Hook of the Day: Iron Maiden "Killers"

Just read on Invisible Oranges that Maiden's Killers turned dirty 30 yesterday. So, that's roughly a decade older than the floppy haired, neck tattooed deathcore choads who think they sound rough, but would still get sliced to ribbons in a knife fight with this album.

Hooks Ranking: Iron Maiden "The Final Frontier"

So look what we have here, a new feature here on Hooks! We take an album and each of us ranks the songs. Then we take an aggregate of all of our lists and show that list. Now, the aggregate does have its limitations: there is no consideration for "non-linear" love or hate from a song. In other words, each song gets the value of its rank from each person, we add up all three, then rank them from the lowest score to the highest. But I think it works pretty well.

I think it's interesting to look at rankings like these. We all love Iron Maiden, and all think this album is great - but for slightly different reasons. That's what I love about music. So subjective...

MARK

Mother of Mercy
When the Wild Wind Blows
Coming Home
The Talisman
Satellite 15...The Final Frontier
Isle of Avalon
The Man Who Would Be King
El Dorado
Starblind
The Alchemist

WAYNE

Mother of Mercy
Satellite 15...The Final Frontier
Isle of Avalon
When the Wild Wind Blows
The Man Who Would Be King
Starblind
Coming Home
El Dorado
The Talisman
The Alchemist

MYCHE

Isle of Avalon
Coming Home
Satellite 15...The Final Frontier
The Talisman
Mother of Mercy
El Dorado
When the Wild Wind Blows
The Alchemist
The Man Who Would Be King
Starblind

AGGREGATE

Mother of Mercy
Isle of Avalon
Satellite 15...The Final Frontier
Coming Home
When the Wild Wind Blows
The Talisman
The Man Who Would Be King
El Dorado
Starblind
The Alchemist

Hook of the Weekend - Iron Maiden "The Wicker Man"

Obviously.

Pink Floyd to Sweet F.A.

Never done this before here on Hooks, but I thought it would be nice to pull back the curtain for our readers to see a candid, uncensored conversation between two of the contributors. It started out innocent enough with some Pink Floyd banter. But then it takes on a life of it's own. Start at the bottom:


Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

hahaha....yeah, I doubt Sweet F.A. wants to be talking about Sweet F.A. right now. My guess is that they'd like to put that whole episode behind them and get back to driving the ice cream truck. (...Wayne quipped as he was looking for a job)


People who like Kix REALLY like Kix. Seems a pretty generic band to get your panties in a twist over. I can see cases made for superfans of Kings X or The Cult but KIX?


Seriously, let's "off" Jim Florentine and Don Jamison and show up for the inevitable open call for replacements? Or, better yet, pull a DeNiro in King of Comedy and stalk Eddie Trunk. (have you seen that movie? It's awesome. One of Scorsese's most underrated films)


On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:16 AM, Michael Johnson wrote:

I've never heard any Sweet F.A. either. I just looked them up at allmusic.com and there's no bio, but their discog shows that their first album came out in 1980. It might be worth finding to at least say we know what the hell we are talking about, Sweet F.A. wise. Not that for the life of me I can think of when that would come in handy. Any doubt we are the only ones talking about them today, besides the guys in the band and the other dudes that work at the loading dock with them?

If I remember, I will bring that book with me on Sunday.

Kix isn't too bad, but there's no way in hell that deserve that kind of status on that list. The author let his bias get out of hand a bit. Which, in his defense, he may explain in the forward. I think he wrote it to get a reaction. And he definitely stretches the boundaries of the term "heavy metal", which I'm willing to listen to someones interpretation of...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 10:01:21 AM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


I would guess that it is, in fact, "Fuckin' Ass". In fact, I seem to recall confirmation of that in an interview with those guys in Metal Edge Magazine back in the day. (Yes, I apparently read an interview with Sweet FA and remember portions. And no, I'm not sure if I've ever heard a note of their music)


I tried to look them up on Wikipedia, but, shockingly, there is no entry for them.


