Hey there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!
My own little Road to Wrestlemania continues onward. Last month I gave a review to the classic Wrestlemania 20. With only a dent or two in it’s armor, the event rightfully deserves it’s spot among the best of the best when it comes to the grandest stage. For February, I wanted to do something different......and perhaps a bit unusual. This time around, I wanted to come up with some that tugged at my hearstrings. I wanted to do something that related more towards me emotions when it came to wrestling and the WWE. As strange as this might sound, there were a few moments in all of my years as a fan.....that I honestly shed a few tears. You might laugh when you read this, but here are the top 5 moments in wrestling that can get me to cry. Let’s begin!
5) Undertaker’s Entrance At Wrestlemania 20 (Video)
We begin this list with the “Manly” tear portion. Like I said last month, I didn’t watch Wrestlemania 20 till years later. In regards to this, I actually say it beforehand. It definitely is a sight to see: having embraced the American Badass from 2000 to I think July of 2003, the fans waited months & months for his return. During that waiting, we saw signs of the Deadman taunting his brother Kane, and with each sign, it was obvious that he was indeed coming back. However, we had no idea just how powerful Undertaker’s return would actually be.
So it comes to Wrestlemania 20 proper. Kane comes to the ring with pyro & a background that was actually pretty awesome, and as usual conjured up flames once he was in the ring. For a few moments he was calling out his brother, and you could feel the fans do the same. Then the lights go out, and the familiar voice of Paul Bearer scream out “Oooooh Yes!!”. Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross really hamed it up as Paul Bearer came down alongside the men that would later be called The Druids, holding the urn that gave him control over the Undertaker, while at the same time giving taker his power. Then the Undertaker himself comes out in all of his glory. From the first bit of thunder to the first banging of the gong, one of the most iconic characters in all of WWF/WWE had finally come back into the fold. It’s enough to make a grown man cry. No lie!
4) The Joey Ryan Lollipop Incident (Video)
From the “Manly” tear choice, we come to the “Tears of Laughter” spot. I make no mistake in saying that Joey Ryan is an absolute treasure in the world of wrestling. The King of Sleaze has been making quite a name for himself, what with his dirty persona and all. Easily the reason he’s as popular as he is because of the Penis Flip (Which I believe was developed in Japan), which has defeated many opponents. The other......is due to the Lollipop incident.
Let me paint the scene: It’s 2015 (If I’m correct). It’s a 3-way match between Joey Ryan, Colt Cabana, and the absurdly named Johnny Cockstrong. It would actually be incorrect to call it a match, as it was really more of a comedy bit than anything else. You can tell that the crowd loves what’s going on, and actually doesn’t care that there’s no wrestling going on. Joey happens to have a lollipop on hand. I would get into detail about what happens, but it’s so damn funny I can’t spoil it! You’ll just have to watch it to find out.
3) Connor The Crusher’s Tribute Video (Video)
Now we come to some real tears.
I must confess, I’ve never actually watched this video in it’s entirety. I’ve been able to watch pieces, but never from beginning to end. I think most if not all of us are familiar with the story: Connor “The Crusher” Michalek, who had been battling medulloblastoma (Spinal Cancer) since he was 3, had requested to meet Daniel Bryan, who was his favorite superstar. After the facebook campaign “Help Connor meet Daniel Bryan” formed & pushed, Connor was eventually able to meet his hero at Monday Night RAW. He caught the heart of not just Byran, but all of WWE effectively. From there Connor was treated like royalty, and it culminated in him & his dad going to Wrestlemania 30 for an amazing time. Sadly, on April the 25th of 2014, Connor Michalek would pass away at the incredibly young age of 8. The tribute to Connor from WWE is incredibly touching. Though normally a company that would take any means to get themselves more popular, they came across as very sincere in this tribute. If you’ve got a few minutes, and maybe a tissue for wiping your face, give this video a go.
2) Chris Benoit Crying About Eddie Guererro’s Death (Video)
From one tearjerker to another, we reach a moment that kind of hits close to home for me. Way back in March of 2005, I had the privilege of seeing Smackdown at the then Pepsi Arena with my Dad & my at the time friend Trevor. One of the matches involved a tag team bout between the Basham Brothers (If I remember correctly) and the current tag champions Rey Mysterio & Eddie Guererro. Though I had seen him on TV before, seeing him live was absolute magic. Fast forward to November of that year, and I was shocked by the sudden death of Eddie.
The tribute to Eddie a day or two later was incredibly touching, but no moment during this tribute was so classic, and now infamous, than the sight of Chris Benoit openly weeping. At first it was just him among all of the wrestlers standing outside the ring. Then, it was Chris in a small video moment that really brought on the tears. He went on about Eddie for a few minutes & how much he loved his friend, but it was in the final few seconds that he broke down, and in that time you could see how broken it was. In a warped sense, those few minutes possibly predicted the eventual murder of Benoit’s family, and the suicide of Benoit himself. It was haunting back in 2005, and it’s still incredibly chilling in 2018. It’s also one of the few moments in WWE that can get me to turn on the waterworks.
1) Jim Ross & Mankind Interviews (Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4)
Much like my number 1, I have a confession to make. I never actually saw the interviews in question. It wasn’t until 2016 or 2017 (Forgot which year) that I heard about these on the Solomonster Sounds Off podcast that I found these. The premise is simple: Classic announcer Jim Ross had 4 distinct sitdowns with the ravenous Mankind. In each interview, Jim Ross got to know Mankind a little more, and I must admit.....I cried.
This was at the time when the company was known as WWF, and it was at the height of the Attitude Era. During this time, the company was in overdrive when it came to characters, story, wrestling, etc. These interviews were really well done. Jim Ross asked basic questions, but it was Mick Foley that was stealing the show. Using slivers of reality, he wove a tale that seemed incredibly realistic. Almost believable, if I’m being perfectly honest. Coupled with the music that was playing in the background, and the atmosphere was equal parts illuminating & heartbreaking. You can tell that WWE at the time really cared for this story, as there was a craftsmanship within it you hardly see nowadays. Definitely some of the best promos ever made by the company, and ones that any wrestling fan should treasure!
So these were the 5 moments in wrestling that got me to cry. Again, I know it’s a little silly, but when WWE can actually get a good story going, it’s surprisingly emotional. I might make another one of these sometime down the road, so look forward to that! With this list out of the way, Kreator month marches on. See you all next week, for part 2 of my look at the band. Until then, have some feels when you bodyslam somebody will ya!
***
If you’re curious about Connor The Crusher, check out the Wikipedia article below:
Connor Michalek
Monday, February 5, 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Metal Overview: Kreator (Part 1)
Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome to the first overview of 2018!
Today is a special day. My friend Alex is having his birthday today (Technically tomorrow), and as per usual, I thought it would be fun to do something special for him.....and a Metal Overview was just the right thing to do. The last time I did this, I covered Nu Metal legends Korn on his birthday, but this year I decided to take it up a notch. Deciding to go back to the world of Thrash Metal, I looked to the other side of the world for a band that would fulfill this goal of mine. Almost immediately, a light shown from Germany, and then I knew who called to me.......Kreator!
