Well I have a little time tonight, so I decided to review alot of albums for you guys! The Week has just begun, so many of you will be heading to work and getting some more money to spend this weekend, hopefully these reviews have helped you decide what albums to get, cause they've helped me decide what bands are truly worth spending a dime for.


1.) Virgin Steele - Guardians Of The Flame

This album kicks so much ass that it isn't even funny. This is true hook-laden heavy power metal at it's finest with no letting up. The music itself reminds me of early Armored Saint, Anvil or even Lizzy Borden, that being said the vocals remind me of that early pre-thrash, pre-power MetalBlade style that made metal famous. This is the type of album you'd hear blasting from a car at 12:00am in downtown L.A. in the 80s. Yes it's that vivid of an image. I suggest if you're thinking of getting anything by Virgin Steele, then you should start with this one first. This is probably one of the purest forms of heavy metal that I have heard in a long time! Honestly, I'm in love with this album and think you should be too. For the average listener, if you want a perfect example of 80's Heavy Metal, this is your chance, so anyone get this!

Rating 5/5


2) Diamond Head - Death & Progress 1993

Diamond Head is one of my favorites, and not because of Metallica, no because of their own talent. They DEFINED NWOBHM, much like that of Tank. Those 2 bands were the best examples of NWOBHM that are accessible and lead you to countless others. However, Diamond Head, much like Cantebury, dropped the ball on this one. Even with guests like Iommi and Mustaine, this album is not Diamond Head. It's a mixture of cheese rock, melodic metal and hard rock and the miture just doesn't sound all that appealing. I downloaded this to get a taste of Diamond Head's later recordings, not being satisfied with Cantebury, and I was not satisfied with this one either. I'd hate to say that Diamond Head was a one-album wonder, becuse Borrowed Time is great! But it seems eith each album, they constantly grow away or forget how to play their classic style of NWOBHM. That being said where's my copy of Lightning To The Nations...

Rating: 1/5



3) Running Wild - Gates To Purgatory 1984

What a classic example of german speed/power metal from the 80s. This album is very green for what is to come with Running Wild later, but shows a promising future for the band. The Accept influence hear is practically all over the place, but that is a good thing. This album just has alot of great aspects to it. One problem, it does grow boring, however they pick it up towards the end. Which is admirable considering most 2nd side, 2nd half of albums can be boring. For the lovers of classic metal, this is a great addition as it really holds nothing back, and the vocals pretty much add to the music perfectly. For a person just midly interested in power/speed metal, ehh, I'd say this is an approachable album for you to be introduced to them. Maybe get this along with some Helloween and you should be good.


Rating: 4/5



4) Venom - Black Metal 1982

The title is decieving as of 2008. This is not your modern day black metal, not at all, in fact the title track contains the line, "Lay down your souls to the Gods rock and roll." in today's black metal, if you heard the term 'rock n' roll' mentioned, it's be a sin (well in black metal that may be a good thing) However, that takes nothing away from the album. It is much better produced that the previous effort, Welcome To Hell, but it is not a great! It is probably Venom's 2nd best album. I Suggest you buy Welcome to Hell first in order to appreciate how much better the production is on this album. Great tracks are scattered all around this album such as the classic, and probably best, Venom song, Countess Bathory. Simple, yet perfect, and maybe an influence on Nirvana, i'll let you figure that one out!


Rating: 4.5/5



5) King Diamond - Abigail

King Diamond leaves Mercyful Fate, and only takes the guitarist with him, they release the mediocre Fatal Portrait, and decide they no longer want to focus of basic metal, or basic metal ideoligies (satan, devil) and focus more on progressive writing and concept horror albums. Absolutley a genious move by the King. The direction was perfect for Diamond's vocal style and the music accompanies it great. Now one warning. Listen to Mercyful Fate first and get a feel for his voice alongside the basic rock riff's. Once you can get used to that falsetto, this album sticks out as a classic. It is easy for some, and hard for most to enjoy the music with this crazy face-painted man screaming his life out about murdered babies and possesed grandmothers. It makes it all better though when you're used to it. Pop fans, avoid.


