One Hour of Metal is where I either put my iTunes on shuffle or tune into a metal internet radio station and for one hour I document what I hear. The good, the bad and the downright awful are always represented with honesty in this segment. Some hours are better than others as you will see in this series.
This time around I just put the iTunes on shuffle and let it go. Kind of like a Russian Roulette of sorts. Pretty scare because you never know just what your going to get. So letās get started shall we?
Lillian Axe ā Vision in the Night
Wow. Blast for the past indeed. I always thought that these guys were horribly underrated for a band of their genre. Steve Blaze had this knack for writing infectiously hook laden hard rock that I feel stood with the best of the pack but for some reason they just never caught on. This song from their debut couldāve been a fucking hit single if given the chance but someone chose to release that craptastic āDream of a Lifetimeā song. Oh well. Great song and great memories of growing up in New Orleans.
Alice Cooper ā Working Up a Sweat
Meh, not one of my favorite Alice songs but a classic Alice song to me is like pizza: even when itās not great, itās still good.
Twisted Sister ā Leader of the Pack
Whereās my God now? Ugh, gag me with a pink target board Charvele guitar. Please make this end soon!
Down ā NOD
As much as I hate to admit it, I really like this song and I kind of like me some Down. I really want to not like them because I fucking hate Phillip H. Anselmo but this shit is better than any of the shit he does with Pantera or any of his other shit projects and the same goes for Kirk Windstein. This is actually a pretty bad ass song. Gotta put my shit aside and listen to some more Down from time to time.
Iron Maiden ā Flight of Icarus
Its funny how sometimes listening to these old Maiden albums it shows me how their live energy was never really captured on tape. Donāt get me wrong. I love those classic Maiden albums but they always sound and feel somewhat weak and restrained almost as if the band is being held back by a huge rubber band never fully being allowed to let the fuck go like they do live. This is a great fucking song but if I really wanna hear this song done right, Iāll listen to the Live After Death version.
Jorn Lande ā Soul of the Wind
The minute I heard this song start off I was like, āThis is either Dio or Jorn.ā BINGO! Say what you want but if anyone is going to carry the torch for Ronnie James Dio itās Jorn Lande. Itās just a shame that American audiences will never truly grasp on to his greatness and see that. This song just fucking kills my face and, well, fuck it, itās Jorn. Itās going to kick ass.
Suicidal Tendencies – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
I like ST but damn this song fucking sucks. I really donātā know what else to really say about this one other than it just sucks. Mike Muirās voice makes me want to eat glass on this song. Ugh, go away. Someone get this guy a pepsi.
Dio ā Donāt Talk to Strangers (Live)
First we had Jorn, and now we have Dio live from Philly Spectrum and firing on all cylinders. Dio is and always will be a classy and powerful entity and this song is without a doubt one of his greatest moments. I always thought that this song couldāve been a Sabbath song and can only imagine what it wouldāve been like had things worked out and Dio had stayed a member of Sabbath. In some ways, I wonder if Dioās greatness wouldāve been overshadowed by the Black Sabbath moniker or would they have gone on to be a monstrous entity in their own right. Weāll never know but what I do know is that we got Dio out of that deal and that deal was a good one for us!
King Diamond ā Cremation
I can live without this song. Itās one of those lil musical pieces that really seems to not really go anywhere important for me. I prefer hearing King Diamond himself slaying my face with his voice. This track is totally skip worthy. Matter of fact, I took a dump during this one. It was a good one too so thanks for asking.
Zebra ā Free
Man, what is there to not love about Zebra. This is a song from their Zebra IV album which has already become somewhat of a classic fan favorite in its own right. Nothing ground breaking here but itās Zebra. Their Led Zeppelin-esque formula has worked for them very well all these years and this is no different. This is a great song but not in my top favorites.
Scorpions ā Walking on the Edge
Savage Amusement is arguably the sexiest metal album ever. For this album, the Scorpions (zee scahpyahhhhhnnnns!) were pretty much the metal equivalent to Sade. I can only imagine how many mullet clad boys got their groove on with some teased bangs girl from the neighborhood while listening to this album. This song is fucking great and nearly everything about this album is perfect. As corny as it is, itās one of my favorite Scorpions albums. Good sexy shit right there folks!
Dokken ā Heaven Sent
The older I get, the more I find myself digging appreciate Dokken. Back for the Attack is a fucking classic platter of hard rock awesomeness and this song stands the test of time really well. Don Dokken was a hell of a singer and itās a shame that he really let himself go the way he did. Hearing this song makes me want to go back revisit this album. Itās so well produced and itās really one of their best if not one of THEE best hard rock songs from that era.
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell ā Devilās Island
This is another one of those bands that everyone said Iād fucking love but after listening to album the first time around I just didnāt get all that into it. This song just reminds me why. Musically itās a great fucking song and band but those god awful flat vocals just ruin it for me. This song also reminds me how important even just a decent singer is to whether or not Iāll truly love a band. This song is so awesome without those crappy vocals. I should let them know to find a new singer.
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