Anniversary Series - 1994!

This year is certainly a tough one to write about.  While there was plenty going on in rock and metal, it was mostly in genres I generally don't cover on this blog (like pop punk or death metal).  That being said, I think I've got enough to scrape a few paragraphs together to try and cover the year without resorting to a handful of reviews.

Naturally, grunge was still big.  Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden put out some reelases to their diehard fans, with Soundgarden in particular having a massive hit with "Black Hole Sun."  However, this year would also serve the biggest blow with the death of Kurt Cobain.  Almost acting like a turning point for the genre, more radio friendly bands like Bush and Our Lady Peace would move the genre into the post-grunge era.

Prog would end up having an interesting year as well.  Classic bands like Yes and ELP (among others) would put out albums, showing they still have what it takes, while Pink Floyd released Division Bell, marking the end of an era (as it was the last album for them for many years).  Progressive metal was picking up, however, with Dream Theater leading the charge with Awake, their celebrated follow-up to Images and Words.  With newcomers like Vanden Plas and Symphony X following in their wake, prog metal was clearly on the way up.

Meanwhile, power metal was starting to come together.  Stratovarius would be in a state of transition with Dreamspace, but the big story was the comeback of Helloween.  Picking up new singer Andi Deris, the band returned to their speedy, melodic roots with Master of the Rings, one of my favorite albums of theirs.  Finally getting past their experimental phase, they laid out epic tracks like "Sole Survivor" and "Where the Rain Grows," anticipating the explosion of power metal that would soon follow.

So it's not much, but it's something, and there's certainly more in the playlist below, so check that out.  If I've missed something, let me know in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I'll keep carrying on, putting out articles as often as time permits.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1992!

While I am dedicated to getting these anniversary articles done, I have to admit I don't really have a lot to say about 1992.  Of course, there were certainly big things happening this year, but most of it is outside of the scope of this blog, with the expansion of genres such as groove metal, extreme metal, and punk rock.  Still, there are a few things I can bring up as being important releases for the year.

Naturally, the year also saw a continuation of the grunge explosion, but most of that first wave happened last year, as Nevermind, Ten, and Badmotorfinger continued to sell copies.  This didn't leave much new for the genre, but we did get two big releases.  Alice in Chain's Dirt had success with tracks like "Would?", "Them Bones," and "Rooster."  Meanwhile, Stone Temple Pilots exploded with their debut Core.

Of course, heavy metal hadn't quite been completely erased by the alt rock movement.  Iron Maiden told us of their Fear of the Dark, being the last album with iconic singer Bruce Dickensen for 8 years.  Black Sabbath would suddenly reunite with Heaven and Hell lineup (albeit temporarily) for Dehumanizer.  Manowar gave us The Triumph of Steel, featuring a 28 minute epic about the story of Achilles.  Blind Guardian would push further into their fantasy themes with Somewhere Far Beyond.  Megadeth would follow their rivals Metallica with the mainstream success of Countdown to Extinction, featuring the massive "Symphony of Destruction" and the quirky "Sweating Bullets."

In terms of classic, melodic rock, there are a few gems.  Asia would reform around John Payne and release Aqua, Neal Schon worked with the Gioeli brothers for the first Hardline album Double Eclipse, and Def Leppard would find some left over pop metal appeal with Adrenalize.  AC/DC would also release a widely celebrated live release, simply titled AC/DC Live.

However, in terms of melodic rock and metal, what most likely might be the most important release is Images and Words from the prog metal giant Dream Theater.  While the fusion of prog rock and metal had been kicking around in the 80s, it wasn't until this second album of theirs that the genre really took off, as many bands have since tried to emulate what Dream Theater established here.  Not only featuring their only hit, "Pull Me Under," but also other favorites like "Learning to Live" and the renowned "Metropolis Part 1."  Melodic metal would never be the same after that album.

I'm sure there are plenty I missed from this year, so if you think of any, let me know in the comments below.  Still, a pretty big year for a few reasons.  As always, check out the playlist below for more.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1990!

As the year moves along, I hope everyone is staying safe.  In the meantime, this series carries on, into the year 1990!  Another year of transition, much like 1980, with some genres coming to a close while new ones are picking up to take their place!

However, the year would kick of with the familiar sound of glam metal, as Slaughter would release their debut album Stick It To Ya, with the big song "Up All Night."  In fact, glam and pop metal would have a pretty good year over all, with Poison's Flesh and Blood, Steelheart's debut, Ratt's Detonator, Warrant's Cherry Pie, and Jon Bon Jovi's solo debut with Blaze of Glory.

The rest of metal weren't sitting back either.  As thrash metal became more mainstream, Megadeth would find greater popularity with Rust in Peace.  Chock full of big tracks like "Holy Wars," "Hangar 18," "Tornado of Souls," and the title track, songs the band still play live today, it was a release that was hard to beat.  Even Judas Priest got in on the thrash action with Painkiller, letting Halford really go wild with the vocals.

Power metal, while still a long ways off from its peak, would find a few solid releases.  Kai Hansen, after breaking off with Helloween, would start Gamma Ray, with their debut album Heading For Tomorrow coming out this year.  Blind Guardian would release Tales from the Twilight World (which I reviewed at the end of last year), would show them shifting into their iconic style of melodic leads and epic vocals.

Of course, there was a new style developing out in the northwest of the US.  While grunge and alternative rock wouldn't completely take over, bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden would laying down the groundwork for the explosion that would follow in the next few years.

Meanwhile, classic rock fans would have plenty for them as well.  After Tommy Shaw left Styx, he ended up forming Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent and Jack Blades of Night Ranger, who's debut album would put them on the map in a big way.  Of course, Styx weren't sitting back, releasing Caught in the Act to some acclaim.  This year would also give us AC/DC's The Razor's Edge, best known for "Thunderstruck" and proof that classic styles still had power to blow the minds of rock fans everywhere.

As the year drew to a close, glam metal would end up having the last say, with the Scorpions releasing Crazy World with the track "Winds of Change," reflecting to the changing times in Europe.  The genre itself would have a major shake up with Tesla's live acoustic cover of "Signs," a sign itself that glam metal had really gone about as far as it could go.

And that wraps up 1990, though my playlist below has a few extras, as always.  Again, if there's anything you think I left out anything, let me know!  Until then, rock on! \m/