I am Ukrainian but for the last 5 years I have been living in Spain. As nobody speaks English here, I started seeking the ways to improve my English listening skills, and that's how I found several TH-cam channels including Sea of Tranquility. And little by little it has become an important part of my life - I discovered (and re-discovered) some classic bands, and I also discuss some videos with my 10-year old son as I want him to have a good taste. I was born and raised in Soviet Union and those days it was very difficult to find any good music, and I could tell you many stories about how we managed to get vinyls and cassettes while living behind the iron curtain. So, thank you very much Pete for all your efforts, especially for great videos with these 3 guys.
You guys make my day! Im 15 right now, and what stops all the online classes and assignments from making me crazy is calling my friends and watching your channel pete! Wish you the best
Agreed. This is his best show with the Martin popoff series being his second best series. I hope he never cancels either series. Jeff young is also another outstanding guest.
Couldn't agree more, nothing I enjoy more than winding down the night with a beer watching these guys shoot from the lip and have an awesome time doing it, it's as good as going to the local pub for me and that is saying something...legends in the making
The combo is amazing. Nick and Ryan are the perfect counterbalance. Ryan, the hardcore metal fan with a tiny toy dog? Come on! Nick the straight guy, sticking to the facts, never outta line. And Alo, putting up covers of star wars bestiality. Genius combo.
Time for a martini and the Hollywood, or Hudson Valley, Squares. Great entertainment once again and all four shine in their own way yet together, you make gold. Nick’s classic line “I like Star Wars so...I can only tell you about fake stuff that doesn’t exist” was one of the many toppers. But so many other laughs than just that. Already looking forward to the next show. Thanks guys, for the laughs and entertainment yet always facts about the music, too.
Love this group by the way, can't wait to hear more discussions. I like how everybody has their own opinion and nobody is rude or disrespectful when they disagree with each other, very professional atmosphere. I'd love to hear the four of you tell stories about how you got into specific bands.
Nope. You are on point. Southern Rock in general has not held up well. We all salute Skynyrd and how Rossington has carried the torch but the following gens are just not picking it up. At a Maiden show last summer the group next to us was really poo pooing Southern Rock.
When Ebay became the rage, I ordered a used version of Yes' Relayer. Relayer has my favorite album cover by Roger Dean. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the case to find a disc labeled "Errol Garner - Concert by the Sea". Curious, I played part of the album, and it sounded like elevator music to me when I was expecting classic Yes. Ugh!! Of course, this was before I got into jazz. About 10 years later, I had gotten into Miles, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Monk, and Art Blakey. I remembered this Error Garner disc, pulled it out, and played it. It has become one of my favorite jazz albums. So the story has a very happy ending. I still have not gotten the Relayer disc, but I often look at the cover.
Damn Pete! I'm in the minority. 'The Astonishing' is one of my favorite DT albums. I was also unemployed at the time, so I forced myself to dig into the story and the music. Also, I love the Peter Criss solo album. Just shows that we're all a little different. Great topic. Keep them coming.
Agreed! The Astonishing is absolutely great! It's my 3rd favorite DT album after Secenes From a Memory and Black Clouds & Silving Linings. And yes, I also dig the Peter Criss album 😎
I have to put on this one 'Bat Out of Hell' by Meatloaf - got it when it came out and I was 16 got home played it once and never again until a few years ago, my tastes in music have changed some and I can appreciate the who's who of talent on the record ... so it took 44 years to actually grow on me as listenable.
I’m not going to deny it. It’s a decent album. It’s not bad. I just don’t understand why it was and continues to be SO. DAMN. POPULAR. It’s got sales of around 40 MILLION copies. And I just can’t for the life of me understand why. Like I said, it’s not bad, but none of it stands out as amazing, innovative, iconic, or memorable. Plus also, notice how it’s sold all these albums but you almost NEVER hear anything off it on the radio
In the wasteland of the 90's there were so many bands I wanted to like..... Me to. I kept trying not to be that older guy that didn't like new stuff just because it wasn't what I was used to. But a lot of it was bad, and even most of the good stuff was instantly forgettable. Kind of like going to Burger King when you are hungry. It works for the time, but not at the top of the must return to list.
Rush - Roll the Bones ** Very Cool Cover, Bad Album...Go Look! Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy- **OK , its an OK Album, & Some people dont like the cover. But I Like the cover Better than the Album** ZZ - Top - Afterburner Bitch - Be My Slave All Iron Maiden After Powerslave-- ** Sorry , I know Maiden is Beloved, But The music went Downhill & the Cover Art stayed Cool.
I've probably played Technical Ecstasy twice. Once when I first got it, then put it away. A few years ago I read a review online about underrated albums. The person writing it kept saying to go back and listen to it with an open mind. Nope, it didn't get better with age. Edit: I loved Iron Maiden up through Seventh Son. It was different, but at it's core still a strong Maiden album. Maybe I'm more forgiving of bands when they are trying something new. But so much after that is a shadow of what was once a monster of a band. They had some good songs here and there, but I can't think of a good album.
I really, genuinely like Technical Ecstasy. I do hate Never Say Die though. I'd definitely put No Prayer For The Dying & Fear Of The Dark &, yeah, basically everything thereafter on this list.
I agree that most, if not all of the Roger Dean album covers are great. Hypgnosis though, on the other hand, were responsible for some of the worst arty farty nonsense album covers in the 70s
Hey guys, Amorphis is finnish, that's not Thor's hammer, I believe that supposed to be the holy symbol of Ukko, the main god of the old (pagan) finnish pantheon. Also, lots of the lyrics of Amorphis are "taken" from the Kalevala, the old finnish heroic epic (that inspired - for example - Tolkien in the Silmarils), so they aren't about the Norse mythos / pantheon.
Hey Pete, just so you know, I personally like it when you bring others on. Sorry you had to do that one rant. I don't remember all your names but I look forward to seeing you and others again!
Dream theater always have fantastic album covers! Images and words, change of seasons, awake, scenes from a memory, a dramatic turn of events... All of them fantastic! :) I agree though that The Astonishing isn't a very good album :)
I could be wrong, but I think a lot of the songs won't ever be played live again... I don't even see them doing an anniversary tour of the album 20-25 years from now. Big flop in my opinion, kinda ruined their momentum. Think Petrucci really wanted to cash-in on the Game Of Thrones hype.
