Unknown Soldier

I have a big screen and the layout fits my screen, I realise that it might not suit those with laptops or smaller screens though, but as I've never seen this on a smaller screen I can't say.

Also I've always done it this way as big chunks unless it's in the top 10 which then becomes 2 big chunks. The simple fact of the matter is that I don't really like writing in paragraphs as it tends to look too bitty from an aesthetic point of view for such small reviews, but then again I realise a lot of people like things in small paragraphs. But these small reviews are only like 12 and 13 lines on my PC and look quite small.

If there is some sort of formatting I could do then fire away by PM

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Unknown Soldier

Album
The band’s previous album Head On had seen the melodic guitar playing of band leader Paul Samson take on a more focused metal approach despite really just being a blues guitarist at heart. This combined with new singer Bruce Dickinson (still just known as Bruce Bruce at this time) had now turned the band into essential NWOBHM listening for those in the know. So by the time of their third studio album Shock Tactics Samson were surely looking to make the jump into the big league and join the likes of Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon at the top of the metal pile. Now some reviews often state Shock Tactics as one of the best NWOBHM albums in its golden era at the start of the 1980s, personally I just think it’s a solid album hence its position on this year’s listings at position 12. The album starts off with the Russ Ballad penned “Riding With Angels” and like anything by Russ Ballad (the man made a career out of writing songs for others, as well as having them cover his own songs too) the song is built around that catchy and instant Russ Ballad punch. Other tracks include the rated “Nice Girl” but I think it’s just average fare though, then there is the routine “Go to Hell” and "Bright Lights" which is probably the fastest track on the album and finally there is the bluesy “Grime Crime” which really doesn’t convince in what it sets out to do. In fact a large amount of these tracks actually sound like routine Iron Maiden and that just goes to show the influence musically that Bruce Dickinson would have on Iron Maiden. The best tracks on the album are without doubt the somewhat gripping “Earth Mother” which has the vocals of Bruce Dickinson at their best and the added bonus of Paul Samson matching him on guitar. Then there is “Bloodlust” a 6 minute pounder which has touches of musical variety and then there is the equally heavy “Once Bitten” which has a great riff throughout, but the pick of the bunch is the pretty epic album closer “Communion” a song pretty much built for the vocal chords of Bruce Dickinson. After this album Bruce Dickinson would leave the band stating the dire management and record label that the band had, but of course Iron Maiden were without doubt fishing for him as well and coincidently when Samson were recording this album, Iron Maiden were in the next recording studio recording Killers! Even before his material with Iron Maiden Bruce Dickinson was pretty much the full package as a vocalist and his two albums with Samson demonstrate this, but of course in Iron Maiden he had the wheels of superstardom more in his grasp, largely thanks to the powerful twin-guitar attack of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith to augment him. Shock Tactics is usually regarded as the band’s best album, but Kerrang! I’ve noted regard their 1982 album without Bruce Dickinson Before the Storm as their actual best.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Plankton

^This is why I come to this site. For gems like this. Thanks U.S.!^

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See location...

The Batlord

I also come to this site to boo US for putting Samson over Venom.

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Unknown Soldier

Glad you're enjoying.

My pleasure as always.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

The Batlord

You made me wanna listen to Raven again. Love them. One of those bands I discovered in the summer of...something or other when I was fourteen or fifteen. Probably the best time I've ever had for listening to music. I'd just started listening to any kind of music a couple years before so everything was new to me and all that eighties metal just blew my mind. Every day was a new discovery and Raven were one of my favorites. Still pissed off I never got Wiped Out and All for One back when I saw them at the hole-in-the-wall record metal store back in the day. Lord knows if I'll ever see them again outside of Amazon.

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Unknown Soldier

The age you've just mentioned is probably the most important when it comes to our own development of music. As all the bands I loved back then I still do to this day, even though my musical tastes have changed a lot since then.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Unknown Soldier

A maelstrom of commercial metal for the 1980s.

Album
Y&T real name actually being Yesterday & Tomorrow (named after a Beatles compilation album) were a band out of Oakland California and had formed way back in 1974. Y&T were a prime example of a band, that were only really in their element in a live setting and over the years they had built up a pretty blistering live show! But unlike say their far more famous ZZ Top contemporaries (another great live first band as well) Y&T were unable to take ZZ Top’s cue and dish out studio material to match their live shows. On their first two albums the band were unable to recapture their live prowess in the studio and the eponymous debut Yesterday and Tomorrow released back in 1976 and their sophomore Struck Down in 1978 really proved how they struggled in the studio, a claim of course that could often be thrown at a number of late 1960s and early 1970s blues rock bands as well, of whom they shared a strong spiritual bond with! So by the time of 1981’s Earthshaker their label A&M were pushing for the band to capture their live ability in the studio and release something more contemporary to the then burgeoning commercial metal market in the US, largely thanks of course to the popularity of Van Halen (Van Halen had opened for Y&T in the past) A&M also pushed for the band to shorten their emblematic 1960s/1970s name to the much shorter Y&T. The band were fronted by guitarist and vocalist David Meniketti who was a prime example of a blues rock guitarist that had been influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Leslie West amongst numerous others and as a band Y&T always kept their Led Zeppelin and Who influences close as well. The other band members were equally gifted and included the rhythm guitar of Joey Alves, the bass of Phil Kennemore and the powerful drumming of Leonard Haze. Y&T were also the highlights of the the legendary Starwood Club in LA, which would prove to be the early breeding ground for the future hair metal brigade and it’s where members from bands such as Motley Crue, Ratt and W.A.S.P cut their teeth on the likes of both Y&T and Van Halen who also played there. Earthshaker is a prime example of a stadium metal album where the singing and instrumentation are loud along with its production. Its mid-paced pounders “Hungry for Rock” “Young and Tough” and the Journey sounding quartet of “Dirty Girl” “Rescue Me” “Let Me Go” and “I Believe in You” are all designed for the big stage and on the manic “Hurricane” and “Squeeze” where on the latter Phil Kennemore takes over on vocals the band are adept at faster speeds as well. Glam metal would soon become a US west coast institution and a band like Y&T at the Starwood Club both musically and physically (they had the glam image) must have been prime motivators for the hair metal brigade (even though their sound was far more stadium rock orientated) sadly though the band are somewhat forgotten and never quite got the the recognition they deserved and in hindsight their pumping stage show was an inspiration on metal in the 1980s and on Earthshaker the band actually put out an album to match their electric live show.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

William_the_Bloody

Wow totally forgot about this band, they have that classic late 70's early 80's rock sound. (Triumph ect)

Its almost like listening to a lost era of music, sad really, with all the technology kids have today good musicianship is becoming harder and harder to come by. Great band though, just finished listening to the Black Tiger album.

Unknown Soldier

Agree with your take on Y&T and they were a product of their era. Right back then their brand of metal was right on the ball as far as the US commercial metal market was concerned.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History