Because everybody has that one great story
It’s been too long since my last show. I’m looking forward to a time when we can all get back to shows, support our favorite bands, and geek out at the merch booth.
Until then, here’s some pictures of metal concert tees I’ve collected throughout the years for you to enjoy! I wish I would have kept more of the early ones, but they would have been in really bad condition anyway.
The results are in. We crowned our first 4theloveofmetal, Hall of Albums, tournament champion; And the winner is…..
We started with 32 albums, and whittled them down to 1. This is how the brackets looked like:
The first round had some pretty interesting match-ups. Slayer’s Undisputed Attitude destroyed any hopes for Metallica’s Garage Days Re-Revisited to advance to the second round. We also saw Cannibal Corpse’s Evisceration Plague fall to Six Feet Under’s Maximum Violence and Anthrax’s Among The Living inch out SOD’s Speak English Or Die.
Round 2 was just as exciting as the first round. Suicidal Tendencies’ debut, self titled album left Ozzy Osborne’s Ultimate Sin in the dark, while the Battle of the Sunset Strip saw Motley Crue’s Too Fast For Love beat Motorhead’s Orgasmatron, even though Lemmy had an ace in the hole.
The Quarterfinals saw the Led Zeppelin 4 album continue dominance, with a win over The Misfits’ Earth AD album, while Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell showed how unstoppable of a force they are when they beat Suicidal Tendencies, to advance to the finals.
The Championship Round is now set. We have a battle of the ages. On one side, we have one of the most iconic hard rock albums of all time with Led Zeppelin 4, and on the other side, Cowboys from Hell; A career-defining album from the monsters of metal themselves, Pantera. It’s hard to pick one album over the other, but in the end, Cowboys From Hell prevail and become the first ever inductees into the 4theloveofmetal Hall of Albums. Thank you to everyone who participated. We’ll see you next year. In the words of Max Cavalera, Stay Metal! \m/
This is a list of 8 killer covers of metal and punk songs. Is there something I missed? Be sure to leave a comment below. \m/
The list starts with the greatest band of all time, Fuckin Slayer! As you probably already know, there is no shortage of songs to choose from when it comes to bands covering a Slayer song. Through their interpretation of the song “Hell Awaits”, Cradle Of Filth manages to deliver a truly evil song, with orchestral and black metal aspects. Dani Filth was born to cover this song! This track can be found on the Cradle Of Filth album titled “Dusk…and Her Embrace.”
Originally released in 1986 on their “Somewhere In Time” album, Wasted Years is a staple and fan favorite during any Iron Maiden concert. The last time I saw Maiden live, Bruce opens up this song by saying it was released so many years ago, but the meaning rings truer now than ever before. 23 years later, DevilDriver does a cover of Wasted Years on their album titled “Pray for Villains.” This is a classic metal song that gives me a feeling of reminiscence every time I hear it.
Inherit The Earth is a song by crossover/thrash/hardcore/punk legends, The Accused; Pioneers of the Splatterrock movement. In 2018, Burn The Priest released a cover album to commemorate 20 years of Lamb of God, titled “Legion:XX” This is an album that pays homage to their earlier influences. Inherit The Earth was originally released on the “Martha Splatterhead’s Maddest Stories Ever Told” album
Originally on the “Quickness” album, Slinlab’s take on this song is on the “Never Give In: A Tribute to Bad Brains” album. An essential listen for both the Bad Brains and Skinlab fans alike. This is what it sounds like when punk rock turns hardcore.
Institutionalized is a song originally recorded by Suicidal Tendencies, on their debut, self titled album. Body Count does a cover of it called Institutionalized 2014 on their “Manslaughter” album. Ill say it. I don’t think Body Count get the metal recognition they deserve. There is definitely an aspect of humor in this song, but it’s so pissed off and aggressive at the same time. “Do you realize how much blood is in the human body? Do you wanna to see it, mutherfucker!?”
Ddamm (Drunk Drivers Against Mad Mothers) is a song performed by Slayer on their Undisputed Attitude album. It also happens to be a song that Jeff Hanneman wrote for his side project punk influenced band Pap Smear. It was on the “Fear and Loathing” demo in 1986. Slayer are the true metal gods, but this proves that they can be punk heavyweights too.
