Metal Overview: W.A.S.P. (Part 2)

Welcome back to the swarm of W.A.S.P. fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Last week we examined their origins in the 1980s. The time where they were their most hairiest, their bloodiest, and their most shocking. Now it was the 1990s: it’s a brand new musical landscape, and Hair Metal was no longer one of the big metallic forces that held the torch up high. However, Blackie Lawless was not a man that sat down in his chair, defeated that his way of music was no longer. He was a guy that pushed on in his own unique way, and because of that the 90s might be the band’s most unique output. Let’s not waste anymore time, and see what they made!

The Crimson Idol (1992)

After The Headless Children, it wasn’t exactly a good time for W.A.S.P.. After Chris Holmes left the band, the group was effectively broken up, and Blackie went on a short lived solo run. Blackie was originally going to be the T-1000 in Terminator 2, but was later replaced by Robert Patrick after Arnold Schwarzenegger deemed Lawless "too tall". After being rejected for the roll, he got to work on his solo album, but due to pressure from promoters and the fans, he released it as a W.A.S.P. album. Thus, in 1992 in Europe & Japan (June 27th & August 1st respectively), and in 1993 (May the 24th) in the states, The Crimson Idol was released. A concept album, The Crimson Idol tells the tale of the rise and fall of a fictional rock star named Jonathan Steel. The reasoning for this rather bleak theme was due to Blackie desire to “Warn” potential bands of the system that is the record industry, and while I think that’s a good idea in theory.....in reality it’s a bit of a crapshoot, but more on that a little later.

Reviews for The Crimson Idol are generally pretty positive. Over on MetalArchives scores are in the 90s to 100, which is incredibly impressive. Metal elitest & Trump fellator Razorfist calls this one of the most essential concept albums in metal period, and Greg Prato at AllMusic gave The Crimson Idol three stars out of five, calling it "essentially a Blackie Lawless solo album" and noting "The Invisible Boy", "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" and "I Am One" as highlights. Ironically, many critics felt at the time (and some still today) that The Crimson Idol is W.A.S.P.’s best output, and while I don’t agree with that mentality, it’s sure as hell one of the best!

Best Track? Gotta give it to good ole Chainsaw Charlie as the best track of the album! Just hearing the saw rev up at the start just send chills up my spine, and is a sign that this guy is not to be messed with. Then once the instrumentation starts, you’re in for quite the ride, as Blackie goes through the motions of this crooked music president doing everything he can to get young Jonathon to sign to his record label. Even with that said, the pacing & rhythm are oddly hypnotic, and it somehow draws you into the dark world that Blackie has created.....for a moment at least.

Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)

Worst Track? While an undeniably awesome album, filled with some of the best Heavy Metal the 90s can provide......The Crimson Idol tries waaaaaay to hard to be shocking & in your face. With the prior 4 albums, the shock factor came in naturally. With this? As well meaning as Blackie was with the message, he wound up unintentionally crafting what is quite possibly one of the single most pretentious albums in all of 90s Heavy Metal. The vibes of this release are so artificially dark, they almost come across like the kind of art-house bleakness you can only find in artsy movies from the 70s & 80s (Won’t name which ones). It’s incredibly frustrating, as there’s not a single awful song on here, and the overall experience is fantastic!

My only other gripe has to do with the story. Like I said above, Blackie crafted a pretty damn good tale of the rise & fall of a tragic character. The only part that infuriates me is when Jonathon decides to call his parents, only to be almost immediately rejected by his folks. I hate to break it to you Jonathan, but when parents play favorites, they almost never change their minds. I had this happen on my Dad’s side of the family, so I know what that’s like a little. Not only that, but does Blackie assume that so many young musicians go out into the world because they didn’t get enough love at home? Cause if that’s the case, they perhaps he was going for something more in the pretentious direction.....or maybe not.

The Crimson Idol. Egotistical? Sure! Up it’s own ass? Definitely! A 90s metal masterpiece that deserves all the praise it gets? Indeed! If you can get past the waves of pretentiousness that come off of this record, then you’re in for a real treat. However, as great as this release is......it’s not as impressive as the album that’s coming next.

Still Not Black Enough (1995)

What Dark Side Of The Spoon was to Ministry, and World Coming Down was to Type-O Negative, Still Not Black Enough is to W.A.S.P.. Released in June of 1995 in Japan & August of 1996 in the United States, Still Not Black Enough is perhaps the most personal album to date in the band’s career. Foregoing a story format like their previous record, this one is more of a collection of tracks about Blackie Lawless’s personal life, with tracks about the death of his mother and issues he was going through after the world tour for The Crimson Idol. Like their 1992 classic, this was originally going to be a solo album, but because of how heavy the subject matter was, that idea was scrapped. As to what I think? I love it! Still Not Black Enough to me is the W.A.S.P. equivalent of Tapping The Vein: Not just the best representative of the band’s time in the 90s, but might very well be the best material they’ve ever made. It does have one big issue hampering it’s greatness (More on that below), but suffice it to say it’s in regular rotation on my CD player.

Best Track? Like I said in my review last year, the title track is the best damn thing on this album! It pulls you into the pain & torment of what Blackie was feeling at the time. He might be a jackass nowadays, and his ego is through the roof more so than prior decades, but back in the 80s and 90s, he was perhaps a more humble & vulnerable man. Just listening to even the first few lyrics, you can tell that the pain he was feeling back then was excruciating. The guitar work plays like thunder, the drumwork comes down hard like a rainstorm, and Blackie’s singing is just heartbreaking (In a good way). Again, it’s the best representative of the album, and it’ll get you interested in everything else.

