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How do you get to a song to sound like ‘Arise’, a track that really put them on the map globally as a thrash metal band to be reckoned with? The speed, aggression and precision of the song make it a masterpiece even now it’s over 30 years old.
We all love an anthem – and heavy metal has produced its fair share. Here, we’re going to have a look at one of the best examples – ‘We’re not Gonna Take it’ by Twisted Sister – a song with plenty of stories to tell, as well as a healthy dose of political controversy.
On a normal day close to Christmas of 1985, 2 kids met up to drink beer, get stoned and listen to heavy metal music. They agreed a suicide pact, and put this tragic plan into action immediately. The legal fallout had huge potential repercussions, with Judas Priest at the forefront of the battle.
Being in a heavy metal band – and a Classic Heavy Metal band at that – is all glamour, surely. The studios, the exciting tours, glamourous locations, groupies, you name it. But is that true? What does it really take to make it in the Classic Heavy Metal world? The Hawk tried to find out.
Like many heavy metal bands by 1990, Judas Priest could see the world changing. The 80s were gone, Grunge was galloping onto the scene. What next for metal? For Priest, it meant putting out their ‘most metal’ album ever, cranking up intensity and power – letting loose a brand-new drummer into the bargain.
The story of Judas Priest’s bittersweet journey to release ‘Painkiller’ is legendary, and naturally covered by The Hawk – the line-up changes, recording slog and legal drama. So how could it be that following its eventual triumph, Rob Halford left the band by accident? Impossible, you say? Let’s hear about it.
Black Sabbath were one of the first (if not THE first) heavy metal band. So how did they do it? You wouldn’t expect heavy metal to have been born into a cheerful environment, and indeed it wasn’t. Settle in and read about the Godfathers of our music and their sometimes grim Birmingham upbringing.
Were Black Sabbath the First Heavy Metal Band in history? It’s an important question, not only in the history of heavy metal, but also as a way to explain what you should expect to see on the Classic Metal Hawk blog. Give The Hawk a couple of minutes to set out his thinking.
Judas Priest have created some memorable stories and characters through their music over the years. But The Hawk’s favourite character bar none is ‘The Painkiller’. The song and its eponymous hero get a proper introduction in this blog. He’s quite a character, probably not of this world. Sit back and read all about it.
