The Anticipation of The 2015 M3 Festival....ie: The Ramblings of The Meister!

Last year I was introduced to a new addiction thanks to some friends made through my years on the Monsters of Rock Cruise.  Why, of course, it's another music festival!  With the Monsters of Rock Cruise (MORC) and Sweden Rock Festival already in the cards and Firefest UK planned for later in the year I was somehow able to squeeze in (cashflow and workwise) my first M3 Festival in Maryland in 2014.  The M3 Festival began in 2009 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on Saturday May 30 and spent 2009 and 2010 as a single day event until spreading it's wings to include Friday night and the addition of more acts to the bill.  All of the festival dates took place in May save 2010's in June and it seems to have settled in the earlier parts of May (first and second weeks of May for the last three events).  There's even a separately hosted pre-party event presented by D-Toxin Productions on Thursday night to get the mayhem kicked off just right.
What does M3 officially stand for?  I don't really know (or much care even...lol).  I've seen reports of Metal/Mayhem/May (but one was in June) or Metal/Mayhem/Merriweather or even Mostly/Middle-aged/Men, all of which are true, but I think I'll go with Meister's Metal Mayhem!

Several months ago a friend and I (who works at a competing website and had attended last year's event with me) began to speculate on the actual date for the 2015 M3 and we made a reservation at the Sheraton Hotel months in advance.  The Sheraton is the closest hotel to Merriwether Post Pavilion, where all bands stay and we were able to secure a room for not too much more than the mortgage deeds to both of our houses!  This year we wanted to be where the action is, now let's hope we guessed the date correctly!  We became members of the Facebook group M3 Rockers somewhere along the way.  The group is obviously based around the festival but contains lots of

The Meister with friends at M3 2014

discussion surrounding this style of music.  In fact, it's the most active, fun and informative group on Facebook (aside from the Decibel Geek page of course).  There are also several M3 performers past and present that are active members in the group!  I participated in a segment they offer on Mondays called "Meet Your Members" in which one member introduces themselves via a questionnaire.  I've attached my questionnaire and answers at the bottom of this ramble for anyone wanting to "Meet The Meister"!  The Facebook group is open to anyone to join (upon Admin approval) so check it out through the link at the bottom of the page and let 'em know The Meister from Decibel Geek sent ya!  As usually happens it seems a couple of the bands "accidentally" leaked their planned performances at the festival on various internet pages, creating some excited buzz over the social media platforms and for both of us as well.  Then with the "official lineup announcement" slated for unveiling on Monday January 5, 2015 an incredible amount of heightened speculations and buzz ensued when the full event roster was leaked to various websites a couple of days before.  With a confirmation arriving finally from M3, the leak was verified.

Some have (excitedly) said it is an awesome lineup.  Some have (bitterly even) trashed the roster.  For me personally, I feel that it is a very strong collection of artists, all the bands (well almost all) are awesome performers.  Unfortunately, however, I've seen all, but two of them before.  And not only seen them before but in many cases multiple times, several of which will occur again aboard MORC the very week before this 2015 event!  There's always some who don't like the choice of performers at a festival such as this and, realistically, I can list an easy ten bands that I would have rather seen make the cut.  But, I say to the complainers (of which there are far too many in this world in all facets of society)......don't go if you aren't thinking that the roster warrants the costs!  Yes, it's expensive for me to attend M3, with the flights and hotels and so forth but I'm going to have a great time with friends old and new (any time not at work is a definite plus, no?), meet new awesome people (many from the M3 Rockers group that I've only talked to on Facebook), drink a lot of sub-standard beer (well you can't  deny that Canada's beer is better!) and see and hear (again) some of the heroes from my youth with some of the songs that I grew up with.  Hell six of these bands even appear in my tattoo!

Meister supporting KiLLeR DWaRfS

Tickets are released for sale on Friday, January, 9, 2015 and we'll both be ready at our respective computers at the ring of the bell so to speak!

Personally, I can't wait for M3 how about you?  Hope to meet you there!  If you see this idiot running around the festival (see the photo to the right) say "Hi" and feel free buy him a beer!

My reviews of 2014's M3:
(M3 2014 (Part #1)) (M3 2014 (Part #2))

Cheers,
The Meister

(The Meister on Facebook) (Meister on Twitter)

(Decibel Geek Facebook) (M3 Rockers Facebook Group)

(M3 Website) (M3 Facebook)

M3 Rockerz “Meet Your Members” 12/15

#1-Where are you from? (Who are you/ Where do you come from? What do you wanna do with your life?)

“I Wanna Rock”!!!  I’m Rich (also known as “The Meister”) from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, a smaller town about an hour north of Toronto.  I’m 41 years old, single and work in the restaurant business (for more than 20 years now).  I was born in Newmarket and have lived in Toronto and the surrounding area all my life.   I’m a rocker through and through and music always, plays inside my head, often causing strange outbursts of singing (co-workers have basically learned to ignore me!)  I do not play any instruments but do own a bass that, dammit, one day I’ll finally get around to learning!  Previously when an ex-girlfriend repeatedly told me that I was tone deaf, I didn’t listen (just like a typical man, right?) and refused to believe her as I sang away to favourite songs.  I recently found her to be absolutely 100% correct as someone recorded me singing……I apologise to anyone in earshot at M3 as not only that, but I often drunkenly monotone hum the parts of a song where I don’t know the words.   I have a full sleeve tattoo depicting a guitar case “stickered” with the logos of about 30 bands that have meant something to me throughout my life.  I travel as much as possible, taking at least four rock trips a year (MORC, my first M3, Sweden Rock Festival and Firefest UK were last year’s adventures).  I’m a writer for The Decibel Geek website and have co-hosted the Decibel Geek podcast on several occasions.  So, as you can see, I really do wanna rock!

