Towelie

30 minutes ago, Powerage5 said:

Yeah, a little cheaper even if you go with a strict conversion - not sure what EU sites are charging. But when you consider the insane amount of money these albums fetch online (The median price on my pressing of Headless Cross is $118 for example) it’s not bad at all if you just want to own some version of these albums on vinyl. 

Not to mention these kind of boxsets usually love to inflate the cost by adding a bunch of unnecessary tat nobody wants. *ahem GNR *ahem

Kudos to Tony I for keeping it affordable for the fans.

1 hour ago, Powerage5 said:

The prices on Rhino are $59 for the CD set, $99 for the LP set. Could be worse. 

€99 for 4 LPs? I was expecting this to be around £200 at least.

Wish they'd just sell the 4 vinyls separately. Get a bit sick of paying a hundred quid more for it to come in a fancy box with a book and a bunch of tat. 

Anyone know what the price is going to be for the LP edition?

2 hours ago, tboneman said:

Probably not. Here's what Iommi said about the remix: “I was never happy with the guitar sound, and Cozy was definitely never happy with the drum sound… So, I thought it would be nice to do it for him in a way.” He adds, “I just felt that, without changing any of the songs, there was an opportunity to go back and bring out some of the sounds and make it more what people would expect Sabbath to sound like.”

 

https://www.iommi.com/2024/03/anno-domini-1989-1995/

Well, I know Martin was also not happy with his vocals, so, to that end, it would make sense if he'd recorded some. I guess we'll have to wait and see....

I wonder if Tony Martin rerecorded his vocals for Forbidden remix?

Was holding off on tickets to see them next week depending how much I enjoyed the album. Suffice to say, I've booked it now. First time seeing the Priest despite getting into them a good 15yrs ago. Can't wait!

Really enjoying Giants In The Sky now.

Gotta say, after some more listens, it's definitely grown on me. I really tried with Firepower but something about it always left me cold. I'm enjoying Invincible Shield much more.

On 3/8/2024 at 6:01 PM, Cosmo said:

Listened to the album over 3 times by now. This is how I feel so far:

 

1- Panic Attack: This song is just fucking amazing. It encapsulates everything I love about Judas Priest in 5:30 minutes. This is 10/10. Fuck it.

2- The Serpent and the King: Very good, love the pre-chorus. A bit weaker than Panic Attack, though. 8/10.

3- Invincible Shield:  Amazing. Love the chorus. The guitar harmony at the end is top tier Priest. 9/10.

4- Devil in Disguise: Not as good as the first three, still solid though. 6/10.

5- Gates of Hell: Fuck this album. It's too epic to be true. This track makes the hair in my arms stand up. 10/10

6- Crown of Horns: Maybe the weakest one so far. 5/10.

7- As God Is My Witness: Another solid one. Amazing drumming, very Painkiller-y. 7/10.

8- Trial By Fire: Love this. I know many didn't like it that much as a single, but I really enjoy it. 8/10

9- Escape From Reality: Mid-tempo Judas. Love the chorus. Love this one. 9/10.

10- Sons of Thunder: Cool, but nothing to write home about. 5/10

11- Giants in the Sky: Love it. Great homage to dead rockers. 9/10.

12- Fight of Your Life: It's okay. Not as cool as most of the material here 5/10.

13- Vicious Circle: Pretty cool track, short and sweet. 6/10.

14- The Lodger: Meh. Not a huge fan. 3/10.

 

Overall score: 7/10

Not sure if I prefer this to Firepower but, considering Firepower is, IMO, the single strongest new album put out by a veteran band like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth and even Black Sabbath, this is already pretty amazing. Judas Priest is killing it. These two albums are EASILY their best since Painkiller. I mean, EASILY. These guys are one fire. If this is their last album, it will be the best final album by a band since Rush's Clockwork Angels, IMO.

Okay, I've given it 3 listens too.

