I cannot express how obsessed I am with the Salem Witch Trials period of American history. I love reading books about Salem, both historical and fictional accounts. Visiting Salem on Halloween was on my bucket list (checked it off years ago!) and I randomly quote lines from Arthur Miller's The Crucible. So to see Saxon made a lyric video for their new song "Witches of Salem" I was sold.
The song is on Saxon's new album Hell, Fire and Damnation which is out now. The band also started their American tour last night. Clips are appearing on YouTube!
The other day I posted that Nikki Sixx was teasing something... now we know it is a new song from Motley Crue called "Dogs of War." The track is out this Friday.
Several months back, Motley Crue did a secret show and billed themselves as the Dogs of War, so it isn't a surprise to learn we are getting a track from that name as well. Friday will be interesting.
Ozzy Osbourne as a solo artist (he's already in as a member of Black Sabbath), Foreigner, Peter Frampton and Cher are highlights from this class for me. It took Foreigner 22 years to get in - but they finally did! Lots of artists in this class had to wait a long time for the recognition. Glad to see some oversights corrected here.
KISS superstar Gene Simmons will be the guest mentor on American Idol tonight. I'm not sure what he is going to tell the contestants about singing exactly - but he will probably have some good advice on making performances more exciting. Yes, I still watch American Idol. Looking forward to tonight's episode!
Happy Record Store Day! Today's post is from our friend HIM.
In previous posts, I have made a case for why, after so many years of great music, Priest have been placed in the shadows of another classic British band, Iron Maiden. This post is not about that (though, perhaps, it has some bearing on what I am writing).
I stumbled across these (not great quality) videos on another site. And I started to think: “How do I feel about hearing these songs played this way, today?” Keep in mind, I have seen Priest over half a dozen times. I have seen them blow other bands off the stage. I have seen them when Halford could barely move and could hardly muster the strength to suggest he was/is the Metal God. I’ve seen them in outdoor amphitheaters and smaller venues. I love Priest, even if I don’t really get into the newer material for a host of reasons.
These three songs—two for what I consider their “classic period” and one from the point where they were moving in a different direction—are all songs I love. The first two? When I initially heard them, I was floored. And I mean floored! The first song is just a straight-ahead monster of spit and venom directed at the fairer sex. Classic metal. The second song shows just how much Priest were able to blend different textures into their music when they were firing on all cylinders (compare it to “The Rage” and you will see what I mean). The third song was them moving into an aggressive revamp that certainly suggests them moving towards some trends at the time. But, boy oh boy, what a take on those trends! I still recall listening to this on my Walkman as I was walking around Yugoslavia (yeah, when it still existed) and just smiling at my luck to be there, listening to this song.
That is a roundabout way of saying I am not making any judgement in asking you what you make of these songs played this way nowadays. I have my own opinions, and I now infrequently offer them. But this post is about asking you how you feel about the following:
Devil's Child
Victim of Changes:
Painkiller:
To be clear, I am glad that Priest are still around. More than happy (and also glad that KK is making his music for those who want to hear it). But I would love to hear your thoughts.
Is new Motley Crue music on the way? More tour dates?
Then this was apparently on YouTube for a hot minute last night... but I can't find any reference to it now. I guess this is how we get music news these days. Through cryptic messages and "mistake" posts.
The other day I shared some news about the festival called Stadium Rock 80s. There was a teaser for more bands. I guessed the headliner to be Queensryche and I was right! The fest takes place August 3 and 4 in Louisville, Kentucky. Tickets on sale now. And yes, this looks like a great party!
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 11:27AM