Still Not Black Enough

Worst Track? Again, the only bad thing going for Still Not Black Enough would be it’s obscurity. In comparison to The Crimson Idol and the next 2 records, you ask a W.A.S.P. to name a release from the 90s, rarely will any of them say this one. It’s a crying shame, as this one deserves just as much time in the spotlight as every other release the band has ever done. I’ll say it right here and now: Still Not Black Enough deserves an anniversary remaster & world tour just as much as The Crimson Idol. Hell, I’d even be happy with just a remaster, as the world needs to hear how good this record is.

Still Not Black Enough. Obscure to the 10th degree, but at the same time is perhaps the strongest album they’ve ever made. If you can actually find a physical copy or a video on youtube, give it a go. Hell, if you find a download link, try that also. Next album!

Kill Fuck Die (1997)

Nasty. Awful. Uncomfortable. Gory. Those are just some of the words to describe W.A.S.P. 1997 release, Kill Fuck Die. Released on April the 29th of that year, Kill Fuck Die is a personal record like their obscure 1995 classic, but this one delves into relationships.....and not in a good way. Around the mid 90s, Blackie Lawless was going through a pretty awful breakup, and this left him incredibly bitter & resentful. He was not alone in this state of mind, as former guitarist Chris Holmes rejoined the band, and he went through a nasty divorce with his 2nd wife Lita Ford a few years prior, & was pretty bitter as well. With such a maelstrom of pain & rage, you know that the two of them would crankout what is perhaps W.A.S.P.’s most over-the-top, shocking, and possibly offensive album to date. It’s also the first and only time that the band ever incorporated any Industrial element into their music, and the end result is an intriguing release. I’m not fond of this record because of how mean-spirited it is, but at the same time I respect it for trying something outside of their comfort zone. It’s not perfect, but it’s interesting at times.
    
Best Track? Pretty much like Still Not Black Enough, the title track is the best thing on here. There’s a really dare allure to the who song, as the instrumentation plays at a fast yet highly rhythmic pace that never falls onto the pavement in anyway. Blackie’s voice is raspy but pretty easy to understand, and while the industrial aspect isn’t used to it’s fullest potential (More on that in a sec), when it kicks in......it kicks in hard!

Kill Fuck Die

Worst Track? Despite the album going in a more industrial direction, Kill Fuck Die seems to just play with the industrial aspects rather than fully implement it. Maybe it was too bizarre for Blackie Lawless & company, or perhaps it conflicted with the traditional metal style, but it’s agonizing at the potential W.A.S.P. squanders. Still, when it actually does work, it’s damn good!

Kill Fuck Die. Incredibly uncomfortable to listen to, but if you’ve put on the right body armor, it’s definitely a dark & interesting experience. Recommended to those who’ve gone through an awful breakup without hesitation. Next album!

Helldorado (1999)

For those who’re drained by the darker nature of W.A.S.P.’s output in the 90s, then Helldorado is a massive breath of fresh air! Released on May the 18th, 1999, the band’s final release of the decade saw them return to the wild & crazy roots of their 80s repute. Gone are the dark themes of the past 3 albums, and instead the music is about drugs, booze, women, sex......the works! Also like their 80s output, Helldorado isn’t ashamed in the least about what’s in the music. Not only that, but if word of mouth is to be believed, then the tour for this record was considerably more foul & politically incorrect than the one for Kill Fuck Die, which is a pretty impressive feat if anyone ever saw any footage from that tour. Though Helldorado isn’t one of my big favorites from the 90s, I still give it credit for being a more than necessary palate cleanser for anyone tired of the darkness from prior releases.

Best Track? Don’t Cry (Just Suck) is foul, nasty, dirty, offensive......and I love it! You can tell that Blackie is having a blast singing like his 80s self, what with the lyrical content and all. Even with that factor taken out, the song is just that good. The guitarwork is fantastic, the drumming is thunderous, and the beats & rhythms withing the track are just infectious. Also, if you don’t giggle at least once during this tune.....then something is wrong with you.

Don’t Cry (Just Suck)

Worst Track? Apart from some repetition in regards to the instrumentation, there’s not a single bad song on here. Blackie & the rest of the band feel absolutely refreshed on Helldorado, and they’re having a blast at the same time. Whether physical or downloaded, this fiery beast is certainly worthy of your attention!

And that was part 2 on my look at W.A.S.P.. Quite possibly the most chaotic time for the band, it was also perhaps their most creative as well. However, this decade was perhaps the last time that we would ever see & hear Blackie Lawless at his most wildest, as when the 2000s began, he would go to shock rock badass.....to conservative sellout lameass. So join me next week for part 3, when I’ll be taking a look at what W.A.S.P. would ultimately became. Suffice it to say, I’m not looking forward to it.......well, not looking forward to some of what’s to come at least.



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If you’re curious about my review for Still Not Black Enough, click on the link below to read it:

Still Not Black Enough (Review)

Metal Overview: W.A.S.P. (Part 1)

Welcome back to the awesome conclusion of Hair Metal Hysteria fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

When I started this festival, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do. June would cover some of the founders of the genre, while July would take a look at a band that brought back the music alongside a healthy dose of humor. August was a little bit tricky, as I knew I wanted to do an overview this month, but I didn’t know who I wanted to cover. There were definitely plenty of groups that I could talk about in August, but after looking through my music collection, I spotted a band that immediately threw out all of the other choices I was thinking about out the window with the bathwater. The band in question......is W.A.S.P.