#2-What was your first concert?

My first concert was a “chaperoned by a friend’s dad” John Cougar Mellencamp event that I don’t really count due to the chaperoning.  My first real, “trek unsupervised to the big city”, concert was Alice Cooper on New Year’s Eve 1989 Trash Tour in Toronto (still have the concert tee although I’m a helluva lot fatter now and the white cotton is so paper thin from over washing that you could easily spit through it!)

#3-What was the best concert you’ve ever seen? (Be sure to say when/where and any other details you would like to share)

An extremely hard question to answer having seen so very many concerts and festivals…..I think I should narrow things down to best band’s performance as it’s not really fair to take MORC, M3 or Sweden Rock Festival as a single concert.  I’ll also consider things on a concert that I enjoyed most, not necessarily the best performance by said band.  Definitely Saxon’s Call to Arms tour in Toronto, KISS pre-Revenge album club tour in Toronto, Tora Tora’s 25^th Anniversary in Memphis and The Four Horsemen in Toronto in ‘94 are all contenders but I think I have to go with Tyketto’s first set aboard 2014’s MOR Cruise.  There was something magical about that band, that venue (Black & White Lounge on the MSC Divina), I can’t quite put my finger on it exactly.  I went into the set only because I was dragged by a friend simply because I could not get a good view of Tesla who were performing at the same time on the pool deck of the ship.  I knew some Tyketto music, but honestly did not overly take to them, their albums getting lost in my extensive collection.  When I saw them live……..I was actually moved to tears (I know, what a loser!).  The emotion, the magic, the band giving their all on that tiny little stage for us, maybe I was just drunk.  In any case I named them best show on the boat when I co-hosted The Decibel Geek Podcast’s MORC Memories wrap-up episode and will now expand that to best concert set I’ve ever seen.

#4-What’s your favourite memory evoked by the music of the 80’s?

This memory is probably more inspired by 70’s music, but it was the 80’s when I watched the TV show.  When I was a kid, my parents used to watch what was then re-runs of W.K.R.P. in Cincinnati and I quickly fell in love with the show, characters and especially Dr. Johnny Fever.  I was 10 or 11 and I knew right then what I wanted to be when I grew up….Dr. Johnny Fever.  It was that TV show that got me into music and I would often drag the family together in the evenings and host a DJ hour where I would play songs from my parent’s record collection.  Holidays were a special treat for me and always meant a larger audience with visiting family members.  As I grew older and discovered heavier music the segment became less and less popular with the family….lol.

#5-Which band/artist is on your M3 bucket list?

While there are many bands I’d love to see play, there are three for sure that come to mind.  All three of these I’ve listened to for a long time and the logos for two of them appear in my tattoo.  I’ve never seen any of these three bands live and I suspect that unless I do some travel for a one-off show somewhere it’s doubtful that I ever will.   Twisted Sister/Lizzy Borden/ House of Lords

#6-Share something interesting about yourself that is not music or M3 related.

This whole “Meet Your Members” seemed like a great idea until I got down to this question and realised that, apparently, I’m just not that interesting…lol.  I could tell you that my ancestor was involved in the invention of the gas mask, or that I’m descended from Vikings.  How about that I have a huge stamp collection that was originally started by my great Grandfather.  Maybe that at the time of my promotion I was the youngest ever Assistant Store Manager of Wal-Mart Canada (I did this and still worked part time at the restaurant).  Or even that I have backpacked across Europe for 4.5 months.  I cannot eat mashed potatoes as they bring up my gag reflex, resulting in a disastrous date one evening when I attempted to be polite and choke them down.  I once lost a bet and had to wear a 50’s style diner skirt around a sports bar during a Superbowl game.  Or that I used to take roller skating lessons when I was a kid and I was asked to compete nationally…odd that I’m now too uncoordinated to actually walk on my own two feet!....anyone find any of that nonsense interesting?

Cheers,

Rich “The Meister” Dillon \m/

2015 Monsters Of Rock Cruise: Countdown Commencing! My Top 5 Must See Bands.......and Hacked By A Hoser!!!!

I begin this piece during a spat of winter weather here in the Bluegrass; snow on the ground, temps in the teens, 1 snow day on the books. As you might imagine I am already yearning for a warmer climate. Along with said yearning grows an anticipation of volcanic magnitude. For in 5 unbearable months I will embark on, for me, a maiden voyage of Rock n' Roll destiny: The 2015 Monsters Of Rock Cruise! 4 days, 30+ bands, a luxury vessel, The Caribbean, and a few thousand like-minded rock fans ready to raise a fist and drink in the air!!! It's like heaven on a ship. And I am a total rookie. A complete greenhorn. This will be my first cruise so the fact that its a Monsters Of Rock Cruise simply kicks major ass.



As you can see from the graphic above, 2015 has a stellar lineup in store. But I have to admit, at first I wasn't totally on board. (pun intended) Several of these bands have been off my radar for quite a while so I had to sort of circle back around and look at it from a different standpoint; a bucketlist standpoint. If you're like me you've seen the Tesla's and the Queensryche's and the Stryper's several times and do look forward to checking them out on the ship, but at the same time, there are several of these bands that I haven't seen. Queue the bucketlist. Here are the top 5 bands on the list. Lets start from the bottom of the list and work our way up.

1. Heaven's Edge -  This band from Philly hit the scene around 1990 with their radio single Find Another Way from their self titled debut album. The band also had a video for the song Skin To Skin in rotation on MTV. A follow up album was prepared but due to lack of record label interest the project was shelved and the group would disband. Fast forward to 1998 and Heavens Edge would reform, sign a deal, and their sophomore album Some Other Place - Some Other Time would be released abroad that same year and in the US in 1999. Their debut album was rereleased in 2012 with some added bonus tracks. The band seems to tour sporadically, popping up at festivals both in the US as well as overseas. I am a huge fan of their debut album which is a blend of bluesy, melodic hard rock.