I have to read that book. Kix wasn't tooo bad I guess. They had a cool enough logo, which is more than I can say for, I dunno, Jackyl with a Y.


On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 9:57 AM, Michael Johnson wrote:

What do you suppose F.A. stood for? The possibilities are virtually endless. Although I'm pretty sure "Fuckin" and "Ass" are either separately or jointly featured.

I have a book called "Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time" by Chuck Eddy that was put our I'm guessing around 1991 or so (it's out of print). Some things follow suit how you would think they would, but he has I think three Kix albums in the top 20. And there is a Teena Marie album in the top 10. It's such a conversation piece.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson
Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 9:39:38 AM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


No, I haven't a clue who Mitch Perry is, either. hahahahaa


I love the Amazon, track by track reviews. Because no one bothers saying anything unless they either really love something or really hate it, so it's always passionate, and therefore, hilarious.




If this guy loves Keel and Dokken this much, then, yeah, I think he'd school us on Danger Danger. And Warrant. And Kix. And London Quireboys. And Sweet FA. And all assorted line-ups of Faster Pussycat and LA Guns.



On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 9:35 AM, Michael Johnson wrote:

I got the impression that he feels that Dokken is the gold standard, but I could be wrong.

A Guiffria video comes on Metal Mania every know and then. I seem to recall he was major eye candy for the ladies.

I hope that doesn't mean you know who Mitch Perry is. I had no fucking clue who that guy was.

Like I said, I was smiling/laughing at damn near every word in that review. He'd be an interesting guy to meet. I bet he would be telling us stuff and name-dropping to all hell and we wouldn't have a clue.

He probably knows Danger Danger, including the name of that teeth rocking rhythm guitarist I was ranting about the other night...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 5:28:32 PM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


I wonder where Dokken ranks for this guy vs. Keel. He name-drops them twice. Does he listen to Dokken and say "God, I just don't get why people listen to THESE GUYS when they could be listening to Keel" or wether he fills his diaper every time he hears "Burnin' Like a Flame"


I had to look up Gregg Giuffria



On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 4:44 PM, Michael Johnson wrote:

If that song was an 8/10 or greater, his head would have exploded before hearing either Mitch Perry's tasty licks or Giuffria's backing vox on the closing track!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 1:57:50 PM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


I wish I had video of this guy trying to not hate "Just Another Girl" after pretty much going apeshit over every track that came after before it. hahahaha


On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 1:49 PM, Michael Johnson wrote:

Shit, I just looked this up at Amazon, and laughed at approximately 500 things in this guy's review of Keel "The Final Frontier":

Keels 3rd studio album is another great forgotten album. This is the second Keel album i got after loving the self titled album. This album has a much more commercial sound than the first 2 Keel albums but still has some great rocking songs. This band sounds a lot like Dokken and this album was by far there most succesful peaking at #53 on the billboard charts and having 2 minor hits.

1.The Final Frontier- 10/10 A great rocker with a great intro. The riff rocks and the chorus is excellent. Ron Keel's vocals are great as always. The soft melodic bridge is great and Ron Keel's awesome scream leads into a great shredding solo. A classic!

2.Rock And Roll Animal- 10/10 Another great rocker with a good intro. The riff is great and the chorus rocks aswell. Ron Keel's vocals are strong once again. More great shredding too in the great dual guitar solo. Another classic! Jaime St. James of Black N Blue contributes backround vocals to this song too.

3.Because the Night- 10/10 A great cover song! I've never heard the original but this version is excellent! The song is lighter more melodic song than the first 2 but it's still great! Another great guitar solo, this solo is slower and more melodic and fits the song perfectly. The second solo is excellent aswell. Excellent vocal performance by Ron Keel too!

4.Here Today, Gone Tomorrow- 8/10 Another good song. This has a real commercial feel to it and isn't as strong as the first 3 songs. The chorus is strong and the solo is good but it doesn't measure up to the other songs.

5.Arm and a Leg- 9/10 A good rocker. The riff is good and the chorus is excellent. Ron Keel's vocals are great and the guitar solo shreds. A good song although not as good as the classics on the album.

