It was with great excitement and anticipation that I hit ‘play’ on my brand new mp3 copy of “The Horn”, a new single from The Darkness. Like much of the preceding album Hot Cakes, this is a dirty little number about (surprise) sex!
I would like to take this opportunity, to mention the fact that while some of the acts that I may have described in this song appear to be degrading, they were in fact consensual. — Justin Hawkins
I won’t share the details, except to say that the words “my pale buttocks” are uttered.
Musically, “The Horn” is heavy as…well, not quite as heavy as lead. Platinum perhaps? It has a merciless guitar riff, bloodthirsty drums, and a hefty groove. Sonically speaking, “The Horn” strikes me as one of the heaviest Darkness songs. The guitars have some chunkiness to them, and the direction seems simple enough: let’s rock out! With Justin’s particular brand of lead vocal, there’s no mistaking this band for anyone else.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention that fact that Justin is still singing as great as ever. He has a knack for some utterly odd vocals, but at the same time, he makes them awesome. Acrobatic, never too serious, but always fascinating to listen to. By the end of this song, I’m picturing a coop full of chickens singing in harmony.
This bodes well for a new Darkness album. Not only are they quickly out of the gates with new material, but it’s really good material. Without a doubt, I like “The Horn” better than many of the songs on Hot Cakes. And I liked Hot Cakes a lot.
5/5 stars
There was a vinyl 7″ single, but only 500 copies. There’s also a new Darkness demo out there, a ballad called “Second Fiddle” . This song boasts multiple vocalists and an uber-catchy chorus: “We are the Hawkins Brothers / And I am Frankie Poullaine / We are the Hawkins Brothers / And this is Eddie Graham.” Solid!
I decided to do something special for Part 250…by not doing Part 250 at all.
This isn’t one of those bullshit prequels, like when George Lucas says, “Oh, Episode I, I had that written for decades,” when it was pretty obvious he was making it up as he went along! Nope, this isn’t like that. I started writing the Record Store Tales over 10 years ago, and what you see below is the original first chapter. It existed solely for the purpose of background and context, but I excised it in favour of starting things faster with the second chapter,“Run To The Hills”. Since that became Part 1, it makes sense that this earlier introduction should be Part 0. With hindight, I kind of wished I’d kept it in, so here it is! And don’t forget to check out my new complete Table of Contents, should you wish to read more!
Yeah…don’t ask. That’s me on the right.
A Few Words for Days Gone By…
What is childhood made of? In my mind, when you’re a kid, life consists of two things:
1. School
2. Summer Holidays
That was the cycle. To break it down to the core, to an 11 year old life was 10 months of school followed by two months of glorious, warm sunny freedom. Sure, you’d get to go home at the end of the day, but you were never truly free until the end of June. No more pencils, no more books, all that stuff. It was way better than Christmas holidays. The Canadian winters offered such fun treats as shoveling, besides snow pants, parka, boots (laced up too tight), and mittens which prevented you from using your fingers.
Our summers were boisterous. My sister Kathryn and I were like peas in a pod. We would play some kind of game every day, usually under my leadership. I would declare that today, we were going to play Star Wars. Other possible declarations included building fleets of Lego ships and cars, and having a giant war. Or inventing a new ball game. Once GI Joe came along, we’d dig trenches in the yard, as well as forts and garages of twigs and leaves, and have an entire day (or week) dedicated to Cobra Commander’s new secret weapon. Aside from an occasional rebellion from my sister, our summers were mostly uninterrupted merriment.
My sister and I both clearly remember one such rebellion, where she wanted to do things her way. It involved our Star Wars figures. We were already mid-battle. I was setting up a perfect counter-offensive. The Millenium Falcon would sneak attack Vader’s base, take out his Tie Fighter early in the melee, while Luke would take out Boba Fett. Leia and Lando had to distract Jabba The Hutt, so that he couldn’t stop Luke when he eventually confronted the Emperor. Game over! The plan was perfect. Now I just needed my sister to coordinate the battle with me, under my command of course.
Much to my disappointment, she had moved around some of the figures and now had them seated. Luke and Vader were next to each other. “Why are Luke and Vader sitting there? Luke is about to attack and Vader should be getting into his ship.”