That’s right, one of the big 4 of Teutonic Thrash were chosen for an overview dedicated to my friend’s birthday. Since 1985, these Germanic titans have crafted some of the speediest Thrash Metal the world has even known. Though it took some time for them to gain a foothold in the United States, once they did their power was welcome with open arms! However, I can’t cover all of their albums in just one go. Much like Motörhead, Kreator has 3 periods of their career, with each one having unique & distinct records. So, to start off this month long celebration, we’ll take a look at the band’s earliest years. A 4-year period that showed off how vicious the band can be. With that out of the way, here’s part one of my look at Kreator. Enjoy!
Endless Pain (1985)
In the early 80s, the realm of Heavy Metal was a massive black swamp. The waters were fetid, and the muck would just hold you down. Fantastic bands would bubble up through the mud, and emerge as beasts hungry for a meal. Enter Kreator! Forming in 1982 as Tyrant (Renamed to Tormentor in 1984), the band was composed of lead vocalist & guitarist Mille Petrozza (German of Calabria Italian descent), drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, and bassist Rob Fioretti. The group was originally not in the realm of thrash, but rather they played more Black Metal & Speed Metal instead. It wasn’t until the mid 80s that the band began transition into Thrash Metal alongside the rest of their Germanic brethren (Tankard was already there beforehand). Release in October of 1985, Endless Pain was highly praised by Black Metal bands that added thrash elements to their music, and praised by Thrash Metal bands for being a little more bloodthirsty than most.
Best Track? Endless Pain in it’s entirety is an absolute blast to listen to. The primal speed & screeching of Black Metal, mixed with the brutality & venom of Thrash Metal, creates an experience that is heavy and awesome to listen to. However, I gotta give it up to the title track. Opening up this 80s classic, Endless Pain the song has the best parts of each aspect of the album playing every step of the way. Jürgen Reil really brings those Black Metal vocals to the front, but due to the Thrash Metal instrumentation, it’s almost like their chaingunning out demons & blackness. Definitely a song to listen to with the volume past 11!
Endless Pain
Worst Track? To be perfectly honest, I loved every song that’s on this album. The only bad thing about Endless Pain would be the production quality. While I don’t know how the 2017 re-release sounds, the version I listened to came across as rather dated. It sounds (Though not completely) like an early Black Metal album. It comes across as scratchy at time, and that style of music recording was always lazy in my view. Give that the recorded this record in just 10 days, I can’t fully complain, and to be honest I'm impressed by that.
However, if I wanted to be picky, the other point I could bring up as negative would be the dual vocalists. You’ve got Mille Petrozza for half of the albums (The even-numbered tracks), and Jürgen Reil on the other half (The odd-numbered tracks). Personally, I don’t have a problem with this: each singer did their job well, and neither overtook space from the other. Fans wanting a constant singer might gripe about this, but even then it might just be for some.
Endless Pain. An old sounding record, but an awesome record at the same time. If you like a nice mix of Thrash & Black Metal, then this release might be for you. Next album!
Pleasure To Kill (1986)
With the band seemingly immediately making a name for themselves, Kreator hired on late Sodom guitarist Michael Wulf for the tour for Endless Pain. He managed to stick with the band for a few days, but didn’t stay on for their second album. Release on the first of November 1986, Pleasure to Kill followed the lyrical themes of it’s predecessor, and the band took on new guitarist Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski in Wulf’s stead. Pleasure To Kill is widely considering to be a Thrash Metal classic, and many Death Metal bands cite it as a source of inspiration for their work.
Pleasure To Kill was widely received by both fans & critics alike. AllMusic writer Jason Anderson gave the album a rating of four stars out of five, and wrote, "Many in the underground metal scene were already paying special attention to the German outfit's proto-death sound, but the cult status was shed after this critically and commercially successful second effort hit record-store shelves. As fierce and unyielding as the group's debut, Endless Pain, was, Pleasure to Kill provides double the sonic carnage and superior material."
Within it’s 2017 re-release, Pleasure to Kill charted for the first time 31 years after its release, reaching no. 99 on the German Chats.
Best Track? Though every song is a brutal assault on the ears, Flag Of Hate stands out a lot. Becoming a classic nearly out of the gate, the song has become a staple of Kreator at their live concerts. Though their Black Metal roots are diminished somewhat, this is made up with a heavier dose of Thrash that can kill lesser men & women. If you’ve got the body for it, give this song a go at full blast!
Flag Of Hate
Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! Much like Endless Pain, every song on here perfectly encapsulates just how powerful Thrash Metal truly was in the 80s, and unlike the previous album, Mille Petrozza is front & center when it comes to the vocals (Although Jürgen Reil sings on 3 tracks).
Pleasure To Kill. An advancement upon Endless Pain, while at the same creating it’s own material. All I can say is to give this record a go. Next album!
Terrible Certainty (1987)
As the 80s continued onward, Kreator were constantly refining their sonic might. Their Black Metal roots was slowly being weeded out, but their Speed & Thrash Metal aspects were being refined to a brutal edge that could cut through anything. So, on September the 22nd, 1987, Terrible Certainty was released to the masses. Terrible Certainty marks the band’s first full-blown Thrash Metal album. Slivers of their Black Metal past are still readily accountable, but it’s obvious from the first few notes that Kreator wanted to do something new & different for themselves. This change turned out to be for the best, as Terrible Certainty is one of the most headbang inducing albums of the band’s career. You’ll need a neckbrace by the time you’re done listening to this release!
Best Track? Toxic Trace comes to mind as one of the best songs on the album. There are speedy portions that can hit you like a Mach truck, and more slower portions for melody & rhythm to flow. On top of that, Mille Petrozza’s vocal work really adds to the intensity of the song! It should be noted that because of the band’s rising popularity at the time, Kreator was contacted by MTV to make a music video for Toxic Trace. It received a lot of airplay, and is one of the band’s most popular music videos even today!
Toxic Trace
Worst Track? Impossible To Cure is really the only bad song on Terrible Certainty. Available on the 2017 re-release of Terrible Certainty, it comes across has more of filler than anything else. With a running time of 2 minutes & 41 seconds, Impossible To Cure just seems to come & go as you listen to it. It’s a bit of a shame, as the instrumentation & vocal work is awesome! If the track went on longer, I probably wouldn’t say anything.
Impossible To Cure
Terrible Certainty. The first Thrash Metal album from Kreator, yet the band’s still has a little of their old Black Metal venom in it’s fangs. If you weren’t fond of the group’s first 2 releases because of the Black Metal influence, you’ll like this one. Next album!
Extreme Aggression (1989)
As the 80s went on, Kreator’s popularity kept increasing in their native Germany & beyond. This increased popularity is what influenced the independent record label Noise Records to license Kreator for the territories outside of Europe and Japan to the major label Epic Records in 1988. The band’s first debut with Epic Records was their 4th studio album, Extreme Aggression. Release on June the 19th, 1989, Kreator continued with their Terrible Certainty thrash formula, but at the same time showed that the band was progressing musically, and had the added benefit of better production from Randy Burns (Who also worked with bands like Megadeth, Possessed, Nuclear Assault, Death, and Dark Angel). For me, this is Kreator’s most important album from the 80s, as they finally became a full-fledged Thrash Metal band with this record.
