Let's Talk '80s Metal

"Say what you want about the 80's but there will never be another era quite like it. Rock & Metal ruled the charts, arenas, magazines, television - the world. We were a part of that moment in music history. Lord willing, maybe we'll be a part of the next big rock movement. Stryper is alive & well!" -- Michael Sweet, Stryper, FB post 24 March 2018

The colors, the light shows, the hair, the outfits, and of course THE MUSIC! While it is true that I love blues, jazz, country, gospel, hymns, classic rock, hard rock, folk, and the pop songs of the '50s through the '80s, it is '80s metal that will always hold a special place in my heart. It is the first music that was truly my own and that I enjoyed in some of the most formative years of my life.

So let's take a look and a listen with some of the bands whose logos are featured here, starting, in no particular order, with Poison.  These guys were just straight up fun.  They had some of the biggest hair in the business, and "Nothin' But A Good Time" could well have been the anthem for the whole decade.

Although there was some bad blood between Poison and Mötley Crüe back in the day, which undoubtedly bumped record sales for both bands, it seems fitting to put them back-to-back here.  There's a lot to choose from in the Mötley catalog, but 1989's "Dr. Feelgood" has it all...the boys at their best and a video full of flames and plot straight out of Miami Vice.

Another anthem for the era could well have been "Cum On  Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot.  It's a song about loud music.  It's a song about noise.  It's a song about cranking those speakers to 11.  What's not to like?

Readers of this blog know how big a Stryper fan I am, and with a new album coming out on April 20, 2018, these guys are not just keeping the great music of the '80s alive but taking to new heights in the 21st century.  Here's the title track to their 1985 album Soldiers Under Command, a favorite for lead singer Michael Sweet and the album that introduced me to the yellow & black army.

I love that in the graphic above Stryper and Whitesnake are next to each other, since Whitesnake was my other favorite band in the '80s.  Their entire body of work, from 1978 onward, is killer blues-rock and metal, but nothing, and I mean nothing, slays quite like "Still of the Night" from their quintuple platinum 1987 album.

Lots of bands have had color words in their names, and White Lion joined the palette in the '80s.  I was fortunate to seem the open for Stryper in Louisville, Kentucky, and remember being blown away the gymnastic performance of bassist James LoMenzo, who went on to play with Michael Sweet on both Sweet & Lynch albums.

'80s metal may have been something of a boys' club, but Vixen proved that the ladies could rock just as hard.  Following the path paved by Heart and Joan Jett, they also showed why relationships were easier in the '80s...guys and girls could share Aqua Net!

Now, I've had a taste for the blues ever since I first started listening to rock, and no one plays blues-rock/metal better than Cinderella.  Once again I was fortunate to see them live when they opened for Bon Jovi in the spring of '87.  "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" from their sophomore album Long Cold Winter showcases Tom Keifer's unique, gravel-filled vocals at their peak.

Is there any song from the metallic '80s that has been played, sampled, used, and even mocked more than Europe's "The Final Countdown?"  Who cares!  It's a classic, and for some reason I will always connect it with a college visit to Indiana University when I was a senior in high school and was planning what classes I would take.  I must have been listening to it a lot then, and it sure takes me back.

I've always been a big Twisted Sister fan, and "We're Not Gonna Take It" is a straight up metal anthem.  It also connects with a special memory for me.  When I was in high school, some guys from the grade ahead of me had a band called Storm Front and they played this during one of our Latin Club meetings!

There are, of course, countless more great metal and rock songs from the '80s.  Share favorites and leave a link to the videos in the comments below.  As for me, if I ever get around to writing a will, I am going to insist that those who attend my funeral listen to a playlist of my favorites!

Paid In Full

No More Hell To Pay, the tenth studio album released by Stryper on November 5, 2013, may simply be the single best album ever of all time anywhere on planet earth.  How's that for a bold claim?

There are many albums that I loved initially, but whose enjoyment for me faded over time.  There are albums that are fantastic, but that have one or two songs I can comfortably skip.  There are albums that I still love and sing along with in the car, but if someone starts talking, I will just turn them down a bit, happy to let them play in the background.

