VENI VIDI PIXI

Wow!
Arthemis (...plus other folks), at Crescendo!
Great Italian show and great fun!
Photographic review in the next days.
Cheers!

NUGGETS

Putting in order the vault makes the Cpt.rediscover bricks piled up in a hurry in the past and gone forgotten... Or simply provide enjoyment for things of the past. So here you have some nuggets from my personal collection.

IRON MAIDEN-Maiden Japan (1981) [Heavy M./UK]

Iron Maiden is THE BEST metal bands existing with, Dickinson or with Dianno (Cpt. don't accept compromises on that - you know). As you know (or you should), one of their best performances of the past, Maiden Japan, was originally available in EP form, with only 5 tracks from the show held at "Sun Plaza" (Tokyo) on the night of 24th May 1981. However, if you were lucky enough to be a member of the fan club, you could have got the whole show remastered in it's original form, as in 1999, the entire concert was remastered and released as a digipack to members of the Iron Maiden fanclub, with the following tracklist:

1. Wrathchild
2. Purgatory
3. Sanctuary
4. Remember Tomorrow
5. Another Life
6. Genghis Khan
7. Killers
8. Innocent Exile
9. Twilight Zone
10. Strange World
11. Murders in the Rue Morgue
12. Phantom of the Opera
13. Iron Maiden
14. Running Free
15. Transylvania
16. Drifter
17. I've Got the Fire

It is still agreat live record!
For further details, check out also this review: LINK.

JOE STUMP-Live Berklee (2003) [Shred/US]

This is no official album: it's a soundboard (those things you get from professionals of the field by exchange) of a kind of gig by shred-god Joe Stump at Berklee Performance Center (Berklee School), Boston on August 2003. Despite the quality is not exactly what you may expect from a usual soundboard record, you can still pretty much get..."shredded into submission" (to say it with Joe) and have the real feeling on one of his virtuostivc performances. It has no cover, no set list, nothing, as it didn't come into a printed CD form.

MR. BIG-Big, Bigger, Biggest! The Best Of Mr. Big (1996) [Rock/US]

Hey, hey!!!What the hell is this stuff doing here? Uh?
Well, Cpt. has never been a serious Mr. Big fan, and you will never catch him banging on him. But in old good days, I went through this tunes more than ocasionaly (despite I never got one of their albums). And since next month they will be playing around here - where they are considered god - and J13 is waving his magic wand to have me getting backstage access, you will understand it is a good chance for brushing up! Besides, they are good musicians... and shredders too!

DUTY CALLS!

Hei dudes!
Duty calls again... and with perfect timing.
Tomorrow at Crescendo's cave some cover band activity (Dio, Exodus, Angra, ...) and the day after tomorrow - from Italy - ARTHEMIS! Actually it is a while since I haven't been following them, but I can recall their last work and I liked it quite a bit!
Stay tuned for Cpt. safari!

THRASH YOURSELF

Howdy, sailors!
Have we been languishing enough? I think so!
So, here we go with some good recommendations.
[Opensesami: portroyal]

FORBIDDEN-Distortion (1994) [Thrash M./US]

This album has a bit of a nasty reputation (a kind of Metallica's 'Black album), but the enjoyment is still at reach. With the arrival of the 90's, the thrash scene changed and many bands (those who didn't split) felt they needed to adapt, starting experimenting. And Forbidden were no exception.
Distortion is quite diffrent from its two predecessors, although you still can draw parallels between them. It has a more dark and depressing elements. Right from the title-track one can get them. Riffing is more heavy, slow and complex, although solos are probably even better than before. Singing is more rusty, while odd chorus melodies shows that Forbidden are here on a different road. We have here also some absolute thrash masterpiece, like ''Hypnotized by the rhythm'', probably the best song on the album. On the other hand we have songs like ''Feed The Hand'' or ''No Reason''... mostly dark, groovy pieces soaked with a feel of doom, that are just not something a fan of their earlier material would quickly go for.
It may take a few extra spins, but this work still proves to be a great album.

FINAL AXE-Beyond Hell's Gate (1989) [Heavy-Thrash M./US]

This is a classic metal album that has already seen a few re-issues (but I still don't have an original one). Originally recorded as basically a demo in 1989, it was pretty obscure until re-released on vinyl in 2004 by Steel Legacy. And then it went out of print again – because it is that good. If you like good, classic, bone crunching metal, this is stuff for you. Final Axe born out of nothing in 1989, when vocalist Keith Miles (ex Holy Right) got together with total shredder Paul Menchen in 1989, and in few months releasing this all-time sold out masterpiece. The best way to describe it is: a catchy combination of classic metal with occasional thrash influences. Lovers of Barren Cross, Judas Priest, Metal Church will love i. You get to see a copy of this, contact me! And get it beforte doing so!

KILLERS-Le Fils de la Haine (1985) [Thrash M./Fra]

This is an awesome classic thrash product. From the good oldies time and... from France! This already speaks for itself. But Killers are a very well-established & prolific band, somehow - and most undesrvingly - underrated. There is not much informative material (review, etc) about the band around, and I don't like to forge. So, if you're interested refer to TARTAREAN DESIRE site band's historical resume. It tells you more than I could.

PLANAR EVIL-Mankind Way of Life (2008) [Thrash M./Italy]

Despite I don't like to review/talk about recent stuff, I like to support good and promising new band. And this is the case. Planar Evil are originary from Molise (Italy) and they are at their first full-lenght challenge. What to say? Despite there is nothing new to add to the thrash chapter (they play the old stle sounding shit), it is a lovely album. Immediate, catchy, full of energy and well produced. Think it of a bit more refined Hatchet or Toxic Waste... with a touch of more tecnique and variation. Singing is cool; rythm is cool; everything in it is cool.

HARD DRUNK STRIP

Real deal!
Great show and great fun, two nights ago at the first of the three days "Hard Drunk Strip" venue, at Koenji's Missions live-house (Tokyo). "Hard" because it is hard standing for three days in a row... "Drunk" because there a treacherous NOMI-HOUDAI coming with it (which means all you can drink for the money you give). And "Strip" because - hell yeah! - there is a strip...! Yes, yes... chicks, tits, butts, heirs... that kind of stuff, you know...
But, hey, slow down! Don't rush to pics: I got none of that! Prohibited! Matrix (sucky) laws...!

Anyway, on stage, together with Hellhound (my target), Bang! Betty's (sorry, page's off), Flower, Real-Tension, Turbins Drive and Brunet Bull! All people from around here (Flower, fom Hokkaido and Real Tension from Shizuoka), but not all of them necessarily metal. Nonetheless all very enjoyable! Particularly Real-Tension (kick-ass and screamy) and Bang! Betty's, which delivered a nice Maiden "Aces high" cover!

Cpt. managed to stay relatively focused until Hellhound show (the second listed), which was short but kicky! Then beverages - already leading - took over...! After the last all-on-stage the night ended in yakitoriya, drinking & chit-chating with Crossfire and friends (thanks pal!) ...

HARD DRUNK STRIP...

What a night... «...Judas Priest Live... Judas Priest Live...»!

Gosh...! Guess it's since last year Frohlic Bar (Hollywood) with J13 that Cpt. didn't drink so much!
And telling the truth, I was about to film myself in the toilet again...! Yep, drunk!
Anyway, awesome night with Hellhound and others!

I'll tell you in few days: I'll be busy from tomorrow... and now I'm doomed.