The album was typically received well by critics. Returning for the second time in this post, AllMusic writer Jason Anderson gave the album a rating of four-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote, "The results are fierce and noisy on this 1989 Epic release -- the first major-label effort for the band. Petrozza and Fioretti's guitar work is as punchy as ever, and Reil's massive drums are unrelenting and continually improving."
Best Track? Bit of a tie between the title track (Which is also the opener), and an ode to the haters in the form of Love Us Or Hate Us. Both songs are speedy little gremlins: they come at you out of nowhere, chattering & crazed, and when they find you they leave you just as insane as they are. These two tracks are headbanging inducing, and if you don’t wear a brace, your neck might snap!
Extreme Aggression
Love Us Or Hate Us
Worst Track? Much like Impossible To Cure from their prior release, Bringer of Torture just comes across as another filler track. It has the time length issues as the previously mentioned song (26 seconds shorter this time), yet it still has great instrumentation & vocal like said prior track. Nothing else I can say really.
Bringer of Torture
Extreme Aggression. The band finally coming out of the Black Metal cocoon of their past, and emerging as a thrash-laden butterfly. If the 3 prior albums weren’t to your liking, then perhaps this one will, and I recommend Extreme Aggression highly.
So this was part one of my look at Kreator. This was the time where the band was at their most primal, and still had some connection to their Speed & Black Metal past. However, just as they completed one transformation, a new one would begin when the band went into the 90s. Just how drastic of a transformation would this be? Well, you’ll have to wait until after next week to find out. See you then!
***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the pink words below. Enjoy!
Endless Pain
Pleasure To Kill
Terrible Certainty
Extreme Aggression
Today is a special day. My friend Alex is having his birthday today (Technically tomorrow), and as per usual, I thought it would be fun to do something special for him.....and a Metal Overview was just the right thing to do. The last time I did this, I covered Nu Metal legends Korn on his birthday, but this year I decided to take it up a notch. Deciding to go back to the world of Thrash Metal, I looked to the other side of the world for a band that would fulfill this goal of mine. Almost immediately, a light shown from Germany, and then I knew who called to me.......Kreator!
That’s right, one of the big 4 of Teutonic Thrash were chosen for an overview dedicated to my friend’s birthday. Since 1985, these Germanic titans have crafted some of the speediest Thrash Metal the world has even known. Though it took some time for them to gain a foothold in the United States, once they did their power was welcome with open arms! However, I can’t cover all of their albums in just one go. Much like Motörhead, Kreator has 3 periods of their career, with each one having unique & distinct records. So, to start off this month long celebration, we’ll take a look at the band’s earliest years. A 4-year period that showed off how vicious the band can be. With that out of the way, here’s part one of my look at Kreator. Enjoy!
Endless Pain (1985)
Best Track? Endless Pain in it’s entirety is an absolute blast to listen to. The primal speed & screeching of Black Metal, mixed with the brutality & venom of Thrash Metal, creates an experience that is heavy and awesome to listen to. However, I gotta give it up to the title track. Opening up this 80s classic, Endless Pain the song has the best parts of each aspect of the album playing every step of the way. Jürgen Reil really brings those Black Metal vocals to the front, but due to the Thrash Metal instrumentation, it’s almost like their chaingunning out demons & blackness. Definitely a song to listen to with the volume past 11!
Endless Pain
Worst Track? To be perfectly honest, I loved every song that’s on this album. The only bad thing about Endless Pain would be the production quality. While I don’t know how the 2017 re-release sounds, the version I listened to came across as rather dated. It sounds (Though not completely) like an early Black Metal album. It comes across as scratchy at time, and that style of music recording was always lazy in my view. Give that the recorded this record in just 10 days, I can’t fully complain, and to be honest I'm impressed by that.
However, if I wanted to be picky, the other point I could bring up as negative would be the dual vocalists. You’ve got Mille Petrozza for half of the albums (The even-numbered tracks), and Jürgen Reil on the other half (The odd-numbered tracks). Personally, I don’t have a problem with this: each singer did their job well, and neither overtook space from the other. Fans wanting a constant singer might gripe about this, but even then it might just be for some.
Endless Pain. An old sounding record, but an awesome record at the same time. If you like a nice mix of Thrash & Black Metal, then this release might be for you. Next album!
Pleasure To Kill (1986)
Pleasure To Kill was widely received by both fans & critics alike. AllMusic writer Jason Anderson gave the album a rating of four stars out of five, and wrote, "Many in the underground metal scene were already paying special attention to the German outfit's proto-death sound, but the cult status was shed after this critically and commercially successful second effort hit record-store shelves. As fierce and unyielding as the group's debut, Endless Pain, was, Pleasure to Kill provides double the sonic carnage and superior material."
Within it’s 2017 re-release, Pleasure to Kill charted for the first time 31 years after its release, reaching no. 99 on the German Chats.
Best Track? Though every song is a brutal assault on the ears, Flag Of Hate stands out a lot. Becoming a classic nearly out of the gate, the song has become a staple of Kreator at their live concerts. Though their Black Metal roots are diminished somewhat, this is made up with a heavier dose of Thrash that can kill lesser men & women. If you’ve got the body for it, give this song a go at full blast!
Flag Of Hate
Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! Much like Endless Pain, every song on here perfectly encapsulates just how powerful Thrash Metal truly was in the 80s, and unlike the previous album, Mille Petrozza is front & center when it comes to the vocals (Although Jürgen Reil sings on 3 tracks).
Pleasure To Kill. An advancement upon Endless Pain, while at the same creating it’s own material. All I can say is to give this record a go. Next album!
Terrible Certainty (1987)
Best Track? Toxic Trace comes to mind as one of the best songs on the album. There are speedy portions that can hit you like a Mach truck, and more slower portions for melody & rhythm to flow. On top of that, Mille Petrozza’s vocal work really adds to the intensity of the song! It should be noted that because of the band’s rising popularity at the time, Kreator was contacted by MTV to make a music video for Toxic Trace. It received a lot of airplay, and is one of the band’s most popular music videos even today!
Toxic Trace
Worst Track? Impossible To Cure is really the only bad song on Terrible Certainty. Available on the 2017 re-release of Terrible Certainty, it comes across has more of filler than anything else. With a running time of 2 minutes & 41 seconds, Impossible To Cure just seems to come & go as you listen to it. It’s a bit of a shame, as the instrumentation & vocal work is awesome! If the track went on longer, I probably wouldn’t say anything.
Impossible To Cure
Terrible Certainty. The first Thrash Metal album from Kreator, yet the band’s still has a little of their old Black Metal venom in it’s fangs. If you weren’t fond of the group’s first 2 releases because of the Black Metal influence, you’ll like this one. Next album!
Extreme Aggression (1989)
The album was typically received well by critics. Returning for the second time in this post, AllMusic writer Jason Anderson gave the album a rating of four-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote, "The results are fierce and noisy on this 1989 Epic release -- the first major-label effort for the band. Petrozza and Fioretti's guitar work is as punchy as ever, and Reil's massive drums are unrelenting and continually improving."