2. Leatherwolf - Leatherwolf emerged from the Orange County scene in the very early 80's alongside Slayer and Metallica and were known for their Triple Axe Attack configuration of, as you might guess, 3 guitarists in the band. The band endured a number of lineup changes and style changes throughout the 80's releasing 1 EP and 2 full length albums before disappearing around 1991. They would, however, reemerge in 1999 with a successful reunion concert that would be released as a live album. Since then they have released 2 more studio albums in 2006 and 2007 as well as another live album in 2013. I must admit I am a bit new to the Leatherwolf party, but when I saw them scheduled to perform on the cruise I was thoroughly intrigued and have begun getting into their discography. They are, without a doubt, worth a listen! I enjoy their early work, which is kind of a sun-kissed nod to the NWOBHM, while their newer music is more straight ahead metal.

3. John Corabi - The "Mayor" of The Monsters Of Rock Cruise returns once again in 2015 and this time, according to recent posts, will be bringing his current Motley Crue '94 Album Show on board. This cruiser is keeping his fingers crossed that this will take place, as a John Corabi show of any kind has unfortunately eluded my concert experiences and the fact that he may be performing the MC94 album at length is an added bonus. In case you missed it, check out the recent 2 part Albums Unleashed episodes of The Decibel Geek Podcast featuring an in depth discussion with John Corabi on the Motley Crue '94 album and his time with the band. Listen to part one HERE and part two HERE!!

4. Krokus - 2015 will mark this band's 40th year but it seems like only yesterday I was in junior high school and playing air guitar in my parents' living room while Screaming In The Night was blaring out of the FM radio speakers. If you would've told me back then that in 32 years I would be going on a cruise with Krokus I don't think I would've believed it for a minute. Sadly, after 1983 I sort of lost track of Krokus although they did continue to record and tour despite some lineup changes. Earlier this year I rediscovered this rocking product of Switzerland after picking up there current live release Long Stick Goes Boom!: Live From da House Of Rust. Damn! Great album! Stellar album! Easily one of my top album picks of this year and easily another great addition to next year's cruise!

 5. Europe - This band was the nail in the coffin, the dealbreaker for me booking a spot on the 2015 Monsters Of Rock Cruise. I know to some that may seem odd, but this is another band that I rediscovered this year after getting their recent live CD. In this case it was their 30th Anniversary: Live At Sweden Rock double disc set that put Europe solidly back on my radar. Of course I was familiar with Europe during the mid 80's. How could you not be after the release of their globally successful 1986 album The Final Countdown. It sold close to 10 million copies in the US alone. And as it were, I didn't pursue anything the band did after that. Fast forward to early 2014 and me sitting at the computer scouring amazon and iTunes for something new to give me a fix when I stumble upon Europe's latest double live retrospective cd set. To me, these were simply some of the best rock songs I'd never heard. Then when I saw they were literally one of the first bands booked on next years cruise, I was in. At any cost.

#################################################################################
That's right The Meister is back!!  Having been on every voyage of the Monsters of Rock Cruise so far I'm again boarding for the 2015 adventure.  This year Decibel Geek staff writer Derik Novak will be joining other Decibel Geek staff writer Kate Campbell (her second excursion), staff photographer Brian Ronald (his fourth, like myself) and The Meister on board the MSC Divina as she sets sail April 18-22 fully loaded with long-haired, tattooed, rowdy, rockers for the greatest floating heavy metal event!  This guy has no idea just what he's in for (insert "muah ha ha" dastardly laugh here), definitely the time of his life coming up!  Derik has identified his top 5 must see bands and made some fine choices here.  I thought I'd share my top 5 as well as there are some differences.

#5 - Rhino Bucket/Keel/Y&T/Black n Blue:
Rhino Bucket are a straight up no frills rock band that absolutely rip in concert and I've not yet missed one of their MORC shows during their appearances in 2012 and 2013.  With KIX's Brian Forsythe on guitar and Georg Dolivo's distinctive voice, they'll be rockin' the boat.

Keel provided to me one of the best experiences of my life in 2013 as I was invited to be a part of their pre-cruise rehearsal.  I absolutely cannot say enough about the band members personally and their ability to deliver a high quality rock show!  The Keel logo appears in my full sleeve tattoo as well.

Another logo that appears in my tattoo, I've caught Y&T in Toronto and at Sweden Rock 2014 as well as their three previous cruise appearances.  I think that Dave Meniketti and Y&T deserve to be given the coveted sail away concert this year.

Black 'n Blue was a band that made me a rabid fan through their live show on MORC 2012.  Since then I've checked them out in 2013 and also at Firefest Festival in Nottingham UK.  Jamie St. James voice still holds strong, do not miss these guys!

#4 - Heavens Edge:
I saw these guys at 2014's M3 festival as they opened the side stage on the Saturday of that event.  I was shocked at how good they were and just how much Reggie Wu is an awesome guitarist and from reports that I have heard "he played the shit out of every other guitarist" at Firefest 2013.  I have since gone back and revisited their debut album and it has been a constant on my Mp3 player.  A total crime that these guys were not bigger back in the day, but rest assured they will be vieing for top 5 performance of the cruise position!

#3 - Babylon A.D.:
I literally just saw these guys at Firefest: The Final Fling in Nottingham UK in October 2014.  I had been listening to their first two releases since high school, playing both often and loudly!  I was a little apprehensive of how they would be all these years later in my first experience seeing them live.  I was not at all disappointed!  They hit the stage like a lead balloon (I believe the expression is at least) and proceeded to swing the hammer down on the Firefest crowd.  So pumped to see them again and will not be missing either of their shipboard sets!