6.Raised on Rock- 10/10 A great rocking song. Backround vocals by Michael Des Barres and rythym guitar by Joan Jett. A great chorus and an awesome solo.

7.Just Another Girl- 6/10 A decent poppy song similar to the Dokken song Burning Like A Flame. The chorus is pretty good but the solo is very good. I'd consider this song a filler.

8.Tears of Fire- 10/10 A great power ballad. One of the best I've ever heard. Ron Keel's vocals are excellent and the chorus is great. A beautiful song and the lyrics are great. A great harmonized guitar solo too. Mitch Perry plays rythym guitar on this song too. A classic that should have been a bigger hit than it was. This ballad reminds me of Dokken.

9.Nightfall- 10/10 A great short acoustic instrumental. This is just acoustic guitars and done in a classical style.

10.No Pain, No Gain- 10/10 A great fast rocker with an excellent riff and great vocals. The chorus is great aswell and Gregg Giuffria contributes backround vocals to this song. An excellent dual guitar solo with some great shredding. A classic!

This album was released in 1986 when hair metal dominated the charts with Ozzy Osbourne's The Ultimate Sin, Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet and Van Halen's 5150 topping the charts. Overall a great melodic metal album similar with some high profile guest musicians. Fans of Dokken, The Scorpions Quiet Riot and 80's metal in general should own this.

Ron Keel- Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Marc Ferrari- lead Guitar, Vocals
Bryan Jay- Lead Guitar, Vocals
Dwain Miller- Drums, Vocals
Kenny Chaisson- Bass, Vocals

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 12:52:09 PM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


hahahahaaa........I love that someone else in the world knows who Keel is


On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 12:48 PM, Michael Johnson wrote:

I will make Mike Portnoy my bitch if they overstay their welcome.

What would be an amazing turn of events is if Maiden played "The Final Frontier" in its entirety, but not their version.

Keel's circa 1986.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 12:28:12 PM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


I keep accidentally seeing or reading things here and there, so I know a few numbers they're doing, but I haven't looked at a setlist. I haven't gotten the sense that they're doing Final Frontier in its entirety.


If we're lucky, Dream Theatre will play 3 hours and Maiden will just show the Final Frontier video a couple of times and call it a day.


On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM, Michael Johnson wrote:

I have not (and don't want to) seen a setlist so far from the IM tour. I would guess it will be a little bit of everything, maybe 2-3 new songs. I would be shocked if they did the whole Matter of Life and Death thing where they play the whole album in entirety - particularly since it's not even out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Michael Johnson

Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 11:56:55 AM

Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


yeah, it'd be nice if we were all going together, but it didn't shake out that way. It'll be great, though......


I'm getting itchy for Maiden.


On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 11:56 AM, Michael Johnson wrote:

Oh, I forgot that we were going to different shows. I would go nuts as well!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham

To: Michael Johnson
Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 10:37:03 AM
Subject: Re: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


If you guys get Gilmore and I don't...I'm going to riot...hahahaa


On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 10:34 AM, Michael Johnson wrote:

That is a great idea on their part. If we could only be so lucky. I would think they would have the tapes rolling at that one for a DVD release. And I'm ok if that's the only way I see it. No need to get greedy here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Wayne Graham
To: Nancy Frankel; Michael Johnson
Sent: Thu, July 15, 2010 10:23:59 AM
Subject: Um, is Gilmore going to do one gig on the Wall tour?


http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/07/david_gilmour_s.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+BrooklynVeganFeed+(brooklynvegan)




Have either of you heard anything about this?

Bad Iron Maiden Videos

by Myche

So I just saw the new Iron Maiden video for "The Final Frontier." I'm going to give it a rousing thumbs down. I probably would have loved it when I was nine years old. No sign of the band in lieu of overdone special effects? I'm surprised they didn't do it in 3D, since that's all the rage these days.

Oh well. It doesn't really matter. I'm still stoked about seeing them on Sunday.