5- Youthanasia - Megadeth (metal goes pop ... a couple of great songs, but alot of fillers ... beginning of the downfall ... but the cover is just wow) 4- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden (too much keybords, but wow what a cover) 3- Equinox - Styx (I guess Sweet Madame Blue is kinda okay, but the cover is awesome) 2- Chinese Democraty - Guns & Roses (good cover, album = no comments) 1- The Wedding album - John Lennon and Yoko Ono ( I have the box set because I have a Beatles collection ... I tried listening to it once ... never got to finish it ... as the first 2 Lennon single albums: Two Virgins and Life with Lions)
The guys are total dicks. My friend's band opened for them and the Sword guys went on and trashed them. Probably because my friend's band blew them off the stage. Hipster idiots. Even the crowd was annoyed.
1. Black Sabbath - Never Say Die 2. Rush - Test for Echo 3. Motley Crue - Theater of Pain 4. Van Halen - Balance 5. Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
I remember an amazing album cover which was a rocket but looks like an old cathedral blasting off. The band was called Rameses the album Space Hymns.. The band mainly consisted of members of what would become 10cc. The music was .....well... not as good as the artwork which was by Roger Dean.
Rush's "Test For Echo" (okay, not a "bad" album, but it is definitely Rush's most "meh" album, and it's my personal second-least favorite, behind "Caress of Steel") and Queensryche's "Q2K" are the two biggest examples I can think off the top of my head
Rush would be my pick for great band, usually average album covers. Moving Pictures is great, Hemispheres is a good cover and Fly by Night stands out but other than....very average covers.
As soon as I read the title I thought of Operation Mindcrime II .... great album cover, suckers you in to thinking you might get a little bit of the magic of Mindcrime I but nope, forgettable song after forgettable; just one big turkey of an album
This one was hard for some reason. Slaughter - Stick it To Ya. The girl on the cover and the photography concept was totally hot. But the album as a whole hasn't held up well. The two hits Up All Night and Fly to the Angels are decent songs I suppose but "never need to hear them again". Then there are 3-4 album tracks most of which became live staples and are good, but that is offset by the rest of the album which are throwaway, cringe-inducing tracks. Grip Inc - Nemesis. Better album cover than the debut. Maybe not excellent art, but at least there was something to it. But much worse music. They were experimenting and trying to do epic metal stuff that totally flopped. Petra - Back to the Street. A very brightly colored, sci-fi album cover but the music on the record didn't jive with the art. It took awhile for Schlitt and Petra to mesh together and as a result it's a very uneven record, with "Shakin the House" being the big high point. Anthrax - Volume 8: The Threat is Real. It's a very eye-catching record with the 8-ball on the cover and the movie-poster styling. But the music is pretty ordinary, doesn't stand out. Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise. The album art on this their debut was interesting, a graphic novel feel to it. But I've had a hard time getting into their first two albums, they really didn't discover their sound until "Shades of God" and especially "Icon".
The girl on the cover is Laurie Carr, Playboy playmate of the month in December 1986 and former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby's ex wife. She was also on the cover of Slaughter - Stick It Live.
I still like slaughter, but definitely a period piece. 2 years later in 92, it sounded old as hell. Anything hair metal was dated almost immediately after. Their 1997 CD had a glam 70s style, and a great tune "American pie"
This topic could probably be revisited, but with the same guys...I usually remember the best picks when it's too late, lol. My picks, Yes, either "The Ladder" or "Fly From Here."
I really like Unleashed's Warriors album cover, but really dislike the album. But as much as I like early Death Metal a lot of death metal bands don't live up to their album covers. Also Slayer's Christ Illusion. Dave Lombardo was back and they got the artist who did a lot of their classic era albums but then I didn't, and still don't, like the album. Judas Priest - Ram It Down. Candlemass - Dactylis Glomerata. The did a take on the classic first Candlemass album, but the album sucked. But it was never intended to be a Candlemass album, Leif turned it into a a Candlemass album to get himself out of debt.
The Hollywood Squares episodes are easily my favorites on this channel. I love all the guests especially Chris Alo. I love the topic because I have bought albums in the past that had awesome album covers but horrible songs on them. For me it is rare, but it has happened to me in the past. I bought Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell album on cassette tape back in the late 80's as a little kid expecting an extremely heavy album. I was so disappointed when I listened to it and it was not even Heavy Metal or even Hard Rock. The album cover looked so Heavy Metal to me when I first saw it .
I wish I had something to add (other than The Astonishing, which is pretty obvious), but there isn't anything I can honestly think of for this topic. I don't heartily dislike a large amount of things, and I generally have a strongly developed sense when it comes to spending money on things that I enjoy, and avoiding expenditure on things that I don't. Got a good chuckle when Pete brought up Yes. I haven't bought anything from them in years. The Peter Criss thing cracked me up, too!
A challenging list to come up with: Manowar - The Lord of Steel Megadeth - Youthanasia Slayer - Repentless There has to be more but these were the first ones I came across that fit the criteria. A lot of albums I dislike have poor artwork apparently haha
I like Youthanasia, but Repentless is the only Slayer album I ever sold....I was conflicted doing it too. But I don't like Christ Illusion neither, and those are the two albums that were pretty much written by Kerry.
@@Gregbaltzer That's fair. I suppose in fairness I wasn't anticipating Repentless to be a great album by any stretch, particularly when I heard that Holt was only contributing solos. I like Christ Illusion, but it has a couple of stinker tracks. I do like it more than World Painted Blood though. Youthanasia for me is one of my least favourite Megadeth albums, but the artwork is really cool. They have worse albums, like Risk or Cryptic Writings, but they have poor album covers.
@@dimeraRaven Strangely enough World Painted Blood is my favorite Slayer album of the 2000s, though I can't tell you the last time i actually listened to it. And I think Americon should have been left as a B side to some movie sound track. It feels out of place. I listen to 2000s Sodom more than 2000s Slayer. The only Megadeth album I'm a huge fan of after Youthanasia is Endgame, and to a lesser extent United Abominations. I actually had high hopes for Repentless because I really enjoyed the title track, but then I heard the rest of the album. Pride And Prejudice would be the other track I like.
@@Gregbaltzer I can't tell you the last time I listened to anything off WPB or Repentless. I love the intro riff for Hate Worldwide but then the song just falls off for me. 2000's Sodom is damn good, same with Destruction. For me Destruction post-2000 is better than 80's Destruction, I'll listen to The Antichrist over any of their 80s era stuff. I agree with you on Megadeth, I absolutely love Endgame and I love the first half of United Abominations, but the second half of the album I never listen to.
Very cool show, but I was expecting more something along the line of Chris Alo's albums selection. Basically, picking up an album at a music store/convention from a band you never heard of, but the cover made you believe the music would be killer. For instance, for me in this category, there was a US band called Dissection (mid- to late 80s) - their first album, Slaughter - Strappado, Bulldozer - The Day of Wrath (very badly produced), Laaz Rocket (same as Chris), Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raid (although it grew a little bit on me - Celtic Frost was great), Omen - Battle Cry and I know there were a few others expecting heavy thrash, but turned out to be a dud. Always looking for your Monday night's shows.
