This month’s Classic Albums Column focuses on Slayer‘s Seasons In The Abyss. Mars Attacks Podcast episode 68 features comments from Gene Hoglan, Alan Tecchio, Dave Reffett, Jon Leon and Giovani Durst of White Wizzard, author Martin Popoff, Mitch Lafon of Pure Gain Audio, Andrew from Metal Assault, and Roch from Radioactive Metal. As we established with the previous podcast we also discuss why this album was selected. You will find the podcast at the bottom of this post.
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
Here are the written comments that were submitted:
Dan Lorenzo – Well I’ve been awake for 25 straight hours as I just flew home from Italy. So let me throw on some Slayer so I can stay awake a bit longer. Slayer to me, are one of the most consistent bands with the most integrity. I would put South of Heaven and Reigning Blood at the top of their output, but I am listening to Seasons right now for you Victor. War Ensemble is classic Slayer, particularly the break at 2:35. Blood Red is bad ass. The opening of Dead Skin Mask is pure evil. The title track is probably the 2nd coolest intro they ever wrote. When I first heard it I actually thought it was Trouble! Great production, great performances, a bit more melody/singing from Tom than previously, but another classic by….SLAYER!!!
Jon Leon – The finest hour of Slayer in the charts. Rick Rubin and the band dumbed down the sound JUST enough to crack Slayer in the Billboard top 100. Slayers best will always be Reign in Blood though….seriously. Show no Mercy also pisses on this album. So does South of Heaven. Then again…only Master of Puppets can even hang with those 3. Slayer are THE masters of thrash PERIOD.
Mitts – An improvement in the thrash department from South Of Heaven. After Reign In Blood, South Of Heaven seemed like someone pulled the emergency brake. Seasons brought back the pace.
Scott Middleton – Most people will hail Reign in Blood as Slayer’s best record, but I had Seasons first, and really, this has all the best songs. The title track is certainly the catchiest and most hook laden Slayer has ever been. This is the Slayer sound perfected. Evil melody, brutally heavy, frightening lyrics, and terrifying artwork make this the quintessential Slayer record.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!
JL – Slayer have always been the exception. They have a lot of what I hate in other bands and yet how they present it they make it undeniably attractive. This album is a demonstration of full-fledged fierceness, from the very beginning “War Ensemble” it is clear exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
Fer Fakyea – Well, what to say about the legendary Slayer? Their career spans nearly 30 years and with 10 albums behind him, all heavy and known for their uniquely characteristic “speed metal”. Seasons In The Abyss is composed of long, elaborate songs, combining speed with half time playing, that helped drive the band to the monster career they are today. The album isn’t as fast its two predecessors, but it’s definitely a very complete and extreme album that brought us classics like “War Ensemble”, “Dead Skin Mask” or one of his most emblematic yet perhaps less know tracks due to how stylistically different it is, would be the title track, “Seasons In The Abyss”. I honestly would not recommend the disc to someone who had never listened to Slayer, but it is an album that any fan of the band should have in collection.
David Lozano – Dead Skin Mask is the first song I ever heard by the band, as a result I have special attachment to this album. Great album that came out during such hard times.
Chris Shrum – A piece of metal art from a deep, dark place.
Mikey Pannone – The first time I heard this album, I had to check my skull to make sure it was still intact…it wasn’t. That’s all I have to say. None more evil than the almighty SLAYER!
Sean Bryant – So evil!! there were a few tapes that I had in my VW bug and those were Slayer, Seasons, Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy, and probably Lenny Kravits Let Love Rule, all of which got significant amount of play time. I can say that when Seasons came out, I was certain that they were products of an under-worldly creation, especially when you heard the demonic chords of the title track and that first drum roll. My steering wheel was certainly abused by the pounding out of the drums while blasting this, windows down, rolling through the Mormon neighborhoods. 666!!
Will Carroll – I never understood the popularity of this album. Aside from the two video songs (War Ensamble, Seasons In The Abyss) its pretty generic. The follow up (Divine Intervention) blows doors over this one This is my least favorite Slayer album not counting anything after Divine..
Steve Smyth – Slayer really grew into something with this album, I think. Lots of powerful compositions, great ensemble playing from the team of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Tom Araya. Every song is a favorite of mine, I can’t pick favorites when it comes to Slayer! Ha ha!
David Ellefson – We did a lot of touring together during this time period and I personally liked that Slayer was doing more than just playing fast. To me, this album showed a lot of maturity in their song writing and broadened their scope of world views, which Thrash fans love.
Domonic Rini – Seasons In The Abyss is a natural progression for Slayer. This one really, in my eyes was one of the heaviest ones they put out. With tracks of “Skeletons of Society” and the title Track “Seasons In The Abyss” it made you want to break something whenever you heard it.
Niek – I love this album for only one reason: the title track! What a delicious piece of ass! For a band that spent 99.9% of its career on making lightning-fast but not all too intelligent Thrash, the song Seasons in the Abyss is an absolute masterpiece. And it would have been for any other band too. The long-stretched tension-building intro has a habit of making me very impatient, in particular because I know what’s coming. But never is what’s coming so amazing as when you’ve listened to the intro in full. When the main riffs breaks loose, there’s no helping the headbanging. The progression of chords and vocals in the chorus is tasty as bacon. But the best things in the whole songs are the heroic drum fills by Dave Lombardo and the characteristic tearing-up-the-sky guitar solo by Kerry King (still with hair) and Jeff Hanneman.
Jason Bittner – Just spent the last 5 1/2 weeks on tour with Slayer watching them every night…Still one of my favorite bands ever and they still crush every night! Seasons- not much need to be said about this album- its my favorite!!! Well maybe “Reign” is, but this is damn close!
Davish G. Alvarez – This is my favorite Slayer album, we’ve been talking about covering the title track live. The song is unbelievable, and is possibly my favorite by the band. When this album came out I was listening to a lot of Mercyful Fate, I was looking to discover something new, and you hear that song how it builds, little by little, how the arpeggios come in, and the song keeps building, to me it’s the perfect song. They were playing the song live while we were opening up for them, and I watch them do the song, and get almost like a holy shit type feeling. You see them play the song, and the guitar parts aren’t that complex, but it’s the entire composition, the whole package, how it builds, and changes, and then the end, just an awesome song.
Erun Dagoth – This album really blew my mind. When I started listening to extreme metal I started with Life And Death and Show No Mercy by Slayer. I started listening to them in like 91, so by that time they had release a bunch of albums by then. I started listening to every album Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, all the way up to this album, and again, it just blew my mind. The album has a certain feel to it, a certain atmosphere that sound super satanic, especially the title track. At the same time I started discovering bands like Venom, and Bathory, and things of this nature, and it was like a extreme metal boom time for me. Then they put out Diabolus In Musica and it was the last album of theirs that really blew my mind. After that, things just weren’t the same, the band had changed. And a lot of people had criticized them over Divine Intervention because they had slowed down a little, but it still sounded really cool to me, it still had the same appeal.
Keith “Keefy” Chachkes – When the bands from the 80s Thrash scene era continued releasing albums into the 90s, and interesting split occurred among people. Many bands tried to shift with the already changing times in music to get further away from labels like Thrash or Speed Metal. Other bands were changing more naturally on their own, modernizing the sound of what had been a sub-genre with a growing cult following and making it more successful overall. SLAYER’s Seasons In The Abyss set a bench mark for the old-school American bands, which is saying a lot since both MEGADETH and ANTHRAX released great albums in the months prior to its release. Yes, there were unhappy fans griping that the totality of “Speed Metal” days of the band were lost to the past. Critics and fans that didn’t like South of Heaven, didn’t say they loved SITA when it was new. People were finding fault with a more grown up, better songwriting band that was trying to stay true to who they were and still progress further out. As it turns out SITA is one of the most complete and solid of the DAVE LOMBARDO albums, with better production, memorable riffs, sick solos and batshit insane, yet smart lyrics. “Dead Skin Mask” was even said to be a sellout by some at the time, but is one of the most enduring cuts by any band of the time. “War Ensemble” was a throwback to the early days of the group. Other tracks like “Spirit In Black”, “Expendable Youth” and “Skeletons of Society” have so much balls and groove to them, it’s tough to believe people at the time said they were lame. The title track is a masterpiece all on its own. Personally, I count SITA as one of the top four SLAYER albums ever and it still sounds fresh and vital to me today as when I first heard it.
Bruce Moore – I am a huge fan of Slayer especially their earlier material like Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits. Seasons In The Abyss is a mixed bag for me while it contains some of my favorite all time Slayer tunes War Ensemble”, “Dead Skin Mask”, and “Seasons In The Abyss other songs just fell flat for me and did not get my blood flowing.