My sister continued playing with the figures, and without looking up, replied, “Luke and Vader want to be friends now. They’re having tea.”
It didn’t matter that half the figures were hers, if she didn’t know how to play Star Wars right. So I’d yell a bit, act like a big brother usually does, and eventually she’d go along with the plan, or cry and leave. The evil Empire would be defeated once and for all, thanks to my brilliant leadership and strategy. We were definitely pals, growing up.
For years, this was the way of the summer holidays. We’d be doing something awesome at home, or at the cottage, but it would always be something cool. It didn’t matter where we were: games continued wherever we went. We’d make a game out of anything. You give us a pile of junk and we’ll make a game out of it.
All things do come to an end. The Star Wars trilogy ended in 1983 and something needed to fill the vacuum. While GI Joe and later Transformers would temporarily take its place, I was getting older. My attention was drifting. I was looking for something cool, new, and exciting. Video games didn’t hold my attention and neither did sports.
Starting in 1983, several things happened in a short time frame. Styx released a single called “Mr. Roboto” that some of my friends at school were obsessed with. Then I heard a song called “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by AC/DC, and it was pretty cool too. Then, a newer band called Quiet Riot came out with an album called Metal Health that would go on to sell three million copies. This was my first rock cassette purchase when I was in the 6th grade. Something connected…
AC/DC. Van Halen. Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath. Def Leppard. Motley Crue. Iron Maiden. Who were these people? I had a lot to find out.
DAVID LEE ROTH – Greatest Hits/The Deluxe Edition (2013 Warner CD/DVD)
Dear LeBrain readers,
I’ve been here writing reviews for the better part of 21 months now. I think we know each other well enough, you and I, that I can skip the formalities in some instances. I don’t think I need to describe in detail classic David Lee Roth recordings such as “California Girls”, “Just a Gigolo”, or “Just Like Paradise”. I’m willing to bet that with exception to the 1990’s material, most readers already know most of the songs on this album. If you happened to stumble upon later albums like A Little Ain’t Enough or Your Filthy Little Mouth, then you probably know them all.
If you’re familiar with David Lee Roth but don’t own any as of yet, then your next question is likely to be, “Is this a good place to start?” Sure, why not? Dave’s latest “hits” compilation, simply called Greatest Hits (his last one was called The Best), does the trick in most regards. It even includes Dave’s entire first solo EP Crazy From the Heat albeit not in the original running order. (1. “Easy Street” 2. “Just A Gigolo” 3. “California Girls” 4. “Coconut Groove” in case you feel like re-arranging the tracks as originally released.) “Easy Street” is an Edgar Winter Group original, and Dave has Edgar guest on his version too.
Some of the best songs are distilled from Eat ‘Em and Smile, but that’s a 5/5 star album that needs to be owned on its own regardless. From Skyscraper is “Just Like Paradise” and “Hot Dog and a Shake”, but not the single “Stand Up” interestingly enough. Present are the three singles from A Little Ain’t Enough: the bluesy “Tell the Truth,” the title track and the swanky “Sensible Shoes”. Three tracks are included from Your Filthy Little Mouth, only one of which is a head-scratcher (the reggae infused “No Big ‘Ting”) but by-and-large this an acceptable slice of Warner Brothers era David Lee Roth.
What you readers are likely to be most interested in is the bonus DVD. This “Deluxe Edition” (there’s no other edition available) includes most of Dave’s groundbreaking, genre-hopping classic music videos. The “Dave TV” segment has uncut videos for “California Girls” and “Gigolo” interspersed with Dave’s commentary. Continuing the fun are Dave’s first two “band” videos, “Yankee Rose” and “Goin’ Crazy!” along with Dave’s cast of characters. These of course includes the fabulous Picasso Brothers!
As an added bonus they also included the Spanish version of “Goin’ Crazy!” (“¡Loco Del Calor!”) which appears to be an entirely unique cut, based on the same video shoot. There are fewer costume changes and stunts, but it’s cool that Dave’s attention to detail included lip-synching an entirely separate video for another territory.