The Hudson Valley Squares have to do a roundup of albums that you all bought just for the cover and ended up loving the albums! (For me, that would be Powerslave.)
I enjoyed Chinese Democracy, it was the best thing they had done since Appetite for Destruction. Well, best thing Axl had done anyway. Perhaps underwhelming after the long wait for it, but its not a bad record.
I love "Crusader", but i remember that even they abjured from this album, just for what you say: the producer tried them to sound "americanized". Still, i love it. I got it in vinyl
best quote - "i'm not a huge GWAR fan, i've seen 'em 10 times"......wtf ? i haven't even seen bands i f'n LOVE 10 times ! NEED to find that last album Chris mentioned - that cover was f'n awesome...
Ryan Skow, - as you mentioned one from Poland, I have few great albums from Poland, here's one. Look for a band called Svann, the album Granica Czerni I Bieli from 2003. Say heavy rock into metal prog, gothic at times, amazing melodic killer guitars, fast ones and also moody pieces (title track). Fantastic album, they don't sing in english but I suspect you may love it, or possibly it will definitely grow on. My polish is very limited, but I adore this one.
The Rods ‘Wild Dogs’ coming up? 2nd,- ALL the NWOBHM albums were hitting the stores, Creem Magazine made Magnum (in an utterly backhanded compliment sort of way) sound like they would resemble Dio’s last two albums with a far gruffer vocalist, and the best of the lot. Instead, I got Magnum (Chase The Dragon and The Eleventh Hour, to be specific ), who I turned out to love. But it took years to accept that NWOBHM is nowhere to be found in their sound. Throw Praying Mantis and Shiva into that. SO much different than what you get. You hit a home run with Peter Criss.
inmyhouse11 it’s good, and those double bass Fibes drums on the back. Maybe if I had got it when I wanted it (82?). But 30 years later, it just seemed a lot different than what I thought it would be like.
before i even listen to the podcast, the title makes me think of almost every doom/stoner metal album i have come across in the last couple years. i won't name bands...but modern bands in that genre have such sick album art...but then you give them a listen and their music sounds like something you would hear if you tuned into your local hard rock top40 radio station.
What about Kansas' covers like the first album, Song for America, Masque, Leftoverture, PoKR, and Monolith? And the 2 new albums have kick-ass covers too.
Oh hell , I’ve got every MM album and I still don’t know if I like him ! There’s something about MM that draws me in and I think Antichrist and the following two are great , the rest somewhat hit and miss . Don’t think I’d ever pay to see him though because if he’s off he’s terrible
My list, before watching the whole video: Yngwie Malmsteen- War To End All Wars Asia- Aqua Iron Maiden- Virtual XI Loudness- On The Prowl Helloween- Gambling With The Devil Yes- Heaven And Earth U.D.O.- No Limits Saxon- Metalhead
Personally I don't mind The Sword:Used Future, they could've trimmed 5 songs and it doesn't have an immediate impact. But it did hit me after repeated listens like some creeper weed.
One off the top of my head: Dismember - Massive Killing Capacity. Not necessarily _bad_ per se, but a definite dip in quality in the band's discography. They slowed down the tempos on this one, but not enough to go into that properly crushing doomy territory (a la Asphyx), instead sticking to decidedly lukewarm, uninteresting plodding instead, with the riffing also treading water in a groove metal sea of mediocrity. Plus the vocal approach taken was more of a shouting or yelling type to go with the chugga-chug riffing, instead of the expected proper death metal vocals. But really cool cover art with a big-ass Warhammer 40K inspired mecha laying waste on some apocalyptic battle field.
Heres some that i don't think they're bad records, but the whole package, musicwise, it's a departure of the sound, leaning to some "popish" kind of or "soft side", just coming out of my head: Megadeth Countdown to extinction Sepultura Chaos AD Judas Priest Turbo Quiet Riot QRIII Kiss Unmasked Like some some said, down on the comments, hard list to come up with.
The 1990s are full of albums from metal acts that I've come to collectively call "Black" albums, the albums, like the Metallica album, from a previously complex metal band that are as you describe--structured more like pop songs, less complex riffs, fewer time signature changes, etc., and typically a response in some way to grunge (e.g. Anthrax--Sound of White Noise, King's X--Dogman). Personally, I think Countdown to Extinction is one of the better albums in this vein, but I all but ignored Megadeth until about five years ago and didn't grow up listening to either their '80s or their '90s output, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
@@kevintrjohnson I get what you said, some of the mainstream heavy metal acts records are in some way a response to the grunge era, i wont go as far to say CTE sucks, no way, it's not a bad album by all means,but mmmm some songs are just OK, i like Youthanasia a bit more, Testament's The Ritual another record to comes to my mind now, a good album cover, but mmmm some songs don't get me, the way Dark roots of earth does, i emphasize, great cover artwork(the ones i mentioned) but the songs, some didn't grew that much on me.
I really enjoy these segments. Very entertaining and I enjoy the kinship. This particular segments choices I found to be obscure, but keep up the good work.
Hate to say it being one of my favorite bands BUT you can take any of the album covers from UFO from the seventies....I know the award winning company Hipgnosis designed these but they are just ridiculous...the only one that is somewhat passable is the banned Force It vinyl cover..... Edit: Saw the title and posted my comment....probably should have watched the video first 🤔 So I guess my comment will be the opposite......bad covers for GREAT albums....
The album before Operation Mindcrime II wasn't a turd. It was called "Tribe" and they had Chris Degarmo come back for some songs on that album. It was good. I also really like the first few songs on American Soldier and even a handful of songs on Operation Mindcrime II, but yeah, it couldn't touch the original. They were NEVER the same after they released their last classic album, "Promised Land".
Three ‘prog’ albums picked up second hand in the 70s for the covers/themes alone. ‘Underwhelmed’ by all and quickly sold on. David Bedford (& Mike Oldfield) ‘The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ (1975) th-cam.com/video/S00fj0yVHfg/w-d-xo.html Tomita ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ (1978) www.discogs.com/Tomita-The-Bermuda-Triangle/release/1582470 th-cam.com/video/aBUmUKC01l4/w-d-xo.html Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley ‘Marscape’ (1976) www.discogs.com/de/Jack-Lancaster-And-Robin-Lumley-Marscape/release/1451329 th-cam.com/video/2W58mOAEC0E/w-d-xo.html
I did pick up a new album by The Obsessed a few years back. I had seen them on tour for this album with Eyehategod. They were great live, so I picked up the album. It's alright, but not something I'll listen to that often.