That’s right, W.A.S.P.! Simultaneously a band that was devoted to the ways of Hair Metal yet also implemented a massive dose of shock rock, the group ruffled feathers with their stage show & sexy/bloody theatrics. The targets of the PMRC in the early 80s, they never once backed down from any Bullshit Justice Warrior that got in their face, and instead continued to be one of the hottest groups of the decade. Give how long they’ve been around and their distinct discography, I’ll be splitting things up into 3 posts to look at each time separately. So without further adieu, here’s part one of my look.....at W.A.S.P.!

W.A.S.P. (1984)

Our story begins sometime in 1982, with a tiny LA band by the name of Circus Circus, who were the predecessor of W.A.S.P.. It featured guitarist Randy Piper, and perhaps one of the most iconic leads in the history of Heavy Metal. A little gentlemen by the name.....of Blackie Lawless!

Blackie Lawless (Interview)

Regardless of what you think of the man now, one cannot deny how talented and surprisingly eloquent his way with words was even back in the early 80s. After discovering that the demos he recorded with his older group were actually really good, he decided that the time was right to get a full-fledged band going, and thus the band known as W.A.S.P. was born! Composed of Blackie on Vocals & Bass, Randy Piper on Lead Guitar & Backing Vocals, Tony Richards on Drums & Backing Vocals, and Rik Fox on Bass. However, Rik didn’t last long in the band, as he left shortly afterwards to join Steeler. His replacement came in the form of Don Costa, but he also left shortly after his arrival, and the real full time replacement was Chris Holmes. Upon finally getting a solid group going, they signed a deal with Capital Records, and on August the 17th in 1984, their debut album was released......alongside some issues (More on that below).

W.A.S.P. has some pretty nice accolades attached to it’s name. It managed to reach no. 74 on the Billboard 200, the 1st single & music video (I Wanna Be Somebody) eventually ranked No. 84 on VH1's list of the "Top 100 Hard Rock Songs" of all time, several songs have been covered by other bands, and the track Tormentor has been featured on the soundtrack of at least 2 movies (The Dungeonmaster in 84 & Terror-Vision in 1986). Pretty neat & impressive if you ask me!

Best Track? There are practically a wealth of hair infused shock on this record, but give the reputation of one track in particular, I think you know what’s the best thing on here!

Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)

Despite being a classic tune, it was never put on the original release. Thanks in part to the actions taken by the PMRC (More on that in a moment), the record company decided to leave it off. It would instead appear on the 1998 re-release, along with every other re-release since then. Regardless of this fact, Animal is a fun & energetic song, lathered in a heavy coat of sleaze. Blackie is definitely on top of his game here, and despite the F bomb featured prominently in the title, it’s actually only ever sung twice. That fact alone is one of the weirdest things I ever learned about Heavy Metal.

Worst Track? The only bad thing about W.A.S.P. doesn’t have to do with the music, but rather the PMRC’s action around the time of this album’s release. Headed by Tipper Gore, the PMRC claimed that they were looking out for my country’s children, but in reality were bored & wanted to appear as if they were doing something important (Spoiler alert.....they weren’t!). Because of their actions, W.A.S.P. was placed on the “Filthy 15” list......although, the band did manage to get a little bit of revenge.

Harder Faster

W.A.S.P.. An incredible way to start off a storied career, and an album that’s still phenomenal after nearly 35 years of existence. If you want your Hair Metal more on the wild side, then W.A.S.P. is for you! Speaking of wild side.....

The Last Command (1985)

What do you do when you release a classic record like W.A.S.P.? You create another classic in the form of The Last Command! Released on November the 9th in 1985, the band’s 2nd release was also the first to showcase their newest drummer, Steve Riley. Formerly of Keel, he replaced Tony Richards at the beginning of the 84/85 tour, and while the sound didn’t change, his addition to the band added a subtle kick to the wildness of the group. The Last Command was also significant in that it was one of the highest charting album of their career. By 1986, it would reach no. 47 on the Billboard 200 & sell over one million copies, the 1st of W.A.S.P.’s to do so. Sadly, it would be the last time that Randy Piper would be heard....but that’s for a little later.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between the fantastic Wild Child, and the more slower paced but still great Cries In The Night. The former song opens up this album, and rightly so! This is the anthem for those who live life more dangerously, or at the very least more chaotically. Strangely enough, for a song that feels so wild, the band never sounds like they’re going to slip up into a jumbled mess, and instead go for a more steady/even pace. Cries In The Night, on the other hand, is slower pace, but compensates by being a more serious & emotional tune. This definitely is the ballad of the album, but it’s not a bad one by any means. This is W.A.S.P., after all.

Wild Child

Cries In The Night

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! Unlike their self-titled release the year before, W.A.S.P. didn’t have any mud flung at them by the Bullshit Justice Warriors within the PMRC. Maybe it’s because there weren’t any easy targets to pick, or maybe it’s because they fundamentally succeeded in getting what they want with their original “Moral” crusade, but they didn’t bat an eye at The Last Command.

The Last Command. Fantastic from beginning to end, it served as a step to further advance themselves in the world of 80s Heavy Metal. Most definitely recommended. Next album!

