The Most Amazing Left Turns In Metal
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 12:01AM Today's post is from our friend HIM.
Happy 2017 everybody. Let me begin by saying that I want to begin the year with a post that is open to endless speculation. That seems fitting. So please add to this post with your thoughts.
Thoughts about what? Simple. When has a band or an artist made such an amazingly puzzling decision to change their sound or image? For me, there are two that stand out:
First is the evolution of Celtic Frost. Yes, I know. Celtic Frost are not glam. But they were a band I couldn’t figure out and still liked to listen to, even as I was awash in the Crue and Dokken. Not sure why, even to this day. Something about the odd sounds on To Mega Therion caught me:
Yeah, the album had a blissfully obscene cover. But Thomas Gabriel Fischer, the mastermind behind all this, was onto something in 1985. This was vicious and operatic. It was fast and then slow, Wagner meets Venom meets Metallica. I was hooked for all the right reasons. But what the holy hell was Cold Lake?
That’s a poor attempt at being something you are not, Tom Warrior! Faster Pussycat is not your thing. Nor is it your place (or your space, it seems) to aim for a crossover sound. It is a good thing that he has reclaimed his footing in recent years, releasing albums with his band Triptykon that harken back to the time when Celtic Frost were something ominous and soul-crushing, while also being interesting and engaging.
Second is the history of Fastway. Well, actually, the history of the original singer in Fastway. Fastway began as a perfectly boozy dream combo: Fast Eddie Clark (formerly of the glory years Motorhead) and Pete Way (the slurry bassist most known for his stints in UFO, and not an actual player on their eponymous debut in 1983). My thinking here is more focused on the singer on that—and three subsequent—albums, Dave King. Here he is belting out a classic slab of hard rock sleaze-cheese:
Here he is now:
Again, what the holy hell? Sure, this Pogue-ish stab at his Irish roots sounds great. And, yes, it isn't the sell-out that Celtic Frost engaged in.
But he hides from his past (lest we forget the classic metal movie Trick or Treat). And I wonder why? He got a start in Fastway. He kicked ass. He must consider this an indiscretion of youth. If so, why dodge one that is so good?
I trust there are enough examples that you can think of to discuss. You know, Ron Keel? Or others that I haven’t considered. So share them and let’s get a two-page posting session going. Rock is littered with “Yeah!” and then “Huh?” moments.
