Tag Archives: Live Albums

Black Metal, Genre, Song Reviews

Mayhem – The Freezing Moon: Live In Leipzig (Song Review)

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“I remember it was here I died”

Mayhem’s The Freezing Moon (or just Freezing Moon depending on which version you’re listening to) is one of the monumental classics of black metal. The opening E minor chord alone is the definitive example of the epic, frosty, and evil feeling the genre should evoke. There are a number of superb versions of this track but the most seminal version has to be this one from Live In Leipzig. Recorded crudely on a ghetto-blaster from a 1990 club gig in East Germany, by the time Live In Leipzig was officially released in 1993 the band’s Swedish frontman Per Yngve “Dead” Ohlin had committed suicide. At the time, this recording was one of the few available that featured his vocals. And the subsequent events surrounding the Norwegian band only added to its stature as a landmark recording. No song on the album lives up that stature more than The Freezing Moon: Dead’s introduction “when it’s cold and when it’s dark, the freezing moon can obsess you” is iconic; the raw and primitive sound puts you right in the audience; the band’s thunderous performance and Dead’s gravelly vocals are powerful and committed; and Euronymous delivers an incredible take of the track’s grippingly uneasy and unforgettable guitar solo. It’s an essential and thrilling metal document. Like Dead said… it’s cold, and it’s dark. And it will obsess you.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Song Reviews

Ted Nugent – Great White Buffalo: Double Live Gonzo! Version (Song Review)

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“It happened a long time ago, baby”

Ted had been yanking and cranking his Gibson Byrdland guitar so hard that by the fifth song on his 1978 live album Double Live Gonzo!, it had gone out of tune. But a mangled D chord isn’t enough to spoil the fun. If anything, it adds to the raw, honest vibe of this great performance. Great White Buffalo is a red-blooded garage rocker with vocals that make you feel like you’re round a camp fire as The Nuge relates the tale of the wasteful killing of the buffalo and the rousing climax where the Great White Buffalo returns to save the battered herd. The tone from that out-of-tune and out-of-control Byrdland is something else: guaranteed by Ted to “blow the balls off a charging rhino”. Presumably they would be put to good use?

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock

Rush – Grace Under Pressure Tour (Album Review)

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Rush – Grace Under Pressure Tour (Anthem – 2006)

I’ve been listening to Rush quite a bit recently and you can’t have a Rush kick without taking in a live album or two. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to the excellent Grace Under Pressure Tour, recorded in 1984 but released as a bonus CD with their 2006 DVD set Replay x 3. The album they were touring, Grace Under Pressure, is right up there as one of my favourite Rush studio albums so it’s great to have some live tracks from the era. The guitar solo in Red Sector A is breathtaking and the lively, pumping take on the The Enemy Within is far superior to the studio version.  The recording is taken from one of the DVDs from the box set and isn’t a whole show unfortunately, but it’s still a great listen with some excellent performances. And, given the band’s fashion crimes of the era, the audio-only option is very welcome.

Replica tour book from the Replay X 3 box set
Black Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Song Reviews

Venom – Seven Gates Of Hell: Live 1985 (Song Review)

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“And man and beast are one”

Chaotic, train wreck live shows are a big part of Venom’s notoriety and their live album Eine Kleine Nachtmusik lives up to that legend. That said, the Geordie trio do a pretty good job of holding it together on this live version of Seven Gates Of Hell. It’s one of my favourite Venom tracks and one of their more controlled, brooding efforts. And while this live outing adds a wallop of cavernous excitement and brute force, the song’s charm remains. The moody mid-section is especially captivating as Cronos’ bass bulldozes over Mantas’ enigmatic chords. Sadly, by the time Eine Kleine Nachtmusik hit the shelves in 1986, the band’s classic lineup was no more. But the Venom legions could console themselves by listening to their beloved black metallers knocking seven shades of shite out of Seven Gates Of Hell.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Song Reviews