Rating: 4.5/5



6) TT Quick - Metal of Honor 1986

Basic hard rock/metal from the 80s nothing especailly outstanding about this album. They opened for Twisted back in the early 80s, that's how I learned about them. I dunno, it's hard to write why nothing stands out, cause usually I dig this basic hard rock sound, but maybe it's just to late to appreciate anything not remarkable. On a good day, this is your typical fast cars, hot women style metal. The vocals have been said to sound like AC/DC, and that may be true, but I hear a much more Vince Neil sound in them. If Motley Crue had written this in their Girls Girls Girls days, then this would beat that anyday, but for a bands considerable 'best' album, its short of spectacular. But honestly their is nothing WRONG with it. It's played very well and the music sounds great, but it's very very basic. If you like classic rock. this might be a good introduction to 80s metal/rock/hair metal, but for extreme metal fans, if you're looking into this I dunno you might wanna check it out, but it won't grace your player more than once most likely


Rating: 2.5/5


Thanks For Listening!Virgin SteeleRunning WildDiamond HeadVenomTT QuickKing DiamondGuardians of the FlameGates to PurgatoryBlack MetalMetal of HonorAbigailMetal Bladeheavy metalthrash metalrockhard rockclassic rockblack metaldeath metalhair metalpower metalspeed metal80SGermanbar bandnew yorknwobhmmetallicaMegadeth

With inspiration from other similar Leagues in Germany, the Czech Republic and other places, I present the British Rock Artists League!

First however we need to decide which bands will take part! To do this I will simply ask everyone to post their top ten favourite bands who were formed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland! No need for them to be ordered, just your top 10 in any order!

Please send this to all of your friends and advertise it! This is an epic venture to pit our best bands against each other and I hope to get as many people involved as possible.

Thanks and get voting!


edit:

I completely forgot to give the link for the actual group, please join!

http://www.last.fm/group/The+British+Rock+Artists+League


League Structure

Originally I was going to mirror the English Football League System, so have a top league of 20 and then lower leagues of 24. But then I realised this will cause "fixture" problems, as I'd really prefer all leagues to be ending at the same time, and it serves no real purpose to have more bands in one league than an other, as in football, this is down to fixture congestion stuff among other things which don't apply here.

Thus I decided to just have leagues of 20. The German system has two leagues, which mirrors the German professional football league. Below that they have regional leagues, which is difficult to define with a band. Also, there are less German bands known to the wider world, unlike British bands. I have PLENTY of bands as suggestions here, so to use 80 bands didn't seem like such an issue, and this also kind of mirrors the English league system where we have 4 professional leagues.

So below, I've shown the bands in their leagues, listed in alphabetical order (the number of votes they received in this journal article is no longer relevant from this point). Where I had to split bands with the same number of votes between two leagues, I used the number of scrobbles they have received on Last.fm as the tiebreaker.

When I list out the bands though and think about the amount of "fixtures", I start to wonder if having 80 bands is a good idea. It's a lot of voting and I'm wondering if that is going to put people off? Well I am going to make a thread in the Group and I want people to tell me their opinion, because ultimately I want as much participation as possible and if too many bands is going to put people off, I want to know. Inversely, it could encourage more people to vote in the league itself if they see their favourite band listed that otherwise would not have made it. So I am in two minds, and I would like you guys to help me out here!

I am not going to get the leagues going yet, due to this issue. Thus I will better outline how these leagues will work when the time comes.

First Division

Arctic Monkeys
The Beatles
Black Sabbath
The Clash
Coldplay
The Cure
Led Zeppelin
Iron Maiden
Joy Division
Judas Priest
Muse
Oasis
Pink Floyd
Placebo
Porcupine Tree
Queen
Radiohead
The Rolling Stones
The Smiths
The Who


Second Division

Anathema
Biffy Clyro
Bloc Party
Blur
David Bowie
Deep Purple
Editors
Genesis
Kaiser Chiefs
Kasabian
The Kinks
The Libertines
Marillion
Motörhead
My Dying Bride
Oceansize
Paradise Lost
Sex Pistols
Venom
Yes


Third Division

Alestorm
Belle and Sebastian
Bolt Thrower
Camel
Carcass
Cradle of Filth
Cream
Dire Straits
DragonForce
The Jam
Jethro Tull
Keane
King Crimson
The Kooks
Mogwai
Pulp
The Sisters of Mercy
The Stone Roses
Travis
The Verve


Fourth Division

Aereogramme
Anaal Nathrakh
Ash
Bauhaus
Bullet for My Valentine
Diamond Head
Feeder
Franz Ferdinand
The Futureheads
Gentle Giant
Lostprophets
Manic Street Preachers
Napalm Death
Primal Scream
Rainbow
Reuben
Slowdive
Snow Patrol
Teenage Fanclub
T. Rex

FUCKEN SPONGERS??????

