Judas Priest Sad Wings Of Destiny

 

Origin:  UK

Year:  1976

Subgenre:   Heavy Metal

Rating:    88.63     Essential To Any Collection !

The Players:

Rob Halford     Vocals

Glenn Tipton     Guitar

K.K. Downing     Guitar

Ian Hill      Bass

Alan Moore      Drums 

An important album within the evolution of heavy music, I’ve heard several people claim that this is the first “real” heavy metal record. However the debate goes, it is certainly state of the art metal for 1976. No band could touch Priest in these early days; maybe Sabbath was the ultimate in “heavy” but Judas Priest ruled in the “metal” arena. The sound was incredibly poisonous, with the power-soaked guitars nicely accompanying Rob Halford’s eldritch vocals. 

Victim Of Changes announced a new direction in heavy music, while The Ripper oozed evil in a retelling of the Jack The Ripper story. Deceiver is incredibly heavy, featuring killer guitar tones. Tyrant, for me, is the crown jewel of the album; so incredibly heavy and poisonous. Genocide is another classic in the Priest catalog, lumbering along in its dark beauty. Album closer Island of Domination just kills ! These songs set the standard for heavy metal !  Dreamer Deceiver is a bit average, while Epitaph is a bit of a subpar ballad, which detracts a bit alongside the towers of excellence contained within. 

This album was one of a very few that started me on my personal journey into the realm of heavy music. Essential !

Victim Of Changes        93

The Ripper      90

Dreamer Deceiver      80

Deceiver      94

Prologue       Not Rated

Tyrant          96

Genocide     90

Epitaph      74

Island Of Domination       92

Tokyo Blade Tokyo Blade

 

Origin: UK

Year:   1983

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, NWOBHM

Rating:      82.33     An Excellent Piece Of Work !     

The Players: 

Alan Marsh     Vocals

Andy Boulton     Guitar

Ray Dismore     Guitar

Andy Robbins       Bass

Steve Pierce     Drums

Melodic NWOBHM sounds from Salisbury, UK, Tokyo Blade is still going strong today. It's this debut album, released in 1983, that is arguably the band's finest work.  The music features strong riffs, catchy songwriting, and well-done vocals. Typical of the NWOBHM, the guitar riffs are fast and powerful. The production is a bit thin, but doesn't distract from the listening experience and is actually pretty typical of the NWOBHM. I will say the guitar tones are loaded with super distortion (reminds me of Chateaux' power-soaked guitars). The superb songwriting does separate Tokyo Blade from its peers; so much so that I rated this debut #20 on my all-time Top 50 NWOBHM albums. 

Midnight Rendezvous opens the album in melodic fashion, full of hooks and riffs. Break The Chains, If Heaven Is Hell, and Liar are three of the best and heaviest songs on the album. Tonight is heavy enough, but is merely average and predictable. The rest of the album is very solid and consistent, with killer riffs and hooks aplenty. The maidenesque Highway Passion and Sunrise In Tokyo are particular bright spots, with each having an infectious chorus amidst the equally heavy sounds. 

The NWOBHM holds a special place in my musical journey; Tokyo Blade is one of the latecomers of the movement, but is well worth the listen. A great band !

Midnight Rendezvous     82

Break The Chains        84

If Heaven Is Hell      83

Highway Passion        84

Killer City       83

On Through The Night     79

Tonight     78

Liar      83

Sunrise In Tokyo      85

Bachman Turner Overdrive Not Fragile

  

Origin: Canada

Year: 1974

Subgenre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock

Rating:      80.0      An Excellent Piece Of Work !

The Players: 

Randy Bachman      Vocals, Guitar

C.F. Turner     Vocals, Bass

Blair Thornton     Guitar, Vocals

Robbie Bachman      Drums

Rising from the ashes of the legendary The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive is largely forgotten today, except for a hit or two played on classic rock radio. In the 1970’s though, BTO was a reliable hit machine, landing squarely in the Kiss / Slade camp. Not Fragile is probably the band’s heaviest album (and certainly the most popular album); every track rocks significantly, while the band changes up the styles enough to keep it from getting monotonous. It’s been decades since I spun this album all the way through. I’m glad I pulled it out; the entire album is solid, melodic, featuring thick guitarwork and masterful songwriting. 