Great show, guys. Laugh out loud stuff. One that springs to mind for me which no doubt many will love: Keeper of the Seven Keys by Helloween. Great artwork and purchased because of it. At the time mid 80s), heavily in to metal and a lot of stuff ......, travelling home on the bus excited just looking at the cover......, but the Michael guy singing? Was like nails down a chalk board for me. Terrible.
Status Quo - if You Cant Stand the Heat. Great cover with the record player with an electric cooker ring for the turntable. But what a howler of an album. Two good tracks; the lead single Again & Again and the follow up Accident prone. The band couldn't have liked it as I don't think they ever played anything off it live. Helloween - Live In The UK. Bought it on a recommendation from a mate. Loved the cartoon cover but what a bum album.
Witchfynde - Lords of Sin ( not a bad album but definitely not the Slayer type of music I expected ) Magnum - On A Storyteller's Night ( was expecting a Heavy Medieval type of band , not the Asia type of prog rock ) . Good album just was expecting something more like Omen English Dogs - Forward Into Battle ( Expecting something like Omen , or the Queensryche EP and got something more like Black Flag )
my vote would be sabbath 'cross purposes'...i thought it was there best cover since heaven and hell...not their best album though...and p.s...i loved that peter criss album when it came out and it's still my favorite solo kiss album...to each their own...of course you guys need to do a part two...peace...rocky
Chris is a huge guest. He' s funny but always his insights are very interesting. I love the last album he shared. And the Peter Chris album has a cool cover but the music is horrible, pop, boring, a real crap. Great show Pete !!!
Peter Criss - s/t is a great call and I think the Gene Simmons album qualifies as well. It was worth having those 78 solo albums though just for the Ace Frehley album. That album smokes 90% of the proper KISS material released since then. I also totally agree on 'God Hates Us All', but I do enjoy 'Repentless' to a minor extent.
I used to love Gene's album for its variety but now find it kind of silly, I've always dug Peter's swinging album though. I'm a pop guy at heart anyway and sucker for melodic stuff at least Criss tried something different and personal, which is the idea with a solo album but I get why metal heads don't like it.
FYI, The Sacred Rite Cover was a repurposed book cover by Michael Whelan; same artist as the Cirith Ungol Elric covers. He has been a top tier illustrator from the mid 70's till the 2000's. Sacred Rites previous cover art for 1984's Revelation should be in the awful cover good album show!!
Finally had time to watch this, great show as usual. And I have to mention all of the albums by Meatloaf. Those covers make you think it'll be an epic power metal album and then...
Warzone from Slayer is my ringtone for my phone ... but I agree for the rest of the album ;) I just love the look on people's face when I receive a call hahahaha!
I am Ukrainian but for the last 5 years I have been living in Spain. As nobody speaks English here, I started seeking the ways to improve my English listening skills, and that's how I found several TH-cam channels including Sea of Tranquility. And little by little it has become an important part of my life - I discovered (and re-discovered) some classic bands, and I also discuss some videos with my 10-year old son as I want him to have a good taste. I was born and raised in Soviet Union and those days it was very difficult to find any good music, and I could tell you many stories about how we managed to get vinyls and cassettes while living behind the iron curtain. So, thank you very much Pete for all your efforts, especially for great videos with these 3 guys.
You guys make my day! Im 15 right now, and what stops all the online classes and assignments from making me crazy is calling my friends and watching your channel pete! Wish you the best
I wish I would've had access to Pete's knowledge at 15. Let these guys show you the way. ✌🏼♥️🎵🎶
Same!
Pete you’ve caught lightning in a bottle with this group and these evening shows. Very entertaining keep them coming!!!!
Agreed. This is his best show with the Martin popoff series being his second best series. I hope he never cancels either series.
Jeff young is also another outstanding guest.
C. Kay Actually Martin is far and away my favorite guest host. His passion and knowledge and his eloquent manner of presentation always impresses me.
Agreed, this is easily my favorite on the channel. Great work with these as always Pete, keep em coming
Yes you’ve got a winning formula for sure. I look forward to these every week.
Ryan needs to sort out his broadband though!
Couldn't agree more, nothing I enjoy more than winding down the night with a beer watching these guys shoot from the lip and have an awesome time doing it, it's as good as going to the local pub for me and that is saying something...legends in the making
Chris Alo is a legendary guest ! He’s the best !
Yeah the guy is absolutley hilarious!!
Chris is awesome but these guys together is a perfect match
The combo is amazing. Nick and Ryan are the perfect counterbalance. Ryan, the hardcore metal fan with a tiny toy dog? Come on! Nick the straight guy, sticking to the facts, never outta line. And Alo, putting up covers of star wars bestiality. Genius combo.
Agreed 100%
Agree.
Request: Skeletons In The Closet - three albums you’re ashamed to admit you own, a guilty pleasures sort of thing.
Ooohhh...I like this one!!!
@@seaoftranquilityprog That is A great Idea!!! Bands or Albums you like that would surprise People...
Ill start my Disco List right Now!!!
That would be cool. I'd like to hear these guys talk about something other than death metal
Great idea! Pete's done something like this, but having the group do it would be fun.
Time for a martini and the Hollywood, or Hudson Valley, Squares. Great entertainment once again and all four shine in their own way yet together, you make gold. Nick’s classic line “I like Star Wars so...I can only tell you about fake stuff that doesn’t exist” was one of the many toppers. But so many other laughs than just that. Already looking forward to the next show. Thanks guys, for the laughs and entertainment yet always facts about the music, too.
Love this group by the way, can't wait to hear more discussions. I like how everybody has their own opinion and nobody is rude or disrespectful when they disagree with each other, very professional atmosphere.
I'd love to hear the four of you tell stories about how you got into specific bands.
I’ll probably catch crap for this but pretty much any Molly Hatchet album.
Love Frazetta. Hate Hatchet
I like Molly Hatchet but I get the frustration lol... Southern rock with metal covers
Nope. You are on point. Southern Rock in general has not held up well. We all salute Skynyrd and how Rossington has carried the torch but the following gens are just not picking it up. At a Maiden show last summer the group next to us was really poo pooing Southern Rock.
I totally agree with you. Their covers are amazing. Their music not so much.
Gabriel Larrubia Exactly. The covers don’t match the music.
When Ebay became the rage, I ordered a used version of Yes' Relayer. Relayer has my favorite album cover by Roger Dean. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the case to find a disc labeled "Errol Garner - Concert by the Sea". Curious, I played part of the album, and it sounded like elevator music to me when I was expecting classic Yes. Ugh!! Of course, this was before I got into jazz. About 10 years later, I had gotten into Miles, Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Monk, and Art Blakey. I remembered this Error Garner disc, pulled it out, and played it. It has become one of my favorite jazz albums. So the story has a very happy ending. I still have not gotten the Relayer disc, but I often look at the cover.
