I was sorry to learn of the passing of Jeff Hannemann, Slayer guitarist, who died on 2 May 2013. Hannemann, alongside fellow Slayer members – guitarist Kerry King, monster drummer Dave Lombardo and bass player / singer Tom Araya produced… Read More ›
Concept albums divide opinion. There are those who dislike them as bloated, worthy and self-indulgent. These people see concept albums as being about as welcome as Justin Bieber in The Anne Frank Museum, and avoid them like they would gout…. Read More ›
Read on for my ten point action plan to make rock music more popular… Last week, I held a Focus Group on why Heavy Metal music isn’t popular amongst certain demographics. As part of this scientific approach, I surveyed a… Read More ›
It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that Judas Priest‘s Breaking The Law video remains a high point of Western Civilisation generally. The song itself has seeped into popular culture to the point that over 76% of the population can no… Read More ›
Did you used to look forward to magazine end of year best-of lists? The magazine I bought every week when I was a teenager was Kerrang! magazine – and (true to form for someone of the highest geekery such as myself)… Read More ›
It’s not every day that a rock legend puts their house up for sale…but whose house is it? Let’s look Through the Keyhole… Knowing that the demographics of the Every Record Tells A Story readership includes many multi-millionaire rock fans,… Read More ›
German Heavy Metal….. Let’s do something different for a change. The wind of change is so important. Let me perform a magic trick. Black out your mind for a moment… Now think of a German heavy rock band. Any German… Read More ›
What are the Greatest Moustaches in Rock? November has become a slightly frightening time of year for men everywhere. A very worthy campaign has swept the nation in the last few years encouraging people to grow hair on the upper… Read More ›
Black Sabbath’s Seventh Star is not the most obvious starting point for a rock fan to be introduced to heavy metal’s most iconic band. Growing up in a religious household presented the odd challenge for a young heavy metal fan… Read More ›
Motorhead’s best record? It’s a tricky one. Many people would say Ace of Spades – but I’m not so sure. Orgasmatron is the one for me. There are lots of opinions in rock n roll but few facts. It’s probably… Read More ›
Metallica may have been the band to change the mainstream’s minds about the so-called thrash metal movement, but they did it in the UK not through (3rd album) the magnificent Master of Puppets, but by the follow up. And no,… Read More ›
After three incredible albums in the ’80’s Metallica were still only rock music’s most popular cult band. Alongside Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth they had spearheaded a movement (thrash metal) that, like the Olympics’ Beach Volleyball, had yet to convince the… Read More ›
Soundgarden – live at Hyde Park’s Hard Rock Calling Festival Without a doubt, the best thing to have come out of the dreadful weather that the UK has nearly drowned in during this ridiculous excuse for a summer (or as… Read More ›
My first Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington (that’s Download for the youngsters) was headlined by Ozzy Osbourne in 1986. Although a Winged Chariot would have been a more appropriate vehicle to take us to this most holy of heavy metal… Read More ›
Judas Priest have had an interesting and turbulent history – including going on trial in the USA having being accused of causing the suicide of a boy through inserting backward / subliminal messages into their songs. Perhaps Judas Priest have… Read More ›
