Green and Black Music – Music…..Through the lens of green and black

KK’s Priest – Sermons of the Sinner Review

May 28, 2022June 12, 2022 Green and Black Music0 comment

K.K. Downing can’t win. Instead of reveling in the legacy of the band he founded, he remains alienated from Judas Priest. After nearly a decade of estrangement, Downing has returned to the music scene with KK’s Priest. Unfortunately, numerous setbacks have blunted momentum. Sermons of the Sinner is complete, but its potential to restart a stalled career may never be fully realized. The origin of KK’s Priest took place at a 2019 gig. Dave Ellefson assumed bass duties and that one-off show was billed as “MegaPriest.” With Ripper on vocals…

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Alex Skolnick – Geek to Guitar Hero Book Review

March 27, 2022March 31, 2022 Green and Black Musicalex skolnick testament0 comment

Alex Skolnick is my kind of guitar hero. Sure, I love Ozzy, Priest, and Maiden, but Thrash was the metal of MY generation. Long after the mainstream success of Metallica, it’s hard to remember that Thrash was once an underdog genre lacking legitimacy in both the industry and wider listening public. In the context of that truly underground movement, Alex Skolnick emerged as an unlikely hero. His expressive, melodic guitar solos helped differentiate Testament from their peers as the band defied the odds to become an internationally known act. Skolnick…

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Metallica: Black Album (Remastered) – 3-CD Expanded Edition Review

November 25, 2021 Green and Black Musicmetallica enter sandman0 comment

As the 80’s shifted into the 90’s, I was a metal obsessed teenager. I proudly grew my hair long, wore my leather jacket, and scribbled the Metallica logo on my school notebook. In those pre-internet days, I’d check the record store weekly for signs of a new Metallica album. The process seemed to go on forever, until the summer of 1991 when the self-titled Metallica album landed in shopping malls across America. I’m not sure I hated the Black Album at first. It was certainly different. I wanted the speed,…

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Slayer – Live Undead Vinyl Review

October 24, 2021October 31, 2021 Green and Black Music0 comment

Decade of Aggression may be regarded as the quintessential live Slayer record. To this old school headbanger, Live Undead will always be THE document of a Slayer show. Which, honestly, is a strange stance to take, considering that Live Undead captures a “fake” concert. Live Undead isn’t a “real” live record in the sense that the recording does not capture a traditional concert. Instead of a packed, sweaty nightclub, Slayer tore through select songs inside the clinical atmosphere of a recording studio. The official story was that a dozen lucky…

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Iron Maiden – Senjutsu Vinyl Review

September 9, 2021September 11, 2021 Green and Black Musiciron maiden writing on the wall video0 comment

Senjutsu is a fitting title for an Iron Maiden album. The Japanese word is translated to “strategy,” a concept that Iron Maiden knows well. After all, how does an 80’s metal band avoid becoming a novelty act relegated to rehashing canonical classics? With a carefully balanced touring schedule built around new album cycles and classic hit tours, Maiden have established themselves as a contemporary act that consistently creates quality music on their own terms. 21 years after Brave New World, a new Iron Maiden album is regarded as inevitable and…

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FORBIDDEN – FORBIDDEN EVIL VINYL REVIEW

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021 Green and Black Music0 comment

Buying modern vinyl is a gamble. As overbooked pressing plants struggle to meet demand, quality control suffers. Receiving a flat, noise-free record feels like a stroke of good fortune. So, it was with a sense of trepidation that I ordered the reissue of Forbidden’s classic, Forbidden Evil. Visually, the infamous album art was stunning. It was obvious that Century Media cared about their product. Forbidden Evil will always be among the greatest thrash albums in my mind and I was thrilled to upgrade my old cassette tape. Breaking the shrinkwrap…

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Forbidden – Twisted Into Form Vinyl Review

May 9, 2021May 12, 2021 Green and Black Musicforbidden century media, forbidden vinyl reissue, Kent Mathieu0 comment

1990 was an exciting time to be a purveyor of the metal scene. As a 13-year-old thrash-obsessed teenager, I distinctly remember flipping through a metal magazine and seeing a full-page ad for Twisted Into Form. That timeless artwork prompted me to purchase a cassette of Forbidden’s second album. I was immediately blown away by the guitar harmonies and melodic, Halfordish wail of Russ Anderson. Twisted Into Form found heavy rotation in my humble Walkman and I still conjure memories of walking around my hometown, completely absorbed in this melodic thrash…

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Thin Lizzy – Rock Legends Review

November 25, 2020November 27, 2020 Green and Black Musicthin lizzy box set0 comment

The long anticipated Thin Lizzy box set has finally arrived. This 7-disc behemoth dates back to 2012 when Universal announced the unearthing of over 100 Thin Lizzy tapes. More than 700 unreleased recordings were purported to exist in that massive discovery. Thin Lizzy fanatics salivated at the thought of unused recordings. What could be included in that arsenal of material? Surely demos, live material, and alternative versions of classic tracks would be there. Perhaps there even existed half-written songs that never escaped the walls of a Guinness soaked rehearsal room.…

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Black Sabbath: Walpurgis

July 29, 2020 Green and Black MusicBlack Sabbath 1970, Black Sabbath Peel Sessions0 comment

Black Sabbath made quite an impact in 1970. While their doom-laden blues won over rock fans, the name caused dread amongst conservative parents. Both album cover and lyrical content aligned with expectation. Inside the gatefold, an inverted cross doubled down on occult imagery. In contrast to the self-titled debut, the follow-up Paranoid minimized occult references. Sure, “War Pigs” mentioned “witches” and “Satan,” but that imagery was used as a critical commentary on war and the folly of man. Other songs like “Hand of Doom” were still dark and foreboding, yet…

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Danzig Sings Elvis Review

June 29, 2020June 30, 2020 Green and Black Musiccleopatra records, danzig colored vinyl0 comment

Danzig Sings Elvis is finally a reality. Glenn has been talking about this record longer than I can remember. Much like the promised reissue of Who Killed Marilyn or a DVD of the Danzig Legacy TV Special, I assumed an Elvis covers record would never see the light of the day. On the contrary, the concept morphed beyond its original EP conception into a full-length record that is destined to become a Danzig classic. A glance at the track-list reveals that none of the usual Elvis tracks have made the…