If the story of 1980 to 1984 was how NWOBHM (and more specifically, Iron Maiden) awoke metal from its dormancy to tear the boundaries of popular music, then 1985 – 1987 is about the coronation of thrash metal atop the metal throne, and the subsequent underground rumblings of a closely linked cousin, a blood brother faster, more brutal, and more astonishing — death metal.
Metal, like any current history, is a neverending story — a songbook perpetually revising its denouement in the storm of new releases shattering our ears and expectations by the month. But as exciting as it is to experience the history unfolding before us, that work is already done by listeners and blogs like this one on a daily basis. Vitally important and critically overlooked, I think, is the history of metal — the first chapters yellowing in the forty-odd years since they were bound in black and leather. This post, then, will serve as a continuation of this article detailing the early days of metal, and particularly the incredible importance of Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast to the fledgling genre.
May 27th, 2015, the second leg of the Chaos Raids America Tour hit Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York. Added to this show was legendary New York City black metal outfit Black Anvil. Opening the show was Vattnet Viskar, who are releasing a new album entitled Settler [review, interview]…
Last year’s Chicago Domination Fest was a sold out spectacle of extreme metal in the Windy City headlined by the mighty Devourment and joined by several raging acts in surrounding areas, as well as Chicago itself. This year’s festival, lovingly dubbed Chicago Domination Fest 2 (obviously subtitled “Electric Boogaloo” by…