Inside The Electric Circus (1986)

For every fantastic masterpiece, there’s always the album that seems to slip up....if only a little bit, and Inside The Electric Circus is that record. Released in October of 1986, the album came out at a time where the band was having some issues. For starters, the PMRC of course, but also there was the fact that Randy Piper was leaving the band. On the one hand, this let Blackie Lawless return to rhythm guitar, and he more than certainly kick ass with it! On the other hand, critics weren’t exactly fond of this album (Though fans were definitely liking this), as it was often called “7th Grader Rock” by some. Ironically, the biggest critic of Inside The Electric Circus was Blackie himself, who called it “A tired record by a tired band”. Personally, this release is just as good as what came before & after it....but it isn’t quite as strong as those albums. At the same time, it reached no. 60 on the billboard 200, and would stay there for 19 weeks.

Best Track? 9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y. was a track that got me to smile. As per usual, when W.A.S.P. gets dirty/nasty......they get dirty/nasty! Equating a gorgeous woman to a brutal earthquake, Blackie & the boys don’t let up with the instrumentation & vocal work. In particular is Lawless’s work on the guitar, as it sounds like he not uncomfortable with the “New” instrument he took up. If anything, he seems to be at home even more so on rhythm guitar, and he would stay there for pretty much the rest of his career. Aside from that, 9.5-N.A.S.T.Y. is a lot of fun, and one you shouldn’t skip.

(Ironically, it was a bad review of 9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y. that convinced Blackie to take some time off and reconsider the direction the band was going in.)

9.5. N.A.S.T.Y.

Worst Track? Despite Blackie being comfortable in his “New” role, something just seems off on this release. I can’t actually put my finger on it, but something is.....off somehow. It’s incredibly difficult to pin down what, and because of this, Inside The Electric Circus lapses, but it’s so insignificant it seems silly to talk about it. Ironically, it was a bad review of 9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y.

Inside The Electric Circus. A step backward, but despite what Blackie said about this release, it’s a babystep backward. I don’t recommend this one as much as everything else in their 80s output, but that doesn’t mean I never recommend it. Next album!

The Headless Children (1989)

By the end of the 80s, W.A.S.P. was going through some issues. Drummers were changed, but the biggest issue of all was the falling out between Blackie Lawless & Chris Holmes. By 1989, Chris wasn’t fond of Blackie taking W.A.S.P. in a more socially conscious direction, and left in August of that year, citing that he wanted to “have fun, you know”. Lawless was particularly caustic with his response to this, saying “some guys want to stay at home and wear aprons”, hinting at Holmes’s relationship with his 2nd wife Lita Ford (Keep this in mind for part 2 in the middle of this month). However, before the band was ablaze, in April of 1989 (The 15th of that month, to be exact), The Headless Children was released. In comparison to their last three albums, this one didn’t have anything sexual on it. Instead, Blackie Lawless took the music in a more socio-political direction, singing about things like Nuclear Warfare, Systemic Oppression , and all other sorts of things that were popular at the time.

Ironically enough, The Headless Children sold poorly upon it’s initial release. Adding onto the irony, it charted on the Billboard 200 at the no. 48, but it would fall off after just 13 weeks. In a recent interview, Blackie stated that The Headless Children eventually became the band’s highest selling album to date, perhaps because of it’s popularity over the decades.

Best Track? Even before I got into the band, I was always a fan of their cover of the iconic The Who song, The Real Me. Keeping the spirit of the original fully in tact, Blackie & the gang put their own spin on things, and gave it a nice Hair Metal/Shock Rock make over. All throughout the song the band is playing at a frenzied pace, and it almost feels like they’ll go off the rails at any moment. Luckily, there’s always some pull from the guitar or drums that keeps things on track, and thus things never collapse into an unpleasant cacophony of noise. Easily a song I play on repeat!

The Real Me

Worst Track? There’s absolutely nothing bad on The Headless Children! Every single song is fantastic, and none of them are skippable. Even the shorter tracks (Of which there are only 1 on the original release, and 3 on the remaster) have punch to them, so it’s silly to skip them as well. My only gripe comes with the nature of this release. Now, I’ve got nothing against a band wanting to make an album that’s more socio-political, and W.A.S.P. are no exception. However, it seems like Blackie went in that direction to get away from the raunchier material off of their first 3 records, and tries to wipe his hands clean of that stuff. This would become especially apparent in his work in the 2000s (More on that later this month), but in 1989 it merely seems like a pitstop more than anything else.

The Headless Children. Maybe a bit different in terms of subject matter, but not different in terms of style. If you weren’t fond of the band more risque material from the 80s, this definitely scratches that itch!

And that was part 1 of my look at W.A.S.P.. An absolute terror among more politically correct/conservative in the 1980s, their unique take on Hair Metal would become legend. However, would the band still continue to be their shocking selves in the 1990s? Would they still be a forced to be reckoned amid a new musical landscape? Tune in next week for part 2 to find out, and until then......stay wild!

Anime Review: Metropolis

Welcome to the end of part 2 of Hair Metal Hysteria fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

This month has certainly been interesting. Steel Panther dominated July, not to mention a Sabaton review on the 4th, not to mention a quick post about the tragic Kyoto Animation fire. Not wanting to end things on a sad note, I figured I’d raise my middle finger to sadness, and get back to reviewing anime. It’s been a little bit since I actually did, since it was March when I did my last actual anime review (Excluding any of my HMO Classics posts). Picking out a title was difficult, but not impossible. After thinking about it a little, I went for something that might not seem like it would related to Hair Metal directly. So get on a little extra hairspray, put on your cyberpunk coat, and take a look at what would finally be the last movie that Osamu Tezuka would technically create, Metropolis. Let’s begin.

