Best of 2013?

It's hard to believe but it's already November and 2013 is winding down fast. Before you know it, the holidays will be here and we'll be looking toward 2014.

As part of my gig with Dayton City Paper, I've been tasked with doing a "best of Glam and Metal 2013" list for the end of year issue. Since such lists always take some thought, I figured I better get started now. This is where you come in: I'd like your suggestions. Provide me your opinions on the best of the past year and I'll consider adding to the list. If the band is super obscure, give me a couple tidbits of info. Remember - writing for a newspaper is a different audience than this blog, so I'm going to have to be either a little more general or super descriptive in my best of choices!

I'll spoil the suspense and tell you that Black Veil Brides is definitely making the cut. Now, give me your choices!

Want: Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson

Everyone knows I love Michael Jackson's music. He created some brilliant, timeless pop classics. Well, a lot of metal musicians must agree because they got together to create a tribute album to the late King of Pop. Called Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson, the album features members from bands we love like Mr. Big, Whitesnake, Guns n' Roses, Queensryche, Asking Alexandria and more.

Some of the songs on the album include "Thriller," "Dirty Diana," "Smooth Criminal," "Man in the Mirror" and all your other favorites.

The album is out now and available on Amazon.

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween, everyone! There's no better song for today than Fastway's "Trick or Treat." I hope you all have a great holiday. I'm dressing up as a part of a group costume at work today. And then it's trick-or-treat in my neck of the woods tonight. Be sure to blast your metal for the kiddos!

Geoff Tate's Queensryche Does Monsters of Rock

Geoff Tate's version of Queensryche recently performed at Brazil's Monsters of Rock festival. The entire performance is below, and the quality is very good. Blabbermouth also posted this video and the comments are pretty brutal. I won't taint opinions here by sharing my own. Just tell me what you think about this performance.

Steel Panther Releases A New Video (NSFW)

Steel Panther just released a video for the song "Party Like Tomorrow Is The End of the World." The video is graphic, so don't watch it at work and don't share it with your mom, either. The song itself isn't that great, to be honest.

Steel Panther will release All You Can Eat in early 2014.

Farewell Lou Reed

Lou Reed, iconic singer, guitarist and founder of the Velvet Underground, died yesterday at the age of 71. Reed is a legend and pioneer in the rock world. His influence can be felt across many of the bands and songs we love, even today.

Be sure to read Lou's New York Times obituary.

Def Leppard, Live In 1993

Def Leppard recently released Viva! Hysteria on blu-ray. That will likely make my holiday wish list. Thinking about the new blu-ray made me a little nostalgic for vintage Def Leppard, so off to YouTube I went... and I found some awesome performance footage from the band back in 1993. I was in seventh grade when this video was made. I think I love Def Lep even more now than I did back then. Enjoy.