This is one of my favorite Motorhead songs and it also has to be one of my favorite Supultura songs, period. I always think this would be the perfect song to play when marching troops into battle during Armageddon.
This is one I just happened to stumble across while searching for ideas. This is on the Graveyard Classics III album. It’s a killer song and it’s metal as fuck! \m/ A perfect mix of barking and singing; There’s even a signature Chris Barnes pig squeal at the end. They do Metallica justice on this one.
Are you sure you know the correct title to all your favorite songs? You may have convinced yourself, only to find out later that you were wrong. If that’s you, you’re not alone. This is a list of songs people get the title wrong, some more often than others. If you have others you would like to add, please feel free to leave a comment below. \m/
7. Evanescence – Bring Me To Life: When this song was first released, people would often get the title confused with “Wake Me Up Inside”
6. Nine Inch Nails – Closer: To this day, people still call it “I Wanna Fuck You Like An Animal”
5. Quiet Riot – Metal Health: I remember when this song first came out; Everybody called this song “Bang Your Head.” If you’re getting technical though, (which I am), the full title of the song is Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
4. The Offspring – Come Out And Play: People get the title of this song confused with “Keep ‘Em Separated”. On some versions, the full title of the song is Come Out And Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)
3. Metallica – Welcome Home (Sanitarium): Any Metallica fan worth his or her salt knows the correct title of this song. There still are people though, who think it’s just called “Sanitarium.” I’m guessing it’s from the Enter Sandman and later crowd.
2. Slayer – Disciple: No, it’s not called “God Hates Us All”
1. The Who – Baba O’ Riley: The winner hands down. If you don’t know what song I’m talking about, it’s the one often referred to as “Teenage Wasteland”
Have you ever heard a song over time that you believed was the original version, later to find out it wasn’t the original version at all? You may have listened to the song for years before finding out. If you’re a fan of these artists, you probably know most, if not all of these already, even if you’ve never heard the original version of the song before. There may be 1 or 2 of these that may surprise you.
This is common knowledge for any fan of Metallica, but when is the last time you heard the original version by the band Blitzkrieg? Released in 1981 as a B-Side to the single “Buried Alive” , Blitzkrieg is a raw, chunky, classic heavy metal song with higher vocals and a slightly slower tempo than the thrash version, released by Metallica in 1984 as the B-Side of Creeping Death and later appearing on the Kill ‘Em All album.
If you grew up in the 80’s like myself, you may be more familiar with the original Berlin version of the song “The Metro”, released in 1981, than you are with System of a Down’s interpretation “Metro”, that was on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack, among other places. If you grew up in the 90’s or later, you may never have heard of the band Berlin.
This is a song you heard was a cover, but weren’t exactly sure who did the original. The number of times I’ve seen Anthrax live, singing along with them and the rest of the crowd, “You’re anti, you’re antisocial.” Then you hear the original version done by the band “Trust.” It starts out with an acoustic guitar, goes into an 80’s European vibe, building itself into a rock song. The vocals begin, and you realize the whole song is in French. It’s different on so many levels, but it’s pretty much the same song. Trust’s version even has an “antisocial” chant at the end of the song.
Featured in numerous movies and a staple in classic rock radio, (it always reminds me of Forrest Gump), I wasn’t aware until some years back that Jimi Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” wasn’t the original. It was first recorded by Bob Dylan in November 1967 for the John Wesley Harding album. Before the album was released, Jimi obtained a copy of it. He liked the song so much that he started recording his own version of it just 2 months after Dylan first recorded it. Hendrix even recruited Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones to play the vibraslap, which helped provide a signature sound at the beginning of the song.
I don’t remember much from the Judgement Night movie aside from the epic soundtrack. Pearl Jam/Cypress Hill, Mudhoney/Sir Mix A Lot, and of course Slayer/Ice-T. This was a much anticipated track for me because it was my first taste of Slayer since the “Seasons” album. I wasn’t aware until a few years later that this collaboration was a medley of 3 different Exploited songs: War, UK 82, and Disorder. As much as I enjoy all three of these Exploited songs separately, they happen to blend together well to form a single song. The aggressive vocals of Tom Araya, and the pissed off, no bull shit attitude of Ice-T mesh perfectly in this updated, 90’s version.