Highlights include the lumbering title track, megahits You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet and Roll On Down The Highway, Second Hand, Sledgehammer, and the deceptive rocker Givin’ It All Away. A pleasant listen all the way through !

Not Fragile     81

Rock Is My Life, And This Is My Song      82

Roll On Down The Highway     79

You Aint Seen Nothing Yet     85

Free Wheelin'     79

Sledgehammer     78

Blue Moanin'      74

Second Hand     81

Givin' It All Away     82

The Ossuary Requiem For The Sun

Origin: Italy

Year: 2025

Subgenre:  Heavy Metal, Doom Metal

Rating:     84.25     An Excellent Piece Of Work !

The Players: 

Stefano "Stiv" Fiore     Vocals

Domenico Mele     Guitar

Dario "Captain" De Fakco     Bass

Max Marzocca      Drums

Gothic doom from Italy !  The band has released multiple albums, but this is the first recording that I have experienced. Upon playing the album, I was struck at once by the dark and chilling overtones. The music is hauntingly beautiful. Maybe due to the preponderance of reverb in the recording, but there is a detached vibe to the entire album. Listening to this just makes you want to smother yourself with warm blankets and say goodbye to the outside world for awhile. The vocals are clean and very well done, while the guitars are smotheringly heavy, all laid over a steady rhythm section. The reverb-laden guitar solos are tasteful and intricate, definitely adding to the creepy overtones of the tunes. 

The album begins with my favorite track, Sacrifice, which blends heaviness and gothic greyness in a melodic song structure. Altar In Black and Far From The Tree continue the weighted proceedings in fine fashion. Wishing Well is a little subdued, but The Others and The Volume Of Void are more great examples of the band's signature sound. The title track deftly uses dynamics to blend shades of frozen, gothic, melodies to produce a dark ode to depression. Eloise closes the album as it began, with brilliant songwriting and sounds of doom. 

The music is brilliant and the atmosphere is eerie. What else could anyone want in a doom album? An outstanding piece of work. 

Sacrifice     87

Altar In Black     85

Far From The Tree     86

Wishing Well     81

The Others     84

Requiem For The Sun      85

The Volume Of Void     82

Eloise         85

The Best Of The NWOBHM.........#1 to #19

                

Here they are !  Simply the finest albums of the NWOBHM......

#1  Iron Maiden      Piece Of Mind

#2  Angelwitch      Angelwitch

#3  Witchfinder General      Death Penalty

#4   Iron Maiden        The Number Of The Beast  

#5   Diamond Head     Lightning To The Nations

#6    Saxon      Wheels Of Steel

#7    Iron Maiden      Iron Maiden

#8    Quartz     Stand Up And Fight

#9    Def Leppard     On Through The Night

#10     satan    Court In The Act

#11     Tygers of Pan Tang       Spellbound

#12     Iron Maiden      Killers

#13     Def Leppard      High n Dry

#14     Motorhead       Ace Of Spades

#15      Grim Reaper       See You In Hell

#16      Saxon      Strong Arm Of The Law

#17      Witchfinder General       Friends of Hell

#18       Tygers of Pan Tang        Wildcat

#19      Motorhead       Overkill

Krux Krux

 

Origin:  Sweden

Year: 2002

Subgenre: Doom Metal

Rating:     88.13     Essential To Any Collection ! 

The Players:

Mats Leven     Vocals

Leif Edling    Bass

Jorgen Sandstrom    Guitar

Fredrik Akesson     Guitar

Peter Stjarvind     Drums

Carl Westholm     Keyboards

Formed by ex-Candlemass bassist Leif Edling in 2002, Krux was a bit of a minor supergroup that largely has flown under the radar.  Boasting members from Entombed, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Spiritual Beggars, the album is very high quality and well-produced. For fans of the horror genre, Krux fits the bill perfectly. Musically, the doom is strong here !  The vibe and subject matter is chilling, especially with those eerie keyboards thrown in. The guitars are crushingly heavy and the songs lumber along in the finest Scandinavian tradition. 

