All posts by Heavy Metal Overload

The HMOverlord
Black Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal

Master’s Hammer – Geniové (Song Review)

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“To the land of awesome mysteries”

Ritual., the 1991 debut album by the Czech Republic’s Master’s Hammer, is one of my favourite black metal albums. And Geniové  (translated to English as “Wizards”) is one of my favourite black metal tunes. It doesn’t have the blasting extremity of a lot of later black metal but it has the crafted riffs and occult lyricism of Mercyful Fate, craggy vocals, creepy castle atmosphere and the band’s patented timpani which gives the track an idiosyncratic and enigmatic sense of drama. Essential.

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Anthrax – Lone Justice (Song Review)

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“Clear the streets as he rides into the town”

Lone Justice is one of the more mid-paced traditionally heavy metal songs on Anthrax’s second album, 1985’s Spreading The Disease. It doesn’t have the pummelling intensity of thrashers like A.I.R. or Gung-Ho and it’s fairly cartoony in terms of riffs and lyrics. But it’s still one of my favourite songs on the album. It’s got some great Steve Harris style bass going on and has a thumpingly hard-edged delivery, mainly due to Scott Ian’s hugely crunchy guitar tone. The track’s slower pace also allows the band’s (then) new vocalist Joey Belladonna to shine. He pushes a lot of air on the verses before settling in to a very cool melodic mode for the chorus. It’s so exhilarating that I don’t even mind constantly mishearing his description of the hero’s “stubbled chin” as the much less cool “double chin”.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry (Song Review)

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“Expect no sympathy”

He’s more known for his iconic image and abilities as an imposing and phenomenally entertaining frontman but let’s hear it for Dee Snider, the singer. Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry, the opening track from their 1984 album of the same name, is an upbeat, bare-boned rocker and paean to bloody-minded perseverance (something these New Yorkers knew all about). But it would ring hollow without Dee selling it like he does. He gives it his all, especially during the pre-chorus that pushes his voice to the top of its range where it’s at its most exciting and emotive. Fired up by his impassioned delivery, Stay Hungry becomes rousing and empowering. A superb album opener that leaves you hungry for more.

Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Trouble – Bastards Will Pay (Song Review)

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“Fight ’em with peace and love”

Trouble’s self-titled 1984 debut (also known as Psalm 9) is one of the crucial early doom metal masterpieces, notable for its crushing guitar tones and the sincerity of its biblical imagery. But for all its timeless God-fearing doominess, what I really love about Trouble is how evil-sounding and aggressive it is. On Bastards Will Pay the Chicago band bash out charging and crunchy riffs from hell and Eric Wagner delivers anti-war lyrics with righteous intensity. It’s hippy stuff on paper but not with Wagner at the mic. When he hollers “you fuckin’ bastards are gonna pay” you just know they will. In this world or the next.

Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Megadeth – Mary Jane (Song Review)

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“Prepare my friends to follow me”

Thrash giants Megadeth go all King Diamond on Mary Jane, weaving a witchy tale of vengeance from beyond the grave. Taken from 1988’s drug-addled So Far, So Good… So What! the track has a thick ghostly atmosphere (aided by the album’s reverb-heavy sound) and a haunting mix of clean and distorted guitars. As always with Megadeth, the guitars are state-of-the-art with numerous twists and turns but frontman Dave Mustaine excels vocally too with a tortured and hate-filled performance. Nowadays I tend to associate ‘deth with songs about politics and society but, in their earlier days, songs about magic and the occult were pretty common and Mary Jane is one of my favourite of the lot. In fact, it’s one of my favourite Megadeth songs… period!

Black Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Genre, Hard Rock, HMO Blog, Progressive Rock

HMO Diary: 12th January 2025

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I had me a real good time recently, getting 2025 off to fun start by listening to lots of The Faces and Van Halen.

The Faces At The BBC is one of the best box sets I’ve bought for a while, I’ve been enjoying it immensely. The fact that The Faces were ace live isn’t exactly news because the Five Guys Walk Into A Bar… box set already did a great job of documenting that, but these BBC recordings are a soulful, rocking revelation all the same.

You don’t need me to tell you how good the first two Van Halen albums are, but I’ve been listening to them cause I’ve been enjoying Alex Van Halen’s Brothers book. Actually it’s the audiobook I’ve been enjoying because I liked the idea of hearing him reading it. It’s a thoughtful, detailed and moving memoir and Alex hasn’t been an outspoken figure for many years so it’s a treat to hear him reading the story.

All this brings me to the topic of my plan for 2025: I want to read more.
Continue reading HMO Diary: 12th January 2025 →

Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Heavy Load – Heathens From The North (Song Review)

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“Sweeping away in their ships of dragon”

Taken from 1981’s Metal Conquest EP (one of 2024″s most essential and overdue metal reissues), Heavy Load’s Heathens From The North is an epic Swedish metal wonder. It’s got brawny, snaking riffs, awesome rough-hewn vocals from Ragne Wahlquist and a glorious choral intro which doubles in magnificence when it returns in the midst of a sweeping guitar solo. It’s the kind of muscular, steady-as-she-goes Viking metal that really floats my longboat.

*

HMO salutes Ragne Wahlquist who has sadly passed away aged 69.

Black Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Genre, HMO Blog, Progressive Rock

HMO Diary: 24th December 2024

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I’ve not had my typical run up to Christmas this year. Usually I’d be enjoying wintery walks to and from work while listening to all my favourite Christmassy rock: 80s stuff from bands like KISS, Whitesnake, Magnum, Van Halen etc… but my knee has been knackered for a couple of weeks so I’ve been using the car. This has disrupted my Christmas listening mojo quite dramatically and I’ve ended up more in the mood to revisit my favourites of 2024. Great stuff, but not very Christmassy! Bah humbug.

So, what are my top five of 2024?

Continue reading HMO Diary: 24th December 2024 →

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Song Reviews

Dream Theater – Wait For Sleep (Song Review)

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“Where images and words are running deep”

I wouldn’t exactly say Wait For Sleep is a standout track on Dream Theater’s 1992 album Images And Words. It’s just a wee piano/vocal ballad sandwiched between two prog metal powerhouses, Under A Glass Moon and Learning To Live, and works like a theatrical segue between them. But it’s a wonderful song that stands out all the same. Its lyrics provide a lot of inspiration for the album’s artwork as well as providing its title and it seems like a central track thematically with its pondering on life, death and grief. But, most importantly, Wait For Sleep is just bloody lovely. A cosy winter warmer that adds a crucial dash of tender humanity amidst the fearsome technical prowess either side and contributes to the total experience that only truly great albums have.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM

Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry (Album Review)

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Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry (1981 – Vertigo)

With sought-after producer Mutt Lange cracking the whip, Def Leppard transitioned from plucky NWOBHM up-and-comers to genuine big-league challengers with their second album, 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry. The surging Let It Go, the taut Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) and the tough ballad Bringin’ On The Heartbreak all pointed towards the band’s subsequent mega-success. But the whole album was full of songs like You Got Me Runnin’ and Lady Strange which inexplicably remain deep cuts despite being in the top-tier of the band’s discography. Although it wouldn’t be the album to catapult the Leps to fame, High ‘n’ Dry is the most consistently and credibly hard-hitting record of their career: lean and mean British metal with gleaming production, anthemic harmony choruses and a slew of killer guitar riffs and heroic soloing from the album’s M.V.P.s Steve Clark and Pete Willis.