Friday was a big new release day with a few new albums I’ve been looking forward to… so I had a bit of a buying extravaganza!
First up was the new Danzig album Black Laden Crown. I’ve been reading quite a lot of people talking about how “surprisingly good” this one is. Well, given that Deth Red Sabaoth was excellent, I’m one of the few people that thought Skeletons was good fun and… it’s GLENN F. DANZIG(!) I can’t say I’m all that surprised that this is good. The only thing that was causing me any doubt was the rather shite artwork. And even then, I’ve grown mysteriously fond of the fiery John Travolta on the back. Anyway, this is dark, moody and doomy with some killer grooves and riffs. Surprisingly good!
Next up, the new Avatarium album Hurricanes And Halos. This band has become a modern favourite of mine and, although it’s not fully sunk in yet, this album sounds like an interesting progression of their style. They’ve now dropped pretty much all of the Dehumanizer heft of the debut and gone full Uriah Heep, with tons of driving Hammond, heavy psychedelia and eeeasy livin’. Loads of stellar playing topped off with Jennie-Ann Smith’s wonderful voice.
I headed back from the record store happy and then remembered that the new Sólstafir album Berdreyminn was out too. So, I immediately rushed back out to Fopp to pick that up! It’s a lovely box set with umm… trinkets… and (more importantly) bonus tracks. It sounds like it’s going to be another winner from them, although it’ll take a few listens to fully reveal itself. Seems a bit more rocking than Ótta but still sweeping and lush. Not totally grabbing me yet though, more listens required.
While we’re on the subject of new arrivals I had a couple of cool releases delivered just a couple of days ago too. Hear No Evil have put out this new expanded remaster of the last (for now anyway) Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow album Stranger In Us All. This has always been a big gap in the collection so it’s great to finally have a copy.
And I also got this very exciting new Tygers Of Pan Tang box set The MCA Years which features the band’s NWOBHM-era albums (two of which star Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake axe legend John Sykes) and a bonus disc/booklet too. I’ve got a few albums on vinyl already but it’s nice to get the rest of the bands old albums. And there’s plenty of extra tracks and BBC stuff here to sweeten the deal. Caroline and Cherry Red both seem to have had the same idea to box up old NWOBHM albums lately. I heartily approve. Here are all the ones I’ve bought so far (I think this is all of them so far but let me know if I’ve missed any. They seem to be coming thick and fast!)

Well, that’s the lot. This was a great week of buying for me with three albums here that could all realistically appear on my AOTY list. I’m off to do some listening!
Nice haul! That should keep you busy for awhile!
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At least a day or two! *browses Amazon while listening*
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Yes, I am familiar with that problem.
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99% of the reissues or box sets I buy don’t even make it out of the shrink wrap theses days. They just go straight into the collection as I call up the tunes on Spotify.
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What a haul! And Solstafir! I’m off to listen to some awesome. 🙂
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I just had a second listen there! Getting more into it…
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Heard the Spellbound album at the time of its release as a friends old brother had it. Gangland was the first ever Tygers Tune I ever heard.
Great track!
Also the first time I seen the name Sykes!
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It’s a good album! It and Wild Cat are the only ones I know. Looking forward to hearing the other stuff.
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I never gave these guys there due either as I was buying so much at the time including all my CanCon favs like Rush/Triumph/Coney Hatch along with Priest/Maiden/Ac/dc/Halen….The cash could only go so far on the budget of a 14 -15 back than….
hahaha…
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I was like that too. Any available cash had to go on KISS, Alice Cooper, Maiden and Manowar! I was well late to the party with a lot of bands.
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So much music so little cash!
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Also I forgot to mentioned I stuffed Gene And Pauls wallets with cash as well…..
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Those guys owe us big time!
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Yeah so to return our years of continued loyalty Demon and Starchild are releasing yet another Greatest Hits Comp!
Gah!
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Well, it’s been at least a couple of days since they had one out so…
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hahahaha…..
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WOAH! Those Tygers reissues look swell!
Blackmore…I have the Japanese with the bonus track “Emotional Crime” 🙂
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That’s on this! A single edit and a live track too. Glad I held out from buying it.
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Whhhhhhhhhhhat.
Tell me more.
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I think it’s basically the Ariel single. The single edit and the B-Side, a live version of Temple Of The King.
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Temple with Doogie singing I assume? SOLD
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There was a live album with him. Did you ever get that?
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No, I’m missing that. Is this from that live album?
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No this one is from Stockholm, the live album was in Germany.
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One left on Amazon. Ordering now.
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Sold!
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Also only one copy left of the double live Black Masquerade, so I got both!
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Yay! I’m going to see how I get on with this album and then look into that.
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Righto! It took a while to grow on me. I didn’t like Doogie at that time.
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Yeah I heard it back when it came out and wasn’t fussed about him. But I’m thinking I might be more open to it now.
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I’m looking forward to getting my reissue. But what should I do with my Japanese? Oh I know — bet Bop would dig it.
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What a haul! I’ve only heard of Danzig and Solstafir (very interested in that one), but you’ve sold me a few here. That Avatarium’s Hurricanes And Halos sounds pretty excellent… plus the artwork is great! The Tygers lot are sold on the artwork alone!
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Your son will be pleased about Danzig though. He’s all about the Evil Elvis!
Funny that the Avatarium art grabbed you. I wasn’t that fussed but Eva really liked it too.
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Does the Tiger (sorry, Tyger) feature on all of those discs from the set?
If so, sold!
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The Tyger is featured on every cover! Not sure if he’s really from Pan Tang though.
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Have they been able to avoid a birth certificate controversy thus far?
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WOW! You really had a great haul! I didn’t know Solstafir had a new one. And I’m in Taranna today…
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Get the box version for extra tracks!
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It’s such a good job you don’t actually listen to any of this stuff, you’d never get anything done. I rather like the look of the Tygers set.
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Well, thankfully, many years ago I adopted the life philosophy that “if you can’t do it with Danzig playing in the background, it’s not worth doing at all”.
This has proven to be a problem in various scenarios but I am undeterred. I will conquer! *removes shirt*
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So that’ll be why the stint working as an undertaker didn’t pan out as expected then.
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This may be your biggest hit on my pocketbook to date. Danzig, Sólstafir, and the Tygers box all became necessary simply upon seeing them here. Then I read about the Avatarium / Candlemass connection somewhere, remembered this, hit YouTube, and whaddya know, another must have. Oh well, these shoes’ll last another year…
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And at the risk of delaying your footwear acquisition even more… have you heard The Doomsday Kingdom album? Even more of a Candlemass link there!
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I hadn’t, but now its wonderfulness is streaming here as I type…. grumble grumble ….
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