Friday, October 31, 2014

Heavy Metal Greats:
Overkill
It’s Malcolm, returning once again with the series Heavy Metal Greats. This week I am discussing Overkill, a heavy metal band that formed in New Jersey. As with many other bands, Overkill started small and then grew in the underground music scene. Because of their signature logo, stage presence, and relentless songs, Overkill has worked its way up to the level of the other Heavy Metal Greats.
Overkill is often recognized by its signature logo, that of a horned skull with bat wings. This logo is called “Death Bat,” and is present among one other band, Avenged Sevenfold, or "A7X." This band has been accused of stealing the logo, turning the old into new, and has been met with a great deal of antipathy from Overkill fans. Regardless, Overkill was the first to coin the logo, and holds the reputation as “that band with the bat-skull logo.” This logo appears on multiple Overkill albums, along with the signature Overkill title font.
Overkill is also known for its outstanding stage presence when performing live. It is hard to imagine what a band is like live when listening to their studio albums. For this reason, fans can attend concerts, or get a recording of them. Overkill has a good record when it comes to performing live, and is able to deliver much intensity, evident in the photo above of Bobby Ellsworth, nicknamed “Blitz,” for his ability to act insane and ferocious onstage.
Finally, Overkill’s studio albums are their most defining “metal” feature, and deliver an extreme burst of energy and ferocity, most present in their album Horrorscope. This album delivers intense riffs mixed with high-pitched vocals, contrasted by low bass picking and speedy, energized drumbeats. This upbeat sound and instrumental beauty form a hit album, for which Overkill is best known. Among this album are titles like The Years of Decay and Ironbound.
Overkill’s logo, stage presence, and heavy-hitting tracks define it as one of the Heavy Metal Greats. The band continues to experiment musically in the studio and perform live, ensuring that thrash metal will continue for the generations to come.

Sources:
Coming Up Next:


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, October 17, 2014

Heavy Metal Greats:
Slayer
It is Malcolm, returning once again with another installment of Heavy Metal Greats. This week’s band of choice is the final member of the Big 4: Slayer. This band is widely considered the king of thrash metal, as they are extremely heavy in sound and blinding with their speed. Because of their dedication, album intensity, and timely formation, Slayer is one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever formed.
Bands’ levels of dedication are often determined by their physical stamina and ability to tolerate one another. Bands sometimes break up due to internal conflict and/or drug abuse; Slayer is one of the few that has managed to remain just as strong as it was 30 years ago. Until the year 2013, three of Slayer’s original four members were still in the band. Now, only bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and lead guitarist Kerry King remain the two original members. Slayer also has a great deal of dedication to its fans. While many bands may falter and “choke up” onstage, Slayer does not. The band performs just as (if not more) heavy than new, young bands. This dedication is hard to find, especially after 33 years of playing together.
Slayer has produced nine albums and is in the process of producing a tenth. Every one of their albums is as intense as the last, hitting its listeners with a barrage of shredding solos and riffs, combined with speedy drum beats, that are often too intense for some. These tracks, although only a few are everlasting metal hits, are relentless in energy and power. The band’s most successful album, Reign in Blood, features a track entitled Raining Blood, which begins with the sounds of light rain, accompanied by single guitar notes and the pounding of floor toms (on the drum set). The song then launches into a beefy guitar riff and a burst of double bass drums, making the song loud and hard to follow, yet highly enjoyable. This style, present in many of Slayer’s songs, set them apart from the slower, supposedly “heavier” bands.
Though heavy metal was first experimented with in the 70’s, it really only took off during the 80’s. This generation gave birth to Slayer and the other 3 members of the Big 4, thus inspiring new bands to take on the challenge that is heavy metal touring. Post-core and new-core metal fans will argue that Slayer is “old metal,” and they’re right; this is not an insult, however. The band is old because its speed and ferocity inspired three successive generations of metal heads to form bands of their own. Real metal heads know the band, recognize many of their famous tracks, and respect the band member for their ingenuity. This “founding father” mentality is what gives Slayer their wow factor and what helps define their legacy.
Slayer’s dedication, album intensity, and early founding are what make it one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever created. There is a reason as to why Slayer is one of the members of the Bid 4. Their intensity and speed in no way reflect their ages. For the moment, evident in their upcoming album and intent to continue playing, Slayer will remain a band for the future years ahead.

Coming up Next:
Sources:

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)