This has quickly become one of my favorite TH-cam channels.i love listening to you guys rant about stuff I dig and love.great channel👍
I love the St. Anger artwork, even though I really don’t like the album.
I like the album.
The worst Metallica's album.
FRAN TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TOK!
Damn Pete! I'm in the minority. 'The Astonishing' is one of my favorite DT albums. I was also unemployed at the time, so I forced myself to dig into the story and the music. Also, I love the Peter Criss solo album. Just shows that we're all a little different. Great topic. Keep them coming.
Hope you're doing better now!
Agreed! The Astonishing is absolutely great! It's my 3rd favorite DT album after Secenes From a Memory and Black Clouds & Silving Linings. And yes, I also dig the Peter Criss album 😎
I have to put on this one 'Bat Out of Hell' by Meatloaf - got it when it came out and I was 16 got home played it once and never again until a few years ago, my tastes in music have changed some and I can appreciate the who's who of talent on the record ... so it took 44 years to actually grow on me as listenable.
I’m not going to deny it. It’s a decent album. It’s not bad. I just don’t understand why it was and continues to be SO. DAMN. POPULAR. It’s got sales of around 40 MILLION copies. And I just can’t for the life of me understand why. Like I said, it’s not bad, but none of it stands out as amazing, innovative, iconic, or memorable. Plus also, notice how it’s sold all these albums but you almost NEVER hear anything off it on the radio
You stole my thunder. I thought it was heavy metal... was I wrong!
In the wasteland of the 90's there were so many bands I wanted to like.....
Me to. I kept trying not to be that older guy that didn't like new stuff just because it wasn't what I was used to. But a lot of it was bad, and even most of the good stuff was instantly forgettable. Kind of like going to Burger King when you are hungry. It works for the time, but not at the top of the must return to list.
For me
Ummagumma-Pink Floyd
Masters Of The Moon-Dio
Virtual XI-Iron Maiden
Rush - Roll the Bones ** Very Cool Cover, Bad Album...Go Look!
Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy- **OK , its an OK Album, & Some people dont like the cover. But I Like the cover Better than the Album**
ZZ - Top - Afterburner
Bitch - Be My Slave
All Iron Maiden After Powerslave-- ** Sorry , I know Maiden is Beloved, But The music went Downhill & the Cover Art stayed Cool.
I've probably played Technical Ecstasy twice. Once when I first got it, then put it away. A few years ago I read a review online about underrated albums. The person writing it kept saying to go back and listen to it with an open mind. Nope, it didn't get better with age.
Edit: I loved Iron Maiden up through Seventh Son. It was different, but at it's core still a strong Maiden album. Maybe I'm more forgiving of bands when they are trying something new. But so much after that is a shadow of what was once a monster of a band. They had some good songs here and there, but I can't think of a good album.
Agree with Roll the bones. The weakest album of Rush, no doubt.
You dont like betsy?
I really, genuinely like Technical Ecstasy. I do hate Never Say Die though.
I'd definitely put No Prayer For The Dying & Fear Of The Dark &, yeah, basically everything thereafter on this list.
Is your avatar a reference to geddy Lee in Rush?
The most of Hipgnosis agency and Roger Dean covers are excellent covers.
I agree that most, if not all of the Roger Dean album covers are great. Hypgnosis though, on the other hand, were responsible for some of the worst arty farty nonsense album covers in the 70s
@@Walesktf Eh, sure. But they were also responsible for some of the absolute best, no question. Probably THE best.
@@nectarinedreams7208 I'd love to hear what you think are some of THE best album sleeves designed by Hipgnosis
I just discovered this group chat series. Can't stop watching them. Great chemistry and conversation.
Hey guys, Amorphis is finnish, that's not Thor's hammer, I believe that supposed to be the holy symbol of Ukko, the main god of the old (pagan) finnish pantheon. Also, lots of the lyrics of Amorphis are "taken" from the Kalevala, the old finnish heroic epic (that inspired - for example - Tolkien in the Silmarils), so they aren't about the Norse mythos / pantheon.
Also, Antichrist Superstar from Manson is one of their best, if not THE best record. I respectfully disagree.
Thank you Ken! I was trying to keep it simple, should have been more accurate instead.
Hey Pete, just so you know, I personally like it when you bring others on. Sorry you had to do that one rant. I don't remember all your names but I look forward to seeing you and others again!
i was afraid you had stopped your kinda podcast series, my favorite videos on this channel
Not at all!!
Diabolus in Musica, love the cover. A few songs I really like, mostly mediocre. Same with Ram it Down.
Love those guys, i'd wait to see you all together again. Great show.
Love these four!
Gotta do good album covers for good albums sometime. I can think of tons.
and we will!
I agree that Dream Theater's "The Astonishing" has cool packaging and mediocre music.
Yeah that’s what I think of first
Dream theater always have fantastic album covers! Images and words, change of seasons, awake, scenes from a memory, a dramatic turn of events... All of them fantastic! :) I agree though that The Astonishing isn't a very good album :)
@@pergustafsson1155 well, there is self titled
I could be wrong, but I think a lot of the songs won't ever be played live again... I don't even see them doing an anniversary tour of the album 20-25 years from now. Big flop in my opinion, kinda ruined their momentum. Think Petrucci really wanted to cash-in on the Game Of Thrones hype.
Sir SpookyBones That one is really cool too! I love all of them.
5- Youthanasia - Megadeth (metal goes pop ... a couple of great songs, but alot of fillers ... beginning of the downfall ... but the cover is just wow)
4- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden (too much keybords, but wow what a cover)
3- Equinox - Styx (I guess Sweet Madame Blue is kinda okay, but the cover is awesome)
2- Chinese Democraty - Guns & Roses (good cover, album = no comments)
1- The Wedding album - John Lennon and Yoko Ono ( I have the box set because I have a Beatles collection ... I tried listening to it once ... never got to finish it ... as the first 2 Lennon single albums: Two Virgins and Life with Lions)
Wow, totally agree with Chris! - The Sword was soo boring live and I was a huge fan. They really lost me after 2012..
The guys are total dicks. My friend's band opened for them and the Sword guys went on and trashed them. Probably because my friend's band blew them off the stage. Hipster idiots. Even the crowd was annoyed.
Even though i love the record, Never Say Die by Black Sabbath
1. Black Sabbath - Never Say Die
2. Rush - Test for Echo
3. Motley Crue - Theater of Pain
4. Van Halen - Balance
5. Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
Theater of pain and AMLOR both have killer covers that deserve better content
Never Say Die is a very good album. That A-side is Sabbath as it's best, B-side partly sucks, though...