To be honest, I had no idea until very recent, the song “The Badge” by Pantera, was a cover song originally recorded by Poison Idea. It was a track on the “Feel the Darkness” album, released in 1990. The Pantera version was recorded for The Crow soundtrack in 1994, and also appeared on a limited release of Far Beyond Driven. I liked the punk rock version by Poison Idea, but I thought the Pantera version took it to a new level. \m/
I felt this would be a fitting first blog for me to post. I know that it’s easy to become complacent and set in your ways the older you get. I’m 45 years old, so I’m starting to figure that out in a hurry.
I can always remember music associated with my life. Some of my earliest memories was playing records I had. Disco Mickey Mouse, the soundtrack to Grease and Scooby Doo are the titles that come to mind now. When my family first got cable, I remember staying up all night in the tv room with my sister, watching MTV when it was the big new thing. I also liked making mixed tapes. I would sit next to the radio and wait for that perfect moment to push record.
I was probably in my early teens when I first recall hearing a particular rock song on the radio. For whatever reason, it clicked with me. It was Tom Sawyer by Rush. I would search for it on the radio, and that’s probably when I switched from pop to rock radio. That’s about the time I started listening to the hair metal bands of the time like Whitesnake, Motley Crue and GnR. My musical tastes would eventually grow heavier over the years. I probably first got into metal with Metallica and Anthrax. It took a little longer with Slayer, but when I first saw them on the South of Heaven tour back in ’88, it was on from there.
I was around 19 or 20 when I experienced a life changing event. My friend Peach introduced me to Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power. It was the finger of god pointing down from the heavens. That album was definitely a game changer. The first song Mouth of War played. My eyes got really big. I looked at my friend in amazement. She looked back at me and said “I know”. The next song came on and I’m like, alright, this is good. The next song played and my eyes got even bigger. Now we’re at Fucking Hostile. That’s when it blew my mind. I was hooked.
Around the same time, grunge started to become the next big thing, even though us locals hated that word. Having grown up in the Seattle area (Tacoma), it was a huge influence on my early 20’s. This is the time my wings started to sprout, and I moved away from the parental nest. I was working at Tower Records at the time. I was surrounded by music, and I had friends that shared the same passion for music that I have. My musical tastes were becoming much more diverse during that time.
I like the crossover music, with bands like The Accused and D.R.I., where thrash and punk unite beautifully. I’ve always appreciated classic rock legends such as Jimi, Beatles, Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. These musicians form the foundation for rock and metal we listen to today. Bands such as the Misfits and Bad Brains provide that punk edge and a different attitude that I find appealing. I’m also a big fan of 90’s rap and hip-hop. Ice Cube, Ice T, Cypress Hill, Tupac. These artists provide the stories and beats that I find fascinating. It was always fun discovering new music. Whether it’s hearing Iggy Pop on the Trainspotting soundtrack or driving around listening to the Stones. I would hear something I like and seek out similar artists to listen to in that genre.
Fast forward a bunch of years. I still go to concerts and I still love music, but I find myself becoming more set in my ways. I still venture out on a new artist once in a while, but it’s easier for me to listen to the wealth of music I’ve accumulated through the years. It seems like everything new is recycled garbage of the past. Most of the music today I find to be boring and unoriginal. I keep getting older, but I’m not getting that kick in the ass from music that I have in the past.
So much for all the build-up. I now go back to the original question, “Why should I give a shit about listening to new music?” It’s a simple answer; The joy I get for listening to something good for the first time. When I connect with that certain beat, riff, or vocal, my eyes widen and my ears perk up. It’s like a Dorito, I need more. Granted, I’ll probably never have another Pantera moment. Youth may be the perfect storm for my positive music connections until now, but it’s still possible to have that one moment that keeps the flame alive. Whether it’s hearing an old band for the first time like Terrorizer, a classic like AC/DC – Powerage, that I just bought on vinyl, or a newer, torch carrier like Power Trip, it’s still possible to experience joy from listening to something new.
4theloveofmetal 