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
Greg Prato – Shout At The Devil: The last album Motley Crue released that I can still somewhat stomach. They seemed to totally lose their minds after this album – bad glam metal, lame songs (“Girls Girls Girls”), idiotic behavior. Not a fan at all. But circa 1984, the Crue was one of my favs, and ‘Shout’ and ‘Too Fast’ were constantly being listened on my Sony Walkman. After that? No thank you.
Dave Starr – Don’t get me started…. Everyone had this record when it came out, but I always though these guys were way over rated.
Dan Lorenzo – Most bands first albums hit you the hardest. Shout At The Devil was Motley’s 2nd cd but it is STILL my favorite. I am not a fan of much of the Crue’s music that followed “Shout”. Yeah, each cd had a couple great songs, but Shout At The Devil is easily their best. And for some reason, other than Judas Priest, I’ve seen Motley more than any other band-because it was ALWAYS about more than just the music. Nikki Sixx has always described Motley Crue as a pseudo “punk” band. I worship Nikki…but have no clue what the hell he is talking about. I am in no means an expert on punk music….but I am pretty sure Motley has NOTHING to do with punk. Ok, so they stole the riff for “Ten Seconds To Love” from one of the best cds ever ( The Plasmatics Coup De E’tat), but this is glam metal with dropped tuning. The title track and “Bastard” are stunning. And I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that “Too Young To Fall In Love” gets me EVERY time I hear it on Sirius/XMs “The Boneyard”. Pure pop genius. Mick Mars deserves so much more credit than he gets. As simple as Motley’s music sounds Mick has some tricky moves on this cd. Vince’s voice was already done by the time he left the studio after this…but I’ll still go see them every time they pass through NYC.
Jon Leon – Solid album. The Crue are an attitude band and sell a look. They are the KISS of the 80′s…they have not really aged well though with the material that followed this album. They have lost me over time. As a kid I would rock this one hard and it has some great hooks by Mick Mars who is one of the most under rated guitar players in metal. He really had a cool tone and vibe that made those first 2 crue albums hold up. I would say after this one I would not ever seek out a later release when I am buying vinyl, and I have no desire to see them live. I would have loved to have seen the 84 tour with OZZY though.
Metal Mike – Killer album. Shout At The Devil has modern Black Metal roots all over it whether people are aware if it or not. Songs rock and you are listening to a real band, raw in the studio as you see them on the streets. I miss that sometimes. Crue is bad ass.
Erik Kluiber – The first 2 albums were their best, and then some good radio hits afterwards. Too bad they couldn’t keep the fire.
Ricky Armellino – Motley Crue was a big inspiration to me. After watching some of their tv special I just looked at my guitar and was like “maybe hip hop would be a more fitting place for my ideologies”. I literally had rape fantasies about these mongrels.
Mitts – This is definitely the most metal record this band ever released. The pentagrams and occult theme were a little goofy, but the songs are classic.
James J. LaRue – I was into ‘metal’ as a kid, and I did not include Crue, Poison, Warrant, etc in my collection as they were too glam and not really virtuosos, but the hooks were just too catchy on this one and it won me over. Which means it’s damn good. People from all walks of life know these songs. When I see old footage from those days, Crue were obviously there early in that scene and their live shows at the time were insane. You could say it was very derivative of a Kiss show, but more evil and satanic with all the pentagrams. A way heavier image than the music called for. They were on fire, literally, back then.
Kevin Estrada -Motley was one of the local bands in Los Angeles that I was lucky enough to have followed since their beginnings. Too Fast For Love was a great set-up and showed that Motley Crue was a serious force to be reckoned with. But Shout At The Devil was the TNT they needed to explode. The writings were on the wall when Motley Crue performed at the US Festival in 1983 – they were up against major metal bands with huge followings (Judas Priest, Van Halen, Scorpions, Ozzy, etc) – and Motley Crue outperformed most of these bands, while at the same time blowing away the audience and locking in 200,000 new fans. The band’s song writing had matured greatly with Shout – songs like Knock ‘Em Dead Kid, Red Hot, Looks That Kill and Too Young To Fall In Love display this maturity. But overall, it was Motley Crue’s hunger for success that wrote that album and broke that band. It was Magic and all the pieces were there.
Scott LePage – This album came out around the time I started playing covers in my first real band. Of course we covered Red Hot and Shout at the Devil. Great heavy driving songs. Probably one of the only “hair band” albums that I got into.
Gonzalo Leiva – I first heard of the band when Girls, Girls, Girls came out, at the time I went back and discovered their previous album (Theater Of Pain), and they instantly became one of my favorite bands. Shout At The Devil was even better, with its raw sound, and solid songs that fit really well with the band. Also, tracks like the intro In The Beginning and God Bless The Children Of The Beast give the album a special atmospheric touch. My favorite tracks on the album are Red Hot, Too Young To Fall In Love, Shout At The Devil, Danger (among others), also their cover of Helter Skelter is pretty good as well.
Sean Bryant – Oh, wow. While I as in grade school this album came out. We had to write a story in class and mine started out with walking up to a friends house and hearing the opening track “in the beginning”. In the story I remember how cool and frightening I wanted to make it feel. I really don’t think the teachers and the kids, in a SLC class really appreciated how dark my story was. That is all I remember to the story. So it goes.
Will Carroll – The last great Crue album which is kinda sad considering its only their second. This album was my soundtrack for 1984. They took KISS and added fake Satanism and buckets upon buckets of sleaze and I ate it up. Mick Mars’ guitar tone makes this album and let’s face it, at the time nobody looked cooler.
Steve Smyth – I was big on Crue for the first 2 albums, and this one to me defined them in many ways. Their sound was much tighter, and the songs were strong. Red Hot, Bastard, Danger and Shout stood out to me as strong songs, and showed the writing strength of the band, as well as chops of Tommy Lee and Mick Mars.
David Ellefson – In some ways Motley played up the Satanic image more than most and the mainstream bought it. This album was just heavy enough to be loved by the metal heads and just mainstream enough to loved by all.
Chad Bowar – The Crue’s second album saw them refining their sleazy Sunset Strip glam metal, although the sound was still pretty raw. “Looks That Kill,” “Too Young To Fall In Love” and the title track were successful singles, and they also did a cover version of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” Commercially it also did rather well, peaking at number 17 on the album chart. It symbolized the sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll vibe that the ’80s were all about.
Shawn Duncan – I enjoyed this CD when it came out. Motley Crue mixed Metal with glam rock and nailed it. From Shout at the Devil to Looks that Kill this album opened the door for an entire genera of music! You cannot deny the impact of this record.
Jason Bittner – Shout at the Devil was the best album by Motley hands down! At the time they kicked ass, I loved this record, and I was a big Tommy Lee fan when I was a kid (it was 1984 and I hadn’t discovered thrash just yet) of course years later when I met the guy, it was such a letdown that I can sum it up in one word…. A great art rock band from the 90′s – TOOL!!!!!
Scott Thompson – When someone mentions Shout At The Devil my mind always goes back to 1983 practicing in the garage and jamming on the title track. Our guitarist at the time happened to also be a very busy coke dealer and would invariably be late for practice…in his garage. There was this always eager Tommy Lee wanna be that lived next door and would take the opportunity to come over and try to sit in. So I would take the guitar, the drummer would take bass and “Tommy Junior” would hop on the kit. Problem was he only knew the opening part so the whole thing would be him playing that part accompanied by Tommy inspired stick twirls. As pointless as it was it did provide some humor while we waited for the guitarist to show up.
Sadly I don’t think that kid ever had the innate sense to explore the rest of the album. That boy missed a aural feast. This was a still hungry Crue with all the swagger of “Too Fast” but having the benefit of a better budget and some nicely gelling song writing chops.
Let’s start with the cover, I bought this bad boy on vinyl and that black cover with the pentagram was not be ignored. I will admit that a few months later I was also lured into buying the picture disc of Helter Skelter. Most people bought that disc because it was at the time their only way to hear the Leathur Records mixes of a two songs off of “Fast”. That wasn’t the appeal to me since I already owned the original Leathur version. I bought it on the strength of the tunes on “Shout”. I was just caught in the momentum.
To this day the tunes from this album continue to be the cornerstone of any Crue show. It’s almost guaranteed that they are going to play Looks That Kill , the title track, and at least one more. Even though Vince’s voice ain’t what it used to be these tunes always rock balls live.
No matter what else they release I think this album will remain the blueprint of what is considered the Cure sound. Even the title track from their latest release harkens back to “Ten Seconds ‘Till Love”.
There will always be the contingent that will say the Dr. Feelgood is their definitive release but for those of us who bought this own when it first came out, there’s no other Crue release that will ever come close.
Kirk Windstein – Shout At The Devile had a huge impact on me…at the time it came out, I already had Too Fast For Love. S.A.T.D. was much more abrasive sounding, and also took their look a few steps further!