Need to do a Hudson Valley replay,once a week,I watch all you're vids multiple times
Asia - Alpha
Asia - Astra
Meatloaf - Bat out of hell 2
Boston - Corporate America
Boston - Life, Love and Hope
Boston - Walk On
I remember an amazing album cover which was a rocket but looks like an old cathedral blasting off. The band was called Rameses the album Space Hymns.. The band mainly consisted of members of what would become 10cc. The music was .....well... not as good as the artwork which was by Roger Dean.
Rush's "Test For Echo" (okay, not a "bad" album, but it is definitely Rush's most "meh" album, and it's my personal second-least favorite, behind "Caress of Steel") and Queensryche's "Q2K" are the two biggest examples I can think off the top of my head
Rush would be my pick for great band, usually average album covers. Moving Pictures is great, Hemispheres is a good cover and Fly by Night stands out but other than....very average covers.
As soon as I read the title I thought of Operation Mindcrime II .... great album cover, suckers you in to thinking you might get a little bit of the magic of Mindcrime I but nope, forgettable song after forgettable; just one big turkey of an album
This one was hard for some reason.
Slaughter - Stick it To Ya. The girl on the cover and the photography concept was totally hot. But the album as a whole hasn't held up well. The two hits Up All Night and Fly to the Angels are decent songs I suppose but "never need to hear them again". Then there are 3-4 album tracks most of which became live staples and are good, but that is offset by the rest of the album which are throwaway, cringe-inducing tracks.
Grip Inc - Nemesis. Better album cover than the debut. Maybe not excellent art, but at least there was something to it. But much worse music. They were experimenting and trying to do epic metal stuff that totally flopped.
Petra - Back to the Street. A very brightly colored, sci-fi album cover but the music on the record didn't jive with the art. It took awhile for Schlitt and Petra to mesh together and as a result it's a very uneven record, with "Shakin the House" being the big high point.
Anthrax - Volume 8: The Threat is Real. It's a very eye-catching record with the 8-ball on the cover and the movie-poster styling. But the music is pretty ordinary, doesn't stand out.
Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise. The album art on this their debut was interesting, a graphic novel feel to it. But I've had a hard time getting into their first two albums, they really didn't discover their sound until "Shades of God" and especially "Icon".
The biggest thing I like about that Slaughter album is Blas Elias' drum playing.
The girl on the cover is Laurie Carr, Playboy playmate of the month in December 1986 and former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby's ex wife. She was also on the cover of Slaughter - Stick It Live.
I still like slaughter, but definitely a period piece. 2 years later in 92, it sounded old as hell. Anything hair metal was dated almost immediately after. Their 1997 CD had a glam 70s style, and a great tune "American pie"
This topic could probably be revisited, but with the same guys...I usually remember the best picks when it's too late, lol. My picks, Yes, either "The Ladder" or "Fly From Here."
Abominog by Uriah Heep
Not only I expected heavier stuff but the material wasnt that great
I LOVE that album & artwork!
one of their most regrettable covers
Good video very entertaining! I like Marylin Mason albums a lot. Antichrist Superstar is a very good album and one of my favorite albums by him.
I really like Unleashed's Warriors album cover, but really dislike the album. But as much as I like early Death Metal a lot of death metal bands don't live up to their album covers. Also Slayer's Christ Illusion. Dave Lombardo was back and they got the artist who did a lot of their classic era albums but then I didn't, and still don't, like the album. Judas Priest - Ram It Down. Candlemass - Dactylis Glomerata. The did a take on the classic first Candlemass album, but the album sucked. But it was never intended to be a Candlemass album, Leif turned it into a a Candlemass album to get himself out of debt.
I enjoy crusader by saxon, that's the album that started my love for the band and the title track is one of my favorite saxon songs
Yes - every album since Union.
And to an extent, including Union. Some good songs on it but it's hard not to use the skip button.
33:24 Spilled my coffee all over my laptop's screen!!!
I love watching you guys. Certainly better than anything on Prime Time TV.
Prime time TV sucks- the band Television however are awesome.
The Hollywood Squares episodes are easily my favorites on this channel. I love all the guests especially Chris Alo. I love the topic because I have bought albums in the past that had awesome album covers but horrible songs on them. For me it is rare, but it has happened to me in the past. I bought Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell album on cassette tape back in the late 80's as a little kid expecting an extremely heavy album. I was so disappointed when I listened to it and it was not even Heavy Metal or even Hard Rock. The album cover looked so Heavy Metal to me when I first saw it .
I wish I had something to add (other than The Astonishing, which is pretty obvious), but there isn't anything I can honestly think of for this topic. I don't heartily dislike a large amount of things, and I generally have a strongly developed sense when it comes to spending money on things that I enjoy, and avoiding expenditure on things that I don't.
Got a good chuckle when Pete brought up Yes. I haven't bought anything from them in years. The Peter Criss thing cracked me up, too!
A challenging list to come up with:
Manowar - The Lord of Steel
Megadeth - Youthanasia
Slayer - Repentless
There has to be more but these were the first ones I came across that fit the criteria. A lot of albums I dislike have poor artwork apparently haha
I like Youthanasia, but Repentless is the only Slayer album I ever sold....I was conflicted doing it too. But I don't like Christ Illusion neither, and those are the two albums that were pretty much written by Kerry.
@@Gregbaltzer That's fair. I suppose in fairness I wasn't anticipating Repentless to be a great album by any stretch, particularly when I heard that Holt was only contributing solos.
I like Christ Illusion, but it has a couple of stinker tracks. I do like it more than World Painted Blood though.
Youthanasia for me is one of my least favourite Megadeth albums, but the artwork is really cool. They have worse albums, like Risk or Cryptic Writings, but they have poor album covers.
@@dimeraRaven Strangely enough World Painted Blood is my favorite Slayer album of the 2000s, though I can't tell you the last time i actually listened to it. And I think Americon should have been left as a B side to some movie sound track. It feels out of place. I listen to 2000s Sodom more than 2000s Slayer. The only Megadeth album I'm a huge fan of after Youthanasia is Endgame, and to a lesser extent United Abominations. I actually had high hopes for Repentless because I really enjoyed the title track, but then I heard the rest of the album. Pride And Prejudice would be the other track I like.
@@Gregbaltzer I can't tell you the last time I listened to anything off WPB or Repentless. I love the intro riff for Hate Worldwide but then the song just falls off for me.
2000's Sodom is damn good, same with Destruction. For me Destruction post-2000 is better than 80's Destruction, I'll listen to The Antichrist over any of their 80s era stuff.