The odds and ends on this disc are pretty scarce, such as the videos for “Sensible Shoes”, “The Nightlife”, and “Tell the Truth”. None of these videos are nearly as entertaining as the colourful classics. Let’s face it, Dave’s great in front of a camera, but he’s at his best when it’s one hell of a party happening behind him.
In Canada, this is an import and I paid about $26. In the US it’s under $19 which is a much more reasonable price. For fans who don’t own anything, get this, it just makes sense to. For fans who already have all the albums, you are now forewarned that you’re buying this solely for the DVD. There’s nothing much else special in terms of packaging, although lyrics are included.
When this album came out I bought it immediately. Well, as soon as it was made available by Columbia House music club, that is. I remember that I described it to a work friend named Mark as “raw bluesy shit”, and I still stand by that three word description. With an emphasis on raw. For 1989, this kind of production was unheard of. You can hear everything on this album, you can hear Jake’s fingers talking. Very little embellishment going on here.
Badlands were almost a supergroup of sorts: Ray Gillen (ex-Black Sabbath), Jake E. Lee (ex Ozzy Osbourne), Eric Singer (also ex-Black Sabbath, now in Kiss) and Greg Chaisson (ex-nobody significant). Jake had always complained he didn’t have an outlet to play the blues in Ozzy’s band, so this is his version of the blues, and it’s hard as hell! The band also had a vision of an album with two sides: a first harder rocking side, and a second bluesier side with longer songs.
“High Wire” kicks Badlands off with Jake’s raw, stripped back guitar sound. Producer Paul O’Neill (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) was also managing Badlands, and his production work here is completely different from the layers that he is better known for. The effects are stipped back, and Jake’s guitar is very different from The Ultimate Sin. A groovy exciting track, “High Wire” is driven by the riff and Gillen’s authoritative Coverdale-esque lead vocals.
The single “Dreams In The Dark” is next, the closest thing to a commercial song that this album gets. It has a strong chorus, instantly memorable, but you’ll be forgiven for thinking this is a Whitesnake outtake at first. A brief instrumental precedes my favourite song, “Winter’s Call”. It is as close is you’ll get to a ballad on this album, and only because its intro is slow and acoustic. However once that first riff kicks in, there’s no looking back. Eric Singer’s drum patterns are complex and hard hitting. The song itself is atmospheric and still kicks my ass all these years later. It’s infectious, like an old Zeppelin number. I hear sitar!
A pair of rockers finish side one, “Dancing On The Edge” (an accelerated raw rocker with a great chorus) and “Streets Cry Freedom” a steamy, slower tune like a classic Coverdale prowl. Both songs are standouts.
Side two starts with a serious rocker, “Hard Driver”, but from there it is on to the long, slower bluesy numbers that the band talked about. “Rumblin’ Train” is the bluesiest number, and “Devil’s Stomp” is as heavy as the title implies. “Seasons” is a slow moody one, brilliantly dramatic thanks to Gillen’s emotive vocal. The cassette/CD bonus track was called “Ball & Chain” and it finishes the album on a another hard bluesy note. (Yes, back then when they couldn’t fit all the songs on an LP, they’d still include it on the cassette version and call it a “bonus track”.)
Badlands made a couple more albums, but this one is my favourite. Martin Popoff himself rates this one a 10/10. I gotta agree with the man on this one. On a 5 scale…
Here’s a leftover fromTHE WEEK OF SINGLES!Each day from November 18-22 we looked at recent single acquisitions. This review didn’t make the series as intended, but it’s still pretty rare with cool exclusives!
TESLA – “Edison’s Medicine” (1991 Geffen CD single)
It wasn’t that long ago that we had a look at Tesla’s damn good Psychotic Supper CD. We also reviewed the CD single for “Call It What You Want” and its non-album B-sides. I recently acquired the first single from Psychotic Supper, “Edison’s Medicine”. This one has two album tracks and two non-album covers. What makes this single a little more special than “Call It What You Want” is that these two B-sides have never been re-released on anything else, to my knowledge.
The A-side itself is one of the best tunes Tesla’s recorded to date. In my own review for the album, I stated that Tesla were “taking their love of Nikola Tesla to the Nth degree…What an incredible song. I still remember seeing the music video, and being blown away by the solos. Not only are there guitar solos, but Frank Hannon torments the theremin, before he slips on a bass and plays a bass solo too!”