The songs are very strong, and this record, in my opinion, encompasses everything Motley Crue are. It’s the perfect “Cure” record, and the last to still feature their “fuck the world” punk side! I give it 10/10 for sure…a record I never turn off when it’s playing!!!
Jorge Salan – They’re a great rock band, the issue I have is that they have some hits that I can’t profess to really liking, the chick thing, the being on the beach thing, is sort of on a different wave from where I’m at. That said, once Bob Rock got a hold of them things went to a different level, especially a song like Kick Start My Heart, which is such a great song, or something like Sticky Sweet, all of those songs, and actually that album (Dr. Feelgood) is more of my thing.
Domonic Rini – 1983, in my eyes the strongest push for thrash and the evolution of the big hair days. MC grabbed a record deal with Elektra and put this release out with Producer Tom Werman. It really showed in the production that this band could take their music to new levels and really make them musicians. Shout At The Devil really hit a chord in peoples heads and the youth ate it up. With an evil surrounding feel to this release they were able to really pull it off.
Doug Gibson – “Shout At The Devil” is classic Crue at their best. Not only does the album still stand the test of time, but it’s the best defense against the haters who try to lump the Crue in with lighter hair bands and claim they’re not metal.
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – I’m a long-time fan of Priest, going back to Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings, they were cool, bluesy, but also melodic and composed, harmonies everywhere, such a great band. From there they got heavier and more intense with each album. They really ripped your head off at moments with Painkiller.
Greg Prato – Painkiller: Although not my all-time fav Priest album (a two-way tie between ‘British Steel’ and ‘Screaming for Vengeance’), it was a great to see the Priest return full-on with ‘Painkiller,’ after a few missteps during the late 1980′s. Rob Halford’s vocal performance throughout the album showed once and for all that he is unquestionably one of metal’s greatest singers (I’d say he and Ronnie James Dio are at the top of my list).
Dave Starr – I love JP, but this is not one of my favorite CD’s from them. I do love several tracks though: “Hammer and the Anvil”, “A Touch of Evil”, and “Hell Patrol”.
Dan Lorenzo – When I was a in high school my favorite bands were Kiss, Cheap Trick, AC/DC and Aerosmith. By the end of high school Kiss was getting cheesy and I discovered Judas Priest. I’ve seen Priest live more than any other band. I saw them as recently as two weeks ago. I even saw them twice with Ripper. Right before Painkiller came out I was “over” Priest. The song “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin” kinda ruined the whole vibe for me. It’s not even a bad song and I LOVE the rest of that cd. But moms now “liked” Judas Priest and I was getting more into Slayer etc. I’ll never forget the first time I heard the title track from Painkiller. I was working on writing the early NON-FICTION material and I thought I knew what was cool and what was not. Dave Holland’s weak drumming was gone and a monster named Scott Travis was now on the throne. Damn. Glenn/KK/Rob, Ian…you got me again. Painkiller is kick ass. I even love the more commercial “Touch of Evil.”. Priest were back on the right track and they have stayed that way. I’ll always cite “Hell Bent For Leather” as my favorite…but Painkiller was a very welcome surprise and a return to form.
Peter Ellis – My favourite Priest album and in my opinion the very best album they ever made. By the time Painkiller came out both KK and Glen Tipton had really matured as guitarists and had started introducing lots of different sounds and new elements to the band’s music and of course this album features some of the very best performances in Rob Halfords storied career too. Also the addition of Scott Travis on the drums proved to be one of the best decisions the band’s ever made and personally I wish they’d done this a lot earlier as I think that Travis sounds like the natural successor to Les Binks and I’ve always believed that bringing Dave Holland in held the band back and put limitations to their style that wouldn’t be there with a more competent drummer.
Jon Leon – Judas Priest gave everyone what they wanted with this album. Scott Travis on drums along with the thrash movement inspired a new direction. It is classic priest but heavy as hell and at a million miles an hour. No Parental Guidance type songs here. Less catchy and more balls out. It was the exclamation point that rounded out and finalized the legacy of the great Judas Priest. I saw the tour as a little kid and they opened with Hell Bent for Leather -it was insane.
Metal Mike – I love this record. It set a blueprint for some many other bands to follow. Bands are still trying to rewrite Painkiller every year, but we all know that there is only one Metal God.
Erik Kluiber – Saw this tour with Megadeth and Testament. Unfortunately, my neighbors who gave me the ride hated priest and forced me to leave once they took the stage.
Ricky Armellino – Always loved the Priest. Just never a reason not to listen to them, ever. Unless you need a break to listen to Dio but you could always just do what I did and play both simultaneously.
Mitts – Judas Priest meets double-bass. The cornerstone heavy metal band added a much needed dose of modern drumming to their sound. Great riffs, too. A punch in the face record, redemption for the band that made “Turbo”.
Chris Tsangarides – What can I say about a record that I made without sounding like a complete ego maniac! But this record is one that I am very proud of on many levels. I was in 7th heaven during this project. It is one of the most cohesive and focused Heavy Metal albums in my humble opinion of all time. We set out with the objective of making a great recording and that’s how it came out. It is so hard to get clarity in the sound when the tempos are so fast but because of the great arrangements between the instrumentation we managed to achieve this. It also inspired a whole slew of bands to carry on in that tradition of Power/Speed Metal.
Raul Galvan – This album along with some of Manowar’s work is what I consider to be the top of the mountain for heavy metal.
JL – Another classic, from one of those bars that oozes smoke, alcohol and metal. Tipton and Downings had their axes sharpened like knives, but nothing cut through more than Halford’s voice. From the album cover, to the song titles, there is nothing more metal than this album, not even if the sky opened up and a downpour of knives ensued!
Gonzalo Leiva – A very powerful album, the opening track makes you say wow after the first listen. The rest of the album is also good, containing some very heavy and technical drumming from Scott Travis. Painkiller is a punishing track, but you also have tracks like Nightcrawler, Between The Hammer And The Anvil, A Touch Of Evil, and Hell Patrol (just to name a few). These tracks make this album a must have for any rock or metal fans.
David Lozano – One of my all time favorite albums, I think it is of utter importance that it finds its way into any metal fan’s album collection. I still think this album is a head of its time, case in point, I still hear bands implementing things in their music that Priest did on this album.
Sean Bryant – I had seen quite a few Priest concerts growing up. One I remember mostly was during Turbo Lover Tour. Bunch of friends and I went to the Salt Palace in SLC. This was the first time I had heard a band blowing the power at a large venue. I always looked forward to him driving his motorcycle out onto the stage. With this album in particular, the only thing that comes to mind is when drinking at the Anchored Inn and Shana from Bad Dream ran down the stairs while she was dj’ing. She insisted that we do shots throughout the song!! Needless to say, my pain was killed that night and many after that.
Will Carroll – A very important album. Not only for JP but also for Heavy Metal in general. It extended the lifeline of metal for a few more years until metal was nearly wiped away in the early/mid nineties. A favorite JP album for many and I can totally see why. My favorite is Sin After Sin.
Steve Smyth – Oh HELL yeah! The mighty Priest delivered the goods after a disappointing few previous records. I loved it when Scott Travis joined them, and Glenn and KK got up some new chops, as Halford delivered the goods in songs like All Guns Blazing, Nightcrawler, Hell Patrol, Leather Rebel, and the title track! One of my favorites from the mighty Priest!
Jon Bodan – This was the album that got me into Priest, before that I had come up on some glam like Skid Row and from that got into bands like Metallica and Testament. So I heard these guys on a compilation CD and was like “where have I been”? Halcyon Way used to tease the song “Painkiller” at the end of our set but we could never be bothered to learn the whole thing, haha. But the best story with this is that one time I was with our old singer Sean at this Korean karaoke bar, and all these people were singing these Korean pop ballads….so I went over and signed him up to do “Painkiller”. It was hysterical, everyone there was like “What the hell????” Classic.
Domonic Rini – Rob Halford really shows his vocal prowess in this effort. Some of his greatest tones on any Priest albums are found in this one. I think with Painkiller, Judas Priest was really trying to see how metal they can be and it really shows.
Wayne Findlay – Painkiller…Wow, what a killer intro with Scott Travis at his best.
I was blown away when I found out he got the drummer position for Priest. He was great in Racer-X and when he joined Priest, it took them in a whole new direction. This album just brought it to a whole new level for Priest.
Tim Ripper Owens – Great cd. Really brought the Priest back to form, and that was with a lot of help from Scott Travis. WOW, he was just amazing and gave them the spark they needed! But everyone was on their Game. Amazing guitar playing, Bass playing and Singing!! P A I N!!!!!!
Jason Bittner – Priest’s best album hands down- the guitar work got amazingly better from Ram it Down to PK!! Obviously the BIGGEST improvement was adding the mighty Scott Travis to the band! I got PK on tape for Xmas in 1991, and refused to leave my basement that day for family affairs until I had that intro learned and down!! And I succeeded too!! Many many years later Scott and I are friends and I actually bought his old kick drum road case off him back in 2004- he still asks me about it, and yes I still have it- gonna be sad to see this band actually say “farewell”. Priest rules!!
