Album Reviews Articles 

Megadeth: Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good – The Final Kill Review

Killing Is My Business is an undeniable classic in the thrash canon. A low-fi production perfectly captured the DIY aesthetic of an underground scene. Megadeth have scrapped the original art, remixed and remastered the music, and added bonus tracks in a definitive edition titled The Final Kill. One can’t help but note how “modern” the record sounds. Purists worried that a remix would lose the debut’s nostalgic charm. The energy, feel, and spirit of 1985-era Megadeth remain. Guitars and vocals now have a clarity that eighties technology failed to capture. The…

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Articles Movies and Television Top Ten Lists 

Ten Heavy Metal Documentaries

Heavy metal has an intensely loyal fan base. We voraciously devour any output from the bands we love. Liner notes and interviews offer insight into the genre but we always yearn for more. Documentaries can fill that gap. Whether you are into classic, thrash, or death metal, there is a film on this list for every metal fan. THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II: THE METAL YEARS The Decline of Western Civilization famously documented the LA punk scene. By the mid-eighties, heavy metal came to dominate the Sunset Strip.…

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Articles Top Ten Lists 

Metal and Punk Christmas Songs

Christmas songs don’t have to be boring. Put aside visions of saintly carolers and crank up the volume. The following songs are festive offerings from the louder side of rock and roll. RAMONES – MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT) This famous Ramones song originally appeared as a B-Side to “I Wanna Live.” Thankfully, the potential of the song did not got go unnoticed. “Merry Christmas” was saved from obscurity and released on the following LP. A memorable video reminded the masses that The Ramones were alive and…

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Articles Top Ten Lists 

Ten Thrash Metal Videos

Few promotional opportunities existed for thrash metal bands in the pre-internet days. MTV largely ignored the genre. One exception was a 2-hour block of music videos on Saturday night. Patient thrashers were rewarded with visual offering from their favorite bands. The following list is not comprehensive. It does, however, present ten classic videos from the golden age of thrash! MEGADETH – WAKE UP DEAD “Wake Up Dead” was released as the second single from Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? The video featured Megadeth performing in a cage as rabid fans climbed…

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Album Reviews Articles 

Megadeth: Revisiting So Far, So Good… So What!

So Far, So Good… So What! is the forgotten Megadeth album. Largely forsaken in concert, the 1988 classic has gotten lost in a vast discography. Perhaps it simply had the misfortune of being sandwiched between Peace Sells and Rust in Peace. Despite the fall from grace, So Far, So Good… So What! captures Megadeth at the height of their 80’s glory. So Far, So Good… So What! was an undeniable success. It sold 400,000 copies in its first month of release and eventually went platinum. Despite receiving zero commercial airplay,…

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Album Reviews Articles 

Metallica: And Justice For All (Remastered) – 3-CD Expanded Edition Review

Metallica marches onward with their extensive reissue campaign. The long awaited …And Justice For All remaster has arrived. As with the first three albums, a deluxe box set is available. The 6 record, 11 CD, and 4 DVD set offers complete immersion in the Justice writing sessions and subsequent tour. Other bounty includes a download card, tour laminate, patches, lyric folder, and a 120 page hardcover book. Not everyone is willing to drop nearly $200 on a lavish box set. Many fans will be satisfied with the 3CD Expanded Edition.…

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Album Reviews Articles 

Anthrax: State of Euphoria 30th Anniversary Edition Review

Anthrax were at the peak of their career in 1988. Among the Living had been a genre-defining album and I’m The Man was certified platinum. With the release of State of Euphoria, Anthrax cemented their place in the Big Four. That now classic recording earned the band a gold record and proved that thrash could have broad commercial appeal. MTV threw their support behind the band. Headbangers Ball invited Anthrax to host the show and visited the studio where writing sessions for State of Euphoria unfolded. Cameras trailed the band…

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Articles Observations and Musings 

K.K. Downing – Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest Book Review

Judas Priest is a notoriously private band. Little has been known about the inner dynamics of the Metal Gods. Fans can now glimpse behind the scenes thanks to the new K.K. Downing autobiography. Heavy Duty comes at a strange time in the band’s history. Exchanges in the press have revealed that K.K.’s departure was less than amicable. One can’t help but approach the book through the lens of this disharmony. Despite the strained relations, there is no mudslinging. Each story is relayed respectfully. The intent of Heavy Duty is to…

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Articles Observations and Musings 

Judas Priest: The Subliminal Message Trial

On December 23, 1985, two heavy metal fans spent the day drinking, smoking marijuana, and listening to Judas Priest. Throughout the course of their party, the troubled friends formed a suicide pact. Raymond Belknap died instantly from a self-inflicted shotgun blast. James Vance survived his suicide attempt. The shotgun left Vance grossly disfigured. Grieving parents struggled to make sense of tragedy. Rather than focus on substance abuse and a trouble past, they blamed music. Both kids had been listening to the classic Judas Priest album Stained Class before taking their…

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Articles Observations and Musings 

Suicide Solution: The Ozzy Osbourne Trial

Tragedy struck a California family in 1984 when nineteen-year old John McCollum committed suicide. Side one of Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz sat on John’s turntable. His lifeless body was still wearing headphones. It is a reasonable assumption that “Suicide Solution” was the final song heard by the troubled teenager. Although John was a high school dropout with a history of substance abuse, the McCollum family believed external influences were the root of John’s internal demons. According to Mr. McCollum, music inspired his son to kill himself. Specifically, Ozzy Osbourne…

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