Tokio HotelDeathOpethChildren of BodomCryptopsySuffocationStrapping Young LadDie Apokalyptischen ReitherSoilworkFear FactoryGraveDethklokSentencedMy Dying BrideOriginThe HauntedSkinlessQuo VadisAmoralWintersunMonstrosityDark FuneralVenomOld Man's ChildXasthurEsotericEstatic FearSleepIsisShape of DespairSaturnusAnathemaBal-SagothIsengardLunar AuroraPrimordialWolves in the Throne RoomTsjuderEisregenAnorexia NervosaBlut aus NordAjattara
Cannibal CorpseAmon AmarthHypocrisySix Feet UnderAt the GatesDying FetusTherionKrisiunZyklonNortherPestilenceGorgutsAutopsyBeneath the MassacreIncantationHatesphereCrematoryBurzumGorgorothEnslavedBorknagarTaakeGravewormTristaniaEarthPentagramReverend BizarreSwallow the SunCandlemassParadise LostEnthronedNattefrostMoonspellHornaAgallochGravelandSatanic Warmaster
NileDeicideBloodbathAmorphisDismemberAbortedJob for a CowboyLamb of GodUnleashedIlldisposedSlayerMisery IndexDimmu BorgirSpawn of PossessionPanzerchristImmortal1349DrudkhFinntrollSamaelImpaled NazareneNokturnal MortumRaptureEvokenJesuLake of TearsTiamatBlack SabbathDraconianDeströyer 666Hate ForestMelecheshCatameniaSighAbigorFalkenbech
BehemothIn FlamesKataklysmDark TranquillitySepulturaVital RemainsGojiraCephalic CarnageNortherAll Shall PerishEdge of SanityThe CrownThe BerzerkerBenedictionExhumedBathorySatyriconCarpathian ForestSummoningAnaal KathrakhDeathspell OmegaBelphegorHigh on FireEmpyriumNovembreElectric WizardMoonspellNovembers DoomNorttNocte ObsuctaAgathodaimonBehexenBeheritAbigorKeep of KalessinWatain
VaderCarcassObituaryDecapitatedNecrophagistAtheistHate EternalMalevolent CreationGorefestCynicDevilDriverBlood Red ThroneKalmahBrujeriaPsycropticDarkthroneDebaucheryEmperorMardukUlverNargarothCeltic FrostArcturusJudas IscariotMourning BelovethVirgin BlackSaint VitusCult of LunaType O NegativeGehennaVesaniaWyrdAbsuMütiilationLimbonic ArtDornenreichDornenreichLeviathan
Morbid AngelArch EnemyBolt ThrowerEntombedThe Black Dahlia MurderImmolationMeshuggahCradle of FilthPossessedBelphegorGod DethronedVomityKatatoniaArsisAkercockeMayhemBehemothNaglfarDissectionWindirRotting ChristShiningPelicanTheatre of TragedySolitude AeturnusNeurosisSunn O)))RagnarokHelrunar...and OceansAbsurdPeste NoireEndstilleDornenreichLimbonic ArtEndstille
The Sins of Thy BelovedSkepticismOctober TideAhabGoatsnakeGreen CarnationDoomswordFuneralForest of Shadows
CrowbarOMDoloriandiSEMBOWELMENTEyeHateGodAutumnUfomammutMorgionVoid of Silence
In the Woods...UaralAarniIsoleWitchcraftIsoleAvrigusOrphaned LandThorr's Hammer
GallhammerCallistoCount RavenThe ObsessedMournful CongregationPantheistOfficium TristeDOOM:VSRunemagick
EnsiferumElvenkingSubway to SallyEluveitieVintersorgEquilibriumTýrCruachanLumsk
MoonsorrowThyrfingBattleloreTrollfesTOtygMånegarmArkonaEinherjerFolkearth
Tuatha De DanannShamanFalconerStormMidnattsolAlestormCorvus CoraxSvartsotFinsterforst
WolfchantMithotynPagan ReignGlittertindRivendellNekrogoblikonKrodaFejdElexorienHoly Blood

Mötley CrüeKISSW.A.S.P.MurderdollsTwisted SisterPoisonCinderella
RattPanteraQuiet RiotSkid RowGuns N' RosesEuropeWarrantWhitesnake
Bon JoviDokkenPretty Boy FloydFaster PussycatDef LeppardLordiVan HalenMarilyn Manson
CRASHDÏETTigertailzTeslaTuffBritny FoxStryperVinnie Vincent InvasionCrazy Lixx
AerosmithSlaughterThe 69 EyesWhite LionVains of JennaShotgun MessiahHIMZan Clan
AcceptHardcore SuperstarSladeHelixJudas PriestWithin TemptationLacuna CoilNightwish
TristaniaEpicaSireniaThe GatheringEvanescenceXandriaCharonEntwine
PoisonblackTrail of TearsTheatres des VampiresFor My Pain...Flowing TearsVirgin BlackDarkseedSilentium
DarkwellAutumnVisions of AtlantisMoi dix MoisThe Old Dead TreeAsraiMadder MortemEternal Tears of Sorrow
Before the DawnDremoraMachine HeadLamb of GodChimairaDamageplanSoulflyDagoba
MastodonProngRammsteinStatic-XDeathstarsMinistryPainOomph!
MnemicThe KovenantKMFDKMegaherzDopeGodfleshHanzel und GretylRed Harvest
ClawfingerSpineshankFront Line AssemblyCelldwellerMushroomheadAborymRevolting CocksScorngrain
Devin TownsendHavoc UnitZeromancerGodheadToolSlipknotKilling JokeMindless Self Indulgence
Yngwie MalmsteenAdagioSymphony XYngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising ForceCacophonyStratovariusAt VanceWarmen
Dark MoorConcerto MoonVinnie MooreWindsRing of FireRhapsody of FireBlind GuardianSonata Arctica
HelloweenDragonForceHammerFallIced EarthKamelotRhapsodyEdguyGamma Ray