Anthony Esposito – Monster cd,
hello Scott Travis……from the opening sound making his arrival noted. He is a monster drummer. We played a show with them in Los Angeles right after this (album) was released.
At soundcheck, while Priest was up onstage George quietly turned to me and said “Ant, we are gettin blown away tonight.” The title cut and A Touch Of Evil are my favorites (on the album). Rob’s voice is amazing as usual.
Kirk Windstein – It was a welcomed surprise after the disappointing RAM IT DOWN record. PAINKILLER is an over the top, pure metal masterpiece! Great riffs, solos, and of course, vocals. Halford earns a 10 out of 10 for his work! Actually, all the members do, and the addition of Scott Travis was the icing on the cake. In my opinion it should have been the follow up to DEFENDERS…Judas Priest (The Best Heavy Metal Band Ever), were at their finest on this classic! Thanks for the Metal, Gentlemen!!!
Jose Izquierdo – I discovered Judas Priest with this album. I mean I had heard songs, but I really didn’t know people that where in tune with the band, and could hook me up with a tape of their songs. There wasn’t really a radio station in Albacete (Spain) that played Judas Priest either. Someone gave me a copy of the album, and of course after that I started really looking into their music.
David G. Alvarez – I remember seeing Painkiller, Jugulator, and a video compliation, I believe it was called Metalworks, I don’t exactly remember. But and then saw images in Rockarolla, and thought to myself, I think I bought the wrong tape. I saw that hats, and everything else they were wearing and though it was something else. My favorite track off of the album is Metal Meltdown, it’s obvious they made a serious changes to their sound, especially with the guitars. They changed from very melodic playing to sweep picking, and they returned with their own proper sound. Scott Travis also gave a big push to the band, a lot of energy.
Jorge Salan – I really like this album, but I have to say that Stained Class is my favorite album by the band. A track like Exciter is one of those that really inspired me, it’s a classic. I think the redone version from Hero Hero, I don’t remember if it was a compilation, or if it was all new tracks, but it had Victim of Changes, which I think is just ridiculously good. I really like Painkiller, but I’ll stick with those two I mentioned.
Militia – A great album through and through! Killer songs loaded with all the best elements of
Priest:
Halford’s vocal performance is enthralling- an uncanny balance of raw aggression and operatic precision. Lyrics that are borderline Shakespearian. Artwork, imagery and storytelling of creatures and monsters that create its own heavy metal mythological world. Guitar tones and riffs that singe your fuckin ears. Drums that relentlessly beat your brain into a bloody pulp. And that signature Priest groove that keeps it all together is so addictive…
Some of my favorite Priest songs are on here: Hell Patrol, Nightcrawler, Metal Meltdown, Between the Hammer and the Anvil and the ultimate metal anthem as well as one of my favorite songs to sing- the PAAAAINKILLAAAAH!
Chris Howorth – This is such an incredible album, and its arguably the heaviest priest album of all time! The title track pretty much sums the whole thing up, starting with Scott Travis ripping drum intro and non stop double bass, and Tipton and Downing turned the gain knob to ten and shredded their asses off from start to finish, I always loved Judas Priest but this album got brownie points for being extra heavy right at the time when grunge and all that crap was getting popular. This album is a lesson in real metal, pay attention all you trend following scene metal bands!
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
Here is a Q&A with founding member of Megadeth David Ellefson. The questions obviously focus on Peace Sells.
When writing/recording the material that ended up on Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? was it apparent to you or anyone else in the band how important this album would be for Megadeth and for metal?
We didn’t think about in those terms but as we did a quick three week tour just prior to recording the album we could certainly tell that “Peace Sells..” Was going to be a hit. Beyond that, we worked really hard touring that album for 18 months around the world in the USA, Japan, Europe and finally ending with a show in Hawaii. It was epic and was so cool to do that at such a young age.
At what point does the album’s importance become apparent to you?
Once the video for “Peace Sells.” hit MTV we knew we had something special going. You could tell by watching it that it wasn’t your typical high gloss, overly produced film-type of video but rather a real raw and edgy clip and that was something really unique on MTV in those days. After that people outside of just Thrash metal took notice of who we were.
The opening bassline of the title track is arguably your most recognizable part, who came up with that intro? When recording the track did you ever think that people would identify you with it 25 years later?
Dave wrote the song and it quickly came together in our rehearsal room as a four piece. I remember adding the high harmony vocal to the outro chorus and everyone looking at me like ‘wow, he can actually sing like that!’. It was from my training listening to Michael Anthony’s vocal lines in Van Halen as a teenager.
The bass line and end guitar riff are essentially the same part and starting the tune with the bass riff was unique as most metal tunes start with a guitar riff or the entire band. Dave was always calling me to the forefront of the songs rather than just being a background bass player and I think that really set us apart from a lot of the other metal going on in those days. We had a really powerful front line to the band with two very different guitar players and an aggressive bassist in me.
How much pressure was placed on the band to deliver the album?
Initially it was recorded for Combat Records, our label at the time. We were more insistent on getting it done than anyone because we had completed the “Killing Is My Business” a few months prior and we knew we had to get the next album done to get back on tour. Plus, we were hoping that a major label would pick us up.
Once Capitol Records got involved to pick up our contract and be our new major label we couldn’t wait to get going. By that time the album was recorded and mixed and then they brought in Paul Lani to do a re-mix to give it a bit more polished sound. He was the one that muted the band during the “Peace Sells.” chorus, which really helped make it sound more like a radio hit. He also muted the bass on the beginning outro riff for “Wake Up Dead” and that added a nice dynamic to build the ending of the song.
A lot of emphasis is always placed on you and Dave Mustaine regarding this album, that said, could this album of been recorded with anyone else but Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson?
After having recorded our debut album and then doing the pre-production tour for “Peace Sells.” in early ’86 we had really tightened up as a band. It was the four of us that had that magic sound for that record. There isn’t another album in our catalog that sounds quite like it!
Given what they did on the Megadeth albums does it surprise you that Gar and Chris never had any commercial success after the band?
It’s very difficult to ever have ANY success in this business and usually lighting doesn’t strike twice if you get one shot at it. The simple fact is that even though the Megadeth fans will always check out other things we each may do they really just want us in THIS band.
How has your gear evolved from when this album was recorded?
Pretty much everything is different. I was using BC Rich basses back then. I used two of them to record that album. The one was the fighter jet graphic Mockingbird which is now in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It had Alembic P/J pickups and active preamp. The other was a red Mockingbird that had two Dimarzio P-bass pickups with the standard active circuitry from BC Rich. They both had Badass bridges.
For amps, I had these two 4×12 cabinets made by a manufacturer in down town Los Angeles known as Decuir. They had some generic bass speakers in them. I used an Ashley pre-amp and AB Systems power amps that were part of a PA system I owned back in Minnesota a few years earlier. I picked those components out and put them in a rack to build a bass rig for myself and brought it out to LA with me when I moved out there in 1983 after I graduated high school.
Not too long after we went on tour for that album in late ’86 or early ’87 I switched over to Jackson Concert basses and Hartke 4×10 cabinets with GK 800RB heads. I use a similar setup now with a new line of Jackson basses and the latest Hartke LH1000 amps and their HyDrive 810 cabinets.
What is the biggest compliment you’ve received concerning this album?
I think that so many people regard it as this seminal album, one that has such an impact on their lives. That’s always cool to hear and of course I’m always appreciative of the compliments on playing the “Peace Sells.” opening bass line!
Does the album’s impact of the album effect the band when going in and recording a new album?
I think you tend to draw on all of your experiences when recording a new album. All of those albums help you get to where you are now.
One thing that has always interested me about Megadeth is you never hear band members come out and say our new album is “our best album since Peace Sells” or “it sounds like Peace Sells Vs. Rust In Peace). How important is it to the band to make sure each album stands out on its own?
To us those couple of fan favorite albums like “Peace Sells.” and “Rust In Peace” are just albums we did during those periods and are just part of our overall work. It’s like trying to pick our your favorite children.you can’t do it because they are all part of your family. We put the same intensity into every album we do and it’s every once in a while one will rise up as the crème’ de le crème’ for the fans. For that, we are truly appreciative!
Here are comments sent in by others regarding the album.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – Great album! Love what Poland and Ellefson did on that album…
Greg Prato – I’m not the biggest “prog metal” fan, but Megadeth is about as close to the style that I can say I honestly enjoy. Dave Mustaine is one of metal’s greatest guitarists, and I don’t judge a “great guitarist” by how fast he/she can solo. I mean the amount of great riffs, their influence on other guitarists, etc., and Mustaine certainly fits the bill. I first heard ‘Peace Sells’ in late ’86, and it blew me away – especially all of side one. I still sometimes wonder what Metallica would have been like if they kept their short-lived Hetfield-Mustaine-Burton-Ulrich line-up intact.