And then there is No More Hell To Pay.  I want it loud, start to finish, with no interruptions.  If someone starts talking while I'm playing it, I will hit pause, because I do not want the music interrupted.  Oh, and the combination of the music with the cover art...well, all that will be discussed in what follows.

The opening track (Revelation) begins with a nice, dark tone and opens up into a broad, full-throated piece that sets the pace for hard, in-your-face tunes that continue through the fading note of track 12, and lyrics like "blood, blood, blood will run and turn the waters red" set the stamp on its metal credentials. Track 2, the title song, continues with a dark intro and a pounding rhythm with scorching guitar.  If "apocalyptic faith" were a genre of music, this song would be its poster child with its chorus line, "If the dawn reveals the end of days, I'll follow You 'til there's no more hell to pay." 

Track 3 (Saved by Love)...good night! A fast, aggressive track that grabs your face from the first note, smacks you hard with Michael's screaming chorus, and makes you reach for the volume dial again. It ends in a frenzy of screams, guitar, and drums and without even letting you catch your breath blasts straight into Track 4, which is simply the best cover of any song ever. Stryper takes the Doobie Brothers classic "Jesus Is Just Alright," shoots it full of nitrous, and makes it hot.  When it slows down at the 2 minute mark, we are treated to the best of muscle-car '70s meets 21st century rock. Track 5 (The One) is the power ballad, guitar driven rather than piano driven, and it reminds me of "Blue Bleeds Through" from Michael's solo album Truth. Track 6 (Legacy) takes us to modern metal and a grittier tone to Michael's voice than usual. The chorus is reminiscent of Twisted Sister from the Stay Hungry days.  Track 7 (Marching Into Battle)...again, good grief. How can I keep my hands on the wheel when this song makes me start drumming along with Robert? Once again, Tim's powerful bass drives it home. This is a true anthem made to be heard in arenas, and with a lyric straight out of the book of Revelation, it is picks up where "Soldiers Under Command" left off.  And yes, I do have the opening as the ringtone on my phone.  And yes, my son and I made a Lego music video of it.

Track 8 is "Te Amo," which is a bit lighter, but is still solidly in the Stryper vein.  Although it is Stryper's nod to Oz' Hispanic roots and their legion of fans in Spanish-speaking countries, the words te amo are also Latin, which makes this Roman Rocker want to bang his head.  Track 9 (Sticks and Stones) has it all...great message, driving sound, and even a bit of humor. An honest song ("Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, so they say.  Oh, well, yours hurt like hell."), it is one we can all relate to. Track 10 (Water Into Wine) again opens up with the wrecking crew of Robert's and Tim's drums and bass. This one has me singing at full volume and would easily have rocked the '80s. Track 11 (Sympathy) opens with severe guitar and Michael's trademark, full-chested vocals. A great melody takes this one through the roof.  Oh, and according to Michael, it was Dave Mustaine's (Megadeth) preference for this song that led to its becoming a music video.

The final track (Renewed) is right in line with "Blackened" and "Bleeding From Inside Out" from the Second Coming album and even has a chorus that, intentional or not, has a clear link with John Donne's Holy Sonnet 14.  With Stryper we hear, "Take me, shape me, break me, make me renewed," and with Donne we read, "break, blow, burn, and make me new."  Now who says rock doesn't have literary cred!

The whole album screams with Michael's and Oz's incomparable guitars, and the cover art, well, it is again, quite simply, the best album cover I have seen in decades of listening to music. I keep staring at and don't want to take my eyes off it.  Stanis Decker, who also did the cover for Stryper's Fallen and Sweet & Lynch's Unified, created this masterpiece, the full size poster of which hangs framed in my garage.

I am something of a synesthete.  For reasons I cannot explain, certain sounds and colors are the same for me, and the colors of the No More Hell To Pay cover perfectly match the music in my mind.  The sounds ARE the cover for me, and this complete package of killer music and cover art is what makes this the perfect album.

One Sided War

One year ago today, August 26, 2016, the world went to war.  It was a one-sided war led by Michael Sweet, and it resulted in complete victory.