Story/Setup ***
From the back of the case:

“In the industrial, tri-level world of Metropolis, Duke Red is a powerful leader with plans to unveil a highly advanced robot named Tima. But Duke Red's violent son Rock distrusts robots and intends to find and destroy Tima. Lost in the confusing labyrinth beneath Metropolis, Tima is beginning a friendship with the young nephew of a Japanese detective. But when Duke Red separates the two innocents, Tima's life and the fate of the universe is dangerously at stake.”

2 things. First, this movie is a tribute to the 1920s black and white original. How much it borrows (or copies if you’re cynical) from that movie isn’t really known, as it really doesn’t feel in any way like the original. Second, while the story does appear to be ambitious, in reality it’s actually rather weak. It tries to go places, but it doesn’t really do much. It’s a shame, as the original version of the film was pretty ambitious with it’s story & characters (More on that in a moment), while Osamu’s take on it was weak at best. I say weak, because Metropolis was released years after he died, and it’s possible that the studio used what little he had written up.

Animation
If there’s one key thing going for Metropolis, it would be the animation. Even if you’re not heavily familiar with Osamu Tezuka’s work, you at least know some of his quirks. The faces of the characters are always a clear sign that you’re watching something created by Mr. Tezuka (Or at least something inspired by him), as well as a great attention to detail in everything. Given the inspiration, Metropolis is a great mix between high technology & old world, and has a bit of cyberpunk behind it. Nothing is ever rigid, nor is there any fading when it comes to the colors. This definitely is one of the reasons why you should watch the whole movie. Just for the artwork alone!

Voice Acting
As with the animation, the voice acting for Metropolis is fantastic! Though I don’t recognize any of the actors who speak in this movie, everybody does a great job with the roles they were given. Even character & individuals who’re only given just a few second sound nice. Also, while this doesn’t deal with the voice acting specifically, the soundtrack for Metropolis is great. Though I’m obviously a Metalhead through and through, I do appreciate the usage of New-Orleans style Jazz & original music composed by Toshiyuki Honda. There’s even the Ray Charles classic I Can't Stop Loving You being played during the climax, though sadly it’s not included on the physical soundtrack.

Characters ***
Like I said earlier, the characters of this movie aren’t the strongest around. They aren’t as bad as the cast of say Crimson Wolf (See here), but they’re not well made either. Nobody is necessarily flat in any way, but everybody comes across as incredibly basic. Whether there wasn’t enough material written up by the time Osamu Tezuka died, or the studio didn’t know how to use the material available properly, I’m not sure.

Availability & Pricing
Metropolis is actually pretty available to purchase despite it’s age. The original 2002 edition can be found on Amazon, and while there’s only 15 new copies, they start out at nearly 16 dollars in price. However, there’s the far more recent Blu-Ray release in a Steelbook edition. Complete with a bunch of special features, the 35 dollar price (Currently on sale at 20 dollars) but be a little too much for Otaku with a budget, yet at the same time is worth it if you have the cash.

Overall Impression & Rating
Metropolis is definitely one of Osamu Tezuka’s best!......if you prefer more “Spectacle” type anime. Sure, it might not have the biggest amount of depth with it’s story & characters, but the visuals are incredible, the voice acting is top notch, and overall is a beautiful movie. For hardcore Tezuka fans this is definitely something to see out, but for everybody else it’ll be more of a curiosity than anything else.

Metropolis gets a 7 out of 10.

Well ladies & gentlemen, this concludes part 2 of Hair Metal Hysteria. July was certainly an interesting month for this festival, what with Steel Panther & this film. However, August isn’t that far away, and thus part 3 is coming. I won’t spoil things, but suffice it to say.......it’s gonna be fun. See you all real soon!



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Note: the movie also deviates from the manga that Tezuka wrote, and that is a whole kettle of fish in & of itself. Characters in this movie are either changed just a little, or changed drastically from that of the comic. I never read the manga, and there’s only a blurb about it in the Metropolis article on Wikipedia.

In Memoram: Kyoto Animation Fire

I know that by now a majority of you have heard about this. I was crying on and off throughout the day, and by the time I actually decided to make this post, I actually wasn't sure if I should type something up. With how I've been feeling, I figured why not & create this. Perhaps it'll help me vent in someway, and maybe put some of you at ease.

At around 10 A.M. (JSP) on Thursday, July 18th, 2019, a fire broke out at the iconic Kyoto Animation Studio. Said fire would claim the lives of 33 people, with 36 others injured at various stages, and putting many past & potential projects into jeopardy (And possibly putting the company in jeopardy as well). Sadly, this fire was not an accident, but was instead an act of arson. Though details are sketchy, eyewitness reports say a 41-year old man broke into the studio, shouting "Die" & "You ripped me off", and pouring gasoline all over the place. In a moment of irony, the arsonist himself would get injured as well, and is currently in the hospital due to the wounds he received. Further details will come at a later time.

This is.....almost impossible to put into words. Kyoto Animation are one of the good guys of the animation industry in Japan. Almost as kind & pure-hearted as Superman, if I'm being genuinely honest. Where as most other studios seem to jip their employees for their work, Kyoto Animation treated those under their eye with far more care & respect (Not to mention paying them considerably better than a lot of other studios). I hope in time the wounds suffered have healed, and Kyoto Animation comes back stronger than ever.