Dan Lorenzo – Do you want to know why I have a ton of respect for Dave Mustaine? Because he’s a survivor. Imagine the horror of being kicked out of a band that is about to take off big-time. Lesser men would fold and never be heard from again. One time, Jason McMaster told me he thought Megadeth were Metallica-lite. I don’t see it that way at all. Dave was a VERY important ingredient in the first Metallica album, and I love the first Megadeth cd. When I first heard the opening track, “Wake Up Dead” off “Peace Sells” I knew Dave could be in for the long hall. I LOVE Wake Up Dead. Peace Sells scared the shit out of everybody in HADES. Why? Because we were pulling up to LaMour in Brooklyn to open up for Megadeth as they were doing their soundcheck. My God, they sounded JUST like the record. We felt better when we realized they were filming a video for “Peace Sells” and it WAS their record. Dave could be intimidating, but he was always cool with us…even wearing the ugly red HADES shirt I gave him after the show. I loved their cover of “I Ain’t Superstitious” as well.
Jon Leon – I remember when I was given this as a gift on cassette. From the sound of the capitol records beeps came a riff that to this day defines what thrash IS to me. Wake up Dead is just a perfect thrash metal song. Along with Slayers Angel of Death and Metallicas Battery-it was one of the 3 1986 anthems that opened 3 amazing releases. This album features the 2 MVP members of Megadeth-Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson(RIP) Chris Poland has always had an amazing Jazz/metal fusion band called OHM that plays in L.A. often and I recommend seeking them out. This album is the best Megadeth and one of thrashes all time must owns.
Joel Gausten
- Best bassline in Metal. This and “So Far…” define Megadeth for me.
Metal Mike – I sharpened my guitar skills to this record. I must say that Megadeth is probably the band that had the most influence on how I write songs and structure guitar riffs. I love early Megadeth stuff. It’s absolutely amazing. Obviously, there is nothing like Mustaine when he is lit up and pissed off.
Erik Kluiber – Possibly the greatest album of all time.
Phil Rind – The last record I liked by Megadeth. Killing is my Business is my fave.
Ricky Armellino – Mustane was such a crucial vocalist for me growing up, you don’t even know. I’m only managing to pull off these vaguely on key speaking grunt vocals and I’m looking over at my copy of “Sells” and I’m all like, “I know I can, Dave. I just know it.”
Mitts – Classic record. This was the point where Dave Mustaine started to write actual songs, instead of trying to prove that Megadeth could play faster than Metallica.
James J. LaRue - This being pre-Marty, I didn’t really get into it. I got to know the title track since it would become a concert staple for them, but Marty’s exotic sounding leads against Dave’s mechanical rhythm is the foil that gave Megadeth their appeal for me. So I’ll always see Rust in Peace (non remastered version) as their “classic”, and it’s the one that got me into them. I love Megadeth, one of my all-time favorites, but I only listen to Marty-era stuff.
Scott Middleton – Light years better than the shoddy production of Killing is My Business…Peace Sells is a true speed metal classic. Wake Up Dead is easily one of their best songs to date and Peace Sells was probably the first Political themed song/album for thrash metal, and really proved that metal could be technical or “thinking man’s music” when it wanted to be
Jaye Schwarzer – This is what your band sounds like when you are still pissed off about being kicked out of your old band and you start railing huge amounts of cocaine. I had never heard songs played so fucking fast while being equally as melodic. Riffs!!
JL – You have to take into account that the albums that I like most by the band are Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia, but this album was the one that got me into the band. What would have happened if Metallica would have never gotten rid of Mustaine? Would they be infinitely bigger than they are today? I try to focus on the fact that we have been able enjoy a lot of good pieces of music due to the decisions that were made.
Chris Shrum – Some of the best classic Megadeth ever, you can still listen to regularly and never get tired of it!
Mikey Pannone
- I am a huge Megadeth fan, and this album is one of the main reasons why. Dave Mustaine gives us all a lesson in pissed-off genius musicianship, and “Good Mourning/Black Friday” still gives me goosebumps to this day.
Sean Bryant – This was one of those albums that I got into after Metallica. Megadeth was just so fucking raw at this point. Mustaine wasn’t getting all whiny and shit but was washing you with some gritty, no holds barred, fuck you metal. Most of the albums that followed fell off my radar as it seemed that polish started to come about. I like it raw!!
Will Carroll – I loved this album the second “Wake Up Dead” started. Every song rules. Even the cover tune “I Aint Superstitious” delivers. This album gives ANY…ANY Metallica album a run for its money.
Steve Smyth – One of my alltime classic favorites, and 2nd favorite lineup of the band as well! Chris Poland is amazing on this album, and the title track, The Conjuring, Devil’s Island, Good Mourning are standout faves of mine
Chad Bowar – In thrash annals, Peace Sells… captured Megadeth in their prime; a tight, well-oiled machine. Their second album blasted off with “Wake Up Dead,” and includes Megadeth classics like the title track and “Devil’s Island.” The 1986 lineup of Dave Mustaine, Chris Poland, David Ellefson and Gar Samuelson was a strong one, although struggles with drugs made the recording of this album rather difficult.
The band recently released a 25th anniversary remastered edition of the album, which also includes a previously unreleased concert from 1987. Megadeth plays songs from their first two releases, and it’s a very solid set, especially for those who prefer the band’s early material. Superfans and those with some extra cash might want to skip the 2 CD version and go with the deluxe box set.
The box set includes 5 CDs: the original album, the 1987 concert, Dave Mustaine mixes for the 2004 reissue, Randy Burns mixes and the album and concert in high resolution audio. It also comes with 3 LPs, a book, photos and replicas of vintage Megadeth memorabilia. It will set you back nearly 130 bucks, but for hardcore fans it’s well worth it. For thrash fans, Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? is mandatory.
Bat - I bought Peace Sells on Vinyl when I was about 14, I thought it was amazing, loved Black Friday and used to bring it to the disco in my local community center and ask the DJ to play it, he played it once! A great album.
Etan Rosenbloom – I personally prefer Rust in Peace, but 25 years on, Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? still stands out among all the other thrash albums from the mid-’80s. Mustaine’s songwriting was so diverse compared to that of his contemporaries, and his distinctive vocal style – a combination of snide growls, roared melodies and spoken asides – grants the charisma that allow his politically-charged lyrics to shine. Thrash metal wasn’t all partying and high tops, and Peace Sells epitomizes the more thoughtful wing of ’80s thrash.
Shawn Duncan – Love this Album! The band sounds killer on this. Peace Sells, Bad Omen, Waking Up Dead, Good morning/Black Friday…The whole thing kicks ass! Always liked Megadeth especially the first 3 records!
Grover XIII – I tend to prefer Rust In Peace for my quick Megadeth fix, but Peace Sells is an undisputed classic. The bassline on the title track is usually enough to give me a half-boner.
Tim Ripper Owens – Wow..What a record!! I did plenty of these tracks growing up in the local scene here in Akron, Ohio!! I did Peace sells, Devils Island, Wake up dead…maybe more!! This is just a great cd, and a classic!! Love the Cd, Love the guys!!
Doug Gibson - I was always partial to Metallica over Megadeth, but “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying” is a classic that’s held up well over the years. “Peace Sells” and “Wake Up Dead” are timeless thrash classics, while “The Conjuring” and “Devil’s Island” are good cuts too. Anyone growing up in the MTV era likely had the Peace Sells intro bass line ingrained in their heads as I do.
Alex - It is my honor to talk about this album, as it is exactly as old as me. That’s right, aside from ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’, my dad also forgot to pull out. Guess a lot of metal shit was born that year…
The thing I don’t understand about Megadeth’s 80s album titles is: Why did Dave (almost said ‘they’ for a second, hehe) use every punctuation mark in the goddamn universe? Why not call it ‘Peace Sells’? Why call it ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’
If he feels witty about it, why not go all the way and name it ‘Peace sells… But who’s buying? Huh? Who is it dude? Tell me. Tell me GOD DAMMIT CAUSE I WANT TO KNOW!!!’ — At least that way I would have been mildly amused by it.
But let’s not nitpick the title too much, after all, it doesn’t matter. Instead, I’m gonna nitpick the songs.
I’m just gonna talk about the title track… First of all, can we really call it ‘the title track’? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the song is called ‘Peace Sells,’ that’s it. Why have common sense about the song, but write a long ass title for the album?
I really like the song, I just think the lyrics are a bit on the pretentious side…
“What do you mean I don’t believe in God? I talk to him everyday” seems like something a maniac would write on a wall before going on a killing spree in a school. I am not suggesting Dave is crazy, but there’s something about people who claim they ‘talk’ to God 1 on 1 that doesn’t sit well with me.
