Listening to the new Grand Magus. I'm already pretty sure it's going to suck and have 1 riff per song like The Hunt, but my love of everything before that keeps me wishing.

Probably a long-shot but have you heard Savage Grace yet? Check out their first album Master of Disguise. I think it is the only speed metal album I've ever heard that stands up to Skeptics Apocalypse on a track-for-track basis.

Thanks I'll have to check them out and I should of been more specific with my request. I'm looking for speed metal bands in the vein of Paradox's and Agent Steel's first two albums.

Helstar, duh!

Holy Terror obviously, very similar to Agent Steel's first two (except for the vox). Witchhammer's 1487 is fairly similar to Paradox I'd say. You'll probably want to check Cyriis's other projects if you haven't done so, I'd recommend starting with Black Reign. Forte's Dementia by Design demo is also in that vein I'd say. Toxik and Realm are sort of similar too, check out my review for Realm's demo if you want. Also check out Dark Deception's first demo, I've got a review for that as well. As for more stuff similar to Paradox, I'm not really that into German power/speed/thrash stuff, but hell, check out Mekong Delta's Lurking Fear, I dig that one. It's more thrash than anything else but you might like it. Oh, and definitely make sure to check out Helstar's Nosferatu if you haven't done so yet (I also reviewed that one).

You might really like my band TEMPLE OF BLOOD, specifically our latest album "Overlord" althought it's a bit closer to thrash. We have been compared to AS by reviewers many times.

I would also recommend HAVE MERCY - Armageddon Descends, TOXIK - World Circus, DEADLY BLESSING - Psycodrama, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - Doomsday for the Deceiver, IMMACULATE - Atheist Crusade, and REALM - Endless War.

Oooh, good one!

Spot on here. Also, they're just solid recs in general.

I might also add Battlefield (Ger) - 'We Came to Fight'

Oh, you sly devil, you.

Regardless, those are probably good recommendations, so I will have to check them out as well.

I've been wondering if I should continue purchasing Iron Maiden albums after I get all the 80's albums. I may go back to them someday but at this point I don't see a need to fill my collection with more of the same if I already have the best. If there is anyone here familiar with their entire collection, are their any more albums that stand out? So far I have all the 80's Maiden except for "Piece of Mind". My favorite is "Powerslave" which is the only one where I really like the entire album. The rest are a mixed bag for me. I recently got "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" and it didn't really do anything for me. That's why I would like to know if there are any post 80's albums comparable to "Powerslave" or that are particularly unique?

The Final Frontier is awesome. One of my faves of theirs.

I concur, as it's definitely one of their best later-era albums. In particular, I'm quite fond of "Isle of Avalon" and "When the Wild Wind Blows."

They'll never touch the old stuff in terms of songwriting, atmosphere, just pure awesomeness, but TFF comes close enough. The emotion and power in it really makes it a personal favorite. It feels like a very personal, affecting album - very emotional.

Thanks for all the recommendations guys I looked into getting Hersey, but of course people are charging a arm and a leg for it. However, Stormspell Records is selling the band's first two demos and thirty minutes of bonus material. I have to yet actually listen to all the recommendations, but when I plan to on Friday.

You can safely not bother with any of their post-1980s albums. You could make a comp of the decent/good songs, though.

'No Prayer for the Dying', 'Bring Your Daughter...', 'Be Quick or Be Dead', 'Judas Be My Guide', 'Fear of the Dark', 'Childhood's End', 'Sign of the Cross', 'Lord of the Flies', 'Man on the Edge', 'Futureal', 'The Clansman', 'The Wickerman', 'Ghost of Navigator', 'Dance of Death', 'Paschendale' and after that their aren't really any outstanding tracks (Empyreal's a filthy liar). The 1990s albums all had clunkers (sometimes absolutely terrible), but they at least had highlights, too. Whereas the new stuff is mostly filler.

Oh boy, the new Van Canto leaked. And of course I have to get it. I'm either going to be pleasantly surprised or bitterly disappointed, as usual, because "consistency" is not a word in their vocabulary.

Nor quality.

A new French heavy metal band called Tentation, very good!

Yeah I checked out "Isle of Avalon" and "When the Wild Wind Blows" and it isn't doing anything for me. I guess its back to Judas Priest.

Most of The Final Frontier is better than any of those songs.