“Had Enough”, the other album track on this single is equally heavy to “Edison’s Medicine”. It’s not as riveting melodically, but it burns rubber pretty hot. I’m quite fond of the song myself, even though in the grand scheme of things it wouldn’t make my own Tesla road CD. It’s just bubbling under, but it does cook!
Covers are always a tricky thing. You have to pick the right song, and you have to pull it off. Tesla chose the Montrose classic “Rock the Nation”. They definitely picked an appropriate song, as it fits in with the overall Tesla sound. They did a solid, workmanlike version of “Rock the Nation”, but it lacks the piercing, instantaneous charisma of the original. The drums are a tad too thuddy for my tastes, and as good a singer as Jeff Keith is, Sammy Hagar owns this one. Still, there’s nothing really wrong with it, it’s just not as special as it could have been. It sounds like it was knocked off as a quick B-side to record, and I’m sure that was the case.
I won’t act all cool as if I knew who Jo Jo Gunne are. I have never heard of Jo Jo Gunne. Apparently they were ex-members of Spirit, which also spawned Randy California. “Run Run Run” was a hit for them in 1972. I gave the original song a listen, and I can say that Tesla’s version is pretty authentic if a little bit harder. Who doesn’t love some great “Oooh, oooh, oooh” vocals? I sure do. That, and the catchy dual guitar melody (straight out of the Lizzy cookbook) make this one a keeper.
I paid £2.00 for this on Discogs. I consider that a good buy.
NINE INCH NAILS – broken (1992 Interscope EP) / halo five
I remember seeing this in my local HMV store in 1992. I thought, “Nine Inch Nails have cool packaging,” because you didn’t see too many digipacks back then. It’s cooler than just that though, with three panels unfolding in a “T” shape each with a letter on it. “n”…”i”…”n”…
Gotta give Trent Reznor credit for packaging, he usually has very striking and original concepts for his discs. Also cool how the packaging for broken nicely complements the remix album fixed once both are bought. broken technically qualifies as an EP I guess, or a mini-album maybe, even though it is longer than most classic Van Halen albums.
There is a version of broken out there that was once considered one of the Holy Grails of Nine Inch Nails collectibles. I guess the advent of eBay made it much easier to get, because eBay has one as of this writing for $12, free shipping, VG condition. It is a 2 CD version, with the two “hidden” tracks on a separate 3″ CD enclosed within the digipack. This was supposedly discontinued because unscrupulous store owners were taking out the bonus CD and selling it separately. Or so goes the legend. I think cost would also have been a factor in discontinuing the bonus CD. On re-releases like I own, the bonus tracks are included as #98 and #99, with 91 tracks of 1 second silences preceding them.
“Pinion” serves as a brief intro to “Wish” and they are always presented together. This serves to intensify the mighty “Wish”, the heaviest song released by Nine Inch Nails up to the time. What sounds like a blowtorch punctuates a frantic drum rhythm. This progresses into a mélange of bizarre sounds, shredding guitars and a sledgehammer riff. “Last” follows, a slower more relentless riff. At times its the industrial version of “Sad But True”, but with a synthpop style chorus. Reznor maintains his angry snarl throughout, bitching about whatever he’s bitching about. “Pigs” are referenced, he sounds upset, angry, sad…aww!
“Help Me I Am In Hell” is one of the coolest tracks, a quiet two-minute guitar n’ noise respite. It sounds a lot like some of the quieter moments that would later come on The Downward Spiral (a genius album if there ever was one). Then, “Happiness in Slavery” serves as a barrage to the noggin’, Trent yelling stuff about slaves screaming in a distorted voice. There are some cool, ascending metal-y guitar licks and another synthpop chorus. If I had to guess, I’d say the lyrics are a thinly veiled discourse on getting screwed by your record label, as Trent was at the time.
The final song of this batch of tracks is “Gave Up”, another fast metallic song. It’s hard to discern the melodies from it, such is the distortion of the track. It does have a bad-ass keyboard solo though. Trent sounds like he’s singing on a broken tape deck and the guitars sound like they’re on the same cassette too. It’s my least favourite song on the EP, although I remember it had a cool “live” style music video with Marilyn Manson on guitar.