“What do you mean I ain’t kind? I’m just not your kind” — See what he did there? He used the other meaning of kind and flipped the question around, ha ha ha, classic!
I could go on and on about Dave’s lyrics, but I’d just waste both my time and yours. Instead I’m gonna be serious for a second and say that this is a very decent album, and in spite of my lame jokes, I actually really like the title track. I just don’t think it’s anywhere near what Metallica released that year, and yes, I totally went for the obvious Metallica comparison.
I’d give this album a 5 out of 5 star rating if this was a proper review, or if I had any credibility as a music journalist. But it’s not, and I don’t, so let’s just say that it’s a Megadeth classic…. But who’s buying the 1432 remastered editions?
Jason Bittner – “peace sells………hands down the BEST Megadeth record in my opinion! the riffs, the playing, the attitude, you can tell Mustaine had a Metallica monkey on his back. from start to finish this CD kicks major ass, and I used to play along to it all the time………many many years later when I actually “made it” I played some of these tunes with David Ellefson when we did some clinics together – very cool and very fun. Gar was a master drummer – a jazz cat in a metal band…….he was a beast!! RIP
Jessie Sanchez - Growing up in the “mtv generation” i had no idea mtv news was using the intro to peace sells for all their segments. I had been a Megadeth fan before but had never heard “peace sells” back then. My first Megadeth album was “Countdown to Extinction” and i was immediately hooked after the first riff hit my ear drums, I found myself buying all their albums soon after. After finally getting a chance to check out “Peace Sells but whose buying?” i was blown away, the opening track, “Wake up Dead” had a 16 year old hormone pumped Jessie running up the walls with inspiration. “Peace Sells but who whose buying?” was one of the first albums to influence me to pick up the bass in the first place. every black friday i still paint the devil on the wall
Scott Thompson- A bass line, one of the most iconic albums of 1986 is most remembered not for the brilliant guitar work but for a bass line. Dave Ellefson’s classic opening to Peace Sells has been pumped into millions of metal fans heads never to be forgotten, and as the opening for MTV’s news segments it has been infused into millions of non metal fans as well.
So there’s one bit of irony. Then there’s the fact that at 69 bpm, Peace Sells (the best known track) is the slowest overall track on the album. An album from a band with a reputation for being the most uncompromisingly thrashiest band around. Yet it sounds like a freight train hell bent on destruction. There lies a second ironic twist. And yet in that irony lies the brilliance of Megadeth which finally blooms with this album and would explode with the followup “Rust”.
A mere thrash band would just go for speed. Megadeth was no mere thrash band. They brought elements previously taboo in thrash. Gar and Chris brought in jazz and bop. Combined with the hard rock and classic metal elements from Dave squared and you get the light and shade that influenced so many bands that came after including future lineups of Megadeth. Yes, some of this was present in Killing, but here was an album with a better budget that allowed that vision to be fully formed.
Seven tracks (I’m not counting the cover tune) of pure rage and substance fueled metal. In the words of someone I can’t remember “All killer, no filler”. Perfectly sequenced on vinyl with a heavy on the mids sonic signature shamelessly copied ever after, Peace Sells continues to be quite simply one of Mustaine’s finest hours.
Perhaps it isn’t put any better than in Dave’s own words from “My Last Words” final track on the disc, “Feel a might unsteady, but still I have to play”.
Jorge Salan – I love this band, especially Youthinasia. This is one of those special albums that catched you during a certain period of time, a certain period of your life, around thirteen years of age. And I can’t say for sure it’s their “best album”, but due to the age you start listening to the album, it becomes something special to you. Especially the second track on the album Train Of Consequence which to me is just a huge song.
Jose Izquierdo – An absolute gem! What this band does is very special, you hear the guitar parts which are very thrash, but what they do on bass and drums is extraordinary, and puts the band at another level. Given what we do in this band, Peace Sells, and Rust In Peace go beyond being simple albums. They become essential lessons of what needs to be played in this band.
David G. Alvarez – To me this album is a reference point for not only for thrash, but all of metal. Regardless of how many years have gone by, this album still sounds relevant. I love the original mixes of this album, although they didn’t do much to alter the sounds with the remixes, there is something special with the sound on the original mix of the album.
Victor Valera – They put out Killing Is My Business, and you could see certain things with the band, but they put Peace Sells out, and it was a statement, here we are, and get ready for what’s about to come your way.
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
This month’s Classic Albums Column focuses on Tool’s second full length album AEnima. Mars Attacks Podcast episode 49 features comments from Charlie Benante, Gene Hoglan, Alan Tecchio, and Aaron from Iron City Rocks. As we established with the previous podcast we also discuss why this album was selected. You will find the podcast at the bottom of this post.
Jon Leon – Tools finest hour. The title track is the best sarcasm on fake culture in hollywood you will ever hear.
Vince Neilstein – Aenima was the beginning of the beginning for Tool. Undertow had great songs, but Aenima saw the band experimenting and branching out with longer songs, complex time signatures and what would become their general sense of Tool-ness. It was only a sign of what was to come.
Phil Rind – Heavy, thought provoking and inspiring.
Ricky Armellino – This is the album that completely expanded my 12 year old mind and introduced it to the idea of fisting.
Jaye Schwarzer – I had never listened to anything that was so heavy and so seething while at the same time being so chill and mellow. There WAS another approach to being a heavy band.
Chris Tsangarides – If I could play guitar in any band it would be this one. This album is just so full of awesome grooves and the sound they get on record is pristine. Many influences in their music from Beefheart (again) to Arabic and Greek time signatures. I love it when I hear original and unique music, I can’t think of a bad thing to say about this band. The thinking man’s rock band? I don’t know about that but they have become huge without conforming to any convention but their own. Probably one band that is closest to how I feel how music should be made, long may they rock!
Scott LePage – I freaking love this album. I could listen to Eulogy 100 times straight through and still want more. So many textures on this album. Probably one of my top 10 favorite second albums of all time.
Chris Biermann – Best album I’ve ever heard sonically – that is the kind of mix I aspire to attain, though I will never be able to! LOL!
Raul L.R. – What to say about Tool and the tremendous album that Maynard and the band released. This was the first album I heard from the band, I can thank a friend for that, he played the album in his van everyday going to rehearsals. To me they’re the perfect band, dark, and wise with the way that they develop and execute each one of the tracks on the album. The first track Stinkfist is a declaration of the band’s intent. Maynard is unreal with each melody, Danny Carey is a savage on the drums, Adam Jones playing is easily a 10. He is one of my favorite guitarists, not because of his virtuosity, but because he knows exactly what each track needs, without having to be some over the top guitar hero that gets carried away with some self indulgent solos. His playing helps each album become a musical journey into the world of Tool. I listen to the second track Eulogy every morning, it happens to be the alarm clock on my cell phone! This track is simply genius. Justin Chancellor’s playing on the album is just sublime throughout; he is a true master at the bass, and something for every base player to aspire to be.
JL – This marked a before and after. It was an album that I could never put on while I was studying, because it required all of my attention. There was always a detail to discover, especially with Danny Carey’s playing which is just plethoric.
David Lozano – Unfortunately I’ve never gotten into Tool, that said, I appreciate their talent.
Steve Smyth – I always dug how this band could put together good ensemble-like pieces, songs like Eulogy, Stinkfist, and 46 and 2 I remember hearing a lot, like everyone else, but the title track is a standout as well, and who could forget Hooker With A Penis?
Luke Wenczel – Danny Carey of Tool is another ongoing influence. His creativity and expression behind the kit really speaks volumes and adds to the tracks he plays on to no end. Danny is a drummer of many layers. The playing he hammered out for Tool’s third release Ænima is something I always come back to and rediscover. Danny’s the reason I play a 14×8 inch snare and, like Nicko, he plays his Ride in the same place. A few of his cymbal choices have also made their way into my set-up, mainly the effect cymbals, the china and splashes!
Etan Rosenbloom – I still remember being holed up at my aunt’s house in late 1996, some mysterious flu-like illness forcing me to stay inside night and day. Tool’s Aenima, released just a few months prior, was my solace, a constant presence on my portable CD player as I convalesced. The closing track “Third Eye” was the most powerful to me, but there are memorable moments aplenty on Aenima – the gargantuan opening riff to “Stinkfist,” which was the most intriguing song on rock radio that season, and easily the mot bizarre video on MTV; Justin Chancellor’s serpentine bass lines throughout “Forty Six & 2;” the propulsive drive and righteous hatred all over “Hooker with a Penis;” Maynard James Keenan’s misanthropic tribute to Bill Hicks in “Aenema” (“Learn to swim / See you down in Arizona Bay”). The German monologue “Die Eier von Satan” freaked me out to no end, even after I discovered the guy was just offering a recipe for Mexican cookies. More than any individual moment, Aenima felt like a triumph of sustained mood to my teenage self. I’d never before heard an album that felt like it was made for arenas but felt so intimate, one that balanced cerebral, ofttimes spiritual ideas and visceral music in such powerful ways.