Best Track? Bit of a tie between the title track (Which is also the opener), and an ode to the haters in the form of Love Us Or Hate Us. Both songs are speedy little gremlins: they come at you out of nowhere, chattering & crazed, and when they find you they leave you just as insane as they are. These two tracks are headbanging inducing, and if you don’t wear a brace, your neck might snap!
Extreme Aggression
Love Us Or Hate Us
Worst Track? Much like Impossible To Cure from their prior release, Bringer of Torture just comes across as another filler track. It has the time length issues as the previously mentioned song (26 seconds shorter this time), yet it still has great instrumentation & vocal like said prior track. Nothing else I can say really.
Bringer of Torture
Extreme Aggression. The band finally coming out of the Black Metal cocoon of their past, and emerging as a thrash-laden butterfly. If the 3 prior albums weren’t to your liking, then perhaps this one will, and I recommend Extreme Aggression highly.
So this was part one of my look at Kreator. This was the time where the band was at their most primal, and still had some connection to their Speed & Black Metal past. However, just as they completed one transformation, a new one would begin when the band went into the 90s. Just how drastic of a transformation would this be? Well, you’ll have to wait until after next week to find out. See you then!
***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the pink words below. Enjoy!
Endless Pain
Pleasure To Kill
Terrible Certainty
Extreme Aggression
Monday, January 22, 2018
Wrestlemania 20 Review (Review Road To Wrestlemania Part 1)
January marks the beginning of the Road to Wrestlemania. This month has the Royal Rumble, and there’s subsequent events in February & March that add to the anticipation. A few weeks before Wrestlemania last year, I dedicated a few posts to something wrestling related. This time around, I’m going to have my own Road to Wrestlemania. I'm doing a wrestling post once a month from January till March, each covering something different, until we reach April for my annual look at Wrestlemania & the subsequent RAW & Smackdown. To start things off, I thought I’d look at an old-school Wrestlemania. One that came out at (What I consider to be) the height of the Ruthless Aggression era, and one that conveniently came out when I finally got back into wrestling itself. It’s ironic that I say that, as I never actually watched today’s subject matter until last month when I got a copy. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at Wrestlemania 20, and see if it’s as good as the fans say it is.
(Two things before I start: First, I’m relying heavily on my memory of the time, and it’s incredibly sketchy. I’m only capable of remembering slivers of what I saw back then, and even that’s not a guarantee! Second, I’ve spoiled myself on the results of some of these matches. Thanks to a link I put at the end of this review, it showed me some of the endings of some matches. Even with that said, I heard things come down the pipeline in regards to some of the bouts. Regardless, I’ve put up predictions as a matter of courtesy. Horribly, but I’ll put them up.)
Matches
John Cena vs Big Show (United States Championship)
Prediction: John Cena
Winner: John Cena
If there one common theme with some of the matches on Wrestlemania 20, it would be predictability. Case in point is the opening bout between the Big Show (Who was U.S. Champion at the time) and John Cena, who seemed like he was a full-blown babyface at this point. The reason why I call this match so predictable is that they seemed to begin pushing Cena hard, on account of going into face-hood. He was still spitting out some beastly rhymes, but now they were geared more towards taking the heels down a notch. The match is definitely appropriate as the opening to Wrestlemania: nothing over-the-top, but filled with some nice action, and an ending that acts as a good way to get the fans to transition into the rest of the show.
Booker T and Rob Van Dam vs The Dudley Boyz vs Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak vs La Résistance (4-Way World Tag Team Championship)
Prediction: ?
Winner: Booker T & Rob Van Dam
Next up is the 4-Way match for the World Tag Team Championship, and this one was a doozy. You had Booker T & Rob Van Damn as the defending champions, against the ECW classic team that is The Dudley Boyz (Bubby Ray & Devon), the more ground-based pairing of Garrison Cade & Mark Jindrak, and the French flavored team that was La Résistance. It was a good match for the most part! While it did seem a little confusing with everybody that was in the ring, it was considerably more clear than a match I’ll talk about later in this review. Aside that, each team brought something to the ring, and put on a hell of a show, with Booker T & Rob Van Damn winning in the end.
Christian vs Jericho (Singles Match)
Prediction: Jericho
Winner: Christian (w outside help from Trish Stratus)
Much like a match later on in this show, the buildup for this bout was over the course of months. In this one, two of the biggest stars at the time were in a storyline friendship, and Trish Stratus seemed to like both guys. All throughout the story, it seemed like both sides were not only having tension between themselves, but with Trish as well. Ironically, the tension between all 3 really didn’t seem to surface until Trish showed up ringside. I’m not saying that beforehand the match was bad, because it wasn’t. Christian & Jericho were some of the biggest high flyers in the early 2000s, and Jericho can still go today! My issues was that the match between the two seemed to be only used once the object of their affection came into the picture. Regardless, the end of the match finally comes, and in a twist, Christian manages to win the match due to help & interference from Trish. To rub more salt in the wound, Jericho is still in the ring, and see his now former best friend & girl embrace & make out.
Evolution vs The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection (3 v 2 Handicap Match)
Prediction: The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection
Winner: Evolution
I had such high hopes for this match. Not because of the quality, cause it was good! Despite it being a handicap match, both sides were able to work with one another, and fed off of each other’s talent. It also helped by the fact that Mick Foley & The Rock are a natural fit, and it was great seeing them together again. However, the infamous Reign of Terror was still going on around this time. Granted, Triple H wasn’t in this match, but Evolution was his group of boys, and unfortunately the good guys wouldn’t be winning here. Regardless, the two teams gave each other hell, with Randy Orton getting the pin on Foley with an RKO.
Torrie Wilson & Sable vs Miss Jackie & Stacy Keibler (Playboy Evening Gown Match)
Prediction: ?
Winner: Torrie Wilson & Sable
On the one hand, I love me some fan service. Love it! If you saw my anime collection, you’d see that at least half is fan service themed. On the other hand, this match was......meh. That’s all it was. It was just meh. I think they were too eager to get to the goods if you know what I mean. Even the gimmick I thought was dumb. Not as dumb as a Bra & Panties match (Yes newer wrestling fans, that was a thing), but lord was this stupid! This was so “Meh” to me, I really didn’t guess who was going to win. The only thing that was surprising was the fact that Sable was in the match. Given how her exit from WWE was rather...bitter, it was something of a surprise to see her.
Chavo Guerrero (with Chavo Classic) vs Akio vs Billy Kidman vs Funaki vs Jamie Noble vs Nunzio vs Rey Mysterio vs Shannon Moore vs Tajiri vs Último Dragón (Cruiserweight Open for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
Prediction: ?
Winner: Chavo Guerrero (with Chavo Classic)
The best way to describe this match is with one word......cluster.
While the 4-way Tag Team Championship Match had a lot of people in it, there was at least some semi-balance of organization. Some form of structure. Here? It comes across as too random, and too chaotic for it’s own good. I only knew a select few of the wrestlers in this match, and recalling my memories of them, I only remembered a bit or two. Hell, I didn’t even know that there was a Cruiserweight division back in the early 2000s until years later. I will give this match credit in for the fact that this was when the Cruiserweight Division had weight & credibility. This match showed that the Cruiserweights could actually go, and weren’t some lepers that needed to be separated from the main roster. To wrap things up: I didn’t know who was going to win, and Chavo Guerrero won with help from Chavo Classic to keep the Cruiserweight title.
Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar w Stone Cold Steve Austin as Special Guest Referee (Singles Match)
Prediction: Brock Lesnar
Winner: Goldberg
Of all the matches in Wrestlemania 20, or Wrestlemania in general, none are more infamous than this one. It’s very obvious that neither men wanted to do it, with Goldberg leaving because of how he was treated in the company, and Lesnar going away because of health & mental issues. I should point out the fact that this was when Lesnar actually enjoyed wrestling, and wasn’t the pumped up soulless UFC hack he is now. Even Stone Cold, who was the special referee for the match, looked like he didn’t want to be there. All of this ended up in a match that was god awful......when they weren’t wrestling. When they were actually fighting, it was at least okay. They were putting in at least some effort when it came to the wrestling side of things, but more often than not they were just simply locking up, or were staring at each other. The only reason I predicted that Lesnar would win is because of how built up he was. However, I only guessed this because of his modern run. How silly I was!
Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty vs The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) vs The Basham Brothers (Danny Basham and Doug Basham) vs The World's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) (4-Way WWE Tag Team Championship)
Prediction: ?
Winner: Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty
In many ways, this shares a lot in common with the World Tag Team Championship match from earlier in the show. In fact, this pretty much is the same match. The only difference are the tag teams, and the title in question. The thing that isn’t different is the quality, and just like the previous tag-team match, everybody brought something to the table.
Victoria vs Molly Holly (Hair vs. Title Match For The WWE Women's Championship)
Prediction: (See Below)
Winner: Victoria
Much like the women’s match from earlier in the show, I don’t really have any personal feelings for this match. That being said, I definitely preferred this bout. Despite the rather stupid gimmick of one’s hair for the title of a division, it felt like there was at least....something on the line in this bout. It also helps that both Victoria & Molly Holly were far more capable of putting on a match than the women in the fight I talked about earlier, and thus it seemed like more was going on here. I also had the end result spoiled to me early last year (See link below for details), so a little was taken out for me. Regardless, I still wasn’t fond of this match......but given that there was a little more effort put into this.....I would rather watch this.
Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle (Singles Match For The WWE Championship)
Prediction: (Spoiled)
Winner: Eddie Guerrero
Though Wrestlemania 20 will always be known as a fantastic show, there are two matches on the card that still tug the heartstrings of fans all over. Case in point: the match between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship. It was a pretty dramatic buildup, as Kurt Angle messed with Eddie constantly. Citing the fact that Eddie used to be a criminal, and didn’t have the moral high ground that Kurt had. I should note that Kurt Angle actually went into this match with numbness in his fingers, but he managed to go through with it (More on that after the review).
Anyways, I’m off track. With all of this emotion going into the match, you’d expect that Eddie & Kurt to go all out on each other....and you’d be right! With Eddie being particularly furious at Kurt’s actions, and Kurt being exceedingly high strung & full of himself, the mixed feeling ended up creating a classic match. It was only right that Eddie won, as he faced his demons head on, and defeated the one who caused him so much torment. This added to how touching & heartbreaking the ending to WM20 would be, but more on that in a bit.
The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) vs Kane (Singles Match)
Prediction: (See Below)
Winner: Undertaker
Of all the matches on the card, this was the one I enjoyed the most. I knew who was going to win, but I didn’t know how the match was going to go. Even before it started, we got a clear view of how the match came about. Here’s the short version: Kane buried the Undertaker (In his American Badass phase) because he was no longer the monster he once was, and for the months leading up to WM20, Undertaker’s spirit followed the Big Red Machine. For months Kane was tormented by the spirit of his brother, and he was powerless to do anything. Then, on that fateful night on March the 14th in 2004, the Deadman came back to have his revenge.
Undertaker Entrance (Wrestlemania 20)
As for the match itself.....I enjoyed it! This fight was a simple bout between two monsters, and it relished in that fact. For newer wrestling fans, this was Undertaker at his prime. He was far less beatup than he is now, and thus was capable of demonstrating many more moves than he does now. On top of that, the return to his old character (With some minor costume chains) was heavily welcomes by the crowd. Even Kane, who despite not having the mask anymore, still came across as a monster, and put up a hell of a fight. The two monsters went at it for a few minutes, with plenty of spots for the two to have a little fun with their characters. Paul Bearer also had a little fun as well being a creeper, despite not interfering. In the end, Undertaker gave his brother the tombstone, and got the revenge he rightfully deserved.
Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels vs Triple H (Triple Threat Match For The World Heavyweight Championship)
Prediction: (See Below)
Winner: Chris Benoit
And here we come to the main event of Wrestlemania 20. What makes this match so good are two factors: one was the wrestlers in question. Chris Benoit had a stake in the match, Shawn Michaels has a stake in the match, and even Triple H had a stake in the match being the champion & all (Fact: the infamous Reign of Terror was at it’s tail end around this time). The second factor was the buildup. Triple H, being the ego driven champion, did everything to make sure that the title stayed close. Shawn Michaels returned back in 2002 as the old school wrestler wanting another shot, and was Triple H’s friend & rival. Then, there’s Chris Benoit. Coming in as the underdog, it was obvious that he was going to win. Constantly getting beaten down, you don’t design a story like that only for the good guy to lose (Although given the way Wrestlemania 32 was booked.......yeah)!
Anyways, to the match itself. Much like almost every other fight on the card, each combatant brought something to the ring. Triple H was the heavy, Shawn Michaels was the showstopper, and Chris Benoit channeled his idol Dynamite Kid. The whole time there were plenty of false finishes, spots for moves, and the action never let up! Then at the end, Chris Benoit defeated Triple H with a Crippler Crossface, and became the new World Heavyweight Championship (Also stopped the Reign of Terror in it’s tracks). Then Eddie Guerrero comes out, and the two celebrate their victories with a horde of confetti, and a crowd that heaped tons of praise upon the two. The moment where both men raised their titles created an iconic moment, but tragedy would strike when both men would die in the subsequent years. Hence why it’s so heartbreaking as well as amazing.
Overall Impression & Rating
Wrestlemania 20 deserves every bit of praise it gets. Even now, if you ask older WWE fans about this show, chances are they’ll say something good about it. For me, I consider this event a near classic masterpiece. If the Lesnar vs Goldberg match, along with the two women’s matches, weren’t there, I probably would have loved it much more than I did. Even with them still there, they don’t ruin the experience for me, and it took me back to the time when I was getting back into wrestling after so long. If you have the WWE Network, watch it! If you have the DVD, give it a go! Even if you have neither, find someone who does. It’s worth it!
Wrestlemania 20 gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.
So that was a review for Wrestlemania 20. Man, I can believe it took me so long to watch this. Again, I got back into wrestling in the summer of 2003, but it took me a longtime to get into the groove of things, and missing out on this event was just part of getting back into this. Luckily, I finally watched, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything. So see you next month for another multipart metal overview, where I’ll look at one of the greats of Germany, along with another wrestling post. Until then, watch out for the steel chair!