Fleetwood Mac – The Green Manalishi: Live 1970 (Song Review)

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“Come sneaking around, trying to drive me mad”

HMO salutes Peter Green, who has died aged 73. There are many superb tunes I could pick as a tribute to the gifted guitarist, vocalist and founder of Fleetwood Mac. I toyed with Sandy Mary, Oh Well, Jumping At Shadows, Man Of The World and I Loved Another Woman: all personal faves. But given this is a metal site I’m going to go with The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown). Even if you’re not familiar with Fleetwood Mac, I’m sure you all know this song from Judas Priest’s cover versions on Hell Bent For Leather and Unleashed In The East. They turned it into a great souped-up rocker and their interpretation is very enjoyable. But I don’t think this song was really intended to be enjoyable. It was written during a period of LSD-induced mental health struggles and was inspired by a particularly vivid nightmare which Green interpreted as being about the evil of money and success. The Mac version is as dark, ominous and anguished as its subject matter. Doubly so on this extended live take recorded in Boston in 1970. It’s a musical dark night of the soul. Enjoy!

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

Dio – Finding The Sacred Heart: Live In Philly 1986 (Album Review)

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Dio in his spectacular 80s live prime: explosions, lasers, crystal balls, knights, heraldry and a big fucking dragon! None of that on the CD version though… but have no fear! The music is just as spectacular. The band, including new guitarist Craig Goldy, breathe fire into the new material from the under-rated Sacred Heart album: King Of Rock N’ Roll is an explosive opener; Sacred Heart and Like The Beat Of A Heart are stately magnificence; and Hungry For Heaven and Rock N’ Roll Children are fun melodic anthems. The powerful band does a great job on the older Dio tracks like We Rock, Stand Up And Shout and Rainbow In The Dark too. In particular, the version of Don’t Talk To Strangers here is goosebump city: the best version of the track I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately, some of the other Dio, Rainbow and Sabbath classics get shoehorned into medleys, which are enjoyable enough but a bit frustrating. Especially when drum, keyboard and guitar solos are allowed to drag…on(!) for 18 minutes of valuable running time. So there’s both heaven and hell here for Dio fans. If you can find the sacred skip button, you’ll discover golden renditions of your favourites and fresh excitement from some lesser-heard treasures. Buy the live DVD too… it’s got a big fucking dragon in it!

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

Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed Part II (Album Review)

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Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed Part 2 (1996)

With original member Graham Oliver ousted from the band, Saxon had to quickly recruit a new guitarist in time for their tour to support the excellent Dogs Of War album. In stepped Doug Scarratt, ex-David Hasselhoff guitarist(!) and a friend of Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler. Coincidentally, Glockler had made his Saxon album debut on the 1982 live release The Eagle Has Landed and now his pal Doug made his on the sequel The Eagle Has Landed – Part 2. The use of the title evoked the band’s NWOBHM glory days, presumably in an attempt to signify to lapsed fans that the band had returned to metal. But it also bravely invited comparison between the 1996 lineup and the classic Saxon of yore.

But The Eagle Has Landed – Part 2 ducks the comparison by weighing heavily towards the band’s more recent material. In fact, with the exception of five songs, all of the material here is drawn from the band’s early-90s output. It sounds great and the band performs well. Doug Scarratt fits in seamlessly (showing off his chops on a tastefully shredded solo spot) and Biff Byford puts in a powerful, committed vocal performance despite sounding like he’s got a frog in his throat. In fact, he makes it work for him. The sound of him straining and pushing to hit the notes adds a real edge of excitement to tracks like Forever Free.

Although the new lineup acquits itself well, the focus on new tracks drags the album down, especially in the middle section. Ain’t Gonna Take It, Crash Dive and Can’t Stop Rockin’ are decent enough on their respective studio albums but they don’t cut it in a Saxon live set. But the second disc recovers well with Solid Ball Of Rock and Great White Buffalo proving effective live before some oldies-but-goodies see the album out on a high. The only blip in the older tracks is a version of Denim & Leather that’s marred by an overbearing guest spot from Yngwie J. Malmsteen who solos over everything that can possibly be soloed over.