After 91 tracks of silence (a quaint-oh-so 90’s gimmick that I sidestepped by not ripping them) are the bonus cover songs. “Physical (You’re So)” is an Adam and the Ants tune, morphed into something that sounds like a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Motley Crue. This is a great track. Among the best on the album. There are jackhammer sounds, plenty of distortion and unidentifiable but cool sounds. “Suck” is a Pigface cover (from Gub) that Trent originally sang and co-wrote anyway. It has a powerful chorus and riff much like the rest of broken, but the verses (pun intended) kind of suck. That funky bassline…it’s not my thing, I guess.
One weird thing. I don’t know where it came from, but I somehow got a booklet for a Japanese version of broken. I found it inside my copy…I must have found it laying around at the store. Kinda neat to have, I can’t read a word of it, but cool. My CD appears to just be the regular single disc US release otherwise.
There’s been some Van Hagar bashing recently here at mikeladano.com. First there was this, and then this…some strong language here and there as well. Seems that “Hagar Bashing” has been a hobby for me for a long time. Witness this nearly decade old record store journal entry that I found.
Date: 2004/08/26 10:03
Someone should pass a law preventing Sammy Hagar from singing any old classic DLR tunes. “I got my ass against the record machine”??? Fuck you Sammy, go drink your tequila.
I kind of like that, I wish I’d worked that into my Best of Both Worlds review. “Fuck you Sammy, go drink your tequila!” I’m sure that would be considered a very professional review! Speaking of which, apparently I wasn’t too impressed with a review that I read in Bass Guitar magazine, judging by the journal entry below.
Date: 2004/08/25 00:25
I hate reading an article in a magazine, and realizing I could have done a better job than the guy who gets paid all that cash for being in a big glossy. I am reading a bass magazine, and there’s an article on Van Halen. They’re talking about how consistent Michael Anthony’s sound and style has been, and continues to be on the three new songs.
Well, if the writer had bothered doing any checking, he would have seen that Anthony doesn’t play bass on the three new songs. He in fact has nothing to do with the new album whatsoever. I would have known that, not made a mistake in the article, and in addition asked Anthony about it in the interview! I could have done a better job than this pro…and I wouldn’t even ask for a dime!
And I still haven’t made a dime! Goal achieved.
Legend has it that Sammy Hagar liked this song even though Thelonious Monster meant it to be insulting.
I was watching the Pepsi Power Hour one afternoon in the 10th grade when they debuted the first video from Quebec metallers Sword — a song called “F.T.W.” My best friend Bob and I were both watching that day, and we got into the song big time. I was recording and we went back and played the video two or three more times. Later on, lead throat Rick Hughes was in the MuchMusic studio live, and explained that some people thought that “F.T.W.” stood for something else; the chorus of of the song goes “Follow the Wheels”. The song is about bikers, but some assumed the song “F.T.W.” stood for “Fuck the World”. I discovered this first hand when I scrawled the Sword logo on my Math notebook, along with the initials F.T.W. The kid behind me didn’t believe me when I told him I meant it as “Follow the Wheels”.
We were blown away by “F.T.W.”, a galloping metal song with gritty vocals. Bob and I agreed that Rick Hughes had the power and grit of a guy like Dee Snider, but the music was borderline thrash metal. A couple years later, when I signed up for Columbia House music club, I ordered the album Metalized on cassette. It was every bit as heavy as “F.T.W.” and then some. It seemed to lie somewhere between W.A.S.P. or Anvil and Megadeth. It was on the heavier side of music that appealed to me but I gave the album a shot. (That is, until the cassette got eaten. Capitol Records were issuing some of the worst quality cassette tapes in Canada in the 1980’s and Metalized was one more victim.)
The second single was a track called “Stoned Again”. Hughes clarified on Much that the lyrics are not meant to promote drug use, which I was relieved to learn. Either way it takes the tempo back from breakneck for a bit, instead throwing in a heavy groove. “Stoned Again” was every bit as great as “F.T.W.,” and perhaps a bit forward thinking. A few years later, Pantera would be eating up and chewing out songs like “Stoned Again” at a furious pace.
