I gave a listen to Powerslave (and Piece of Mind) today actually - maybe 4 hours ago - and it was really solid! Despite me personally not loving this style of Heavy Metal generally, it was able to bowl me over with the sheer power and perfection of each musician and all the badass changes and riffs and meticulously detailed and controlled … everything on this album. It’s rightfully one of the absolute all time classic metal (of any kind) albums. _________________ -Ryan
I gave a listen to Powerslave (and Piece of Mind) today actually - maybe 4 hours ago - and it was really solid! Despite me personally not loving this style of Heavy Metal generally, it was able to bowl me over with the sheer power and perfection of each musician and all the badass changes and riffs and meticulously detailed and controlled … everything on this album. It’s rightfully one of the absolute all time classic metal (of any kind) albums.
I liked a lot of Maiden songs growing up, but what really sold them was the live experience. An old band which has a relatively young audience and puts on a show as if they were 40 and not 60+ (and beaten throat cancer and still singing etc.) Sure, they mostly play the same stuff live and the shows on the same tour are very similar, but to me personally, the audience is half (or more) of the show. And the energy they bring always gets the crowd going. Where I do think their age shows is in some of their opinions, for example Bruce calling out a fan for smoking weed. Like, dude, you were an alcoholic in the 80s 😁 There's even a funny bit from Live After Death about marijuana in the 19th century, queen Victoria and a cup of tea.
Not a very good list if you ask me, it uses the term "power metal" way too liberally. Dio was important to power metal but nobody in the community will point to their/his work as power metal in itself. Power Metal wouldn't be fully realized and formed until a few years later. So many people (especially on RYM) run things through their head and their opinions come off as revisionist or at best ahistorical.
Honestly, I've got nothing against people calling Dio power metal. At worst, I'll say it's not exactly power metal, more power metal adjacent music. Other 80s proto or cross genres as well. Like, is Possession or early Sepultura really death metal? Not exactly, but I'm not going out of my way to explain the nuances to my friend calling Morbid Visions a death metal record. Where I do draw the line is Venom... They WERE NOT a black metal band, despite the imagery and influence. In the end, all of that is highly subjective. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Honestly, I've got nothing against people calling Dio power metal. At worst, I'll say it's not exactly power metal, more power metal adjacent music.
Agreed Dio is definitely power metal adjacent, but I'd agree with Gowi in that I definitely wouldn't classify Dio as power metal. Maybe an early example and inspiration to the genre, but based on what power metal has become over the decades, I'd say it's hard to classify Dio there (similar to Iron Maiden).
But I don't even think having Dio on that power metal list is the weirdest inclusion, having Metal Church on there is odd to me. It's never really occurred to me to think of them as power metal, I've always considered them much closer to thrash than anything _________________ Progressive Rock
Agreed Dio is definitely power metal adjacent, but I'd agree with Gowi in that I definitely wouldn't classify Dio as power metal. Maybe an early example and inspiration to the genre, but based on what power metal has become over the decades, I'd say it's hard to classify Dio there (similar to Iron Maiden).
But I don't even think having Dio on that power metal list is the weirdest inclusion, having Metal Church on there is odd to me. It's never really occurred to me to think of them as power metal, I've always considered them much closer to thrash than anything
That's because the listmaker has no idea what he's talking about.
LedZep wrote:
Honestly, I've got nothing against people calling Dio power metal. At worst, I'll say it's not exactly power metal, more power metal adjacent music. Other 80s proto or cross genres as well. Like, is Possession or early Sepultura really death metal? Not exactly, but I'm not going out of my way to explain the nuances to my friend calling Morbid Visions a death metal record. Where I do draw the line is Venom... They WERE NOT a black metal band, despite the imagery and influence. In the end, all of that is highly subjective.
Your last point is ironic to me because Dio has the same imprint on power metal that Venom had on black metal, despite Venom themselves not being what they inspired. Rules for thee but not for me, I guess?
Your last point is ironic to me because Dio has the same imprint on power metal that Venom had on black metal, despite Venom themselves not being what they inspired. Rules for thee but not for me, I guess?
Hard disagree, Dio's sound is close to power metal, Venom's sound is nowhere near actual first wave bm. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
The framework. The vision. That was set by Venom. Bathory simply <& wonderfully> colored it in. But, Venom were the inspiration. The seed. For the entire metal underground really. They INFECTED everything. They opened the gate. It was a whole new idea for metal.
Dio tweaked what was already there. Venom created something new.
I think Gowi's point earlier about how Dio wove in early '80s AOR into their sound is right on the money. Dio did not sound that strange to us. Venom did!
Dio is a GREAT traditional heavy metal band. '70s Rainbow with a bit more AOR & melody thrown in. Something, interestingly enough, early 80s Rainbow was also trying to do - just with lesser results. Blackmore something furious considering how he "discovered" Dio. 😈 >>
Anyways, super interesting discussion. Mantas, cofounder of Venom, thinks that they were Black Metal as well. And I do NOT think that that is just ego talking. >
Satan laughs the words of war
The Heavens shake with fear
Armageddon sings his song …
“Let the joyous celebrations of Hell begin”...At War With Satan
The Setting: Venom were mostly just an idea to music heads in the early 80s. Especially to rock critics who, let’s face it, are essentially our historians. They were still years away from really even understanding Venom, let alone enjoying them. They didn’t quite get it. So when Venom released an epic song of prog rock length and scope on At War With Satan, they finally could let out a sigh of relief. "This one’s easy", they said. "Who do they think they are?! Rush?!” And so in the scrolls of rock history, this album was set aside as the place where Venom lost their way.
But, is it true? Or just “Baa!”
The Listen: One of the GREAT epics of metal storytelling in the early 80s. Right up there with Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell and Children Of the Sea. Dynamic & doomy. Cohesive while also being ferocious, At War With Satan is told & executed with conviction and creativity. Set to blackened primitive thrash, this is vivid, grip-ya-by the chestnuts storytelling of Heaven versus Hell that updates Milton & Dante for the House Of Dragons crowd.
The Verdict. I don’t know if they’ve admitted it or not. I don’t need to. Venom’s title track MASSIVELY influenced the direction the almighty Slayer would take on Hell Awaits. At War With Satan is an epic, underground CLASSIC as essential as Welcome to Hell and Black Metal. It’s time everyone skipped the party line and just joined the party!
Rating:😈😈😈😈😈
Last edited by Repo on 12/06/2022 21:53; edited 1 time in total
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Oooh la la! I look forward to this when it comes up on my project. Somehow I have never listened to the 3rd Venom LP. But with your recommendation I look forward to it all the more.
Love seeing you covering 1984 metal. Good vibes all around. _________________ -Ryan
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Mercury
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