5. Sad Wings of Destiny - Judas Priest - The second album from metal gods JP, released in 1976 is considered by many to be the bands magnum opus. It is certaintly the bands most concept driven and singular in focus, with the unfortunate exception of Nostradamus, bleh. Halford's voice never sounded so good, the guitars are supremely raw, and the mix is incredible for its time. Shorter songs like "Tyrant," "Genocide," and the ever classic "The Ripper," give the album the bulk of it's rockingness, but it's the epics which to me truly stand out. "Victim of Changes" and "Dreamer Deceiver" showcase Hal;fords almighty male soprano vocal range and introduced the world to some of its first heavy metal riffage. Taken straight out of the book of Sabbath, the riffs are simple and heavy, yet devoid of Sabbath's bluesier tendencies. What makes this album better than the more popular Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, and Painkiller? It's the staying power of the songs. Unfortunately, Priest tended to begin repeating themselves somewhat on later releases, and just generally wrote songs which were less memorable than on Sad Wings. This album is full of memorable riffs, lyrics, vocals, and because of this, it is a classic album which will not soon be forgotten.
Tracklist:*
1. Prelude
2. Tyrant
3. Genocide
4. Epitaph
5. Island of Dominaton
6. Victim Of Changes
7. The Ripper
8. Dreamer Deceiver
9. Deceiver
Chill Factor: This album is full of memorable, chill inducing moments. Most of tehm, however, come thanks to Rob Halford's ungodly vocal performance. Th extent of his range is better exhibited on this album than on any other. listening to "Island of Domination," one can hear him bellowing low raspy notes like Gene Simmons, where as on sings like "The Ripper," his voice is unleashed in a hellish Siren's scream. He hits notes most women couldn't. it gives me chills just writing about it. Truly, he is the greatest vocalist metal has ever seen. To me, teh best example of this, and winner fo the CF award, is "Dreamer Deceiver-Deceiver." The gradual buildup leading to the most explosive high notes Halford has ever sung cement this as one of my all-time favorite Priest songs. His ability to hit these notes, along with his ability to sustain them, is what most amazes me. This album is full of that like no other album since, and as his vocal ability is the most impressive feature of the band, this album which exhibits it at its best must be their heaviest.
*This is the original tracklisting from the LP release. This is how the band intended the album to be heard, but the record label screwed up and reversed Side A and B of the LP on subsequent releases.
4. Dopesmoker - Sleep - Enough with albums that are over thirty years old, right? Well, although California stoner trio Sleep's Dopesmoker was released just seven years ago in 2003, its style adn approach to riffing is straight out of early 1970's Sabbath. Typical Sab worshipers as they are, Sleep used the advance check received from their record label to purchase stack of green amps and green stacks of another kind. As a result, the band delved deeper into their collective conscious and created the greatest single song epic ever created. Consisting of one 63 minute song, Dopesmoker is a plodding journey through a world where Sabbath is God and the bong is christ. although I personally do not smoke, this album spoke to me when I heard it. it took time, however. At first, I did not understand. All I heard was huge fuzzed out bass, repetitive drums, and monotonous vocals. After a few subsequent listens, though, I gained a respect for it and have since come to love everything about it. The guitar tone is chief amongst all here. A combination of distorted bass and guitar both running full stacks of vintage Orange amplification. The fuzzy power has yet to be surpassed in my book as far as sheer beauty in volume is concerned. Slower than anything that Sabbath ever did, but still true to their original intention of painting a world where the bong and guitar are objects to be worshiped, Sleep with their masterpiece of Dopesmoker have effectively written and closed the book on stoner-doom heaviness.
Tracklisting (as if one were necessary):
1. Dopesmoker
2. Sonic Titan (live)
Chill Factor: Surprisingly, although this album is number six on the list, it is much less rich with CF's than previous entries. However, its cohesiveness and indomitable flow more than make up for this. I mean, for God's sake, It's one song! How can it not flow? That aside, there are two moments that tend to induce a bit of a chill. The first is about ten minutes in when teh first vocal line is sung. Out of a mass of slowly evolved riffing, Al's voice erupts with the unforgettable words; "Drop out of life with bong in hand. Follow the smoke to-uh the riff-filled land." Second, is the bridge which presents an extreme contrast to the rest of the song with its clean picked guitar and faded out rhythm section. After about thirty minutes of mind numbing riff cycles, it is a welcome break and reassures the listener that they are listening to something magical. I suppose a third CF could be when the song is over after 63 minutes. Because by this point you are so engulfed in the song that you are willing to go wherever it takes you next, and before you know it, it has left your speakers. The journey is over and you are left paralyzed on the floor trying to comprehend what just happened to your ear drums. How can you ever listen to music the same way again? How can you ever write music the same way again? Should you just give up on writing new material since the best has obviously already been written? Sweet Leaf on steroids, Dopesmoker is the heaviest thing a so-called stoner-doom band has ever created.
3. The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull - Earth - I only bought this album by Earth about three months ago, but It has changed my life. It is beautiful in every sense of the word. The layers of mellow guitars, slow drums, and droning bass paint an image of life and the Earth in a listeners mind. Everytime I listen to this song, it makes me feel good. It mekes me feel like everything is going to be okay, as if nothing in the world could hurt me, and even if it did, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Topped off by the best album art I have ever seen, created by master Arik Roper, this album has effectively changed my view of the world, of nature, of people, and of music. I cannot say enough about how beautiful the lyric-less images this album paints are. Relying on instruments alone to create this masterpiece only furthers my respect for band mastermind Dylan Carlson. It is similar to Dopesmoker in that one cannot again listen to music the same after hearing it, but The Bees Made Honey is superior due to being less indebted to the previous works of Black Sabbath and more to the sheer inspiration of being alive and appreciating life and the Earth. This is not stoner or doom. It is something new, and different. Something that will enver happen again and could never be imitated. Unlike Sabbath who's influence will always be felt, Earth will forever be trapped in the underground, but this album will not disappear. It will remain serving as a testament to the beauty that still does exist within this world. This album is not heavy because of distorted guitars, screamed vocals, or being rooted int eh heavy metal principles defined by Sabbath. No, it is a new kind of heavy. the kind of heavy that can only be experienced by delving deep within the realms of mind and allowing yourself to become one with the rest of the world. It's heavy because its something unheard of and powerful. The kind of powerful that simply crushes anything else to seem mediocre in comparison. Its not heavy metal, its heavy MUSIC.
Trackilst:
1. Omens and Portents I: The Driver
2. Rise to Glory
3. Miami Morning Coming Down II (Shine)
4. Engine of Ruin
5. Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow
6. Hung from the Moon
7. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
Chill Factor: As with Dopesmoker, on this album there really isn't any one CF. Instead, the albums greatness is in its flow and infinite cohesiveness. By playing the album on a loop, it almost sounds like a single beautiful song, which is not a bad thing in this case. Each song is different, but is perfectly interluded by the previous. Dylan Carlsons Hendrix-like effects on "Engine of Ruin" are definitely a highlight, however.
More to come...