There is a reason this album is called One Sided War. It is a sonic attack unleashed by Michael Sweet and his army of metal warriors. Michael has said in numerous interviews that this is his heaviest solo album to date, and it is. It may also be the finest showcase for his incredible voice, which is truly better than ever, and for a hard-hitting, guitar-driven, in-your-face sound that so many of his fans love. The whole album kills, and a few of the highlights are as follows

"Bizarre"... Opens with a riff that is reminiscent of Van Halen's “Hot For Teacher," then turns into a straight ahead rocker with a deep, solid foundation from bass and drums. It could have been a Stryper song given the melody, but the guitar solos are different…fierce and attacking.

"One Sided War"...Pounding drums to open. Echo-y sound to the vocals with some modulation creates an intense atmosphere. A bit of a Twisted Sister feel in the vocal bridge, then a great melodic guitar solo backed by the steady attack of the rhythm section.

"Can’t Take This Life"...This is an early favorite for me. The pounding of drums sounds like mortars falling. The guitar attack…you can just picture Michael and Ethan Brosh with their guitars held out from their bodies like six-string machine guns. The vocal then opens up, and I am not reminded of Stryper. I am not reminded of anything else. This is pure Michael Sweet.

"Radio"...I absolutely love this song. Joel Hoekstra's banjo opens, and we then move into a swaggering rhythm and opening guitar. Fun song, super fun video. The fact is, this is a gritty country-rock song with a heavy emphasis on the grit and the rock.

"Golden Age"...Fast attack out of the gates, pounding drums and guitar opening into a short melodic solo and then Michael’s attacking vocals reminiscent a bit of Dio, then moving to a chorus that could have fit perfectly on the Stryper album No More Hell To Pay.

"Only You"...Even though it is not Joel on guitars for this one, the opening could well have been to a Whitesnake tune. Slows down a bit, then picks back up to a great rock sound that would have played well in the ‘80s but is in no way dated.

"I Am"...Another opening with thunderous drums and guitar attack moving into an intro that would have worked well on the Sweet & Lynch album. This one has an undeniably Dio-esque sound in the dark, slow vocals. A true standout track for Michael’s voice.

"Who Am I"...This is the true ballad of the album. It is guitar driven rather than based on keyboards, which is great.

"You Make Me Wanna"...Drums and arena-filling guitar opener…great classic rock sound to vocals.

"Comfort Zone"...Opening could have come from Stryper’s Reborn era. Another great straight-ahead rocker.

"One Way Up"... Bluesy, dare I say country opening? Not surprising since Joel, who has been bending the strings in Whitesnake, is back on guitar.. Lean and mean in the vocals.

"Can’t Take This Life" (with Moriah Formica)...Just as he did on his last solo album, Not Your Suicide, where he brought in Electra Mustaine on a second version of "Heart of Gold," Michael has once again given the microphone to an up and coming young vocalist. Formica has a voice that is way beyond her years. For my money, she adds more to this song than Mustaine added to “Heart of Gold.”

Bottom line: If you want killer guitars that will blow you back when you crank the sound to 11, a rhythm section that hits with fists of concrete, and vocals that flat out beat the daylights out of just about anyone else, then this is your album. Classic hard rock/metal sound, yet perfectly produced for today.

Teachers Rock

Brownsville Station and Motley Crue both pleaded, "Teacher, don't you fill me up with your rules,," Alice Cooper seemed more than happy to discover that "school's out for summer," and Pink Floyd saw teachers with their "dark sarcasm in the classroom" as little more than "Another Brick In The Wall."

Fair enough, but I know quite a number of teachers who love to rock.  For me, it's about life, loud and proud.  It's about the exuberance of living boldly, and nothing captures that better than the rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the '60s and '70s, which found their pinnacle in the metal of the '80s.  So enjoy this new blog and come along with me as this educator indulges his hobby of rock 'n' roll by exploring videos, band news, classic albums, new releases, deep cuts, rarities, memorabilia, and more from our favorite artists.  The comment box is open!

So let's get started.  Which of these anthems really captures the spirit of why you want it "loud, right between the eyes," and turned up to 11?

Stryper, "Rock The Hell Out Of You"

Twisted Sister, "I Wanna Rock"

Whitesnake, "Children Of The Night"

Def Leppard, "Rock Of Ages"

Bon Jovi, "Let It Rock"