But in honor of this crappy video, below is what I beleive is their worst video. I've always wondered how this ever saw the light of day. But at least the boys are in it...

Maybe if everyone says pretty please, Wayne will play a good video from Maiden later this week.

In case you're wondering how many times I've listened to Iron Maiden since signing up for a last.fm account

Look what I just discovered on my last.fm page:



For an accurate impression of my reaction when I saw this, skip to 1:18.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

To The biggest Hook we GOT!!!!!!




Hope all rocks you today!!!!

Speaking of Maiden....

Sorry "Watchmen", THIS is the spring's baddest-ass movie!

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

WAYNE

The sea changes of 1986 had come to fruition by '88, so that year's hard rock choices were more or less hairspray and thrash. This is one reason why Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was a such a breath of fresh air when it came out at the time. Maiden never made the kinds of concessions that their influences and contemporaries made to keep up with newer bands, they just made the kind of records they could be proud of with the resources they had at the time. This is a record they should be very proud of. It takes everything good about Somewhere in Time and PERFECTS it. If you've been following along with our reviews of the previous records, or are familiar with them yourself, you know what to generally expect. The great musicianship, the soaring hooks, interesting lyrics, cool album artwork. All of that is here. This time out, they refined their use of keyboards, and finally went balls out and did an official concept album. And unlike other bands large and small who have tried this and failed, Maiden nailed it to the fucking wall. Maiden's lyrics were more often than not drawn with a very broad, epic brush, so the tale of a prophet whose warnings go un-heeded worked as a front-to-back experience, and yet each song can be taken and enjoyed on its own. I've analyzed which Maiden albums have the most individual songs that I listen to (vs. listening to the whole thing), and this record is way, way up there. As in, not as high as Number of the Beast, but on par with and often surpassing both Piece of Mind and Powerslave. Just a great group of tunes here, and it's both the last album that Adrian Smith played on during his first tenure with the band, and the last great album they made for a long while.

Somewhere in Time (1986)

WAYNE

Let's start with the cover. The one for Killers is the most iconic, and few would argue that Powerslave is probably the Overall Best. But my favorite is this Somewhere in Time. This is the first time I had laid an eye on a Maiden cover, so nostalgia certainly is a factor here. This was the second record in a row where the band was able to tie a general album-tour cycle imagery together with the release's artwork, and given that this is 1986 we're talking about here, it's wise that they went with Future Eddie. In the (relatively) huge amount of time between the release of Powerslave and this album, quite a bit happened in hard rock. Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Ratt had gotten HUGE with their poppier, video friendly arena rock sound, and by 1986, the music world was about to gorge on Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Poison, and the boatload of similar poodle haired bands. On the other end of the spectrum, that year saw the release of both Master of Puppets and Reign in Blood, two landmark albums that blew the door wide open for groups with a much heavier sound to get some play as well. This left the (slightly) older guys to scramble and figure out how to stay relevant. Van Halen hit a huge peak with David Lee Roth in 83-84, and then Diamond Dave left and made room for Hagar. Ozzy released a really weak album (Ultimate Sin) with one really great single/video ("Shot in the Dark"). Judas Preist arena-fied their sound quite a bit and ended up with a really weak album (Turbo) and a REALLY great single ("Turbo Lover"). So it's no wonder that Maiden too wanted to experiment a little after their huge 84-85 success, and they did so by continuing their efforts in epic songwriting and by using synths and keyboards, a move that some fans initially balked at, but which overall really works pretty well. I'll admit that while you can easily call this a very solid record, it's probably the one from the 80's Maiden output that I listen to front-to-back the least. Granted, I probably listen to "Wasted Years", one of their greatest songs, more than most Maiden tracks, but there's some filler on this one and a few songs that go on just a shade too long. Overall, though, the keyboards really add some cool futuristic textures that play into their album design, and the lead guitar work on the entire record is pretty damn good. A lot of really beautiful, almost David Gilmore-esque axework here that contains some damn fine counterpoint to Dickinson's always-enjoyable vocals. Not as essential as some previous Maiden releases, but a really satisfying listen with some really great highs. ("Wasted Years", "Heaven Can Wait", "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" etc)

