Another band who experienced fame around 1992-1997.
Y'know, like me...
UPDATED:
The Lemonheads' evolution from post-Hüsker Dü hardcore punk rockers to teenage heartthrobs is one of the strangest sagas in alternative music. Initially, the group was a punk-pop trio formed by three teenage Boston suburbanites, but over the years, the band became a vehicle for Evan Dando. Blessed with good looks and a warm, sweet voice, Dando became a teen idol in the early '90s, when Nirvana's success made alternative bands commercially viable.
[source]
Lemonheads "My drug buddy" Album "It's a Shame about Ray" - 1992
Back in scorching Bucharest. Let the nightmare begin :)
(For a new week, at least...) UPDATED:
Few bands embodied the era of pop-metal like Bon Jovi. By merging Def Leppard's loud but tuneful metal with Bruce Springsteen's working-class sensibilities, the New Jersey-based quintet developed an ingratiatingly melodic and professional variation of hard rock — one that appealed as much to teenagers as to housewives. Bon Jovi skillfully employed professional songwriters to give their songs, especially their power ballads, an appropriately commercial sheen, inaugurating a trend that dominated mainstream hard rock and metal for the next decade.
They also made simple performance videos that emphasized lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's photogenic good looks, and these clips helped propel 1986's "Slippery When Wet" and 1988's "New Jersey" into multi-platinum status around the world. Both records were criticized for being more pop than metal, as well as being targeted toward teenyboppers, yet the group managed to subtly change its image in the early '90s, moving away from metal and concentrating on straightforward arena rock and big ballads. The shift in style worked, and Bon Jovi were the only American pop-metal band of the '80s to retain a sizable audience in the '90s.
[source]
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive" Album "Slippery When Wet" - 1986
You can provide the answers to this video til next Saturday, 4th of August.
[I'm off to finish the packing, and to squeeze the latest "acquisitions" inside the suitcase...]
UPDATED:
Following a succession of name and stylistic changes, the Cult emerged in 1984 as one of England's leading heavy metal revivalists. Picking up the pseudo-mysticism and Native American obsessions of the Doors, the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin, and the three-chord crunch of AC/DC, while adding touches of post-punk goth rock, the Cult gained a dedicated following in their native Britain with mid-'80s singles like "She Sells Sanctuary" before breaking into the American metal market in the late '80s with "Love Removal Machine."
Though the group managed one Top Ten American with 1989's "Sonic Temple", the band was plagued with off-stage tensions and problems which prevented them from retaining their popularity. Following a pair of unsuccessful records, the Cult split in 1995.
[source]
The Cult "Edie (Ciao Baby)" Album "Sonic Temple" - 1989
Alright. 2 more days in The Netherlands and then I'll be home again. Among other things I have to do is giving the prize for the ended June contest.
If you also want to win, keep your eyes peeled and identify the band and the song. You can start now, with this video, which by the way expires next Friday, August the 3rd...
UPDATED:
The progressive metal band Crimson Glory formed in Florida in 1982. Vocalist Midnight, guitarists Jeff Drenning and Ben Jackson, bassist Jeff Lords and drummer Dana Burnell had played together for over three years before Roadrunner signed the band and released the Crimson Glory album in 1986. The album received good reviews, prompting MCA to pick up the group for 1988's "Transcendence".
[source 1]
Following the underground success of their fine second platter, "Transcendence", Crimson Glory was snapped up by Atlantic Records, who obviously fully expected them to become the next Queensryche. The band was therefore feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders, and wanted to do something different, demonstrate some creative growth, diversify, whatever — simply to earn their big new paychecks. Sadly, some bands simply aren't meant to evolve, and with 1991's "Strange and Beautiful", Crimson Glory (now a quartet following the departure of disgruntled guitarist Ben Jackson) proved they were one of them.
In an attempt to commercialize their sound while retaining their "progressive" edge, the group ended up abandoning many of the qualities which had brought them this far: British-styled metal influences, driving staccato riffing, and dual-harmony lead guitars. Instead, they adopted bluesier, groove-oriented foundations over which they could then spin a myriad of diverging musical styles — perhaps a gutsy strategy, but an unsuccessful one nonetheless. Not surprisingly, "Strange and Beautiful" merely lived up to the first half of its title, and succeeded only in alienating the band's loyal fan base.
[source 2]
Crimson Glory "The chant" Album "Strange and Beautiful" - 1991
"Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax was responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new subgenre of heavy metal on their early albums. Original guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz were a formidable pair, spitting out lightning-fast riffs and solos that never seemed masturbatory. Unlike Metallica or Megadeth, they had the good sense to temper their often serious music with a healthy dose of humor and realism."
A band so "old" it counts up to 17 ex-members... UPDATED:
Black Sabbath has been so influential in the development of heavy metal rock music as to be a defining force in the style. The group took the blues-rock sound of late '60s acts like Cream, Blue Cheer, and Vanilla Fudge to its logical conclusion, slowing the tempo, accentuating the bass, and emphasizing screaming guitar solos and howled vocals full of lyrics expressing mental anguish and macabre fantasies. If their predecessors clearly came out of an electrified blues tradition, Black Sabbath took that tradition in a new direction, and in so doing helped give birth to a musical style that continued to attract millions of fans decades later.
More - in fact MUCH more - here
Black Sabbath "TV crimes" Album "Dehumanizer" - 1992
One of the most aprreciated metal bands in the world, and one of the loudest too :P
Post your answers in the comment form til next Tuesday (July 31).
UPDATED:
Manowar was formed by ex-Dictators and Shakin' Street guitarist Ross the Boss. The original lineup included vocalist Eric Adams, bassist Joey DeMaio, and drummer Donnie Hamzik. The group's kitschy approach was designed to be the raw, primal, macho antithesis of classic rock. Their music was based on raw, aggressive riffs, and their lyrics were mostly about fighting, violence, and death. The group dressed in animal skins in concert to underline the point.
Their first album featured a solo bass arrangement of the "William Tell Overture," and the press branded the group as a joke. The band tried to become even more extreme with each album and usually ended up dropped from their labels. They tried to take a more commercial direction in the late '80s, but this approach failed too, and Ross the Boss quit in disgust in 1988; undeterred, Manowar continued recording into the next decade, issuing records including 1992's "Triumph of Steel", 1994's "Hell of Steel", and 1996's "Louder Than Hell".
With each release and subsequent tour, Manowar began to build a devoted fan base, especially in Europe, where the group regularly sold out stadiums. A flurry of live DVDs followed, each boasting hours of music, interviews, and Viking machismo. The band returned to the studio in 2002 for "Warriors of the World", followed by the "Sons of Odin" EP in 2006 and "Gods of War" in 2007.
[source]
Manowar "Blow your speakers" Album "Fighting the World" - 1986
Snapshots are going to be posted (almost) everyday. You get 10 points for the name of the band. You get 10 more points for the song title. First complete answer gets 10 extra points. Log in with your Blogger/Google account and post your answers in the comments. Comments will await moderation and will be approved after each video contest expires. Each video has a one week deadline.
