2016 – Green and Black Music

Top 10 Thrash EPs

December 12, 2016November 23, 2018 Green and Black Musicanthrax I'm the Man, dark angel live scars, forbidden raw evil, megadeth hidden treasures, nuclear assault brain death, slayer haunting the chapel, testament live at Eindhoven1 Comment

The EP was a popular format for thrash bands signed to cash strapped labels. Typically holding between three to five songs, bands filled these shorter records with a variety of material. Sometimes an EP unveiled new songs. Other times the format doubled as a live album. Cover songs were another popular option. Join us as we explore the glory days of the Thrash EP! SLAYER- HAUNTING THE CHAPEL Clocking in at just over 13 minutes, Haunting the Chapel was the perfect follow-up to Show No Mercy. “Chemical Warfare” and “Captor of…

Articles Top Ten Lists

Ten Anthrax Cover Songs

December 4, 2016November 24, 2018 Green and Black Musicanthrax neon knights, anthrax tnt0 comment

Anthrax just can’t resist recording songs from their favorite artists. As anyone who has seen the band live can attest, a healthy dose of covers also find their way into the set. After all, many of their biggest hits were originally recorded by other acts. What follows are ten memorable examples of Anthrax interpreting classic songs! I’M EIGHTEEN The history of Anthrax cover songs had a contentious start. Fistful of Metal contains a version of the Alice Cooper anthem, “I’m Eighteen.” It also has the distinction of being the ONLY…

Album Reviews Articles Observations and Musings

Hardwired…to Self-Destruct: Reconciling with Metallica

November 29, 2016December 5, 2016 Green and Black Musichardwired...to self-destruct, Metallica0 comment

Full disclosure. I was one of the fans that felt alienated by the “Black Album.” Those feelings only intensified with the release of Load and Reload. I hated their new image, the haircuts, the music, but most of all, I resented that they had turned their backs on metal. In short, I disconnected from all things Metallica. Please don’t be angry with me. I know many fans stayed with the band every step of the way. Millions came on board during the era that caused me to flee. I don’t…

Articles Movies and Television Observations and Musings

Blue Oyster Cult: Don’t Fear the Reaper in Movies and Television

November 19, 2016August 5, 2019 Green and Black Music4 Comments

Blue Oyster Cult scored their biggest hit with “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” The macabre love song quickly transcended the music world to appear in movies and television. With a creepy riff that highlighted a lyrical embrace of death, it’s little wonder that “Reaper” first appeared in a horror film. John Carpenter set quite a precedent when using “Don’t Fear the Reaper” in Halloween. Expertly combining the song’s fixation on death with marijuana culture, he touched on two themes that future filmmakers would revisit. Even in the seventies, “Don’t Fear the…

Articles Observations and Musings

All The World’s A Stage: Shakespeare Through the Lens of Rush

November 5, 2016November 7, 2016 Green and Black Musicall the world's a stage, as you like it, limelight, rush, shakespeare0 comment

Rush have a long history of using literary themes in their songs. Songs like “Tom Sawyer” have obvious sources. Other adaptations are less clear. If not for the liner notes explicitly giving thanks “To the genius of Ann Rand,” the author’s influence in “2112” may have been missed entirely. Yet, when the band invokes Shakespeare, the public immediately recognizes the immortal bard. Rush has utilized the line “All the world’s a stage” twice in their career. Taken from Shakespeare’s comedic play, As You Like It, the connection between theater and music…

Album Reviews Articles

Black Sabbath: Revisiting Born Again

October 25, 2016October 26, 2016 Green and Black MusicBlack Sabbath, born again, deep purple, ian gillan, purple sabbath, stonehenge7 Comments

Born Again has enjoyed renewed interest in recent years. The only album to feature vocalist Ian Gillan, the lineup faced the unfair burden of competing with preconceptions of what Black Sabbath should be. Gillan soon returned to Deep Purple while Iommi began work on the Seventh Star record. Born Again has since become a half-forgotten gem in the vast Sabbath canon. Time has a way of mending wrongs. As older fans listen with fresh ears and younger ones retroactively explore Deep Sabbath, Born Again has earned a cult following. Not only…

Articles Observations and Musings

DREAM EVIL: THE EVOLUTION OF RONNIE JAMES DIO

October 17, 2016December 17, 2016 Green and Black Musicdio, Dio Black Sabbath, dio dream evil, Dio holy diver, Dio magica, Elf, Heaven and Hell, rainbow, ronnie james dio3 Comments

If Your Circle Stays Unbroken Then You’re a Lucky Man ‘Cause it Never, Never, Never has for me No words spoken by Ronnie James Dio rang truer than the lyrics to “Invisible.” Heartfelt and honest, the statement finds Dio reflecting on the past while in the midst of reinvention. His story is one of broken dreams and unimaginable triumphs. In the end, Dio emerged a legend whose legacy continues to strengthen after his death. Dio was no stranger to change. An elder statesman, Ronnie’s music career pre-dates the very existence…

Album Art Exploration Articles

Murray: A Short History of the Dio Mascot

October 12, 2016August 6, 2019 Green and Black Music0 comment

If Ronnie James Dio had simply been the singer of Rainbow and Black Sabbath, his name would have been firmly etched in the annals of rock and roll. With Holy Diver, Dio escaped the shadow of his past and forged an identity that was truly his own. A carefully assembled band helped create the music. The image, however, can be attributed to a monstrous mascot named Murray. An evil creature with blood red eyes, our first glimpse of Murray shows this beast choking a drowning priest with iron chains. The…

Articles Top Ten Lists

Ten Thrash Ballads

September 12, 2016May 20, 2019 Green and Black Musicdeath angel room with a view, megadeth in my darkest hour, metal church in harms way, sacred reich who's to blame, testament the ballad0 comment

Thrash metal is extremely technical music. Its practitioners are accomplished musicians who have spent years mastering their instruments. They shine in the context of fast, aggressive music, but sometimes speed obscures the nuances of their craft. It’s little wonder that ballads soon crept into the repertoire of thrash bands. These slower songs provided a sense of dynamics that allowed musicians to shine without the hindrance of extreme distortion. Naturally most of these “ballads” became full-on thrashers before the song was over. What follows are ten examples of the heaviest bands…

Articles Observations and Musings

To Live Is To Die: A Tribute To Cliff Burton

September 2, 2016November 26, 2016 Green and Black Musiccliff burton, Metallica1 Comment

Cliff Burton was already a legend when I discovered Metallica. Not that I knew who he was at the time. And Justice For All was a brand new album and I was taking it all in through the ears and eyes of a 6th grade boy. Vague, half-remembered memories remain of watching the “world premier” of the “One” video just days after first hearing Justice. There was a feeling that I was witnessing a historic moment. Turns out, I was. Metallica had just released their first record without Cliff Burton.…