#2 - Krokus:
Once again this band's logo makes an appearance in my sleeve tattoo and they were one of the first rock bands I'd ever heard back in days of youth.  I was 11 when The Blitz was released and "Midnite Maniac" is where it all began for me.  I though I'd never have the chance to see them live and their announcement in the roster for Sweden Rock 2013 was integral part of my decision to trek to that event.  Krokus exceeded expectations there and I have no doubt that they will exceed yours as well!

.....and (drum roll please...) The Meister's absolute "at all costs" must see band of the 2015 Monsters of Rock Cruise.........

#1 - Tyketto:
That name may seem somewhat of a surprise to some readers.  Let me fill you in......I own some Tyketto albums and had spun them periodically and never really catching the buzz they got swarmed and lost in my collection over the years.  During last year's Tesla sail away concert as the MSC Divina floated away from the port of Miami to begin (continue in some cases) the debauchery, I couldn't get a decent vantage point.  Having seen Tesla on the previous cruises, I allowed a friend to pull (literally by the arm) me away and down into the bowels of the ship to where Tyketto was prepared to give a conflicting with Tesla performance in one of the lounges.  Had it not been for the lack of vantage I would have missed out on this event!  It's hard to describe what I felt, heard and saw during Tyketto's set, but it was certainly magical.  They became the talk of the cruise and their second set was suitably more packed as those missing the first volleyed for a vantage point.  This second performance drew several of Tyketto's peers as they'd also heard the buzz and wanted to check them out.  Last year I named them "Best show on the boat" based solely on that first set, the second not only cemented it, but drove it home hard.  If you miss Tyketto, you've wasted your time on the Monsters of Rock Cruise!  Ok, not at all because the whole thing is mind blowingly awesome, but trust me catch a Tyketto show while you're there.

Cheers,
The Meister

(The Meister on Facebook) (Meister on Twitter)


What the hell just happened???? Step away for a bit to enjoy my Thanksgiving holiday and I get hacked by The Meister?!?! But you know what?? It's all good. Meister made some great picks and I'm sure I'll get to check out some of his Top 5 bands as well. Along with being completely stoked about going on the cruise, I'm equally stoked to meet Rich, Kate, and Brian and just take the whole experience in. Honestly, I hope to see as much of all the bands on board that I possibly can and report back to the Decibel Geek faithful. Stay tuned!!!!

            Derik.

(Derik on Facebook) (Derik on Twitter)

Derik's Not Neccessarily Top 5 Live Albums

Throughout my years I have always tried to consider the musical opinions and tastes of others with an open mind. I may deliver a playful jab now and then, but for the most part, to each his own. But for some reason when I hear a person say "I hate live albums." it makes me want to slam my head in a sliding glass door repeate
dly. For me, a great live album from a band I love or a band i may not be familiar with is a true gem. I am sure we are all familiar with the monolithic live albums that have come down through the years. This weeks episode of the Decibel Geek Podcast most definitely showcased some great ones. I have to be honest though and admit that I threw Poison's Swallow This Live and Dokken's Beast From The East to the side long ago. Maybe I'll dig them out and give them another spin. For now though I would like to share a few live albums that seem to rise to the top of my playlist heap. These are in no particular order or ranking.

Paul Rodgers And Company - The Hendrix Set
This five song EP has been one of my absolute favorites for a number of years. This was recorded 4th Of July 1993 and released in November of the same year. I first had this on a cassette that I found in a used CD and cassette shop back in the late 90's. Along with Bad Company and Free lead singer Paul Rodgers on vocals, you get a stellar 3 piece band which consists of legendary Journey guitarist Neal Schon, current Journey drummer Deen Castronovo and on bass Todd Jensen, who has worked with Ozzy, David Lee Roth and Alice Cooper. The band as a whole do a nice job paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix, but its the rhythm section that I love listening to. So tight. Although Rodgers sings nothing like Hendrix, he interprets the songs with fine style and Neal Schon's guitar work is what you would expect; melodic, expressive riffs and leads drenched in effects. The tracks include Purple Haze, Little Wing, Manic Depression, and Foxy Lady but its their version of Stone Free that I put on Repeat quite often. The band knocks this one out of the park then tag the end of the song with a bit of Cream's I Feel Free. It simply kicks ass. The only down side is that its an EP, but its an EP that packs a full length punch!



Starz - Live In Louisville!
I stumbled across this album just a few years ago by one day Googling "Live In Louisville". At that point I was only vaguely familiar with the band. Luckily iTunes had it so I immediately bought it as well as started digging into the bands history. I quickly deduced that Starz were a hugely underrated band and that this live album could've prevented that had it been released after it was recorded in 1978. For all I can find, it wasn't released officially in complete form until 2000. It was after discovering this album, then the podcast featuring Starz music that I did a piece on the album back around the holidays. Read It Here!! I don't want to repeat myself but I will say that in my opinion, Starz, along with this album, might've had a better chance had they not been under the same management and booking agency as KISS. Just sayin. Starz - Live In Louisville made me a fan. It's just a fun album to listen to. Plus it was recorded here in Louisville. If you're not familiar with Starz, they are simply a great 70's rock band with a sound and style that would remind you of The Rolling Stones, Cheap Trick, and Aerosmith. This album is worth a listen!!