***
If you like to know some interesting facts about this Wrestlemania, check out the link below:
Ten Fascinating Facts About Wrestlemania 20
Friday, January 12, 2018
In Memoram: "Fast" Eddie Clark
If you would like some more details on the passing of Eddie Clark, check out the link below.
Eddie Clark (Loudwire)
Monday, January 8, 2018
My Top 10 Favorite Album Covers
Hello there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!
I admit that content this month is a little on the weird side. Give how freezing it’s been where I live, it’s made wanting to do thing go by slowly, Never fear, for while the cold wind blows, I will not stop making posts! They might be simpler for me, but the content will keep coming! To provide some simple content in this chilly times, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of my favorite albums covers of all time. Covering a wide variety of metal bands, they all left an impression on me in some way. So, here are my top 10 favorite album covers of all time. Enjoy!
10) Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
I know I’ve stated it before, but I’ll say it again: I’m not a Black Metal fan. I think the vocals are grated, the low-fi instrumentation & production are somewhat lazy, and the black & white albums covers that were highly popular in the 90s were done because it was easy. However, in recent years I’ve made a few exceptions, and high on that list is Darkthrone’s first foray into the world of Black Metal. Ironically, I talked about this album briefly back in October of last year about albums that are perfect for the month, and I put it on that list for how good it’s music was.
What I’m surprised about is that I didn’t talk about the cover to A Blaze In The Northern Sky. Though it’s not the first Black Metal cover I’ve seen, it is the first Black Metal cover that left an impression. Seeing one of the band members, decked out in black leather & having his face painted up to the nines, was actually kind of creepy. His face stared at me menacingly, and it was that staring that stayed with me as I listened to the music. If any of you felt like this when you’re looking at the cover, then it’s doing it’s job.
9) Nocturnus - The Key ***
When one thinks of Death Metal, gorgeous art is almost always not the first thing one thinks of. Drawn by Dan Seagrave, he’s known for doing mostly artwork for various Death Metal albums (Along with his own), and they’re all spectacular. My absolute favorite of his work was for Nocturnus’s starting album, The Key. It’s incredible by how me mixed Science Fiction & cybernetics, with the evil of Hell & it’s imagery. Seeing that devilish cyborg in the seat, using a pentagram to start up it’s unholy spacecraft, really paints the picture of a dark sci-fi story. Given the music that was contained on the album, I can say that the two complement each other nicely.
8) Turmion Kätilöt - Technodiktator
Out of everything that’s on this list, Turmion Kätilöt’s 2013 tribute to 90s Dance & Industrial artists is perhaps the funniest. The band has always been known for a lot of shock value in their material, but the album cover for Technodiktator comes across as quite jovial. There’s a disco dance floor in the background, wisps of colored smoke floating, two old-school boomboxes at full volume, and the technodiktator himself standing front & center. His head is that of a disco ball (With the head of a gramophone spitting out steam), and his body that of a 3rd-world dictator. Who exactly, I don’t know (I suspect Gadhafi). Regardless, the absurdity of the album cover gets me to snicker every time I look at it, but the music gets me to headbang. Weird, isn’t it?
7) Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
Judas Priest has always had a bevy of great album covers. With exceedingly few exceptions, the covers of this iconic band are easily recognized by even the most casual of fans. At least for me, their most recognizable covers come from the 80s, and the most recognizable out of all of them is Defenders of the Faith. The first album I ever bought from Judas Priest’s library of records, I had always appreciated some of the music on it beforehand, but the album cover helped me appreciate it more. The monstrous Metallium (A creature thought up by the band) looks like it’s going to burst right off the paper of the booklet, it’s claws out, and it’s machineguns ready to fire. I love this cover a lot, simply due to how much Defenders of the Faith embraces it’s 80s excess nature. If you can’t smile when you look at this album, then something’s wrong.
6) Type-O Negative - October Rust
Sometimes you need an over the top album cover to get people’s attention, and other times you need something more simplistic. In the case of Type-O Negative’s 1996 classic, they’re definitely going for the latter. October Rust’s cover is really simplistic: there’s just a black background, the band name & album name in the upper right and lower left respectively, and 4 thorny rose stems are front & center. Just thinking of grabbing this album makes me feel like I’m getting pricked on my fingers! Regardless of imagined pain, the cover of October Rust takes the simple approach to get you to notice it, and I appreciate it.
5) Korn - Issues
Despite Nu Metal being buried in a long forgotten graveyard, it’s incredible that Korn is still making music & touring. Even though they put out an album as recently as 2016, it’s their time in the 90s that calls to me when I think of the band. Out of all their 90s materials, it’s Issues from 1999 that I think of the most. Not just the music, but the album cover as well. Before Issues had actually come out, there was a contest through MTV where people could come up with what the album cover was going to officially be. In the end, the winner was Alfredo Carlos with what I can only describe as the perfect representation of ruined childhood innocence. I can’t say anything more......other than good job Carlos!
4) Sabaton - The Last Stand
War is hell. We all know this. From our news, to the history books, and even some of our pop culture, warfare has shaped all of us in some way. For the Swedish titans Sabaton, they grab the history of war by the throat, and shake it for something good to sing about. I’ve already praised the music of their 2016 release twice, so now it’s time to talk about The Last Stand’s cover. Like pretty much every other cover the band has put out, there’s a great “Triumphant” aura surrounding it. In this case, it’s a group of warriors from various time frames with their back to one another, fighting off what seems like impossible odds. Give the subject matter of The Last Stand, this isn’t surprising. Regardless, the album cover is just as awesome as the band itself. Win win!
3) Septicflesh - Titan
Much like The Key at my number 9 spot, Septicflesh’s 2014 masterpiece (Not to mention my number 1 album of all time) goes for a more artistic direction with it’s album cover. Whereas Nocturnus was being all weird with the cover for The Key, Titan goes in the thinking man’s direction with it’s cover. Not in a heavy handed, shove it in your face kind of deal. More of a “Put something in front & let the viewer decide” manner of artistic cover. Sure, there’s a crow, vulture, a lamb corpse with sharpened teeth, and what seems like a spirit (Who’s skeleton you can see) walking by. You’re given this weird spectacle, and Septicflesh let’s you discern what’s going on instead of tell you something. Bravo you beautiful Greek bastard! Damn fine job!
2) Sodom - Tapping The Vein
I stated on my Top 10 albums list that while I managed to move on from Rio Grande Blood (See below for more detail), I’ve never managed to walk away from Sodom’s 1992 classic. Not the music, and not the album cover. Seeing a muscular soldier that’s armed to the teeth, in a vulnerable position thanks to tubes & a blood vial connected to his arm, is incredibly haunting. It’s especially haunting for me, since my Mother was in the hospital for a week, and she had a IV in her arm. She’s a strong person, yet she was in a incredibly compromising position. I find the parallels between the two to be too similar in my mind, and it because of that emotion that Tapping The Vein makes it to the number 2 spot on this list.
Before we get to my number 1, I wanted to talk about some honorable mentions. Now, these album covers aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they don’t quite have as much a place in my mind as everything else on here. Regardless, I still enjoy these covers, and I don’t want to leave them hanging.