My final words: to the people of Japan & Kyoto Animation, my condolences to every one of you. To the nimrod who had the gall to commit this act.....I pray that Frank Castle isn't a real person. Cause if he was......well, you know. Anyways, I got something considerably less bleak, so look forward to that.


(Further update: it turns out that the arsonist in question has a bit of a past....not to mention mental issues: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190719_28/)

(Further update 2: According to the president of Kyoto Animation, all physical & digital works were destroyed in the fire)


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If you want some more information on this tragedy, check out the links below

Kyoto Animation Fire (BBC)

Kyoto Animation Fire (Polygon)

Kyoto Animation Fire (ClowfishTV)

Album Review: Steel Panther's Lower The Bar

Steel yourselves fellow Otaku & Metalheads, cause it’s full speed ahead on my look at Steel Panther!

We took a look at Feel The Steel at the beginning of the month, and that was a joyous cacophony of raunchy sex, hairspray, and some fine Hair Metal tribute. The band would continue this trend for the next few release, until the album I’m examining in this review. 2017's Lower The Bar: would it still live up to the band’s usual standards of loving tribute to the 80s & all things comedic & dirty? Well, let’s not waste anymore time, and find out if the bar has been lowered!

Background
By the end of the 2010s, Steel Panther miraculously made a name for themselves. Feel The Steel in 2009, Balls Out in 2011, and All You Can Eat in 2014......they somehow managed to Grab Heavy Metal & nostalgia by it’s giant balls, and has kept it’s grip nice & tight since. Alongside an acoustic album in 2016 (Live from Lexxi's Mom's Garage) and a appearance on the Adult Swim call-in show FishCenter Live, they knew not to rest on their asses despite all the drugs, booze, and women. So they got into the recording studio, jamed as hard as they could, and on March 24th 2017 (Originally was intended for a February 24th release), Lower The Bar was released.

Reception for Lower The Bar was pretty good all over the place. In the U.S., it reached no. 40 on the Billboard 200, and made it to no. 1 on the Top Comedy Albums part of the Billboard. Meanwhile, it reached to no. 10 on the charts for Australian & New Zealand, no. 15 on the Ö3 Austria list, and it’s lowest perform position at no. 127 on the French SNEP chart.

Basic Description
Meh?

I find myself somewhat conflicted with actually labeling Lower The Bar with that word. Steel Panther aren’t a bad band, and their releases aren’t bad. Despite being a comedy/parody group, their devotion to Hair Metal & the 80s metal scene is incredibly genuine and very heartfelt (It’s ironic I use that word, considering how filthy & politically incorrect they are). Feel The Steel is incredibly enjoyable, Balls Out is incredibly enjoyable, All You Can Eat is incredibly enjoyable, and Lower The Bar is no exception. However, something seemed off to me as I devoured the music on this record. If anything, this release reminded me why Hair Metal eventually lost it’s popularity by the end of the 80s. By the end of that decade, there were so many hair bands, there was basically no room for experimenting & trying new things with the style. If it was intentional to sound repetitive as part of their act, as maybe a subtle nod to what the style was like by the end of the 1980s, then it’s genius! If it’s not intentional, then maybe it’s time for Steel Panther to change up their act a little.

Best Track
Poontang Boomerang.....for 2 reasons. 1: the music video is ridiculous! Basically, it plays out like a Hair Metal equivalent of MTV Cribs. Michael Starr is showing off his house, but beforehand kicks a girl out of his pad because his cat Poontang (One of the reasons the song has it’s name) meowed that she’s bad news. Sure enough, said girl comes back looking for blood, but is defeated by Poontang being used as the titular boomerang. Yeah it’s stupid, but for longtime Steel Panther fans, this is pretty much normal. 2: this song is massively catchy. Michael’s singing is great as usual, Stix bangs on the drums like a guy on a hooker, Lexxi is smooth with the bass, and Satchel knows his way with the guitar. If you’re humming even a tiny part of it, then it did it’s job.

Poontang Boomerang

Worst Track
Coming from someone that genuinely loves these guys, my only fault I can find with this album, and by extent their entire discography, is that......they all sound the same (Like I talked about earlier). If you’ve heard Lower The Bar, you’ve pretty much heard every other release! Likewise, If you listened to Feel The Steel, you heard SP’s 3 other records. The quality here is still fantastic as everything else, but it’s the same subject matter you heard 3 times prior. I still laugh all the same, but I wished they experimented at least a little.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Lower The Bar

Overall Impression & Rating
Lower The Bar isn’t a bad album by any means, but it is the release that will make or break the band for you. After 4 albums of effectively doing the same thing, if you’re still with them by this release, then you’re definitely going to be in it for the long haul. More casual fans will probably be turned off by Lower The Bar, but regardless of which side you’re on......it’s certain one of the more divisive releases of Steel Panther’s career.

Lower The Bar gets a 7 out of 10.

And that was Lower The Bar. Still a fine album from Steel Panther, but this one will be the tipping point for some fans. Next month I’m ending Hair Metal Hysteria on a high note, but before that I’ve got an anime review that absolutely screams Hair Metal. Until then, always ask for the best, and never lower your standards!

Album Review: Sabaton's Heroes

Happy Fourth Of July fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Once again, it’s that time of year where our country celebrates the day when it became free from tyranny & transformed into it’s own nation. Sure, we’ve kind of fallen back into that state thanks to a certain somebody, but let’s not talk about that! Instead, let’s speak about the good things this day of the year gives to us. Let’s speak about the history, and let’s enjoy the memory of those who helped keep us safe. Not just those from this country, but from abroad as well. So, let’s take a quick trip to Sweden to see what Sabaton has to say about this!

