun to your head... deliver yourself to the Lord." Truly the tribute Matt Jarbo deserved for his spearheading of this counter-cultural movement whose success resounds to this day!

[Stevens]

Here is a better Jarbo -

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJ ... e&ie=UTF-8

If you like Nerd rap anyways. I do.

[BIL]

I'd be absolutely gob-smacked if there wasn't a better Jarbo.



He a star, just not in the way he planned on.

[vol.2]

The first two Maiden records took me decades to really appreciate, having been more into the slightly proggier later stuff as a kid.

I only knew the first two records until like the 90's, so I was always into Paul's voice. I had initially had trouble accepting Bruce vocals, but of course I eventually caved and now # of the beast is my second favorite after Killers. Also, I would sort of consider the first album to be the *most* proggy, from a "classic prog" standpoint. It's very heavy on the pseudo classical done with guitars thing, which was a hallmark of early prog. For example, Love Sculpture's Sabre Danse and the like.

But yeah, it all rules.

[BIL]

True, Phantom of the Opera, Transylvania and Charlotte The Harlot are great roving trips. It's all got such punky energy and trim, it's easy to forget how ambitious a lot of that record is, even when you're listening to it!

[FinalBaton]

I usually skip the ballads but DiAnno's voice on Strange World is just unreal. booming lower register, fluid, rich. Tons of depth there. Really highlights one of his many strenghts as a vocalist. It's always a treat to hear.

And of course his street-wise midrange shriek is way better than Bruce's

Paul's not too bad in the higher register too!

[BIL]

Although it's not one of their iconic songs, Innocent Exile is among my favourite Di'anno vocals. Reminds me of early Purple or Zep, bluesy hollering to a floorboard-stomping riff interspersed with TRVE VIKING METAL. Also, it continues the ST/Killers' terribly amusing theme of Di'anno being continually accused of crimes and on the lam - much like IRL!

They say I killed a woman, and naw it isn't true!
They're just trying' to frame me, and all because of you!
Yeah!

Phantom is the touchstone though. The way he flawlessly fires off that opening phrase - "I've been looking so long for you now you won't get away from my grasp" shows a talent beyond his affected punk styling. Muhfucka had some chops.

Incidentally, Phantom was used as the soundtrack for a 1985 Lucozade TV ad that aired in the mid-90s where I grew up, in typical Caribbean television station style (get the bootleg VHS tapes in! Miami Vice is the hot new craze! ). If I'd been drinking any I'd have sprayed it all over the screen, when I first saw it. I was all "DOES NOT COMPUTE" Metal was deader than fuck for most of my youth, not a unique experience in the late 20s/early 30s bracket I'm sure. Couldn't comprehend the ST being used to hawk energy drinks.

EDIT: Aww FUCK, I remember a different ad! Buff dude was doing pushups on the beach to impress his missus, but he ran outta gas and she's decidedly unimpressed, so he chugs Lucozade and starts hammering out the reps! And no doubt hammering his suitably impressed and visibly horny bird shortly after! TEH HUNT IS ON, I must find it. I bought so much Lucozade after seeing that!