HM1) Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
If the album wasn’t held in what is basically a brown paper bag, I might have actually put in Through The Out Door somewhere on the main list. I just find the bag to be lazy for some reason, which is ironic because what’s inside is rather nice. There’s a heavy melancholic vibe: from the bartender, to the guy that’s slowly enjoying his drink, and just the whole room in general. Overall, there’s something about In Through The Out Door’s cover that’s endearing, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
HM2) Ministry - Rio Grande Blood
I stated back in my overview on Ministry that the period of 2004 to 2007 is a political time-capsule for not just the band & it’s music, but for their album covers from this time as well. Though Houses of the Molé can possibly be reused in this day & age, Rio Grande Blood’s cover has aged horribly. Seeing George W. Bush on a cross with a crown of thorns & half submerged in a barrel of oil, jets flying in the air, and a massive oil field in the back heavily reflects the public’s view of the Bush Administration at the time. In a way we’ve moved on from that, although given who we have in power now, it might still work. I guess the reason that Rio Grande Blood’s cover makes it here is because, much like the music itself, I’ve managed to move on from emotionally, but seeing it on that fateful day in 2006, I can’t deny the power it held over me.
1) Metallica - The Black Album
4 years old. That’s how old I was when I saw Enter Sandman on MTV, and that’s how old I was when I first saw the album cover of Metallica’s first album of the 90s. Being so young, the combination of the music video (Which gave me nightmares for a week), and seeing the nearly pitch black cover really left an impression on me. The band’s name, while almost invisible (On the original 1991 version), still commands a presence, and the serpent towards the bottom looks like it would strike anyone foolish enough to touch the album. Even though I’ve grown up since then, the memories of that first encounter still echo in my brain, and because of that The Black Album’s cover makes it to my number 1 spot.
So these were my top 10 favorite album covers of all time. Let me know in the comments what your favorite album covers are, and I’ll see you towards the end of this month for something wrestling themed. Till then, enjoy some art!
***
If you’re interested in more of Dan Seagrave’s artwork, check out the link below:
Dan Seagrave
I admit that content this month is a little on the weird side. Give how freezing it’s been where I live, it’s made wanting to do thing go by slowly, Never fear, for while the cold wind blows, I will not stop making posts! They might be simpler for me, but the content will keep coming! To provide some simple content in this chilly times, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of my favorite albums covers of all time. Covering a wide variety of metal bands, they all left an impression on me in some way. So, here are my top 10 favorite album covers of all time. Enjoy!
10) Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
What I’m surprised about is that I didn’t talk about the cover to A Blaze In The Northern Sky. Though it’s not the first Black Metal cover I’ve seen, it is the first Black Metal cover that left an impression. Seeing one of the band members, decked out in black leather & having his face painted up to the nines, was actually kind of creepy. His face stared at me menacingly, and it was that staring that stayed with me as I listened to the music. If any of you felt like this when you’re looking at the cover, then it’s doing it’s job.
9) Nocturnus - The Key ***
8) Turmion Kätilöt - Technodiktator
7) Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith
6) Type-O Negative - October Rust
5) Korn - Issues
4) Sabaton - The Last Stand
3) Septicflesh - Titan
2) Sodom - Tapping The Vein
Before we get to my number 1, I wanted to talk about some honorable mentions. Now, these album covers aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they don’t quite have as much a place in my mind as everything else on here. Regardless, I still enjoy these covers, and I don’t want to leave them hanging.
HM1) Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
HM2) Ministry - Rio Grande Blood
1) Metallica - The Black Album
So these were my top 10 favorite album covers of all time. Let me know in the comments what your favorite album covers are, and I’ll see you towards the end of this month for something wrestling themed. Till then, enjoy some art!
***
If you’re interested in more of Dan Seagrave’s artwork, check out the link below:
Dan Seagrave
Friday, January 5, 2018
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 4/Post Mortem)
Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and Happy New Year!
It’s ironic that I started out so happy with that opening line, when my first post this year is a bit more on the serious side. Just a few days ago, it was the two-year anniversary of the death of iconic Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. With the ripples of his passing still felt heavily within the Heavy Metal community, it feels like there’s a hole in the patchwork of metal that may never be mended. However, even with the dissolution of Motörhead, motes of brilliance can still be felt in the aether. Though part 3 of my look at Motörhead in late November of 2016 was the end of the band, 2 records have been released since they broke up, and it seems only right to give them a look at. So join me will you, as we take one last glimpse at the iconic discography of Motörhead. Let’s begin.
Clean Your Clock (2016)
With the death of Lemmy Kilmister in late December of 2015, the death of a legendary band came not long after. Ask yourself: how can Motörhead go on without it’s head? The answer is it can’t! However, even with the group put to rest, echoes of former glories still ring out for anyone to listen, and the first of these is the 13th live album Clean Your Clock! Released on the 10th of June 2016, Clean Your Clock was recorded during the band’s 40th anniversary tour in Europe, with the music compiled from their two sold-out shows at the Zenith in Munich, Germany, on the 20th and 21st of November 2015. Unknown to their label company (UDR Records), these two shows would be the last that Motörhead would ever perform live. Adding further to the sadness was that both shows were filmed, but only the November 20th concert was ever put to DVD. For the most part, I enjoyed this album! Despite one personal hiccup (More on that below), this is a hell of a live album, and acts as a final live glimpse into one of Heavy Metal’s biggest founders.
Best Track? This was a little bit tough to decide. Not only is this a great live album, but a lot of songs from different albums were covered on Clean Your Clock. However, I have to go back to my old standby from when I talked about Overkill, and say that Overkill the song is my favorite. Appropriately concluding this album, Motörhead still proves that even though they’re going on 40, songs like Overkill still stand the test of time.
Overkill
Worst Track? In some way, I was kind of reminded of Queen’s final album, Made In Heaven. Mainly, it’s the fact that I’m listening to the final words of a dead man. At the same time, I’m nowhere near as sad when I listen to this, as Lemmy has little to none of the finality that Freddy Mercury had.
Clean Your Clock. A little bit haunting, but a lotta bit badass! If you missed out on the band’s final show, then it’s only right to give this a listen to. Next album!
Under Cöver (2017)
Though Clean Your Clock from 2016 was the final live album from Motörhead, even that wouldn’t stop the group from getting out one last piece of material for the fans, and Under Cöver would be that last album. Released on the 1st of September of last year, Under Cöver is a compilation of cover songs that Motörhead has done over the decades. It’s a pretty impressive collection of songs, and despite my issues with this record (More on that below), it’s a lot of fun to listen to. These songs are classic enough from their respective bands already, but with that Motörhead twist, makes them just a little bit better than before.
Best Track? Bit of a time between the David Bowie classic that is Heroes, and Rockaway Beach, which was original done by the Ramones. For starters, both of these covers were never released on any prior Motörhead album, and as such are prized & rare tracks. In the case of the cover of Heroes, there’s still some of that triumphant feeling shine through from Bowie’s original version, but thank’s to Lemmy’s grizzled voice & guitar playing, gives the song are rougher edge. As for their cover of Rockaway Beach, it’s haunting at how similar Lemmy and the gang sound to the Ramones as far as instrumentation is concerned. Lemmy’s voice is remarkable clear in this cover, as there’s only a faint hint of his later-day gravely vocal work. Despite being a short song, Motörhead did Rockaway Beach justice!