I agree with you on Megadeth, I absolutely love Endgame and I love the first half of United Abominations, but the second half of the album I never listen to.
Good call on “Youthanasia”. That’s such a dud of an album.
Very cool show, but I was expecting more something along the line of Chris Alo's albums selection. Basically, picking up an album at a music store/convention from a band you never heard of, but the cover made you believe the music would be killer. For instance, for me in this category, there was a US band called Dissection (mid- to late 80s) - their first album, Slaughter - Strappado, Bulldozer - The Day of Wrath (very badly produced), Laaz Rocket (same as Chris), Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raid (although it grew a little bit on me - Celtic Frost was great), Omen - Battle Cry and I know there were a few others expecting heavy thrash, but turned out to be a dud. Always looking for your Monday night's shows.
The Hudson Valley Squares have to do a roundup of albums that you all bought just for the cover and ended up loving the albums! (For me, that would be Powerslave.)
Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is a great album
I enjoyed Chinese Democracy, it was the best thing they had done since Appetite for Destruction. Well, best thing Axl had done anyway. Perhaps underwhelming after the long wait for it, but its not a bad record.
@@jimmycampbell78 i like it but i wish they had less producers on it and more hard rockers.
I agree with you, the art work sucks, was that really the best they could have come up with?
Chinese Democracy is an underrated album imo.
Thanks for this video tonight. A much needed distraction from real life. You four are great together. Love all your album cover discussions.
I love "Crusader", but i remember that even they abjured from this album, just for what you say: the producer tried them to sound "americanized". Still, i love it. I got it in vinyl
best quote - "i'm not a huge GWAR fan, i've seen 'em 10 times"......wtf ? i haven't even seen bands i f'n LOVE 10 times ! NEED to find that last album Chris mentioned - that cover was f'n awesome...
That Laaz Rockit smokes. It's a great 80s US power metal album, before they became more standard bay area thrash. Give it a listen Pete.
Ryan Skow, - as you mentioned one from Poland, I have few great albums from Poland, here's one.
Look for a band called Svann, the album Granica Czerni I Bieli from 2003.
Say heavy rock into metal prog, gothic at times, amazing melodic killer guitars, fast ones and also moody pieces (title track).
Fantastic album, they don't sing in english but I suspect you may love it, or possibly it will definitely grow on.
My polish is very limited, but I adore this one.
The Rods ‘Wild Dogs’ coming up?
2nd,- ALL the NWOBHM albums were hitting the stores, Creem Magazine made Magnum (in an utterly backhanded compliment sort of way) sound like they would resemble Dio’s last two albums with a far gruffer vocalist, and the best of the lot. Instead, I got Magnum (Chase The Dragon and The Eleventh Hour, to be specific ), who I turned out to love. But it took years to accept that NWOBHM is nowhere to be found in their sound. Throw Praying Mantis and Shiva into that. SO much different than what you get.
You hit a home run with Peter Criss.
Great album
inmyhouse11 it’s good, and those double bass Fibes drums on the back. Maybe if I had got it when I wanted it (82?). But 30 years later, it just seemed a lot different than what I thought it would be like.
Looking forward to this, this oughta be good😄
before i even listen to the podcast, the title makes me think of almost every doom/stoner metal album i have come across in the last couple years. i won't name bands...but modern bands in that genre have such sick album art...but then you give them a listen and their music sounds like something you would hear if you tuned into your local hard rock top40 radio station.
Thank you guys for your RANT- Great Cover Art, But Bad Albums.🎤🎸🎵🥁
What about Kansas' covers
like the first album, Song for America, Masque, Leftoverture, PoKR, and Monolith? And the 2 new albums have kick-ass covers too.
Monolith by Kansas comes to mind; the album was a bit disappointing
It was still proggy though, while not their best, it's worthy. I had a problem with Drastic Measures and Power, way too straight forward for my tastes
@ Ooh alright then - each to their own!
@@dawnpatrol700 Right yeah; it just halted their streak for me personally, as I really love their first 6 albums (incl. the live album).
Armored Saint are one of my favourite all time bands, but yes, that is their one album I rarely listen to. Great album cover though. 😃
That cover from 5:25 was originally the book cover of 1982's Best of Horror edited by Karl Edward Wagner.
Oh hell , I’ve got every MM album and I still don’t know if I like him ! There’s something about MM that draws me in and I think Antichrist and the following two are great , the rest somewhat hit and miss . Don’t think I’d ever pay to see him though because if he’s off he’s terrible
In Flames: Siren Charms
DIO: Master of the moon
Dio - Master of the Moon is definitely one of the best album covers of all time . Would have been a good album if Alice in Chains had recorded it
Good choices, guys! Why not...seems like a no-brainer to me...remove those CD booklets from the jewelcase and avoid the glare? Carry on!
My list, before watching the whole video:
Yngwie Malmsteen- War To End All Wars
Asia- Aqua
Iron Maiden- Virtual XI
Loudness- On The Prowl
Helloween- Gambling With The Devil
Yes- Heaven And Earth
U.D.O.- No Limits
Saxon- Metalhead
Personally I don't mind The Sword:Used Future, they could've trimmed 5 songs and it doesn't have an immediate impact. But it did hit me after repeated listens like some creeper weed.
One off the top of my head: Dismember - Massive Killing Capacity.
Not necessarily _bad_ per se, but a definite dip in quality in the band's discography. They slowed down the tempos on this one, but not enough to go into that properly crushing doomy territory (a la Asphyx), instead sticking to decidedly lukewarm, uninteresting plodding instead, with the riffing also treading water in a groove metal sea of mediocrity. Plus the vocal approach taken was more of a shouting or yelling type to go with the chugga-chug riffing, instead of the expected proper death metal vocals.
But really cool cover art with a big-ass Warhammer 40K inspired mecha laying waste on some apocalyptic battle field.
I considered this one! Good choice
Agreed. I do still have a soft spot for Collection By Blood & the last track, Life--Another Shape Of Sorrow.
Heres some that i don't think they're bad records, but the whole package, musicwise, it's a departure of the sound, leaning to some "popish" kind of or "soft side", just coming out of my head:
Megadeth Countdown to extinction
Sepultura Chaos AD
Judas Priest Turbo
Quiet Riot QRIII
Kiss Unmasked
Like some some said, down on the comments, hard list to come up with.