Whitesnake - LIVE: In The Shadow of The Blues
If you like Whitesnake and live albums chances are you will like this album. I got this CD digitally through a free trial of a worthless online music outlet called E-Music and it didnt include the 4 unreleased studio tracks, but thats ok. The live tracks are incredible. The album hits the ground screaming with Bad Boys and continues full on with a healthy slice of Whitesnake discography. The bonus disc which may be from the European leg of the '06 tour starts with an alternate show opener of Burn/Stormbringer from David Coverdale's Deep Purple days and contains 6 more WS classics. For me, its the lineup in the band at this point that makes this album shine. On guitars you have Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich. Aldrich simply owns this classic WS material from start to finish and Reb Beach adds his unique style and sound to the secondary rhythm and lead parts. Legendary rock drummer Tommy Aldridge executes flawlessly. Coming in on bass at different times in the tour were Marco Mendoza, who had previously worked with Blue Murder and a 90's version of Thin Lizzy, and Uriah Duffy, who had recorded with Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys. On keyboards Timothy Drury, who had toured with The Eagles. To sum it up; great band, great album!

Rush - Exit....Stage Left
To listen to this album now transports me right back to junior high. Especially track 3: YYZ with the drum solo. Back then I played the drums in school band, at church, and at home and this particular track was my Holy Grail. Really, all 3 songs on side 1 album 1: The Spirit Of Radio, Red Barchetta, and YYZ are my favorite Rush songs so to have them together on one portion of an album was a bonus. Although I didn't pursue music much farther than those years, this album was a huge influence on me at that time and I am certainly still a Rush fan today.

Europe - Live At Sweden Rock
30th Anniversary Show
I found this CD earlier this year while searching Amazon and iTunes for something new. Europe is a band that has never been hugely in my radar so it was the subtitle "30th Anniversary Show" that made me pull up and take a look. At that moment I simply couldn't get my head around the fact that this band was in their 30th year. After sampling some tracks, I had to have it, and despite The Final Countdown, I am suddenly a Europe fan. And a huge fan of this double live CD, which is a excellent showcase of the bands span of material. Europe was inactive for a majority of the 90's, but included tracks from their albums made during the 80's as well as albums made in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2012. For the band you have the classic lineup of Joey Tempest on vocals, John Norum on guitar, John Leven on bass, Mic Michaeli on keyboards, and Ian Haugland on drums. The recording and production of the album is excellent and the 30,000 fans and attendees of the 2013 Sweden Rock Festival let you know that Europe is in fine form. The show kicks off with 3 great tracks from their most recent and 9th studio album Bag Of Bones and weaves you in and out of their triple decade spanning career. Two incredible high points in the show are guest appearances by Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy on a cover of Jailbreak and Michael Schenker from U.F.O. on a cover of Lights Out. As you might think, they wrap up this double live treasure with The Final Countdown, but it seems to carry a bit more weight when its alongside some of the band's better material. Europe is a band that I personally underrated but this live retrospect gave me a better perspective. Enjoy!

Bride : Snakes In The Playground

In conjunction with last weeks "Heaven" episode and as a sort of extension to a piece I did about a year ago on the band Bride, I thought we could look back at the band's 1992 release Snakes In The Playground; their breakthrough album and 2nd in a series of 3 albums released on the christian major label Star Song. Former Prince And The Revolution guitarist Dez Dickerson was the Executive Producer on Snakes. Bride recorded the album in Nashville in 1991 and it features an appearance by Greg Martin of The Kentucky Headhunters as well as a handful of christian artists lending a hand. 

Psychedelic Super Jesus Live In Brazil

Snakes In The Playground saw the band move to a more straightforward hard rock sound verses their slightly thrashy roots. The lineup at this time was founding brothers Dale Thompson on vocals and Troy Thompson on guitars. Troy being quite possibly one of the most underrated rhythm guitar players alive. On bass was Rik Foley and on drums was a popular local musician named Jerry McBroom who at one time was a student of Scorpions drummer James Kottak, also a Louisville native.

Musically, this album has a great "live" feel with hints of Skid Row and Guns N' Roses. Vocal wise, frontman Dale Thompson incorporates those same hints and throws in a bit of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler to his own unique style.

Snakes In The Playground opens with the sound of a street preacher exclaiming "Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart today." just before the drum intro to 'Rattlesnake' sets in motion the driving guitars and in your face vocals which explain the album title: selling drugs to children. Aside from 2 ballads 'I Miss The Rain' and 'Goodbye', which aren't bad songs by any means, Snakes is a non stop rock n' roll train ride. Local legend has it that the song 'Psychedelic Super Jesus' is the bands response to another local Louisville bands opinion that Jesus was nothing more than a hippie guru. Whatever the case may be, Snakes In The Playground is one of rock 'n roll's lost treasures. Other standout tracks include 'Would You Die For Me', 'Fallout', and 'Dust Through A Fan'.

I had the opportunity to see Bride many times during this era and they never disappointed. It was always a high energy show led by their very charismatic frontman Dale Thompson and 3 top notch players laying it down tightly and seamlessly. Much of that playing is represented on this album.

The band still tours and records, having released their most recent CD Incorruptible in 2013. Critics say its their best effort since the early mid 90's era which included Snakes In The Playground. As I said in my piece a year ago, wherever you stand in your beliefs about God or the "R" word, if you're a fan of great hard rock and heavy metal, you owe it to yourself to give Bride a listen.

Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers Turns 30.

1984 saw the return of the classic or "Mark II" lineup of one of the most popular bands in the world: Deep Purple. The waters of forgiveness were set to be tested in 1982 with plans for a comeback album and tour to follow but vocalist Ian Gillan was sidelined by his doctors and ordered not to sing for at least six months or risk permanent damage to his vocal chords, thus canceling the remaining dates of touring with his solo band Gillan. The remaining Mark II alumni carried on a while longer with the bands they were in at that point: Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and bassist Roger Glover in Rainbow, keyboardist Jon Lord in Whitesnake, and drummer Ian Paice with Gary Moore. In the spring of 1984 the members got together once again and began planning a triumphant return with a new album and tour. It's rumored that Ritchie Blackmore wanted Whitesnake vocalist and former Mark III member David Coverdale on the mic but apparently that was not to be.