Here's my take:

Panic Attack - Completely agree with everything you said. The best opening track on a Priest album since Painkiller - it's really that good. 10

The Serpent & The King - Solid track #2. I don't see it as weaker than Panic Attack, as it's a totally different kind of track. I wasn't a huge Firepower fan except for 2-3 tracks, but Panic Attack and TS&TK alone are better than anything on that album imo. 9

Invincible Shield - One of the best on the album - sounds like a cousin to Panic Attack. Chorus reminds me a bit of Redeemer of Souls, but overall this song has way more bite to it. And yes, the outro is classic Priest. Great track. 9

Devil In Disguise - Sounds very 80s Priest to me. I especially like the riffing on the pre-chorus. The chorus isn't the best, but kinda fun if a little throwaway. 5

Gates of Hell - Fans seem to really dig this from what I've read so far, but it hasn't really grabbed me tbh. Chorus is good I suppose, but it doesn't move me much. 6

Crown Of Horns - This has been a grower for me. I wasn't keen at first, but it sounds better with repeated listens. A bit MOR, but not everything has to be Panic Attack. 7

As God Is My Witness - Very Painkiller-esque. Great energy, cool solo, I like this. 7

Trial By Fire - An obvious single choice, very catchy. A bit "safe", but hard not to enjoy. 7

Escape From Reality - This is good. Great main riff. The middle-eight section sounds just like Ozzy Osbourne - seriously if you'd have played me just that part, I would've said it was Ozzy singing, not Rob. 8

Sons of Thunder - Has a good energy. Verses sound like they have potential but the chorus isn't great. 5

Giants In The Sky - I like the sentiment and Rob's big powerful vocals at the end are cool. Love the Spanish guitar licks and Rob's melody lines throughout. 8

Fight of Your Life - I like this, it isn't amazing or anything, but I love Rob's vocal delivery in the verses - I love it when he uses that tone. Reminds me a bit of the way he sings Deal With The Devil from Angel of Retribution. Solid chorus too. 6.5

Vicious Circle - Sound very "bonus track" quality to me. Unremarkable. 3

The Lodger - I really like this, if only for the fact that it sounds totally different to anything they've done recently. I also like it when Priest embrace storytelling in their songs, but then I was one of the few fans who thought Nostradamus was a masterpiece.... 8

Overall - Decent, but it'd be stronger as a 10 track album as the second half really doesn't live up to the first half. If only the rest of the album lived up to the opening three tracks. I gotta say, I miss KK. I may be in the minority here, but albums like Angel of Retribution and the criminally-underrated Nostradamus pack far more of a punch to my ears than any of the post-KK albums have. Having said that, I do prefer Invincible Shield quite significantly to Firepower. I would put it perhaps on a level with Redeemers - 3 or so fantastic songs, a bunch of solid ones and a few duds. For me, Firepower was just middling beginning to end, not bad, but nothing spectacular (Traitors Gate raised a pulse, but that was the only one, really). My main gripe is that it all sounds very "safe" to me - I feel like they really pushed themselves on Nostradamus to do something different and progressive and because some narrow-minded 80s metalheads wet their panties, the band have been playing it safe ever since. I know they never will, but they really should give KK a call. 

Anyone else digging the sound of Ron's other band Whom God Destroys? 

6 hours ago, Jakey Styley said:

This EP is stupidly good for a metal band this old

 

It literally holds up to their best stuff lol

Crown of Horns and Trial By Fire are quite average.

Panic Attack is a great one and Serpent & The King is quite good.

22 minutes ago, betterman said:

They have been better for each album!

Scott Weiland didnt really fit on their more metal tracks, but was good on their melodic songs. The Scott Stapp album was too much radio rock I think and now it s a more progressive metal album and Jeff Scott Soto can sing it all - great album

I loved the Weiland album, although I know what you mean about the more metal tracks. But stuff like Get On Down, Till The Dust Is Gone and Aqualung are some of my favourite rock tracks of the 00s.

The Stapp album was decent, but a tad generic radio-rock. 

The new album really feels like they've found their forever singer. It really pays to give it multiple listens as the songs just get better and better.

New album is a real grower.

Rivals sounds like something I could imagine Contraband-era Velvet Revolver doing:

14 hours ago, ShadowOfTheWave said:

Don't care for it at all, trite lyrics and bland melodies. Only really liked the second album. Stapp is probably the best singer and songwriter from the post grunge genre (incredibly low bar, I know) and I thought The Madness was more consistent than any Creed album. Don't recall the Weiland album that much, might go back and listen again at some point.

Each to their own - the Scott Stapp album was actually my least favourite of their three releases. Something about Stapp's voice just irks me. 

Weiland's album with AOA was a masterpiece imo. 

