This One Goes to Eleven :: Rock and Metal playlist :: Episode 5 :: 27 July 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if it's your first time. This playlist, which is akin to an hour-long radio programme, consists of proper solid rock and metal, new and old. Centring around NWOBHM / MWOTHM  extending to thrash, symphonic, hard / heavy rock, southern and possibly tentatively exploring other areas too.  Do make requests in the comments.

There are a few weekly episodes available now, and you can find them by exploring this blog's previous posts.

Below is the Spotify playlist (I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full). Below that are my notes from this episode.

- Shirley Knott

In case the embedded player below doesn't work, here's a link.



Lies Are a Business by Dee Snider from For the Love of Metal (2018)  My ears have been looking forward to this one. I believe that a band is as good as its current material and I love it when classic acts put out solid new material rather than just going out and playing their old hits.

Gasoline and Ice Cold Gin by Evil Maquerade from The Digital Crucifix (2014) A lively Scandinavian metal band.

Avec Vous by Vulcain from V8 (2013) A band I discovered recently on BandCamp. This isn't from their most recent album but it's one that I particularly liked.

Fallen Brother by Kreator from Gods of Violence (2017)  A band that goes way back into the history of thrash metal, and once again they're putting out their best material ever.

Shining Perpetuity by Ultra-Violence from Operation Misdirection (2018)  Again one of this week's new releases. A new one on me but this is their third full-length. They seem to have an unhealthy interest in Clockwork Orange....

Upon the Knee by Chris Caffery from Jester's Court (2018)  Chris is a guitarist from the huge rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Red and White by Derdian from DNA (2018)  I think there's a serious concept going down here and some progressive power metal. This is a stand-out album and will make my list of best albums of the year.

F*cking Robots by Michael Romeo from War of the Worlds pt 1 (2018)  Another concept album. Without having dug too deeply yet, it seems to be based on the Wells novel, and I'm sure I heard a nod to Jeff Wayne's classic album in there. This track had me at the title, and I love the sound effects.

Hot for Teacher by Van Halen from 1984 (1984) From the sublime to the ridiculous. The Dee Snider album put me in an 80s frame of mind and this is the track that floated to the top of the tank when I gave it a stir.

Queen of Swords by Seven Thorns from II (2014) I don't know very much about the band but I like the sound. Scandinavian, unsurprisingly.

Life Finds a Way by Helion Prime from Helion Prime (2016) I really like this album. Since it was made they've changed their singer and I've been eagerly awaiting the next (still waiting).

Here Again by Rush from Rush (1974)  Proper old rock from a band that are still putting out quality material (I almost included a track from Clockwork Angels, and will do in a future playlist.)

Holy Diver by Dio from Holy Diver (1983)  Finishing with a song from my heyday and one of the finest singers in rock ever. This particular track is a classic but doesn't really show off his talent for lyric writing.
SaveSave

This One Goes to Eleven :: Episode 4 :: 22 July 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if it's your first time. The list consists of proper solid rock and metal, new and old. Centring around NWOBHM / MWOTHM  extending to thrash, symphonic, hard / heavy rock, southern and possibly tentatively exploring other areas too.  Do make requests in the comments.

Below is the Spotify playlist (I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full). No notes this time because I'm on holiday.

- Shirley Knott

(In case the embed isn't working, the playlist is here)

This One Goes to Eleven :: Episode 3 :: 13 July 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if you didn't see last week's playlist. (It's here if you want to hear it). The list consists of proper solid rock and metal, new and old. Centring around NWOBHM / MWOTHM  extending to thrash, symphonic, hard / heavy rock, southern and possibly tentatively exploring other areas too.  Do make requests in the comments, but if it has 'core' in the genre or is too black or doomy or detuned it's unlikely to move me too much.

First is the Spotify playlist (I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full) scroll down further for my notes if you care about what I think.

- Shirley Knott

(In case the embed isn't working, the playlist is here)


Evil Metal Obsession and Night Adventures in a Desecrated Church by Humanash from Reborn from the Ashes (2017)  The first track is an intro, so I've included the next track too. This album was a Bandcamp purchase, and I'm delighted to discover it here on Spotify too so that I can share it. The Italian accent adds a seductive quality to the horror, don't you think?

A Dangerous Meeting by Mercyful Fate from Don't Break the Oath (1984) Keeping with the horror / black theme, this is from an all-time classic album. If you like the King's very distinctive style, try Portrait and Attic, both of whom are doing original work based on Mercyful Fate's style.

Sentenced to Life by Meliah Rage from Idol Hands (2018) an excellent new album. (We had a track from an early album included last time.) If this appeals then you'll like Iced Earth.

The Sentinel by Judas Priest from Defenders of the Faith (1984)  Back to genuine classic stuff. Not the best-known Priest track but one of my favourites.

Rip it Up by Midnite Hellion from Condemned to Hell (2017)  A recent release from a New Jersey band that sounds very classic.

When the Moon Shines by Chariot from The Warrior (1984)  The band appeared on a show called ECT, check it out. The quality of the sound and video suck on that video but it was probably recorded on VHS tape at the time. All the same you have to agree that the live performance has has something that the studio recording doesn't quite capture.

Ready for Rock by Nozomu Wakai's Destina from Metal Souls (2018)  How does Ronnie Romero find time for all the projects he's involved with? Here he's working with Guitar widdler Nozomu Wakai

This is Vengeance by Ross the Boss from By Blood Sworn (2018)  Ross the Boss (guitarist, Manowar) is keeping 'true metal' alive by playing Manowar classics and new material with his current eponymous band. This album is recently-released and it's difficult to select one track, so if you like it, have a listen to the whole album.   Ross received the Hall Of Heavy Metal History Global Metal Ambassador award at Wacken last year.