Diehard fans/collectors will find the rare performances and historical value of The Eagle Has Landed – Part 2 make for a worthwhile release. But collectability aside, most listeners will find it a bit uninspiring and, while it certainly has its moments, it’s the least exciting of the Saxon live albums to this point: a solid but unspectacular start to the band’s post-Oliver career. The new lineup would have to impress mightily when they unleashed their next album.

[Saxon – Solid Ball Of Rock]

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

Rainbow – I Surrender: Live (Song Review)

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“I’m giving up the role of pretender”

I know most metal fans prefer the Dio-fronted Rainbow but round these parts Joe Lynn Turner rules. So here’s a superb version of the classic Rainbow track I Surrender. It’s taken from the Live in Japan 1984 double live album that was made available recently as bonus discs with the Ritchie Blackmore Story box set. It’s a bonus extra that outstrips the main feature easily. Listening to Ritchie Blackmore reminiscing about his career is one thing: listening to him play is another entirely. And if you’ve never listened to The Man in Black’s live playing, you’ve never really heard him at all. No criticism of his studio output – it’s adorned with legendary guitar work – but this is a man that likens studio recording to “being at the dentists”. Unshackled from the studio, his playing reaches a transcendent level of inspiration and excitement. The whole band is on great form here, especially Joe Lynn Turner who sings with passion and commitment. But Blackmore grabs this great AOR track by the balls, lifting it to another level with one of his ingeniously messy, improvisational and thrilling solos. There’s a tag I use on this site: The World’s Greatest Guitarist. It’s reserved for The Man in Black and performances like this are why.

[Rainbow – I Surrender (Live)]

Black Metal, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen: Live (Song Review)

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“And all you did was count the dead”

Here’s a rousing track from Primordial’s new live album Gods to the Godless (Live at Bang Your Head Festival Germany 2015). I always feel like live shows are defined by the inclusion of new tracks. My memories of live performances usually revolve around the new songs that were played. For better or worse, bands seem to put extra welly into the new stuff: meaning that brilliant new songs make for an unforgettable show but weak ones will likely mar my recollections, no matter how classics-laden the show might have been. The former is definitely the case with Primordial. Four of the eleven songs here are taken from their last album Where Greater Men Have Fallen and here’s an amazing version of the title track: a burly and martial take that surpasses the studio version. Alan Nemtheanga proves himself, once again, the consummate metal frontman, and the band’s chemistry and the skill of their arrangements are even more evident in the live setting: every instrument occupying a unique space to create a massive wall of sound. Primordial, over twenty years into their career, sound like they’re determined to remain impassioned and vital until the bitter end.

[To hear the Song of the Week, click track three on the YouTube screen below. And then listen to the whole thing, you won’t regret it]

 

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

Iron Maiden – Heaven Can Wait: Live (Song Review)

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“I’ll go when I’m good and ready”

It’s been a dark and frosty week here in Glasgow. Perfect conditions for enjoying some black metal but I decided I needed some sunshine in my listening. Time for some synth-era 80s Maiden then! I opted for the excellent live album Maiden England ’88 and this song always stands out for me. The real magic happens 3mins in though, as the “take my hand…” bridge ratchets up the tension and the song’s tone shifts from jaunty to totally epic. Then the song cruises into the famous, roadie-enhanced “woah-oh-oh”s. This singalong section always seemed like it was devised for live performance so it’s no surprise that it works so much better here than on the Somewhere in Time studio version. The building urgency, shimmery guitar fills and Bruce’s added exhortations to the audience make it breathlessly exciting. It’s brilliant stuff that turns one of the potentially weaker songs of the set into an outright showstopper.