Shawn Duncan – Wow, Aenima, what a killer album! Opens with Stinkfist and this should have alerted you immediately that something was gonna kick your ass!! Awesome drum tones..great production..Tool has a way of being progressive without getting ridiculous, they always manage to maintain a “song” mentality and groove Danny is a MONSTER!..H, Pushit, Hooker with a penis, and Forty Six & 2!!! I mean c’mon, how could any die hard metalhead rock and roller not fucking dig this!?!?!?
Mark Hunter – I discovered Tool on the Lollapalooza tour. I instantly became a fan as this was a new spin on heavy music. When Aenima came out, Tool changed the game once again. Epic song structures, beautiful melody and technicality that virtuosos can stand behind. They infused more psychedelics and all of the musical boundaries disappeared. Very few words can do this album justice. It’s better to just turn off the lights, turn on the album and take a journey of your own. This is one of the most important records of all time.
Grover XIII – For some reason, when I’m listing albums that I really, really like, I always forget about this one. I’ve listened to this album so many times that the whole thing sticks in my mind, and ’46 & 2′ is one of my favorite songs ever, and yet it always escapes my mind. This was easily some of the darkest, most unique music to get played on major radio that I’ve ever heard, and the influence it had on my musical tastes is something that I’m still not fully aware of, I think.
Wayne Findlay – It was and still is a big inspiration and influence on me. Not many bands get 7 minute songs on the radio these days!! And only a few can say that they do…Incredible musicianship all the way around.
Jose Izquierdo – One of our tour van’s all time classic albums. You either love the album or you hate it, it can drive you nuts, or you’ll only want to listen to this album. I can attest to this because it’s happened to me.
David G. Alvarez – Wow, what to say about this album? I actually dig the last one a lot more, and I’m not sure if this album or Lateralus has the track that was written based on the Fibonacci Code, but their writing is pure genius. Some people complain about the time signatures, and what have you, but you have to appreciate their talent whether you like them or not. I remember having to dissect Adam Jones’ parts, from a technical stand point, they aren’t difficult to play. But the way that he has mastered how to use something as simple as a delay, and create all of the sonic textures you hear on this album. Justin Chambers and Danny Carey, both are incredible players and do some amazing things on this album.
Remember that you can go here index page to find out further details on everyone involved in the column.
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
We kick the Classic Albums column off with Metallica’s …And Justice For All. The Mars Attacks Podcast episode 36 contains snippets of songs from the album, and comments from Charlie Benante, Gene Hoglan and Mark Strigl, along with an explanation as to why this album was selected. You can stream or download the podcast from the bottom of the page after everyone’s written comments.
Click here to go to an index page that gives you details on everyone involved in the column.
The comments are displayed in the order received.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – A great follow up to Puppets, hits hard right from the start…
Greg Prato – Although I dug this album mightily when it first came out, it just doesn’t stand up as well as their first 3 albums (which are all timeless). It’s one of the oddest-sounding metal albums of all-time too, as you cannot hear the bass AT ALL on this album! Although I was glad to see Metallica playing arenas and selling a shitload of records after years of hard work, you could say this was the beginning of the end for me as a Metallica fan, as like G n’ R, they would slowly become the same overblown rock stars they were eventually against – and most glaringly, each album got progressively worse (‘Load’? YUCH!).
Dave Starr – Where is the bass!!! I was never really into this record, “Ride the Lightning” was my favorite Metallica album
Dan Lorenzo – You want to know what I think of “…and Justice For All”? Let me throw it on. I own all of Metallica’s albums, but I don’t know when I’ve last listened to them. I respect them…I like them a lot….but these days listening to songs over 3 and a half minutes in length seems like work to me…and I already work thirty hours a week!! Fortunately, I accomplish 50 hours worth of work in that time. Ok, “Blackened” still sounds great to me. I turned it off at 4 minutes in, now the title track is on. Shit, that mellow guitar opening is majestic. Beautiful. Great riffs. Where’s the bass? I know you’re in there somewhere Jason. As a guitarist, I have to say the production actually DOESN’T bother me. Somehow the lack of bass works ok here. A little too much pseudo musicianship going on here for me on “The Shortest Straw”…..oh-ok-here comes my favorite, “Harvester of Sorrow”. Brutal. LOVE IT!! Yeah, this cd was all about “Harvester of Sorrow” for me. I saw Metallica at La Mour (NOT LaMours) with Cliff and they were tight. I saw them in Jersey at the Prudential Center on Super Bowl Sunday two years ago and they STILL kicked my ass. Yeah I left before the end of the show because I have a super short attention span.
Jon Leon – I will start by saying Master of Puppets is this bands best album BUT….you can say this album has a sound unlike any record ever released. No bass which I have always disliked. I guess it’s a cool different vibe on this album. It is not the best…but an important record in the Metallica experience. Maybe one of the most unique sounding metal albums ever. It also has some strong anti government stances lyrically. It was a vital album as they came back strong after losing the important writing influence of Cliff Burton. I think it has no weak songs. Everything is good, though the title track does not quite satisfy like the title track on Master. The last progressive Metallica before they would simplify the sound.
Erik Kluiber – a few good songs like blackened, dyers eve, and eye of the beholder. A couple of snoozers on it as well. I remember being bummed out at first listen, but it grew on me.
Phil Rind – Other than the production it’s perfect. Dyer’s Eve is still one of my favorite songs by them.
Ricky Armellino – Had a guitar tab book for that album that I saved up for and bought at a music store. That was the first time I realized you had to learn the solo AND the rhythm part behind it. Blew my mind, man.
Mitts – Incredible album, despite it’s “experimental” production. Pure metal. The difference, in my opinion, between metal and heavy metal is the amount of rock n roll influence in the riffing. There’s virtually no rock left in the formula for AJFA. Pure metal.
James J. LaRue – This changed my life. It’s not something I listen to today, as I’m one of those previously loyal Metallica fans who was thrown for a loop with the black album. It was the video for One that got me to play guitar. James playing those heavy riffs on that explorer, in that wife beater with mustache, the image of it, it grabbed me right away. I remember thinking “I wanna do that” a few seconds into my first viewing of that video. Though I had tinkered with an old guitar before this, I remember it as being the moment I made a decision to get an electric guitar and learn how to play it aggressively. I was 12. By 13 I had a Justice t-shirt cut out and sewn to the back of my denim jacket. I had a ton of Metallica patches and posters and magazine pages on my wall. They were my favorite band until I heard Maiden. I think Justice is their “peak” and they were starting to jump the proverbial shark with the black album. Metallica meant a lot to so many misfits and misunderstood youth. They were so important to me as a kid, and they just took this turn to shittiness that I never got over. It was like having a religion then finding out your god isn’t real. But I still like the first 4 albums including this one.
Scott Middleton – Some of the most aggressive and dark sounding rhythm guitar ever put to tape. Its easily Metallica’s gloomiest record as a result of Cliff Burton’s death prior to recording. Kirk Hammett’s solos on this record made me take my instrument seriously. Major respect for a band who clearly does what they want. Justice is clearly one of their least commercial records ever, and easily among their best.
Jaye Schwarzer – The first album Metallica made after the death of Cliff Burton. The songs are as heavy as anything off of Master Of Puppets or Ride The Lightning only with a lot more melody. Bass is almost non-existent throughout the record but somehow still manages to be heavy as fuck.
Kevin Estrada – When …And Justice For All had come out, Metallica had jumped from an arena support band to an arena headliner. They even made the jump in which my alterny-friends thought Metallica was cool. To be honest, that worried me a bit. My pals and I had followed and supported Metallica for years now and we had always hoped for the day Metallica became the biggest metal band in the world. But, something happened along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I think …And Justice For All is a solid album, but it marked the beginning of a departure from the Metallica that we had supported in the past. The songs were bigger, longer, slower, hookier…but it was still Metallica – afterall, a band has to spread their wings in order to grow or else they risk becoming stagnant. But in my bones, I knew that Metallica was changing and someday they would no longer be the band we loved. In my opinion, …And Justice For All was the last great Metallica album, or at least the last Metallica album that was made by the original Metallica. From then on, Metallica became a household name and things were never the same.
Dan Hardman – “And Justice Fall All” is one of my top records of 1988 and the first year I started my music career journey. I remember watching “One” the video on MTV and seeing Metallica on stage at Monsters of Rock 1988 US Tour with Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come. Metallica have paved the way for many rising artists and glad to see they are back on track with their latest “Death Magnetic”.
