Demon Driver
The big news at HMO Mission Control recently is that, at the tender age of 48, I got my first car! At the moment I’m too busy trying to figure out what gear I’m in to want the added distraction of music but I can’t wait to get some Yngwie on.
Bon (and on and on) Jovi
Last weekend I binge-watched Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. It was a bit like their career: really good fun in the early stages but then increasingly dull as it wore on. It doesn’t help that, with the possible exception of Richie Sambora, nobody in the band seems particularly compelling. Top marks for being so thorough and candid though.
HMO Charts
Darkthrone move up 666 places on the strength of their excellent new album It Beckons Us All…
Coffin Storm are a new entry with their debut album Arcana Rising. Quality doom-laden cult metal.
Mötley Crüe go down, down (and hopefully will just go away) following their wretched new song Dogs Of War.
The only way is up for Bulletboys, as they grant fans the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in classic tracks such as Smooth Up In Ya. Buy, buy, buy!
HMO Salutes
HMO salutes Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues fame who has recently died aged 82 and ex-Scorpions drummer James Kottak who died, aged 61, back in January. I’ve always been a big fan of The Allman Brothers Band so the passing of guitarist/singer Dickey Betts, at the age of 80, was very sad news. But the worst news of all was the death of Magnum founder, the wonderful Tony Clarkin, whose death at the age of 77 basically signals the end of music as we know it.
Recent Purchases
Judas Priest’s Invincible Shield and Saxon’s Hell, Fire And Damnation haven’t particularly blew me away but are both enjoyable late-career outings. Bruce Dickinson’s more creative and revelatory The Mandrake Project fares better. I also picked up a lovely vinyl reissue of Reverend Bizarre’s II: Crush The Insects and a wonderfully compiled NWOBHM set All Systems Go: The Neat Singles Vol One.
You Won’t Get Out Of Here Alive: Waysted Volume One (1983-1986) compiles three albums and two EPS from Waysted’s initial run and UFO’s Lights Out is now more essential than ever, with the addition of a brilliant live show. I haven’t quite got to grips with the (two!) new Ihsahn CDs and Midnight’s Hellish Expectations yet but initial impressions are positive. And the previously mentioned Darkthrone and Coffin Storm albums are two of the year’s best so far.
Upcoming Releases
Anno Domini 1989-1995, the new Tony ‘The Cat’ Martin era Black Sabbath box set is the one I’m looking forward to the most but it looks like it’s been pushed back a bit so that should free up some cash to buy the new John Entwistle The Ox box set and the reissue of Heavy Load’s Metal Conquest instead.
That’s all for this digest. Until next time… mind the roads!
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
I have not had the time to give Mandrake Project a proper listen. I know I like it, and I know I will love it when I give it a proper sit-down, but when?? I haven’t even cracked the spine on the comic book. It’s impossible to find enough time.
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I’ve given it a proper listen but not as much as I’d like. I enjoy it more than the Priest and Saxon but not as much as his previous solo stuff (so far, anyway).
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Yeah it’s definitely hard to top Chemical Wedding and Tyranny.
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Your the man dude cruising around in that fancy car with that guitar…oh wait! Love this format and writeup. Priest and Bruce albums for me are a draw. Can’t pick which one I like better but they both make for great listens too when I’m walking. Waysted I will have to see if its on the streams. Hilarious it’s a redo of that cover from 84. Vices was a great record….
Keep it up…
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Vices is great, up there with the best UFO stuff. I started off a bit ambivalent about Priest but I always do with their newer stuff… then it grows on me. For a band of their vintage they’re doing great. Any thoughts on the new Crue?
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I like the Crue after I streamed it for a bit. I think people are split on it but this is more of a John5 like tune. That opening drum roll sets it up for me but good luck singing that tune live Vince lol Guess thats the good thing about streaming haha..take it or leave it. That first Waysted album is killer. Night of the Wolf just rips your head off…so good. Even their boozed up cover of Somebody To Love is excellent.
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I’ll just leave it then haha. Did you like the Mick Mars album? I heard one song and wasn’t all that impressed with that either.
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I bought the album from Amazon for $20. It’s got some good stuff on it and I like the dudes voice but once Bruce,Priest and The Who Shea album came out it Mara took a back seat lol
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Congrats on the car! What did you get? I still have to give the new Saxon a spin.
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Thanks! We got a Seat Ibiza, really enjoying it.
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Oooo… those are nice! Wish we had them here.
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Yeah I don’t know anything about cars but really pleased with this one so far. What do you drive yourself?
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Oh, just a Honda Fit (Jazz). I got it for commuting as it is fantastic on gas. The plan is to get something far less practical when I retire, lol
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