In my opinion, DP returned in fine form with their signature blend of classical and blues influenced yet slightly progressive hard rock solidifying why some have called the band 1/3 of the Unholy Trinity of British Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The album Perfect Strangers was recorded in the state of Vermont in the summer of 84 and released that fall. It reached #17 on the Billboard Top 200 and went to #5 in the UK. Roger Glover is named 1st in production credit and would explain the bass guitar being in the forefront of the album mix. The album produced three singles. The title track Perfect Strangers reached #12 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks and the opener Knocking at Your Back Door reached #61 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both of these songs, for me, are very underwhelming. A third single, Nobody's Home, reached #20 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks. It's this track, along with the two other songs sandwiched between the album opener and the title track that is the hot spot for me. Under The Gun is a tight organ/guitar driven rocker with solid bass and drums creating firm foundation. Nobody's Home begins with a bit of tell tale early 80's synthesizer before busting in with a fat guitar lick and great bass groove. Mean Streak is pure vintage Mark II Deep Purple; blues-kissed hard rock.

A massive and quite lucrative world tour would follow the album release and carry over through the following year. This classic yet fragile lineup would go on to release 2 more albums; The House Of Blue Light in '87 and Nobody's Perfect( Live) in '88 before Ian Gillan would be axed due to continuing tension between Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore. But as luck would have it, the vocalist would return again in '92 and the classic Mark II lineup would record their last studio album The Battle Rages On in '93. Ritchie Blackmore would exit Deep Purple for good in the Fall of that year. Who knew how prophetic Perfect Strangers would become? To this day, Deep Purple have continued to tour and record music.  Dixie Dregs/Kansas guitarist Steve Morse has since taken over on guitar. Keyboardist Don Airey joined in 2002 when Jon Lord retired from the band. Lord passed away in 2012. Throughout the bands 38 years of combined formation, drummer Ian Paice has remained the only member who has not left and returned to Deep Purple while they were active. For me, DP are truly one of the few true pioneers of hard rock and Heavy Metal. They have influenced countless American and European bands, as well as The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Personally, I prefer the material from the Mark II and Mark III lineups, but their catalog as a whole is brilliant. 100 million albums sold worldwide can't be wrong. 

Happy 30th Perfect Strangers!



Judas Priest Returns to Redeem Souls...or Do They?

 Judas f***ing Priest!!   The British genre defining heavy metal band has been around in some form or another since before I was brought onto this earth!  From their humble beginnings in the early 70's the band has been recording and producing some of the music that helped develop and define

the heavy metal genre for over 40 years, truly "Metal Gods".  Recent years have seen the speculations that these Godfathers of heavy metal were nearing the end of their tenure and hanging up the guitars.  Things like half of the axe slinging duo of the signature Priest sound, founding member K.K. Downing announcing his departure from the group.  Followed by a huge world tour entitled Epitaph showcasing a set list that included something from every album (aside from the Tim "Ripper" Owens fronted issues) including "Never Satisfied" from Rocka Rolla an album that has largely been dismissed by the band and ignored in concert since 1976!  You can't always believe what you hear, how many bands have had farewell tours now and are back on the road the very next year?  The current Judas Priest roster sees vocals handled by Rob Halford, bass by Ian Hill, the drumming skills of Scott Travis and Richie Faulkner joining Glen Tipton in the axe-slinging duo.  My anticipation for the new album was high to say the least, heightened once I heard the single "Redeemer of Souls" which became available prior to the album's release. 

The cover for the newest album, Redeemer of Souls, the seventeenth and first since 2008's Nostradamus is an amazing piece of artwork.  The album cover is an area that seems to be lacking in today's marketplace, but was once an integral piece of the puzzle in times of my youth.  Perhaps the lack is due to the rise of digital and single only purchases.

When I cued it up and the lead track, "Dragonaut" starts off with its grinding riff I was right along with it!  Halford's voice seems to have, understandably, mellowed with age and there's a decided lack of the telltale high notes and signature wailing, but he still sounds great!  That aside, "Dragonaut" embodies what makes a truly great Priest song harkening back to the Screaming for Vengeance days (my first Priest album).  My first reaction was total love for this long awaited (let's face it Nostradamus was abysmal and Angel of Retribution had it's weak spots) Priest album.  The title track, "Redeemer of Souls", keeps the momentum going until the screams of Halford return with "Halls of Valhalla" clocking in at just over six minutes for the longest of the assemblage.  The slower sludgy pace of "Sword of Damocles" features a catchy chorus and only mildly gives the neck a rest from the headbanging before the best track of the album, "March of the Damned".  This song has everything I want and expect from Priest and is my favorite on the release.  From there it's the assault of "Down in Flames" taking us to "Hell & Back", featuring a slower ballad beginning with another catchy chorus.  "Hell & Back" is track #7, just over halfway through the 13 song collection and it's after this that I begin to lose faith in the record.  Even at that, the first seven are pure classic Judas Priest style heavy metal and worth the price of admission twice over.  While there's nothing bad about the remaining compositions I, personally and maybe I'm
crazy, just find that after awhile everything here starts to sound the same.  All three of "Cold Blooded", "Metalizer" and "Crossfire" just seem to blend into the background and don't stand out to me at all, but I tried specifically listening to those tracks separately on different days, just them without the rest and they're quite good in themselves. "Secrets of the Dead" however is another completely different story and could have easily been omitted.  By the time "Battle Cry" hit the speakers my mind has wandered away and "The Beginning of the End", a full on ballad, is something that I can certainly do without.