Black Room opens the album with a slow and poisonous riff that could have been lifted from the sons of Sabbath. Extremely dark and heavy !  The song Krux is more upbeat, but still bludgeons the listener into submission. Those keyboards add such an icy atmosphere. Nimis continues the dark proceedings with suicide as the main theme. Sibiria is an excellent acoustic number which produces the desired chilling effect. Omfalos uses weird background vocals and organ embedded within yet another tremendous guitar riff; beautifully dark. Enigma EZB picks up the pace a bit, producing a riff and chorus that spontaneously results in headbanging !  Popocatepetl is another frozen wasteland of pure doom, while Evel Rifaz is essentially a distorted bass solo (a bit unnecessary). The space-opera Lunochod is a very strange album closer that seems to incorporate multiple pieces; still heavy, just disjointed. Definitely interesting, trippy, and very effective. This track must be listened to in its entirety to be fully appreciated.

This debut album by Krux is simply one of the finest doom albums that no one talks about. The band would release three studio albums and a live album before calling it quits.  The guitar tone is raw and super distorted, but it's the background keyboards that add a frightening atmosphere to the entire album. Great musicianship, great production, and very interesting songwriting;  Krux kills !

Black Room     91

Krux      92

Nimis    86

Sibiria    82

Omfalos    90

Enigma EZB    89

Popocatepetl    86

Evel Rifaz     Not Rated

Lunochod     89

Helloween Giants And Masters

 

Origin: Germany

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal

Rating:   79.8     Solid And Above-Average !

The Players:

Andi Deris    Vocals

Michael Kiske    Vocals

Michael Weikath   Guitar

Kai Hansen   Guitar, Vocals

Markus Grosskopf   Bass

Sascha Gerstner   Guitar

Daniel Loble    Drums

This is the first album on the band's new label, Reigning Phoenix Music, and is the second album with the rejuvenated "Pumpkins United" lineup.  Helloween has always been that reliable power metal band punctuated by speed and quirky melodies; they truly are a unique band in the power metal world. The group sounds fresh and energetic, almost like they have a new lease on life. This is a fun album ! Musically, the band's performance is outstanding, complemented by a stellar, almost symphonic,  production. Great guitar riffs and vocals abound. The rhythm section, especially the drums, is very solid and demonstrates some great double bass-pedal work. The songwriting is interesting; showcasing great melodies and chorus lines amidst a speed-metal format. They don't seem to take themselves too seriously and there is a fun vibe to the entire recording. 

Giants On The Run begins the album with a nice riff, settling into an almost regal style, with a kickin' middle section. Savior Of The World is a fast rocker in the great tradition of the Helloween of old.  A Little Is A Little Too Much is a bit more mainstream, with keyboards lightening the load somewhat. It's back to more serious metal with We Can Be Gods, but those melodic overtones and keyboards still permeate. Great guitar solo in this one ! Into The Sun is a solid power ballad, showcasing the band's multiple vocalists. This Is Tokyo shines as another bright and catchy mid-paced rocker. Universe kicks butt and is Helloween in full power mode; more outstanding guitar work and fast arpeggios are featured here ! Hand Of God features more great guitar-work, but the chorus seems a little redundant and a bit mediocre. Under The Moonlight is also a bit commercial. Majestic ends the album in great fashion, heavy and epic-sounding, with some cool eastern melodies. 

The entire album is a very enjoyable listen, the songwriting starts out very strong and ends a bit more average and more commercial. The guitars kill and the melodies are upbeat. Helloween has cranked out another great release. Enjoy it !

Giants On The Run   84

Savior Of The World   84

A Little Is A Little Too Much    75

We Can Be Gods    83

Into The Sun    73

This Is Tokyo    78

Universe    85

Hand Of God    76

Under The Moonlight    75

Majestic    85