Powerslave (1984)

WAYNE

There's probably an interesting debate to be had over what rock and metal albums open with the best 1-2 punch. I'd like to nominate Powerslave. This record comes blasting out of the gate with what I can easily consider as two of the most definitive Maiden songs, "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight." In fact, as I sat down with this one from front-to-back, it dawned on me that these two songs are such perfect specimens of metal at its best, that they could easily have coasted on the rest of the record and people would still have no problem saying that Powerslave-era Maiden is the best Maiden. Of course, we all know that's not what happened. After the huge hit blast at the top, Maiden dished out their most epic songwriting to date. For my money, this is easily the best sounding record the band has ever released. There's amazing production here, with lots of sonic space given to each member of the band, who all play like they're on fire, which they damn well are. Steve Harris' melodic gallop sounds richer than ever, the guitar work is an embarrassment of riches (the solo on "2 Minutes to Midnight" is a favorite of more than one Hooks contributor, myself included), Nicko McBrain has what may very well be his finest hour here, and Bruce sings his heart out. This is plainly and simply Iron Maiden at their biggest and boldest. The album artwork and the World Slavery live show(documented so perfectly on Live After Death) provided a perfect through-line that began with the epic cuts on the album. And, if we ever have a healthy debate on what rock and metal albums close with the best 1-2 punch, I'd like to nominate Powerslave. The title track and "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," for lack of a more eloquent turn of phrase, fucking ruuuuuule.


MARK

This album has RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. It is perfect. Words fail me. It's what metal is to me. and what is was to me in 1984. The cover. The scale. The guitars. The literary prowess. Even my remastered copy of the CD that has the booklet completely stapled wrong with the liner notes of 'Number of the Beast' in it. It's perfect. Come on.

Piece of Mind (1983)

WAYNE

With Piece of Mind, we're introduced to Iron Maiden's "classic" line-up, the one that we'd see take the band to it's greatest peaks, and through all the albums for the remainder of the 80's. Following the band's Number of the Beast tour, drummer Clive Burr took his leave of the group, and Nicko McBrain took over the drum throne, one that he's occupied ever since. McBrain's arrival, combined with songwriting contributions by more band members than just Steve Harris and an increased literary lyrical focus make this an extremely dynamic release. While Burr was always a solid drummer, and got more impressive over the course of his 3 record stint with the band, McBrain's playing has a ton of personality, so while the band had gotten even better at locking in as a unit and melting faces with some amazing songs, this record also serves as a great showcase for each member of the group individually. Of particular note is the EXCELLENT guitar work. The riffs are typically exhilarating and some of the solos and dual lead guitar work on Piece of Mind are just.......amazing. You'll get a nice solo burnin' things up, and then the two guitarists will unite and take things into the stratosphere. Audio heaven. My only (small) gripe about this album is that it's a bit front-heavy. In the first half, you get stuff like "Flight of Icarus" and "Die With Your Boots On"....classic Maiden tunes. But after the middle section is over, where we get album highlight "The Trooper" and "Still Life", the songs aren't quite as good. There isn't a bad song on the album, but it seems like all the best stuff leads the release, so it comes off as just a shade uneven towards the back. Still.....kick ass record.

MARK

This was it for me. This was the first Maiden album I got. I had seen the video of 'Flight of Icarus' on MTV when they still played videos each hour, and after the shrouded hooded figure presented the brain to me. I knew I was hooked. I loved this album and thought I was so devious by buying it due to all the evil-ness and symbols all over it. What did I know? I was 11! Then Nicko McBrain introduced himself with the rumbling drums of 'Where Eagles Dare.' I freaking love the imagery of Icarus and the story behind it. I think I listened to this album a few billion times in my life time. I freaking love 'Still Life', and I love 'To Tame a Land.' I think they should get over themselves and play those two in concert. That would make a true fan very happy. Anything to see Bruce sing all that Dune shit live. Because of this album I have also even read and seen the movie of "Where Eagles Dare" and the whole time I had the song going through my head as I was reading and watching. Oh, and i must say, I cant stand the song Revelations. I never really have. And I know they're going to play it on Wednesday, because they can, and they will. I will muscle my way through it, but oh well... That's the only song on here that I can say that I don't totally love. the rest all seem to get me. Death in life is your ideal. Life is like a wheel. And it's rolling still...