ART OF ANARCHY – ROCKS MOST UNDERRATED BAND RISE FROM THE ASHES WITH STUNNING NEW RECORD

Review by M. Dodwell

Rock titans Art of Anarchy are back with their third album “Let There Be Anarchy”, released yesterday via Pavement Music. Featuring the talents of former Guns N Roses/Sons of Apollo guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and ex-Yngwie Malmsteen/Sons of Apollo vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, the band have defied all odds and shown their resilience as a creative unit with this stunning collection of hard rock/metal tracks with an apocalyptic twist.

Much has been said about the drama surrounding the rock supergroup and their troubled history with big-name rock frontmen, and frankly, it’s all been said before ad nauseam and there are far more interesting things to discuss when it comes to this band.

Lead single “Vilified” dropped out of the blue in September 2023 and for those familiar with the bands signature sound established on 2015’s self-titled debut and 2017’s “The Madness”, it was clearly apparent the line-up change had only invigorated the five-piece, managing to sound both hauntingly melodic and progressive at the same time.

The record opens in typically-dramatic fashion with the epic “Die Hard” firing on all cylinders. Featuring perhaps the most straight-forward metal riffage in their canon, it is clear from the offset that the band aren’t interested in resting on their hard-rock laurels. “Echo Your Madness” is next, and is an obvious choice for third single, perhaps being the most radio-friendly of the bunch, which is not to say it doesn’t rock hard. Siren-esque guitar wails open the track, followed by an understated verse, before launching into not one, but two memorable choruses.

New vocalist Jeff Scott Soto fits the band like a glove and it’s hard not to feel excited by the prospect that these talented musicans may have found their forever-frontman in Soto. His knack for infectious, hook-laden choruses can be found all over this album, as can be heard on “Rivals”, which is perhaps the most reminiscent of the hard-rock stylings from 2017’s Scott Stapp-fronted “The Madness”.

Other highlights include dark-power ballad “Writing On The Wall”, the anthemic stadium-rock of “Dying Days”, the surprisingly unrelenting “Blind Man’s Victory” and the Sabbath-esque album closer “Disarray.” There are few bands in 2024 who rock as hard and enthusiastically as Art of Anarchy and with the release of “Let There Be Anarchy”, it is high time we paid these virtuosic rockers their flowers.

26 minutes ago, ToonGuns said:

Sons of Apollo was a very good band and that was one of a few downsides of Portnoy rejoining Dream Theater. This sounds better than the Scott album so will check it out more. I like Jeff Scott Soto. The first few Art of Anarchy albums though sounded like excellent singer and guitarist with a bum backing band. Possibly harsh but I never could get into it.

The debut with Weiland is a fantastic record, front to back. The Votta twins are really underrated songwriters imo. The second album was a bit of a let down, but this ones far stronger.

4 minutes ago, JimiRose said:

I like every song on CD except Riad which just sounds like a jumbled mess. Absurd and general are ok and perhaps and hardskool are best, if hardskool is mixed harshly to the ear. 

1. There Was A Time

2. This I Love

3. Monsters

4. Madagascar

5. Prostitute

The rest all pretty equal but these are the 5 standouts we have heard. They're all so different to everything original GnR was, didn't compete with appetite at all, and thats when NuGnR were at their best. Over the top grandiosity and Axl Vocals out of this world 

C'mon now, you know Better belongs in that top 5 too!

1. Better

2. Catcher In The Rye

3. Shacklers Revenge

4. TWAT

5. Oh My God

6. This I Love

7. Prostitute

8. The General

9. ABSURD

10. Perhaps

11. Street of Dreams

12. Chinese Democracy

13. Hard Skool

14. Madagascar

15. Riad & The Bedouins

16. IRS

17. If The World

18. Scraped

19.  Sorry

This dropped yesterday. 

Jeff Scott Sotto seems like a good fit - hopefully these guys have found their forever singer.

6 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 I still don't think The General would've been strong enough to replace anything on CD.

You seriously think Scraped and If The World are better songs than The General? They're really really not.

5 hours ago, Axls_Moustache_Rules said:

 

 

 

He's so mid it's not even funny

I liked his L0tus fl0w3r song, that wasn't anything special.

Link me a single song that will change my mind. A single song. Avg singer, avg lyricist.

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

Ha....if anything...underrated (by the mainstream) until post death...

Yeah, it always makes me laugh when people say Prince is overrated. Like, seriously, say you don't have a clue without actually saying it.