Hey Empyreal I meant to ask you if you've seen this:

http://www.witchesbrewthrashes.de/shop/ ... ology.html

"Witches Brew has teamed up with Iron Shield Records to co-release this double CD anthology containing all material from the first 2 SEASONS OF THE WOLF albums, "Scraps From The Masters Table" and "The Black & Silver", previously only available in very limited quantities on tape many moons ago! This mystical journey into the past, 1988-1991 to be exact, offers over 120 minutes of fine Traditional and Progressive Heavy Metal infused with classic 70s Rock. Recommended for fans of DIO, HAWKWIND, DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH or BLUE ÖYSTER CULT! To be released in February 2014."

Quite good, but the vocals are lame. Or lazy.

I heard rumblings of it from their facebook...I'll have to check it out for sure!

I'm kind of curious exactly what's on there, I realize it lists those two albums but I'm surprised they're not on MA. I was expecting it to be the two early demos "Trick Trax 1 & 2" or whatever.

If you hear any of it please let us (me) know what you think. I've got a sneaky suspicion that I may enjoy it a lot, as their debut is still my favorite of the albums I have.

Nah no it's not. I mean I like every Maiden album but most of the 90's stuff Acrobat listed is better than The Final Frontier

There goes Empy again, valiantly being the only defender of the Final Frontier

Because it's amazing. You guys will never behold its genius!

But seriously. I never thought anything they did from No Prayer until Brave New World was anything that great. Even BNW and DOD, good as they are, aren't the best they're capable of.

Brave New World from 2000 is their best album ever (also my all time favorite album!!!)

In all seriousness, this album is pretty special to me because I had to endure Maiden's decline back in the 90s. Having Bruce and (most importantly) Adrian come back to the fold was like Christmas, only ten times better!

Oddly enough, the 90s material eventually grew on me somewhat (I don't mind it now, but I disliked it back then). The X-Factor is 20 minutes too long though!

When 'Brave New World' is good it is really good and it was also the introduction of the repeat song title x10000 crap which really ruined 'Dance of Death'.

Piece of Mind and Powerslave are the best Dickinson albums imo. Somewhere in Time would come next, then Seventh Son/666 tied.

I'm having a hard time deciding where the post-2000 albums fit into that hierarchy. I like Dance of Death quite a bit because it was one of my first metal albums. My brother gave it to me when I was 13. Paschendale was totally mesmerizing.

Dickinson's solo albums are better than newer Maiden. Chemical Wedding and Tyranny of Souls are pretty fantastic.

Aw yeah, Chemical Wedding is the shit. Definitely up there with the absolute best of Maiden, if not better than much of what they did after Seventh Son. Huge guitars, some of his best vocals too. "Jerusalem"...such a great tune.

Accident of Birth and Tyranny of Souls are pretty good as well.

Accident of Birth is great, The Chemical Wedding is even better. They're so good that they reaffirm my opinion that Steve is reason Maiden suck so hard nowadays.

So I've been on a huge Oliver Magnum kick lately. After my new acquisition consisting of 2 demo's, the "01986" and the "Troubled Life" demos. "01986" is great but nowhere near the majesty of the S/T. "Troubled Life" was a slight let down but my question is, if any of you guys have heard the 3 song demo from 1992? Is it worth tracking down?

I finally got my copy of The Devil Put Dinosaurs in Here by Alice in Chains, and I gotta say I'm impressed, they can't make a damn bad song.

You mean it gets worse from Caught Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son? That shit is so goddamn lazy and unenjoyable. That's even less incentive for me to ever check that stuff out.

Awww! Bruce's 'bleating' of "Caught Somewhere In Time" ad infinitum always soothed me and the repetition of '7th son of a 7th son!' always sounded majestic and tribal to me. But yeah, on BNW and DoD when he goes on and on about the dream is true and no more lies, it is incredibly frustrating.

To their credit, The Final Frontier actually was a big improvement over the previous three in terms of repetition. Actually, it was a step in the direction in other ways too (less predictable writing as seen in AMOLAD, less straight-up bad ideas so common on Dance of Death, etc).

Chuck Jones from Medieval Steel has died today. RIP.

I understand the praise for Bruce Dickinson's solo albums...but I don't know what the fuck he is singing about most of the time. Unlike, Maiden...where I really enjoy the war epics like "Paschendaele" and "The Longest Day". Also, the amazing immediacy of "The Trooper" cannot be understated. Fantastic lyrics and feel throughout the whole thing, truly capturing the galloping charge of the light brigade from the Crimean War.