I really want to absolutely love Redeemer of Souls, but can't fully bring myself to do it!  I'm close, maybe with more listens it'll grow on me.  Redeemer of Souls runs at just over 60 minutes (without five song bonus CD), but I feel if there had been two or three tracks dropped that it would play much better and keep my interest throughout the whole listen.  Overall there doesn't seem to be that "jump out and grab you", stand alone, "must hear" track that at least one of appears on every other Priest album.  They're all thunderous anthems here, but are very similar and I'm not sure
if that's a good thing or not.  I've listened fully through now seven times and Redeemer of Souls is definitely growing on me, it's miles above the last two issues, but still isn't the Priest of old.  On one hand I'm just happy to have the Priest at all considering three of these guys are over 60!  I'm a Priest fan and anyone who listens to metal has to acknowledge them as some of the founders of the genre whether you support their sound or not.  I'll be in the arena when the Redeemer of Souls Tour rolls into Casino Rama, the closest stop to Toronto about 1.5 hours away, and I look forward to "Living After Midnight" with one of my all time favorite bands no matter what material they choose to grace the list with.  Who can believe any farewell or we're not touring anymore statements these days, but you never know when that may just be the case, so get out and support these "Metal Gods" on tour!

Cheers,
The Meister

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Meister Attends Motley Crue's Funeral in Grand Rapids

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By now I'm sure that many of you have seen or heard the reports and the lambasting of the debut or initial performance of Motley Crue's All Bad Things Must Come To An End tour.  I'm not gonna say that they're overly harsh or incorrect for the most part.  I was there, I know.  Here's my story of Wednesday July 2nd, 2014.

A friend and I set out on an approximately six hour road trip, very reminiscent of high school road trips in a beat up old car with tunes cranked and snacks in hand, from Toronto Canada to Grand Rapids Michigan. Upon arrival and check in at our hotel we met some other Crue fans from Ontario for a couple of drinks before the short walk over to Van Andel Arena.  In a parking lot across the road there was a cordoned off area set up with a bar, tables and a stage with presumably a local band belting out some tunes.  I got the feeling it was similar to the tailgate party before an NFL game, but in any case the excitement was high and it's certainly something you wouldn't see in Toronto.  The time on the tickets indicated 7pm, yet the entrance line was already
 around the building at 6pm as we weaved around the protestors toting signs, also something that you wouldn't see in Toronto.  After wandering around a little we discovered another, smaller entrance with a very short line and wasted no time in getting into the arena.  The merchandise booth was terribly over crowded as I strained to see what was available.  Giving up, with a plan to return later, we hurried into the actual auditorium as the opening band took the stage.  In a growing trend of concerts of late that I've noticed on several occasions, the opening band begins substantially before the time printed on the tickets!  This is ridiculous!  In the old days it would be printed Doors: 7pm on the ticket and the show would start at 7:30 or 8pm or Show: 7pm to indicate the starting time.  Having the opening band take stage at 6:40pm (20 mins before the time printed on the ticket) is extremely annoying.  In any case The Raskins played a half hour opening set and they were not overly impressive in my mind.  Our seats, however, were awesome, 24 rows back from the stage on the floor!  The tickets, that surely would have cost well over $600 if you can get past all the pre-sales to get them in Toronto, we got for only $125 three weeks before the event!

Alice Cooper-photo by The Meister

I was looking forward to Alice Cooper, having just seen him perform a two and a half hour show at Sweden Rock Festival.  Unfortunately tonight he was only scheduled for 50 minutes of stage time, but it turns out that he would be a show stealer.  The approaching 70 year old was a consummate professional and ripped through the condensed setlist with almost no dead air between songs and all the stage tricks that you would expect from The Alice Cooper show.  Behind a backdrop sheet of Alice Cooper's eyes "The Underture" emanated as the curtain gave way to "Hello Hooray".  From there it was into "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and Alice Cooper's newest member, guitarist Nita Strauss seemed ecstatic to be there and the most active at this early stage in the game.  Replacing the departed Orianthi, Strauss (Femme Fatale/Iron Maidens/L.A. Kiss) joins drummer Glen Sobel (Sixx A.M.), bassist Chuck Garic (Beasto Blanco) and other guitarists Ryan Roxie (Slash's Snakepit) and Tommy Henriksen (Warlock) to make up Alice Cooper's backing band.  "Under My Wheels" led us through to "I'm Eighteen" which saw Cooper holding court around the stage wielding a crutch high above his head.  This was followed by "Billion Dollar Babies" for which, as he did in Sweden, Alice appeared toting a sword filled with bills.  A quick flick of the rapier sent bills, no doubt featuring Alice Cooper's face, into the first few rows of the crowd.  The late 80's smash hit "Poison" was next up bringing us to

Alice Cooper-photo by The Meister

"Dirty Diamonds" which saw The Coop tossing necklaces into the crowd.  The King of Shock Rock next treated us to "Welcome to My Nightmare" before appearing in a bloodied white lab coat for "Feed My Frankenstein" during which Cooper was strapped down and transformed into a large Frankenstein monster.  "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" saw him in a straight jacket, bursting out and stabbing his nurse for which his head was severed in a huge guillotine.  Alice Cooper's head was then paraded around the stage as an intro to the song "I Love the Dead", a stunt that never gets old!  The closer of "School's Out" featured some huge balloons, the introductions of the band and even a little of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall" before wrapping up.  An incredible show as I had expected and I think, even better than his show in Sweden.