Number of the Beast (1982)

WAYNE

And here we have one of the cornerstones of any respectable rock record collection. Once Paul Di'Anno took his leave of the band at the end of their 1981 Killers tour, fans were understandably nervous. But once Bruce Dickinson took his place, the "10" efforts of the first two platters were cranked up to "11" in every way. Where Di'Anno came off as snottier and punkier, Dickinson was operatic and electrifying, a more appropriate vocalist for a band that had continued to not only improve songwriting- and performance-wise, but who were also gaining new fans by the truckload. And the songs on Number of the Beast were perfect for the big rooms full of hungry new metal fans. Naturally, after tons of touring and studio time under their studded belts, the Burr/Harris/Smith/Murray configuration had become a crack team of heavy metal riff masters, slashing and burning and laying waste to any lesser riff to come within spitting distance. Combine that with Dickinson's soaring vocals and a flawless list of triumphant anthems that make you want to throw up your horns and yell "Fuck yea!" in your own living room, and you've got an album that earns every single accolade it's received in the past 26 years. A legendary release for the time capsule.

MARK

Now we're getting there, and I must also applaud B'Wayne-o for having this album be the album of the day on 6-6-08. I always check the papers to see if "HE" was born at 6 am, but I guess either, he wasn't been, or they aren't going to publish that shit. Imagine if you're that kid that was born on 6-6 and you aren't evil? Sad. I smell a sitcom brewing!... Anywho-

I agree with everything B'Wayne-o just said....

This is the first of the Bruce albums, but still not the first album that I got by these masterful motherfuckers. I was still afraid of this album when I was a kid, plus it was , what, 82? I was probably listening to Journey's Escape. Not that I'm bothered by this since I still love that album too. I just hadn't embraced my "Dark" side yet. I still have a couple of tracks on here that I would maybe skip, but over all this album is what you NEED in a metal album from the 80's. The riffs on this are just transcendent."Hallowed be thy name?" Come ON. I dare you not to worship that song. DARE YOU. That album cover is also quite mighty. The little devil always kind of made me shiver, not that the Eddie isn't much better. Imagine if you saw THOSE two coming atcha that night. I'd be freaked out. And also riffing, I might add.

I think "the Prisoner" is such a strong song as well. I love how they just choose a topic and run with it. And how even something as silly as a TV show can be a song. Well done boys....

Killers (1981)

MARK

First of all, this is easily one of the coolest iconic covers of all rock time! He sort of has Tina Turner hair, but god damn, if he doesn't look tough. (plus who, at that time DIDN'T have Tina Turner hair?) Like if you bought this tape, you WERE one of the cool kids. I totally have grown to love this album. For it is the album that has the JAM, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" Also my friend Kent's favorite song. This expands on the bratty British rock band thing that I felt they hands down pat on the first album, so yay. And the song writing got tighter and righter. Although honestly, I will still pull out Piece of Mind or Powerslave before I pull this out, but I tell ya I am never disappointed with this album. I think I like the first one better though for my Dianno dollar.

WAYNE

I agree that if you had to pick just one Maiden cover to put in the time capsule, it's this one. I've always loved watching the different environments and concepts we find good old Eddie in from album to album, but this is the one to beat. (Love those frantic hands pulling desperately on his shirt!) As far as the music goes, this record comes up more often than you'd think when people talk about their favorite Maiden records, and for good reason. Like Mark outlined above, it's the same template as the first album, but "tighter and righter." This album welcomes Adrian Smith to the band, and his presence definitely raises everyone else's game, especially co-shredder Dave Murray. The riffs and leads are better even than those on the debut. In Clive Burr's short time as Maiden's drummer, he got better and better with each record he played on, so his performance on this one is just great. Overall, it's the kind of record that great bands make when they make a big splash with a debut and need to get around a sophomore slump.....a record that takes the energy and spirit of the debut, and adds increased virtuosity, volume, and attitude.