It’s been a little bit since I covered these 5 Swedes from Falun. Last time it was back in 2017 when I dedicated the final month of Power Metal Pandemonium to them. Given that we’re getting a new album from them in 15 short days, It seems right to take a look at them once again. Given that the album I’m reviewing today just so happened to turn 5 years old back in May, it makes it an even more appropriate choice to cover. So get the barbeque started, pile up some fireworks, and enjoy my review of Sabaton’s 2014 classic, Heroes. Let’s begin!

Background
Despite Carolus Rex being a smash hit in 2012, things would unravel within the Swedish titans. Guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mullback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr would leave Sabaton, with reasons as to why they left were all over the place (Though Joakim said in one interview that they left cause they didn’t want to practice/put in as much effort. Don’t quote me on that). This left Joakim & Pär Sundström as the sole original members, but there weren’t without anyone that would join them. Touring members Chris Rörland and Thobbe Englund on guitar would hook up, along with Robban Bäck on drums. Together, they became Sabaton 2.0. and sat down to work on their next release. After time in the studio, they would release Heroes on the 16th of May, 2014. In a change from their prior release, Heroes would talk about some of the most famous soldiers from World War 2, rather than battles throughout history.

Heroes would go on to be a big hit, and chart in a bunch of places. Of course, it would be no. 1 in Sweden on their Sverigetopplistan (Think our Billboard 200), no. 2 on the Official Finnish Charts, and in the United States it would get to no. 99 on the Billboard 200. Not necessarily the greatest position in our country, but any foothold on out shores is a good thing (Just ask Kreator & their album Hordes Of Chaos).

Basic Description
Warm & Fuzzy. Badass. Inspiring.

That sound like a bizarre way to describe a record, but this is Power Metal after all, so it’s not surprising at the same time. Not only that, but Heroes is perhaps the most personal album Sabaton has crafted. Talking about battles is one thing, but talking about the lives of soldiers & others that fought during World War 2 is another, and luckily for Sabaton they nail it perfectly! Joakim and the gang have always had a deep respect for the history of warfare, and an equal respect for those within warfare, so it greatly shows on Heroes. In a way it’s refreshing to hear about some of the most famous men and women of WW2: whether iconic or obscure, the stories of incredible people can be found on this album.

Best Track
Back when I did my Sabaton overview in 2017 (Which you can read here), I said that it was a 3-way tie between No Bullets Fly, The Ballad Of Bull, and the tragic tale of Witold Pilecki. At that time I only had Heroes for just a couple of months, but upon thinking about it for a while, I found myself listening to Inmate 4859 more than any other song on the record. Far in a way one of the darkest songs the band has ever done (You can see it on this list here), Joakim and the boys go for a slower paced track. From the haunting opening played with a xylophone that almost come across like a sad Christmas song, it leads into the story of the Polish soldier who voluntarily entered Auschwitz in an effort to expose the horrors of the final solution to the allies, only for the efforts to fall of deaf ears, and ultimately get put on trial by those he once tried to save. It’s an incredibly sorrowful song that none the less shows off the life of one of my personal heroes, and I bet it’ll make at least some of you tear up as well.

Inmate 4859

Even with that said, pretty much everything is the best track on Heroes. From the aerial daring of the Night Witches, to the remarkable tale of  Lauri Törni, and finally to the bittersweet story of the German forces of the 12th & 9th Armies, there’s nothing that’s bad. Even on later releases & the earbook edition, which include covers of Metallica & Battle Beast (When BB was relatively unknown) and re-recordings of older songs, Sabaton are just one of the exceedingly few bands that can craft an album with something for everybody.

Worst Track
Heroes is absolutely wonderful. From beginning to end, there’s not a single bad track to listen to. The only issue one would have would be that it’s more out of place with the rest of Sabaton’s discography due to focusing more on the people than the battles (Carolus Rex was more varied in this regard, despite telling the story of Sweden’s most powerful king), but only the most exceptionally picky of listeners will complain about this.

(I realized this in hindsight, but Heroes is a little bit on the short side at almost 37 minutes. If you add all of the bonus tracks, it comes out at a much more substantial 57 minutes & 42 seconds.)

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Heroes

Overall Impression & Rating
Like I said earlier, Heroes is an outstanding album. Though it was released a few years before I truly appreciated the band, it has since become one of my favorites after listening to it a few times. There’s no denying that the superheroes within comic books and manga can inspire people to do good in the world, but the individuals contained on this record can do the same thing, maybe even more so. This is bar far Sabaton’s most optomistic album, and it’s one I recommend to everyone (Including the non metalheads)!

Heroes gets a 10 out of 10. It deserves that rating......trust me!

Well everybody, that was my surprise post for the Fourth of July this year. As the world continues to go down the crapper, we need all the positivity we can get, and Heroes most certainly gives us a shot of positivity in the ass! I’ll let you all enjoy your festivities, but there’s still plenty more of Hair Metal Hysteria to come around the middle of this month. See you then!