Motley Crue's All Bad Things Must Come To An End Tour-photo by The Meister

The house lights darkened and a recorded intro began to emanate through the PA system.  Motley Crue blasted into "Motherfucker of the Year" as their first song, one that's less than a favorite of mine and I think a poor choice for an opener.  Things picked up steam with "Wild Side" and the stage was graced by two scantily clad ladies helping out with the background vocals.  In general the

Vince Neil-photo by The Meister

Crue seemed to be sloppier in comparison to Cooper and Vince's vocals were not the best by any means, but what do you expect?  Vince Neil's vocals have been talked about for a long time now and let's face it, with the history of the band members, they're playing is not the tightest, but that's not why you go to see Motley Crue!  If you want that style of performance go and see Rush, if you want a good time and a great party and a spectacle of a show to blow your mind, you go see Motley Crue!  It was by the end of the third song, "Primal Scream" that things would begin to go really awry for the boys.  The song featured lots and lots of super high flame pyro and smoke bombs/machines timed to the music of the chorus and they were actually sounding pretty good until we approached the end of the song.  Drummer Tommy Lee had an issue, apparently a broken kick drum, but hey, these things happen.  Vince Neil even exclaimed "Tommy broke it!" and commented on the issues of the first night of a tour.  Neil then asked the crowd for 3 or 4 minutes to fix the issue and to fill the dead air while they scrambled to repair the drum Mick Mars took center stage to perform one of the most uninspiring guitar solos I've ever seen.  By the end of the solo, which did not completely fill the repair time leaving some dead air and the house lights a notch higher, he was simply playing riffs and chords.  The guitar solo silenced at 9:33pm and it wasn't until the lights dimmed at 9:42pm as Vince returned to the stage toting a guitar were we underway once again.  Technical issues can strike at any time and are completely understandable, but as a professional act I think they could have done a

Motley Crue-photo by The Meister

 better job of covering the issue and keeping the momentum going with having Vince or Tommy addressing the crowd perhaps.  "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" went through without a hitch and then into "Looks That Kill" featuring the lady dancers in light boxes behind the drum kit.  They successfully pulled off a deeper cut from the Too Fast For Love album, "On With The Show", but the follow up however was a different story.  Guitarist Mick Mars blew the beginning of "Too Fast For Love" prompting a jibe from Tommy Lee to the effect of "It's pretty fuckin' cool when a band forgets it's own song!  It's "Too Fast For Love" and it's only 35 years old!"  On the second attempt "Too Fast For Love" was delivered and a new composition, "All Bad Things Must End", followed, but it didn't last long.  No further than 30 seconds into the song and the guitars went out.  I don't know if Mars forgot the notes again or if it was a technical issue, but the house lights came on again to full brightness this time.  I vacated my seat during this stoppage to use the washroom and before long they were back up and running once again but talk about a momentum killer!  That would seem to be the worst of the issues and the latter half of the show went much better as they ripped into "Smokin' In the Boys Room", "Without You" close on it's heels.  Vince Neil looked confused and maybe annoyed during "Without You" as confetti fluttered from the rafters, but that didn't stop him from serenading a lady from the audience as she was pulled on stage to sit on a lone chair.  The boys exploded into "Saints Of Los Angeles" next featuring lots of flame pyro once again that you could feel the heat from where I was seated 24 rows back!  Nikki Sixx took the mic for what I'm sure was intended to be a touching

Tommy Lee's Drum Coaster-photo by Meister

moment that just came off awkward and annoying.  He called for everyone to sit as we were attending a funeral for Motley Crue, but we hardly parked our butts in the seats before he instructed: "On four scream and we'll break into a Sex Pistols song 'cause that's how the Crue does it!".....uuuhhh Nikki, that doesn't even make sense!  Never-the-less we were served "Anarchy in the U.K." followed by "Too Young to Fall in Love" before the stage went dark again and a recorded intro played.  The recording seemed to go on forever and with all the earlier issues I wondered what was next, but eventually it was apparent that the stalling was designed to get Tommy Lee strapped into his newest drum gimmick.  This time he rode a roller coaster that stretched along the ceiling of the venue out over the crowd to a small satellite stage at the rear of the floor seating area.  No doubt about it this was a cool trick as the kit spun 360 degrees as it slowly traveled over the audience.  What I didn't enjoy however was the mash up mix of recorded music that he played to during this journey, including songs from artists like Bob Marley, Jay Z and Rage Against the Machine.  I understand how it must be difficult to play spinning in the air, but if you're going to use a recording to play to why not perform this solo during a Crue song even if much of it is recorded?  It would certainly be better than what we heard Tommy play along to

"Home Sweet Home"-photo by Meister

 and maybe the whole thing wouldn't have seemed like the colossal waste of time that it really was.  Nikki Sixx was the highlight of "Shout at the Devil" with his flame throwing bass guitar preceding "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)".  Throughout the whole show the two dancing girls were present for just about every song in a different costume and I had the thought that they were the most organized thing about the whole affair!  "Live Wire", "Dr. Feelgood" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" were all a hit with the crowd and the booing from earlier seemed long forgotten as they ate up every minute.  "Kickstart My Heart" closed things down under the huge lighted pentagram suspended above the stage with tons of flame pyro and smoke bombs.  In fact the smoke was so thick by the end of the song and the final bow that it was difficult to see the stage at all!  Motley Crue returned for a one song encore of the ballad "Home Sweet Home" which they performed on the small satellite stage near the rear of the floor area.

One thing cannot be denied and that's the totally over-the-top stage show at a Motley Crue concert and even with all of tonight's issues there's a kind of magic with these four guys on stage.  Bottom line is this: you shouldn't be going to a Crue concert to see the most technical and perfect performance, if you want that go and see a band like Rush!  You go to a Crue show for the spectacle, to have a good time and let loose with some of the music that helped shape your life.  And that's just what I did, it may have been messy at times but over all I had fun and that's what Crue is all about to me!  It will be interesting to see what the show is like in August as they roll into Toronto!

Cheers,
The Meister

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