Steve Banks – A marathon from start to finish. Wouldn’t have made it through senior year without this album. To this day I will argue till I could puke coat hangers that this is hands down the BEST metal album ever created.
Jim Florentine – So fucking heavy. Great follow up to Master Of Puppets
Big Mario – I don’t recall how old I was when I first heard this album; I think I was 13 or 14. I remember it automatically became one of my favorite albums of all time. For some, the band’s greatest accomplishment is Master of Puppets, for others it’s the Black album. For me it’s Kill ‘Em All and …And Justice For All. Fuck, that guitar intro to Blackened is just incredible, a lot of kick ass riffs, good solos (I find it amazing that their Kirk ‘I forgot how to play’ Hammett’s). The title track is ridiculously good; everything is done to perfection and at a level above everyone else. It wasn’t Heavy Metal, it wasn’t 100% thrash, it was without a doubt a kick ass hybrid that was undoubtedly unique to Metallica’s sound. The epic track One (who hasn’t jammed away during this song with their parent’s wooden racket, pretending it was James’ Explorer?). The anthem Harvester Of Sorrow, the emotional dedication to the late great Cliff Burton To Live Is To Die. And one of my all time favorite Metallica songs, Dyers Eve, an authentic thrash gem, the perfect closing track to close a very cool album. The tracks are long, but they don’t wear you down, perhaps that is the best thing about this great album which came out back in 88!
JL – I remember being at my father’s birthday party, and having one of his co-workers let me listen to it on his walkman. The album just came out, and this guy was so hyped up about the album that he had to share it with this little brat! They had a difficult task at hand, trying to follow up Master Of Puppets. But listening to the reverse guitar intro to Blackened was just exquisite. The Shortest Straw, Harvester Of Sorrow, and the classic One. People can complain about this album, but it has some great tracks on it. My only issue is the lack of bass in the mix.
David Gonzalez – Like most people in my surroundings, the first thing I ever heard from Metallica was the Black album. It was after all the album that captured the largest audience. I loved the album, and it made me want to investigate (the band) a little more. It didn’t take that long for me to get my hands on Master Of Puppets and And Justice For All. To my surprise, those albums gave off a lot more power than the Black Album, and in my opinion where a thousand times better. The sound is a little less polished, perhaps not as commercial, but they transmit so much more. This was the authentic version of Metallica, it was what I wanted to remember the band by. My favorite track on the album is Eye Of The Beholder. I love the time changes, I could also talk about One, but that track is so epic, I don’t even want to touch it!
Gonzalo Leiva Palacios – I like the album Metallica more, but I find this album to be more technical, with a lot of precision, and a great interpretation of music. My favorite track is Eye of The Beholder, although Dyers Eve makes the album a powerhouse.
Fer Fakyea – Without taking into consideration the bands most epic album Master Of Puppets, or their best sounding album, The Black Album; ….And Justice For All is probably the band’s most emblematic album. The album contains hit after hit. It is full of perfectly elaborated melodies that have been covered hundreds of times by artist from the same genre, and others like pop or country. When Metallica comes on and you’re at a bar or at a party, changes are its something off of And Justice For All. The album combines a structured aggression, with some incredibly infectious melodies. A lot of you will hate me for what I’m about to say, but it’s true….listening to this album makes you go back in time to an era when James Hetfield knew how to sing, when Lars Ulrich played more than one drum pattern (and didn’t change what he was playing live), when Kirk Hammett knew how to play great solos, and not a series of notes that had no rhyme or reason. I love Metallica, and I hate Metallica.
Jandro Storm – That guitar sound, tuned and heavy, those dense songs, that intro, that band photo on the back cover where the band has that pissed off look on their faces…Every Friday night for about a year of my life I had a the same ritual, pop And Justice For All into my walkman before falling asleep. The song One would just leave me perplexed, although my favorite track is Harvester Of Sorrow.
David Lozano – An album that marked the transition between Metallica’s classic thrash, and the metal that would appear in the future.
Angel Rubin – I’ve been a fan of heavy metal for over 22 years; I started out with groups like Dokken, Europe, and Judas Priest. I was curious to find out about Metallica, since I had heard so many people talk about them. A friend of mine gave me a 90 minute cassette that had Kill Em All on one side, and Ride The Lightning on the other. That cassette tape changed my life forever; I had never heard a band with so much personality, originality, power, technique, rage and hooks. A few months later I listened to and knocked off my feet by Master Of Puppets. I wanted more, so in 1990 I bought And Justice For All on tape. I thought that there was no way they could reinvent themselves, and surpass what they did on those fantastic first three albums. After all, these albums have already changed my life, and boy was I wrong. On And Justice the drumming was just incredible, Lars was playing some impossible fills, some great double bass that no one had previously done. His playing on that album has influences, and been copied by millions of thrash and black metal bands.
The guitars where pushed almost to the point of saturation, Kirk was soloing frenetically all over the place. The production was like no other album up to that point. All of this combined make this album very special. I can still tell when someone is listening to the album on their head phones. This is thanks in part to the double bass on tracks like Blackened, One and And Justice For All. Another favorite of mine on the album is Shortest Straw. Frayed Ends of Sanity is another great track. The album is full of long, intense, creative tracks that never seem to get boring. The album is full of anthems that have been driving legions of fans crazy since 88.
Another thing that is often copied from this album is the great voice possessed by the hero himself James Hetfield. His voice contains a fine line between diabolical, and rabid. If I’m forced to say something about this album, it would be unsurpassable, I love its sound. Although I realize that the band isn’t really enamored with the sound of the album, I don’t think they ever thought that this album, to this day, would be a reference point and influence millions, and millions, and millions of bands worldwide. I actually have the bands logos tattoo on me.
Richard Royuela – I’ve been a big fan of the band since I first discovered them. I’ll never forget the moment I heard them for the first time, the song was Motorbreath. My relationship with And Justice For All is a bit strange, and is without a doubt the album I’ve listened to the least from the band’s classic era (considering everything up until the Black album). Maybe because my relationship didn’t start off in the best of ways. I can still remember going to the store to buy the album. I had to come back home empty handed. I had no idea it was going to be a double album; no one from my surroundings knew it was going to be a double album. I took 1,500 pesetas (Spain’s old currency), a little more than what a single album cost in those days, but not enough to cover the 1,720 peseta cost of the album. That price will always be burned into my memory. After multiple trips to the store I was able to determine that the album lacked the speed of its predecessors. The intro de Blackened was immense, but it was missing the speed that drove tracks like Battery or Fight Fire With Fire. I had to listen to the album multiple times before getting used to it. For example, the notorious mix of the album, which has become so characteristic of it, the loss of Cliff Burton, the lack of speed, etc. I finally realized that the band was evolving, and taking its first real steps toward converting themselves into a band for the masses, the biggest selling heavy metal band of all time. As mentioned above, this album became the “classic era” album that I’ve listened to the least. As a matter of a fact, when I’m in the mood to listen to Metallica I can listen to almost anything from the classic era, except And Justice For All. That said, when I want to listen to And Justice For All, it is the only album by the group that I want to listen to. Yesterday I listened to the whole album, and at times it makes me think that it’s the band’s most complete album. What I think makes the album truly special are some hidden gems that have never been overexposed within the San Francisco band’s live repertoire. Shortest Straw and Dyers Eve are the best examples of this. These are kind of like our little secrets (for long time fans of the band). That’s not to say that I don’t value songs like the title track or Harvester Of Sorrow, they’re both metal classics. Some people will ask what about One? We have to put this track on a pedestal of its own. The crescendo and the final three minutes of the track are unsurpassable, a masterpiece that goes beyond logic. These are the types of things that demonstrate the difference between any other band, and what Metallica has become. The album definitely offers so much more than the 1,720 pesetas I spent on the vinyl back in the day. As with so many other classic albums, I still enjoy listening to the album on vinyl, and have never listened to it on CD. I have reputation to live up to!
The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here:
This page will serve as the index for the Classic Albums Column, you read a comment and want to know who that person is, where you can listen to their music, how follow them on twitter, Facebook, etc., come here to find all of the pertinent links associated to each of the posters.
Glen Drover – Guitarist of The Glen Drover Band, formerly of Megadeth, King Diamond, Eidolon and touring guitarist for Testament Official Web Site Wikipedia
Grover XIII – Editor In Chief at The Number Of The Blog Official Web Site
Dustin Hardman – Web Promotion Manager for Frontiers Records US Official Web Site
Gene Hoglan – Drummer of Fear Factory, Dethklok and Zimmers Hole formerly of Strapping Young Lad, Testament and Dark Angel Official Web Site MySpace Wikipedia
Chris Howorth – Guitarist for In This Moment Facebook MySpace
Today we reveal an assorted number of members of the musical community that aren’t known for being musicians, and are part of the “big project”. Well the first part isn’t entirely true. Read more »