The rest of the album stands up. It’s a bit singular in direction, the songs suffering from a certain sameness. The production is echo-y and typical of many albums of this period. The rest of the music is virtually all up-tempo, with vicious vocals and biting riffs. Each song is executed expertly, the guys were not slouches on their instruments, and Hughes could let loose some chandelier-shattering screams. On “Outta Control” he’s Ian Gillan during the Sabbath phase! Another highlight is “Runaway” which features a cool Maiden-esque intro riff and a decent chorus.
“Pee away, buddy!” – Dave Mustaine
Metalized is an enjoyable but non-essential romp through the tundra of heavy Canadian metal. Our winters may be cold but this Sword was clearly forged in fire.
TESTAMENT – Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament (1997 Mayhem)
I bought this in the winter of 1997. I hadn’t listened to Testament in a few years. I’d bought The Ritual album in 1992, but they kind of lost me post-Skolnick, when they went hell-bent for death metal. Therefore the idea of a good, remastered single disc compilation album covering the entire career was appealing to me. All the key tracks that I wanted were here, including two incredible B-sides!
Shortly after The Ritual came out, singer Chuck Billy denounced it as too soft, too commercial, and not the direction he and Eric Peterson wanted to take the band in the future. Regardless of this, the single “Electric Crown” was chosen to kick off Signs of Chaos (including the brief instrumental intro, “Signs of Chaos”. I’ve always felt it was superior to a couple of its chief rival songs at the time: “Enter Sandman” and “Symphony of Destruction”. You be the judge. I think I have a strong case.
As I delved into the disc I found that I was very hit-and-miss with Testament’s earlier material. For example “The New Order”, the title track from their 1988 album. I find it thin production-wise, and melodically a bit awkward. It’s hard-hitting and thrashy as fuck, but strangely enough I prefer the earlier track “Alone in the Dark” from 1987’s The Legacy. Not only does it boast a stomping riff, but also a chorus that sticks to the head.
“Dog Faced Gods” introduced me to the Testament world of blast-beats and death metal growls. This was from the first post-Skolnick album, Low. Now Peterson and Billy had the chance to indulge their heaviest urges, and they did a fantastic job. Featuring the stellar drum talents of John Tempesta (currently in The Cult), this is Testament brought to a whole new level. While death metal growls are not normally my bag, Billy sings in a “normal” voice during the cool chorus. As for the rest of the song, it is a precise complex of drum fills, lightning-fast guitar licks, time changes and riffs.
If you thought “Dog Faced Gods” was heavy, then “Demonic Refusal” might very well blow you out of your seat. The followup album to Low was called Demonic and it took things further out to the boundaries. Gene Hoglan on drums this time, “Demonic Refusal” is even more evil and scary. It still boasts a head-crushing riff and has a strangely catchy quality to the vocal. Chuck Billy convinced me on these songs that he is a diverse, talented thrash metal singer among the best in the genre.
“The Ballad” from the landmark 1989 album Practice What You Preach was about as close as Testament got to a hit single. The timing was right, seeing as Metallica had success with “One” the year before. Even though it is clearly a ballad (albeit a heavy one), the song has balls and metal fans had no problem embracing it. To me it seems to be based on a prototype of some of Iron Maiden’s softer material. The album Souls of Black, which followed Practice, was considered little more than a rushed carbon copy followup. That may be the case, but either way the song “Souls of Black” is still as catchy as ever. Skolnick’s fluttery licks are a highlight, as is Chuck Billy’s groovy lead vocal.
I find it funny that “Trial By Fire” is listed as a CD-only bonus track. I guess this album must have been released on cassette too in 1997. “Trial By Fire” isn’t one of the best songs in my books, but it does contain more outstanding Skolnick guitar shreddery. A brief word about Alex Skolnick for those who don’t know: He was one of Joe Satriani’s students, and he’s also well known for playing jazz fusion on the side. In fact he left Testament initially to enable him to explore that kind of style. His tone is really warm, and you can feel the vacuum tubes humming in a vintage amp when he plays.