Heroes
Rockaway Beach
Worst Track? While there isn’t anything bad on the album, I find Under Cöver to be a bit of a cash grab. With Clean Your Clock I understand why it was released, but this album? I can only assume that either the record company or the remaining band members (Probably the record company) wanted to get a little bit of extra money. The only other gripe I have would have to be with the years that Under Cöver looked at. Despite being a diverse group of songs, the compilation only has songs from the 90s all the way till 2014 on it. This doesn’t quite bug me as my other issues with this compilation, as I can assume that maybe Motörhead didn’t do covers as much in the late 70s to 80s.
Under Cöver. Maybe released for greedy reasons, but at the same time the quality of the songs shine through. Certainly recommended, but maybe not as much as the previously mentioned album.
So this was the true ending of my look at Motörhead. It was a little depressing to do, but I had to conclude the band’s story on my blog somehow. Hopefully, Lemmy’s looking down from Heaven, and is happy with the work I’ve done. I’ll see you all later on this month with more beginning of the year goodies. Until they, enjoy a glass of Jack why don’t you!
***
If you haven’t seen my look at Motörhead, or haven’t read them in a while, then the links below will help out:
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 1)
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 2)
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 3)
It’s ironic that I started out so happy with that opening line, when my first post this year is a bit more on the serious side. Just a few days ago, it was the two-year anniversary of the death of iconic Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. With the ripples of his passing still felt heavily within the Heavy Metal community, it feels like there’s a hole in the patchwork of metal that may never be mended. However, even with the dissolution of Motörhead, motes of brilliance can still be felt in the aether. Though part 3 of my look at Motörhead in late November of 2016 was the end of the band, 2 records have been released since they broke up, and it seems only right to give them a look at. So join me will you, as we take one last glimpse at the iconic discography of Motörhead. Let’s begin.
Clean Your Clock (2016)
Best Track? This was a little bit tough to decide. Not only is this a great live album, but a lot of songs from different albums were covered on Clean Your Clock. However, I have to go back to my old standby from when I talked about Overkill, and say that Overkill the song is my favorite. Appropriately concluding this album, Motörhead still proves that even though they’re going on 40, songs like Overkill still stand the test of time.
Overkill
Worst Track? In some way, I was kind of reminded of Queen’s final album, Made In Heaven. Mainly, it’s the fact that I’m listening to the final words of a dead man. At the same time, I’m nowhere near as sad when I listen to this, as Lemmy has little to none of the finality that Freddy Mercury had.
Clean Your Clock. A little bit haunting, but a lotta bit badass! If you missed out on the band’s final show, then it’s only right to give this a listen to. Next album!
Under Cöver (2017)
Best Track? Bit of a time between the David Bowie classic that is Heroes, and Rockaway Beach, which was original done by the Ramones. For starters, both of these covers were never released on any prior Motörhead album, and as such are prized & rare tracks. In the case of the cover of Heroes, there’s still some of that triumphant feeling shine through from Bowie’s original version, but thank’s to Lemmy’s grizzled voice & guitar playing, gives the song are rougher edge. As for their cover of Rockaway Beach, it’s haunting at how similar Lemmy and the gang sound to the Ramones as far as instrumentation is concerned. Lemmy’s voice is remarkable clear in this cover, as there’s only a faint hint of his later-day gravely vocal work. Despite being a short song, Motörhead did Rockaway Beach justice!
Heroes
Rockaway Beach
Worst Track? While there isn’t anything bad on the album, I find Under Cöver to be a bit of a cash grab. With Clean Your Clock I understand why it was released, but this album? I can only assume that either the record company or the remaining band members (Probably the record company) wanted to get a little bit of extra money. The only other gripe I have would have to be with the years that Under Cöver looked at. Despite being a diverse group of songs, the compilation only has songs from the 90s all the way till 2014 on it. This doesn’t quite bug me as my other issues with this compilation, as I can assume that maybe Motörhead didn’t do covers as much in the late 70s to 80s.
Under Cöver. Maybe released for greedy reasons, but at the same time the quality of the songs shine through. Certainly recommended, but maybe not as much as the previously mentioned album.
So this was the true ending of my look at Motörhead. It was a little depressing to do, but I had to conclude the band’s story on my blog somehow. Hopefully, Lemmy’s looking down from Heaven, and is happy with the work I’ve done. I’ll see you all later on this month with more beginning of the year goodies. Until they, enjoy a glass of Jack why don’t you!
***
If you haven’t seen my look at Motörhead, or haven’t read them in a while, then the links below will help out:
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 1)
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 2)
Metal Overview: Motörhead (Part 3)
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Food For Thought/Though For Food No. 9: Dumb Shit Already (The Logan Paul Controversy)
For anyone who happens to live under a rock (Which is probably a handful or two), Youtube star and emperor of the nimrods Logan Paul recently posted up a video about his time in Japan. Dressing up in a kimono & traditional rice hat, he proceeded to parade around Tokyo I believe like a total ass. Okay, that's dumb, but harmless. However, the video in question has nothing to do with that. This has to do with something he recorded at the iconic & infamous Suicide Forest near Mount Fuji. Again, there have been a few Youtube personalities, so this isn't necessarily anything new. What is new....is that this blonde-haired douchebag happened upon a hanging body....and recorded it.
What.....the....hell. Logan, you ignorant fuck......what the hell are you thinking!? You apparently must not know anything about tradition or respect. Number one you dumb shit, you're not supposed to record footage of said body out of respect, which is a word you apparently know nothing of. Second you little prick, if you happen to spot a body........REPORT IT! By Japanese Law, if you spot a body in the Suicide Forest, you are to report it to the authorities immediately. So what the hell did you, Logan "Head Up Ass" Logan? You made a motherfucking joke & mockery about the life of someone who took their life because life might have been too much for them.
Logan, this is why Japan will never truly open up to us. This is why Japan will never truly trust us. This is why Japan will see Americans & America as a joke, and this will continue to make the rest of the world see us as a joke! Because of the action of this ignorant piece of shit, you have possibly set back any good will & progress that has been done for possibly decades. If this somehow doesn't make the Japanese media in any way, I will be shocked. I'm upset for all the right reasons, but this affects me in another way. Mainly because.......I've seen the spirits of the dead! I have seen shadow, spirits, and other sorts of beings. Hell, I've even managed to communicate with a couple spirits briefly. I can only image what the soul of the individual in question must be feeling. What's going through their spectral mind I can only assume to be that of sadness & anger, possibly more.
To add salt to this wound, you had the gall to issue one of the biggest half-assed apologies ever. Don't believe me? Check it out below.
If you want to see more controlled videos about this act of idiocy, check out the three links below. They're more calm & collected that I was here.
Anime Man
Gaijin Goomba
Lost Pause
Again, I'm sorry I started 2018 here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog with something so horrendous....but dear god I had to say.....something. Luckily, I've got something towards the end of this week that's definitely more fun to look at. See you then, and Logan.......fuck off!
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