Primate  by Dog Fashion Disco from Experiments in Embryos (2018)  Very experimental music. This kind of genre-muddling makes me smile. I thought only Electric Six could do it well.

Black Widow of La Porte by John 5 and the Creatures from The Devil Knows My Name (2007)  Again inspired by the horror theme, John 5 has played and written with other bands as well as making many instrumental solo albums.  BW has been made famous by Guitar Hero and its technical difficulty but is a great track nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Back In the Garage by Graham Bonnet Band from Meanwhile, Back In the Garage (2018)  Album is released today as I write this list. It's a shame he only had a short time with Michael Schenker because that would have been quite a combo but he's making up for that by recording and touring with current project Michael Schenker Fest who I hope to see in November.  Rainbow's Down to Earth was a high point in his career, but he's been putting out consistently quality tunes and that powerful voice still rocks at age 70.

Killed by Death by Motörhead from No Remorse (1984) This compilation album (which came in a leather cover no less) contained four new studio recordings, this is one of them and my favourite Motorhead track.

Still Loving You by Scorpions from Love At First Sting (1984) It's the perfect time for a ballad. Heavy metal bands do them well and Scorpions do them particularly well. Rather annoyingly the later 'Wind of Change' became a huge commercial hit, but IMHO it wasn't a patch on some of their earlier ballads, including this one which holds particularly special memories for me. They've re-recorded this track, but I don't think it improves the original version.

Skeleton Swing by Deathless Legacy from The Gathering (2016) A fun closer from a horror / theatrical metal band.

This One Goes to Eleven :: Episode 2 :: 6 July 2018

Welcome back, or just welcome if you didn't see last week's playlist. (It's here if you want to hear it). It consists of proper solid rock and metal, new and old. Centring around NWOBHM / MWOTHM  extending to thrash, symphonic, hard / heavy rock, southern and possibly tentatively exploring other areas too.  Do make requests in the comments, but if it has 'core' in the genre or is too black or doomy or detuned it's unlikely to move me too much.

First is the Spotify playlist (I think you have to click through to the Spotify app to listen to the songs in full) scroll down further for my notes.

- Shirley Knott

Koolaid by Accept from Rise of Chaos (2017) I'm much more of a fan of the Mark Tornillo Accept than the Udo era, and their performance at Wacken last year was legendary. As if the new material isn't great enough, they were joined in the middle by an orchestra to perform some of Wolf Hoffman's classical / rock mashups.

Lightning Strike by Judas Priest from Firepower (2018) Priest have been consistently good through the decades but Firepower was nevertheless a particularly exciting release.

Black Metal by Venom from Black Metal (1982) The time was the early 80's. Vocalists weren't generally growling and the Venom formula also included Satan and a bit of anarchy. All players are still playing but we now have one of those situations where the band splits and both halves want to keep using the name. So now we have Cronos still putting out albums as Venom, and Mantas & Abaddon working under the name Venom Inc. And it's all good. This song popped up recently on random play in the car to remind me how good it was.

Kraid's Lair by Powerglove from Continue  (2018)  Guitar-based instrumental metal based on video game themes.

Slither by Velvet Revolver from Contraband (2004) Slash, Duff and Matt from Guns and Roses with Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots, a great combination, though I don't think the later Slash / Myles Kennedy combo can be beaten.

Awful Fellow by Hound from Settle Your Scores (2018) classic rock / stoner but with huge balls. As is often the case, the last track on an album is the maverick.

Copperhead Road by DevilDriver from Outlaws Till The End Vol 1 (2018) Brand new release, bizarrely an album of metal covers of country songs which makes for something maybe a little more melodic than you'd expect from DD (only a little) but surprisingly good.

Deja Vu by Monument from Hellhound (2018) A British band that have somehow got away with writing songs that often sound just like that Maiden track that you just can't quite place. That's something I respect much more than if they'd taken the 'tribute band' route. They acknowledge the influence on their recent album with this cover from the (not very classic) '86 Maiden album Somewhere in Time. 

Darkside of Aquarius by (the real) Bruce Dickinson from Scream for me Sarajevo (2018) I have to acknowledge this album although I'm not a huge fan of it. It seems that if you give a singer a free hand, you get something quite ponderous. I read that before his departure from Maiden, Bruce had wanted to take the band in a more acoustic direction which led to tension, and although the softer stuff isn't too prominent in  his solo albums, it seems to be the direction he felt more appropriate for this historic concert in besieged Sarajevo. This is one of louder tracks.

S.A.T.O by Ozzy Osbourne from Diary of a Madman (1981)  As far as Ozzy's solo career goes, I think the first two 'Blizzard of Ozz' albums featuring Randy Rhoads were the height of his powers. (thanks in large part to the creativity of Randy, who sadly died after these two albums). Each album features an epic track verging into classical territory (Revelation Mother Earth on Blizzard of Ozz and the title track of Diary of a Madman). S.A.T.O is from 'Diary' and bonus points for anyone who knows what it stands for.

Eternal Rest by Hidden Intent from Fear, Prey, Demise (2018)  Brand new groovy thrash release from Aussie three-piece. From their second full-length album.

In Hell by Defiatory from Hades Rising (2018)  A recent Bandcamp discovery, proper old-school thrash, second album by Swedish band.

Win Hands Down by Armoured Saint from Win Hands Down (2015)  A recent album from an 80's band.

Instrumental, Meliah Rage by Meliah Rage from Kill to Survive (1988) a quality debut full-length from the band, listed incorrectly on Spotify as a 2018 release) A real Metallica / Megadeth influence here. If you like those bands, give the rest of Kill To Survive a listen. The track I've chosen here is an instrumental but it's worthwhile hearing some of the vocal tracks from the album too.