The 1990s are full of albums from metal acts that I've come to collectively call "Black" albums, the albums, like the Metallica album, from a previously complex metal band that are as you describe--structured more like pop songs, less complex riffs, fewer time signature changes, etc., and typically a response in some way to grunge (e.g. Anthrax--Sound of White Noise, King's X--Dogman). Personally, I think Countdown to Extinction is one of the better albums in this vein, but I all but ignored Megadeth until about five years ago and didn't grow up listening to either their '80s or their '90s output, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
@@kevintrjohnson I get what you said, some of the mainstream heavy metal acts records are in some way a response to the grunge era, i wont go as far to say CTE sucks, no way, it's not a bad album by all means,but mmmm some songs are just OK, i like Youthanasia a bit more, Testament's The Ritual another record to comes to my mind now, a good album cover, but mmmm some songs don't get me, the way Dark roots of earth does, i emphasize, great cover artwork(the ones i mentioned) but the songs, some didn't grew that much on me.
Totally agree on Heaven and Earth. Should have been called How on Earth? It makes Asia and Starcastle look wildly experimental.
As usually / the 1-2-3-4 🤜 PUNCH of you guys is super fun/ super cheerful! Tremendous 👍💯
I really enjoy these segments. Very entertaining and I enjoy the kinship. This particular segments choices I found to be obscure, but keep up the good work.
This really has to have the word ‘metal’ in the title
I bought that Sacred Rite album in 86 in tape just from the album cover. It's not heavy but it's a really good album. Killer cover art.
Hate to say it being one of my favorite bands BUT you can take any of the album covers from UFO from the seventies....I know the award winning company Hipgnosis designed these but they are just ridiculous...the only one that is somewhat passable is the banned Force It vinyl cover.....
Edit: Saw the title and posted my comment....probably should have watched the video first 🤔 So I guess my comment will be the opposite......bad covers for GREAT albums....
i think u got the concept of this episode switched... its good album covers and bad music
The album before Operation Mindcrime II wasn't a turd. It was called "Tribe" and they had Chris Degarmo come back for some songs on that album. It was good. I also really like the first few songs on American Soldier and even a handful of songs on Operation Mindcrime II, but yeah, it couldn't touch the original. They were NEVER the same after they released their last classic album, "Promised Land".
Megadeth "Super Collider". Awesome album cover for an extremely disappointing album, its one of Megadeth's worst albums.
Laaz Rockit is tight, kinda have to be in the mood though
I liked their debut a lot, but if I remember correctly Know Your Enemy wasn't nearly as good... I haven't heard any of the others either
You know, I liken you four more to the Match Game crew than the Hollywood Squares. Excellent chemistry!
How about a ranking the studio albums of Blind Guardian? Perhaps with a guest who is a big fan?
Three ‘prog’ albums picked up second hand in the 70s for the covers/themes alone. ‘Underwhelmed’ by all and quickly sold on.
David Bedford (& Mike Oldfield) ‘The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ (1975)
th-cam.com/video/S00fj0yVHfg/w-d-xo.html
Tomita ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ (1978)
www.discogs.com/Tomita-The-Bermuda-Triangle/release/1582470
th-cam.com/video/aBUmUKC01l4/w-d-xo.html
Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley ‘Marscape’ (1976)
www.discogs.com/de/Jack-Lancaster-And-Robin-Lumley-Marscape/release/1451329
th-cam.com/video/2W58mOAEC0E/w-d-xo.html
I did pick up a new album by The Obsessed a few years back. I had seen them on tour for this album with Eyehategod. They were great live, so I picked up the album. It's alright, but not something I'll listen to that often.
Great show, guys. Laugh out loud stuff. One that springs to mind for me which no doubt many will love: Keeper of the Seven Keys by Helloween. Great artwork and purchased because of it. At the time mid 80s), heavily in to metal and a lot of stuff ......, travelling home on the bus excited just looking at the cover......, but the Michael guy singing? Was like nails down a chalk board for me. Terrible.
Spinal Tap - Shark Sandwich
Shit Sandwich
Status Quo - if You Cant Stand the Heat. Great cover with the record player with an electric cooker ring for the turntable. But what a howler of an album. Two good tracks; the lead single Again & Again and the follow up Accident prone. The band couldn't have liked it as I don't think they ever played anything off it live.
Helloween - Live In The UK. Bought it on a recommendation from a mate. Loved the cartoon cover but what a bum album.
this channel got me to look at random metal...today i played Manila Road’s “ crystal logic” twice after hearing about it from Sea of Tranquility
I'm surprised "The X Factor" wasn't on any of the 4 lists.
Wait, you like that cover art?
Anyone else notice that Nick's Solstice shirt is using the same font as the classic Celtic Frost logo?
That LAAZ ROCKIT album is awesome
Witchfynde - Lords of Sin ( not a bad album but definitely not the Slayer type of music I expected )
Magnum - On A Storyteller's Night ( was expecting a Heavy Medieval type of band , not the Asia type of prog rock ) . Good album just was expecting something more like Omen
English Dogs - Forward Into Battle ( Expecting something like Omen , or the Queensryche EP and got something more like Black Flag )
my vote would be sabbath 'cross purposes'...i thought it was there best cover since heaven and hell...not their best album though...and p.s...i loved that peter criss album when it came out and it's still my favorite solo kiss album...to each their own...of course you guys need to do a part two...peace...rocky
Chris is a huge guest. He' s funny but always his insights are very interesting. I love the last album he shared. And the Peter Chris album has a cool cover but the music is horrible, pop, boring, a real crap. Great show Pete !!!
Peter Criss - s/t is a great call and I think the Gene Simmons album qualifies as well. It was worth having those 78 solo albums though just for the Ace Frehley album. That album smokes 90% of the proper KISS material released since then.
I also totally agree on 'God Hates Us All', but I do enjoy 'Repentless' to a minor extent.
I used to love Gene's album for its variety but now find it kind of silly, I've always dug Peter's swinging album though. I'm a pop guy at heart anyway and sucker for melodic stuff at least Criss tried something different and personal, which is the idea with a solo album but I get why metal heads don't like it.
Chris Alo should have a show of his own! Dude's awesome!
FYI, The Sacred Rite Cover was a repurposed book cover by Michael Whelan; same artist as the Cirith Ungol Elric covers. He has been a top tier illustrator from the mid 70's till the 2000's. Sacred Rites previous cover art for 1984's Revelation should be in the awful cover good album show!!
I would love it if you guys do a RANT about great albums with bad production
The Strawbs "Deadlines" is a terrific hipgnosis (sp?) cover but the album was an ok only last gasp from the 70's Strawbs
Finally had time to watch this, great show as usual. And I have to mention all of the albums by Meatloaf. Those covers make you think it'll be an epic power metal album and then...
Warzone from Slayer is my ringtone for my phone ... but I agree for the rest of the album ;) I just love the look on people's face when I receive a call hahahaha!
Love the rants. Keep em comin