AvantasiaDemons & WizardsAngraManowarIron MaidenFreedom CallDream EvilRageNevermoreSabatonDragonlandFirewindThunderstoneEvergreyHeavenlyBrainstormPersuaderSavatageFairylandDioPower QuestLabyrinthAngel DustAltariaMetaliumAxxisTarotManticoraWizardSilent Force

Dream TheaterPain of SalvationAyreonLiquid Tension ExperimentQueensrÿcheBetween the Buried and MeFates WarningShadow Gallery
ThresholdDisillusionInto EternityTrans-Siberian OrchestraBehold... the ArctopusSpiral ArchitectEphel DuathControl DeniedTexturesVoivodPsychotic WaltzThe Dillinger Escape Plan
SolefaldDiablo Swing OrchestraUnexpectSighFantômasmaudlin of the WellDownSuperjoint Ritual
Corrosion of ConformityBlack Label SocietyMelvinsSleep
Monster MagnetClutchFu ManchuBumzurHypothermiaBeatrikAbyssic HateBethlehem
Make A Change... Kill YourselfNocturnal DepressionLifeloverAnal Cunt
Cannabis CorpseImpaled Northern Moonforest


MetallicaExodusDark AngelNuclear AssaultSadusHoly MosesAcid DrinkersWhiplashOnkel Tom AngelripperSanctityTankBullet for My ValentineDarkest HourI Killed the Prom QueenDespised IconAn AlbatrosDeftonesWaking The CadaverWinds of PlagueCarnifex
SlayerSodomMokomaStam1naVio-LenceS.O.D.MotörheadGWARSusperiaExumerDiamond HeadSamsomAs I Lay DyingBleeding ThroughConvergeKoЯnIll NiñoThrough the Eyes of the DeadKorea
MegadethAnnihilatorTankardEktomorfShadows FallSacred ReichVirgin SnatchDeathchainViolatorBlitzkriegSatanAtreyuThe Used36 CrazyfistsParkway DriveBleed the SkyHORSE the bandSonic SyndicateStigmataSOiL
KreatorDestructionVenomLegion of the DamnedArtilleryOnslaughtRazorMorbid SaintMekong DeltaGirlschoolGrim ReaperCalibanUnearthNorma JeanCoheed and CambriaPoison the WellGod ForbidEvergreen TerraceWalls of JerichoDemon Hunter
AnthraxOverkillDeath AngelCoronerMetal ChurchForbiddenExhorderKillswitch EngageWitcheryOne Man Army and the Undead QuartetAvenged SevenfoldHeaven Shall BurnIt Dies TodayHaste the DayMaroonThe Agony SceneOrchidNeaeraBring Me the HorizonThe Devil Wears Prada
TestamentTriviumCeltic FrostHeathenKatFlotsam and JetsamDarkaneEvileHellhammerXentrixHiraxWirbringerMudvayneRage Against the MachineLinkin ParkDanzigLimp BizkitA Perfect CircleDrowning PoolPapa Roach

21% *-metal
16% *-rock
13% *-metal
11% *-rock
10% *-metal
9% *-rock
7% *-metal
5% *-rock
5% *-metal
3% *-rock

Congratulations, you are incredibly open minded when it comes to music.



DeathOpethChildren of BodomCryptopsySuffocationStrapping Young LadDie Apokalyptischen ReitherSoilworkFear FactoryGraveDethklokSentencedMy Dying BrideOriginThe HauntedSkinlessQuo VadisAmoralWintersunMonstrosityDark FuneralVenomOld Man's ChildXasthurEsotericEstatic FearSleepIsisShape of DespairSaturnusAnathemaBal-SagothIsengardLunar AuroraPrimordialWolves in the Throne RoomTsjuderEisregenAnorexia NervosaBlut aus NordAjattara
Cannibal CorpseAmon AmarthHypocrisySix Feet UnderAt the GatesDying FetusTherionKrisiunZyklonNortherPestilenceGorgutsAutopsyBeneath the MassacreIncantationHatesphereCrematoryBurzumGorgorothEnslavedBorknagarTaakeGravewormTristaniaEarthPentagramReverend BizarreSwallow the SunCandlemassParadise LostEnthronedNattefrostMoonspellHornaAgallochGravelandSatanic Warmaster
NileDeicideBloodbath