Deals and Steals: Prepare for MTL!

  As we prepare for Heavy MTL 2010, my friends and I have created a mixtape challenge to keep us occupied and entertained on the drive up to la belle province. Each of us must make a CD for all the others, using songs from the artists appearing at Heavy MTL. We also gave each other scatalogical challenging titles and obscure byzantine rules to follow (mine is that Dio is always allowed, Glassbane wants everything to “sound as Quebecois as possible”, whatever the hell that means).

Since I’m no download ninja and I have a serious used record addiction, I seized the opportunity to grab a bunch of obscure online finds to broaden my options and help me win this mix war. Here’s what just arrived:

Three Inches of Blood  – Advance and Vanquish $5.59. Three-Inch were a hoot at the last MTL, and are now back to destroy more orcs and metalheads alike. 

Shadows Fall – Seeking the Way: Greatest Hits $2.27. To my shame, I had no Shadows Fall in the house to work with. This gets me up to speed quickly – and look at that price!

In This Moment – Beautiful Tragedy and Dream $6.99 apiece. A nice change of pace from a band I didn’t know much about. Rides the Evanescence/Emilie Autumn/Lacuna Coil train; and after a few listens I’ll tell you which car they’re in.

This Moment – Finding a Voice in the Dark $1.07. Clicked on it by accident looking for the band above. The sound sample (gotta love Second Spin for that preview feature) revealed heaviness. I decided that for a buck, this decent hardcore record could hop the border for the chance to be resold, perhaps for three bucks.

And also some MTL-unrelated stuff:

Unleashed $3.77. Jet Li acts like a dog. And a little boy lost. And a badass. Ultimate date movie.

Scanner vs. Signs Ov Chaos $1.27. One of the smoothest operators in electronic music records with one of the strangest. If you know which is which and would like to share, please comment.

  Roadrunner United: The Concert $12.99. I’ve always been a huge fan of RR’s All-Star project. I think the meeting of the minds that took place was a great idea, so it’s only natural that I’d want the matching commemorative concert. Heavy MTL has the same kind of vibe to it – a metal summit to create new friends and new ideas about heavy music.

RIP Ronnie James Dio

  I’m at a loss for words. I think Dio will be OK, as he wrote “Heaven and Hell”, a song so good it will make him welcome in either place, or anywhere else he wants to be.

Metal Challenge: The Riff That Would Not Die

Certain musical genres have building blocks that appear over and over in many songs due to their suitability of structure or the affection in which they are held by the artists. Jazz has dozens of standard rhythmic set-up pieces that act as jumping-off points for the soloists, much of the blues involve “waking up this morning”, and there wouldn’t be any sort of jungle or breakbeat without the Amen Break.

Lately I’ve been wondering: does Metal have a standard riff? More than one?  Here’s my initial submission for your perusal – seek out and listen to the following four songs in any order. It’s a painless exercise; they’re all good:

“Two Minutes to Midnight” – Iron Maiden

“The Power and the Glory” – Saxon

“Stand Up and Shout” – Dio

“Heavy Metal Breakdown” – Grave Digger

What do you think? Close enough to count? Discuss amongst yourselves. Feedback, as always, is appreciated, and newer examples or other stylistic coincidences would be a bonus.

Deals and Steals: Heaven, Hell and the Dirt and Metal Between

  This month’s shipment of used goodies is all about the mighty Dio, with some contributions from Soilwork.  All prices $US.

Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know $6.29. Sabbath Mark II marches on, and the world is better for it.

Dio – Stand Up and Shout: The Anthology $12.59. Two discs with all of the man’s phases in effect, including some Rainbow and Elf tracks. Great booklet with notes aplenty by RJ himself.

Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos and Figure Number Five $5.59 apiece. The band’s two best at the right price.

Century Media X: 10th Anniversary Collection $11.89 One disc of North America, one of Europe and one rarities. Nothing big I don’t already have on albums, but the lure here is the gorgeous full-colour pocket book stuffed with pictures and memories from the Century Media staff. People after my own black heart!

I’ve never really devoted a lot of time and space to Dio other than his work with Sabbath, but I’m really happy that with the help of this  Rhino compilation I can say I’m done collecting for now. That is, unless he pulls out all the stops and writes another Heaven and Hell.

Walk Away!