Another uber-heavy song, “Low” from the album of the same name, is just as good and memorable as “Dog Faced Gods”. The Low album featured one of the most respected guitarists in the death metal genre, James Murphy (Death). Murphy’s chops helped bring Testament closer to that line between thrash and death, while maintaining the virtuosity that the band had with Alex Skolnick.
“Practice What You Preach” and “Over the Wall” provide a double-punch of early Testament heavy metal. To me, “Over the Wall” is not an outstanding song. It’s good for a head-bang and has a killer solo, but it’s not particularly special. “Practice What You Preach” on the other hand nails it. Testament were crossing groove and thrash metal together successfully, before Metallica painted it Black. “Practice” remains one of their highest achievements from the early years.
I mentioned earlier that Souls of Black was considered by many to be little more than a second generation copy of Practice. This extended to putting out another ballad. “The Legacy” was one of their earlier compositions, polished up for Souls of Black. While it’s the lesser known song, I think I prefer it to “The Ballad”. The production seems a little more full, although the two songs are very similar. As far as ballads go, I don’t think either song holds a candle to the next track. “Return to Serenity” from The Ritual is a beautiful song, with gorgeous guitar tones. It’s a less dark than the other two songs, and lyrically discussing those special places that you may have had as a child, and returning to serenity. I would put “Return to Serenity” up against virtually any similar Metallica song, and I believe it would blow them away. While both bands have a lead guitar player that was taught by Joe Satriani, I believe Alex Skolnick to be on a completely different level from other guitar players in this genre.
“Perilous Nation” is a plenty-good thrash party, but again this is listed as a CD only bonus track. I just find that amusing on an album released in 1997. The CD ends with two smoking covers: “The Sails of Charon” (Scorpions) and “Draw the Line” (Aerosmith)! We all know Testament are huge Aerosmith fans, since they covered “Nobody’s Fault” earlier. Both are absolutely incredible covers and alone worth the price of the CD. “Draw the Line”, already a manic-fast song, is give a dose of Liquid Schwartz in the ol’ engine. I defy you to refrain from banging your head. What an awesome song to end the CD on, and this review on!
I never forgot this one, but I’ll let my journal tell the story from the perspective of “then”…
Date: 2004/08/12 21:36
Today sucked ass.
First of all, they installed this router at work, so we can’t use anything but the 10 sites they prescribe. Everything else is off limits. So, no more Google at work. Fuckers.
OH! By the way, I’m in a real bad mood.
This girl comes in. Friend of Matt’s. She’s a totally unpleasant human being. She wanted to exchange a Deftones import she bought a month ago. [The CD was Deftones Live (1998) which was pretty rare.] Our exchange policy is seven days, it says so on the receipt. We’ll stretch it to 14 without a hassle, but not over a month, even if you’re the friggin’ Pope.
She gave me a real hard time about this. I’m thinking, “what, you live in Asia? You can’t get here, or even call here, within seven days? You bought a CD you didn’t like, so suck it up. You even previewed it before you bought it (don’t think I forgot that tried it out, at length, in the store beforehand), and you still bought it. THEN you decided you didn’t like it. Fuck you.” That’s what I’m thinking. What I’m saying is something completely different, about how I can’t really accept a return after this length of time under these circumstances.
She said, “Do you treat everyone this way?”
Yes, I treat everyone the same: by the fucking rules. I don’t give anyone special treatment, especially when they try to push me around, like you are doing.
You know, I’m getting so pissed, I can’t even finish.
I can finish now, though. I remember the very next thing she said was, “When is Matt working?” In other words, I’ll return this CD when my friend is working, not you. I explained to her that Matt wouldn’t exchange the CD, because I was Matt’s boss. She was with her mom, and even her mom told her to drop it and accept the situation.
I also remember that she never came in again, which in my view was a good thing. She rarely bought anything that she didn’t return, and she made us run around like chickens with our heads cut off, serving her Royal Majesty. Yeah, I didn’t miss her at all. In fact I even pre-emptively went to my bosses and said, “If you get a phone call complaining about me, this is what happened.” I explained what I did and why I did it and for once, they actually took my side.
Her Royal Majesty was just reason #10,137 for me to move on from retail.
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