Blog Archives
Reggie’s Top 100 Favorite Albums of All Time #30-26
As we journey down the path to my number 1 favorite album of all time, you will likely see more and more classic metal albums appearing on the list. Many of these albums have been my favorites for decades while some are relatively new….only came into my life in the last couple of years. This all-time list is an ongoing effort started by our friends at The History of Metal page on facebook. Each day we list another album until we get to the end which should take us just up to the end of the year. Below is my next list of five as we near our way to #1. Enjoy!
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Video(s) of the Week – Download 2013 Headliners
In seems uncharacteristically early to announce headliners for the UK’s famed Download Festival for 2013. The event is still 10 months away and the promoters have already booked the three headliners. Based on what I have seen, I would buy a ticket already, but the hardest part would be for which day. I am not in a position to disappear for the entire three-day event; therefore picking one day would be tough. In 2013, I would do the weekend if I could because all three headliners are quality acts. So, without further dela, I will let the videos do the talking. They are in order from top down – Friday, Saturday, Sunday. This is already shaping up to be a tremendous June 2013 weekend.
Theme Thursday: Iron Maiden Covers
There are a lot Iron Maiden covers out there, and the vast majority of them, while in great intentions, straight up suck. I’m not trying to bash a bands talent, but Iron Maiden is a tough band to cover, I’ve tried and their songs ain’t easy, especially when you factor in just how great Maiden gets it the first time around. It seems that many bands struggle capturing the feel of the original they are covering or stray to far from the spirit of the song that it just doesn’t work at all. Here I have made a list of some Iron Maiden covers that I feel do the original tons of justice. Some are straight up covers, some completely rework the song, but all of them are great. Enjoy and if you know of some above average Iron Maiden covers don’t hesitate to share. Peace Love and Metal!!!
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Song of the Week – The Number of the Beast x2
Lately, we have been inundated with lots of new music from both the pros and from the new guys. It’s great being exposed to some new music. However, today at work I took a step back in time and the first song that came up on my iTouch was none other than Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast, hence the song of the week, but this week has a bonus video to go with it.
Germany’s Kreator has a new single up on iTunes. That means a new album is coming our way soon. I listened to it and it was pretty brutal – on my radar for sure. However, I also noticed they did a cover of, you guessed it - The Number of the Beast. It’s a bold move to cover Maiden! A few bands have done very well (Machine Head, Trivium…to name a few). Check out this double dose of an absolute classic. Have a great hump day 
Backtracks: Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
Fuck yeah!!!! Iron Maiden rules!!!! Buy this album now!!! end of review…
Ok, fan-boyism aside, this is, without a doubt, Maidens best post-reunion album. Brave New World was super solid but toward the end it dragged on a bit. The following two seemed to be filled with a lot of filler and sans a few standout tracks they didn’t really grab me in the way they used to grab me during my youth(not in that way you pervert!!). “The Final Frontier” however is classic Maiden peppered with the progressive style they’ve been reaching for since they pulled it off on “7th Son of a 7th Son”.
Happy Birthday to Number of the Beast
When I was a wee youngster an older brother of my neighborhood friend played 2 albums for us one that would go on and influence one of us in a huge way. The first was Guns and Roses Appetite for Destruction, I remember liking it a lot but not nearly as much as the album that he would play for us next which just blew my 6-year-old mind away. That album was Iron Maiden‘s perennial classic album, The Number of the Beast.
The energy, the huge guitars, Bruce Dickinson’s soaring vocals and maniacal laughter, the fun, feel good vibe of all the songs. Songs about Indians, songs about monsters, songs about invaders (which I thought was about aliens from space at the time, read: Space Invaders). I remember how terrifying it was to listen to “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and how much I laughed at “The Number of the Beast”. Ya, this album made a huge impact on me and I found myself getting a copy from my buddies brother and at around the same point in time I heard this album Iron Maiden had just released Somewhere in Time which was one of the first cassette tapes I’ve ever bought with my own money and the first heavy metal album purchase of my life (and so the obsession begins).
To say Iron Maiden is my all time favorite band is an understatement. So, I give a whole-hearted Happy 30th Birthday to one of the greatest and most influential metal albums ever written. Up the Irons!!!!!! What’s your favorite songs off of The Number of the Beast? Peace Love and Iron Maiden!!!!
My Iron Maiden Tattoo
Monday Metal Madness – The Art of Covertunes
Last week, Alestorm proved to be more seaworthy than their American pirate metal rivals, Swashbuckle. Congrats to the Scots for taking 80% of the votes in last week’s Monday Metal Madness.
This week, you do not need to appreciate these bands to appreciate the covers they recorded. In my opinion, they are both awesome renditions of classic metal songs although one is much older than the other. Our battle is between Machine Head covering Hallowed Be Thy Name by Iron Maiden and UK newcomers Evile covering Pantera’s Cemetery Gates. Both songs are outstanding; one covered by a veteran act and one a (relative) newcomer. Only one can win. What say you?
Themed Thursday – Album Intros
A good intro to a record serves many purposes, but most importantly it is the bands starting point to grab a listener’s attention and set the mood and tone for the rest of the album. If it is a concept album it sets up the themes and story if there is one, if it’s a straight up brutal album it should be a track to really get the adrenaline running. And so on and so forth. Intros come in the form of an instrumental song, spoken word, or just a really strong track to get things started off on the right track.
Here are some of my favorite album intros. Some may be composed of 2 tracks due to the first part seamlessly transitioning into the second more or less making the 2 part of 1. Enjoy and let us know what some of your favorite album intros are! Peace Love and Metal!!!!
