Music News from New York and Beyond

Bang Your Head: ‘80s Metal Is Alive and Well

By Darren Ressler
Posted on July 18, 2007

tomylommi.jpg

This summer of 2007 has witnessed the unprecedented resurgence of ‘80s metal. While we wonder what’s under Bret Michaels’ babushka and why VH1 gave him a reality show, real metal is thriving. Maybe it’s a combination of fans’ nostalgia for the good ol’ days and aging rockers' residual checks drying up? Who knows. Nevertheless, the genre is as loud as ever. Here are some talking points to use at your next tailgate party:


  • After Dave Mustaine bawled in Some Kind of Monster to any unsympathetic Lars Ulrich and lamented how getting kicked out of Metallica ruined his life, Megadeth's new album, United Abominations, has sold over 100,000 copies. Success is the best revenge!

  • The Scorpions will release Humanity – Hour 1 on August 28. The album already charted at #2 in Greece, #9 in Germany and #16 in Japan. Fans are still loving them!

  • New Jersey metal icons Overkill are back with a major record deal and will release Immortalis in the fall

  • Iron Maiden’s “Can I Play With Madness” has been used for a Sony commercial. The UK metal gods appeared on Live From Abbey Road on Sundance Channel last week and performed classic cuts like "Hallowed be thy Name."

    • Perhaps the most anticipated (and successful) reunion is Heaven and Hell, aka the rebirth of post-Ozzy era Black Sabbath featuring Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. H&H recently released Black Sabbbath: The Dio Years and are currently on the road with Queensrÿche (who just issued Mindcrime at the Moore) and Alice Cooper.

    “I can’t speak for [Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice], because obviously they felt the same way or [a reunion tour] wouldn’t have been attempted,” says Ronnie James Dio. “We never really had a problem personally at all. I always really liked Tony and Geez, and Vinny played with me [in Dio] for a long time. We were friends, we created some great things and had a whole lot of success. We chose to keep whatever feelings there might have been between us out of the press—other people made up stories.”

    What’s the secret of H&H’s longevity? “We wrote great songs for a start,” says Dio. “You’re only as good as the songs you write. If you’re a good musician and you write crap, you’re going to sound like crap. I think the rapport we shared as writers, especially Tony and I. It was the pairing of Tony’s heaviness with riffs, and my more melodic tendencies, as opposed to Ozzy’s, that challenged everyone and made something really magical. From Heaven and Hell onward, it created another generation of Sabbath fans, and those are the people who are chomping at the bit to see us tour.”

    Heaven and Hell play Jones Beach with Queensrÿche and Alice Cooper on September 8. The band’s Live From Radio City Music Hall CD/DVD will be released on August 28.

    photo by Mark Weiss courtesy of Rhino

    Filed under: Backstage Passes

    Comments