Iron Maiden

MARK

First off, I had most of the Bruce albums before I got these. I always was wary of another singer that I wasn't used to. But the BMG was running a whole, buy one get 7 free or some shit, and I got the first two Maiden albums. Plus I was working on my remasters and the spines of the Cd's , when put together, makes a big Eddie face peering out of my CD collection, and I had to have the whole thing, yo. Anyway...

This album is great. I can totally see why these guys became a phenomenon. And I am amazed as to how "not" threatening this album is. By today's standards, for sure, but I guess I'm a little too young to understand what the day was like when this came out and what a departure this must have been to the pallet of the world's ears. The thing I like the best about this album, is that here in it's pure form, these guys are just a bratty rock band. Paul's voice is so perfectly Bratty British Rock-guy. And I felt this way on the first listen of Prowler. Even the opening riff is kind of Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah. Which I think is perfect. I also love that you can actually sense how good these guys were going to get. And they just keep getting better with these albums. I would love to be a fly on the wall....oh wait, I am talking about Killers. I'll finish that statement tomorrow.....

MYCHE

Like a good majority of Maiden fans, I would rank all Dickinson albums first, then Dianno, then Blaze. I know, not very creative. I will be the first to admit that I don't play the first two enough. They are on my mp3 player, but I always pick a Dickinson-era album. That being said, I love thinking of their debut in the context of what it must have sounded like in 1980. Pretty heavy stuff, but not completely foreign - Motorhead had released three albums before 1980. It does have that left-over punk feel to it as well, which makes sense. Three huge songs on this: "Running Free", "Iron Maiden", and "Phantom". Also one of the songs I know the least in their catalog (Blaze stuff excluded): "Strange World". I'm listening to it right now, and it doesn't really make me want to add it to my rotation. What I love about music is that there's a strong possiblity that there's some IM fan out there that lists the song as their fave. Speak up if you are that person!

WAYNE

If you're one of the many who came to this record retroactively, working backwards from Dickinson-era, the initial impression you may have is how raw and unpolished it is in comparison. Not to say later Maiden was ever polished in a Bon Jovi or Def Leppard way, of course, but as they toured and recorded more and more (getting better at songwriting and performing in the process) they were able to add more finesse and arena-ready choruses and hooks to the heaviness. Where later Maiden efforts display a hugeness and a belt-it-to-the-backwall-of-the-Superdome projection, their debut is notable for both it's youthful exuberance as well as it's street level sound. This is one of the few moments of Maiden's history where you just know that the best place to hear these numbers played is in a small, dark, dingy club at 11:58pm, instead of Long Beach Arena at 8:50 . Which brings me to the second impression a Di'Anno-era newbie might have....the blueprint is already present. Granted, Paul's vocals are grittier than Dickinson's, Clive Burr has less flourish than Nicko McBrain, and even Adrian Smith isn't even in the group yet, but that IM gallop is already there from track 1. This is proof positive that Steve Harris has been, is now, and ever shall be the engine that keeps this engine purring. The propulsive momentum of Harris' bass..it's here. Twisting dual guitar leads...check. Post second chorus guitar-guitar-bass riffs-in-unison blowouts before the guitar solos....all here. Given their youth on this one, you can more readily pick out the influence of Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, and a bit of punk attitude as well. But they dropped the anchor right out of the gate, laying a very very solid mission statement/foundation that they would continue to build upon with each new release.

Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Ways to Win, Seven Holy Paths to Hell, and Your Trip Begins

by Wayne

Seven more days til Iron Maiden at Allstate Arena in Chicago, people!! The whole Hooks gang and a few of our nearest and dearest are going to be there, and to fill the week in between now and then, we'll be taking a look at each of the studio albums that the band will touch on with their Somewhere Back in Time Tour setlist.