***
For more on Witold, please check out the link below:

Witold Pilecki (Wikipedia)

Album Review: Steel Panther's Feel The Steel

Welcome to part 2 of Hair Metal Hysteria fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

In June we took a look at some of the bands who would help create the prototype of one of the defining subgenres in all of metal, and one in which many future groups would take to make their own. For this month, I’m doing something a bit different. Instead of looking into the past, I’ll be looking into the present, and examining a band that somehow & someway feel like something ripped right out of the 80s! A band that has the look, vibe, and talent of some of the best Hair Metal bands, but with a massive dose of raunchy comedy & self awareness to boot. That’s right, I’m of course talking about Steel Panther!

It is baffling that these 4 guys have managed to create a career for themselves by being a tribute/parody group, but Ralph Saenz ("Michael Starr"), Darren Leader ("Stix Zadinia"), Travis Haley ("Lexxi Foxx"), and Russ Parrish ("Satchel") somehow managed to form a surprisingly successful band. Though they only have released 4 albums, said releases are equal parts headbang & side-splitting laughter, and have a surprising amount of charm to them as well. Today we’re taking a look at their first record, Feel The Steel, and see what’s so special about it.

Background
Our story begins in the early 2000s, when a little band called Metal Shop (Soon changes to Metal Skool) was getting some popularity. Composed of vocalist Ralph Saenz, drummer Darren Leader, bassist Travis Haley, and guitarist Russ Parrish, they did weekly shows on Monday at the Viper Room (subsequently at the Key Club as well), playing covers of hair metal hits while sharing their love for the bands that made the songs famous. By 2003 they had gain some success, and released their self produced extended play, Hole Patrol. By April of 2008, after a few years showing up in a variety of commercials & tv shows that further increased their popularity, they decided to change their name once again Steel Panther, and a month later signed a deal with Republic Records (Owned by Universal Records), then on October 6th, Feel The Steel was released to the public.

Reception for Feel The Steel, at least initially, was rather mixed. Jason Lymangrover of Allmusic wrote that "Steel Panther's ability to create songs that sound like they came from 1987 is commendable. That's about as close to clever as it gets, though. As David St. Hubbins said, "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever," and Saenz's locker-room humor wears thin quickly." Sophie Bruce of the BBC, on the other hand, stated "Quite simply, Feel the Steel is an utter feelgood masterpiece." Finally, The Independent wrote that "it's essentially Spinal Tap/Bad News brought forward five years to the coked-up cock-rock era, complete with titles such as "Eatin' Ain't Cheatin'" and dangerous levels of dumb-ass homophobia, sexism, racism and sizeism. The songs are at times terrifyingly authentic. Is it new? Don't be stupid. Is it funny? Hell yeah."

Feel The Steel would go on to peak at no. 98 on the Billboard 200 (Despite it’s initial placing at no. 123), and it would also be placed at no. 1 on Billboard Comedy chart. Not bad for what is essentially a parody/tribute record!

Basic Description
Funny & Raunchy!

In a strange way I didn’t know what to expect from Feel The Steel. I had heard a couple songs from Steel Panther here & there, but never actually sat down and listened to a album of theirs. Upon having the first few moments of the opening track (Death To All But Metal) enter my brain, I knew I found something bizarrely special. Steel Panther are two things: a raunchy comedy band, and a surprisingly heartfelt tribute to 80s Hair Metal. They definitely know how to manipulate nostalgia, but they also know how to make people laugh. Feel The Steel is definitely a great launching path to a weird yet fun career, and it’s a great gateway record for anyone who might want to get into Hair Metal.......provided they aren’t easily offended by everything.

Best Track
Party All Day to be comes across like a lost Bon Jovi song that’s just drenched is silly/crude humor. From the opening instrumentation & keyboarding, it would be easy to mistake this track for Bon Jovi.......then the actual singing kicks in, and the vibe changes completely. You know exactly what kind of ride you’re in for, where the opening lyrics are as follows:

“When I was only three/My mama said to me/Don't go screwin' a skanky ho/Or you're gonna get VD”

Despite how basic yet hilarious the lyrics are, the actual singing & instrumentation is actually pretty awesome! Ralph Saenz has a surprising amount of power with his voice, Darren Leader knows how to work the drums, & Travis Haley and Russ Parrish are impressive on the bass & guitar respectively. You might not see the talent this band has with how over-the-top the lyrics are.....but it’s there!

Party All Day

Worst Track
If you are of the Politically Correct/Bullshit Justice Warrior mentality, then stay the hell away from this band & this album (Although why anyone from that thought pattern would read this blog confuses me)! Steel Panther are offensive, crude, rude, and completely unapologetic. They know this, and just roll with it. This will become evident in a future review......and not necessarily for the better. Suffice it to say, Feel The Steel is filthy......but in all the right ways.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below

Feel The Steel

Overall Impression & Rating
Feel The Steel a load of fun. If you can put any sensibilities behind you in a shelf and turn off your brain, then you’ll find this album to be incredibly worth your time. Sure, it’s humor is incredibly basic (Bordering on politically incorrect if I’m being honest), and would definitely rub some people the wrong way, but Heavy Metal has always done this regardless of the sub-genre. It might be an acquired taste, but Steel Panther’s first release is definitely one of the best.

Feel The Steel gets a 9 out of 10. I’d give it a 10 out of 10, but I gotta be at least a little objective.

So that was Feel The Steel, and over-the-top record from the equally over-the-top Steel Panther. I had a blast listening to this, and I laughed throughout the whole thing. So from this sleazy release, the band would spread their wild love all over everyone, but would they be able to stay strong. Tune in to over a week from now, when I examine their most recent album to date. See you then!