One album a day until the day of the big show.

Sometime today - Iron Maiden
Tomorrow - Killers
Friday - Number of the Beast
Saturday - Piece of Mind
Sunday - Powerslave
Monday - Somewhere in Time
Tuesday - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Hook of the Day - Iron Maiden "2 Minutes to Midnight" PLUS New Tour Dates Released!!

Metal gods Iron Maiden have announced new U.S. tour dates for their massive 2008 Somewhere Back in Time tour!!!

June 11 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena (on sale 3/22)
June 12 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center (on sale 3/29)
June 14 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center (on sale 3/22)
June 15 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden (on sale 3/22)
June 17 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Centre (on sale 3/29)
June 18 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (on sale 3/29)
June 20 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center for The Performing Arts (on sale 3/28)

These dates are in addition to the following dates already on sale

May 21 San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless
May 22 Houston, TX @ Woodlands
May 25 Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
May 26 Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
May 28 Concord, CA @ Concord
May 30 Los Angeles, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 31 Los Angeles, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 2 Seattle, WA Verizon Wireless @ White River Amphitheatre


For your Hook of the Day, please enjoy "2 Minutes to Midnight" from the classic Live After Death DVD and album.

Album of the Week 01-21-08
Saviours - Into Abaddon





Review by MH

I guess I''ll lead this off. By the way, welcome back to 'Hooks so Big'. Big changes are coming. So stay tuned!!! I heard that this album was only about a two star album. That the reviewer who reviewed this thought that the band was pretty good before they made this album. That it may be a little more polished from the original organic form the band was in prior. Which I thought could just be an assessment of a guy who doesnt want them to get bigger, henceforth they won't be only"his." Who knows, we all got our shit. I feel that way about a TON of bands. Who knows if that is what the reviewer meant. Like I said, we all got our own shit.
On initial listen, I thought this sounded suspiciously like Baroness's year-end list topping album "The Red Album." Which I adore!!! So I was put off by it, but hopeful because I really like them. To be honest, I dont think they are nearly as good as Baroness, but I have to give them a chance because they aren't Baroness. ( and who is, really?) So, The singer does something that drives me crazy. He stays on the same note in the song and rarely varies. Morrissey does this to my annoyance. I'll have to do it for you when I see you. It's hard to describe in print. But there just isnt that much of a melody that is sung. I'm in musical theatre, I like a melody. I like to be able to sing along. Anyway, The hooks are there. They are very good musicians. They were easily influenced by Iron Maiden, and Sabbath, and Slayer, and Motorhead, and Neurosis. And oddly enough Kansas. In that one track, "Into Abaddon," I believe, TOTALLY sounds like "Carry on my Wayward Son," a song that I do hold dearly to my heart. Listen to it again, you'll totally hear it. And I love Kansas! I dont know if this will make the rotation, but I think I would like to hear what they sounded like before this album. They're tempo changes are good, but I just with they didnt sound as much as all of the influences that I hear. for somereason, it's bugging me on this. I wish them the best though. I bet I'd like them live. which I think we're supposed to see them somehow here soon. I'm gonna listen to some Skid Row now.



Review by WG

I think I read different mags/frequent different metal blogs then Mark, because I was led to this one by a number of fairly glowing reviews. My take isn't that different. Anyone who worships at the thrones of Maiden, Motorhead, Slayer, and Sabbath, as well as those of young lions like High on Fire and The Sword, will dig this one quite a bit. Lots of whisky 'n' weed soaked riffmongering, gravelly vocals, and big gorilla-arm drumming. My only (extremely slight) gripe is that, while the thing rocks like crazy, there's nothing on here that lingers in my mind in the same way that the last High on Fire release did or that the upcoming Sword album is doing to me now.

But while it's spinning, "Into Abaddon" is a Two Horns in the Air barnburner. Perhaps their next release will have a few more standout tracks that keep me coming back a little more often. Recommended release.