If there is a "METAL" outing, we should all wear an old concert tee-shirt to represent some of the heaviest bands. You all know, the rag like cloth that is three sizes too small these days!

I found my 1984 Iron Maiden Powerslave tour shirt the other day and think I will have to pass it on to one of my sons. Their teacher will love the picture of "Eddie" with the lightning bolts through his head - classic.

Well Mitch, I have only heard the song "St. Anger", and I just gotta say it truly SUCKS ASS. I wrote Metallica off after "And Justice For All" came out. That was the last "acceptable" Metallica album as far as I'm concerned. Here's the deal with them: They are a band that KNOWS they should quit, but unfortunately doesn't have the heart to. So the well runs dry, and the true fans like us, there from the beginning, suffer for it.. **R.I.P. Metallica**

I haven't followed Metallica for years. I remember being a rabid fan in the eighties though. Wore out multiple cassette copies of "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets". They seriously rocked back then.

But, something happened on the way to the bank, and these guys got money hungry. The whole issue with Lars and Napster left most people just hating Metallica. Most artists still don't realize that song-swapping is good for them, as it introduces their music to new fans. But all Lars was worried about was more money in his wallet. Well, his problem isn't with Napster... its with his greedy, corporate, record label that take the lion's share of the profits. He should concentrate on bashing them in the future.

Now James has "found God" and gone through rehab. Who gives a crap? Kirk is non-existant on this album (outside of standard chops), and Lars drums sound horrible. I see some folks putting together a metal top-ten. That's real hard to do.. but; here are some of my favorites:

10. Motorhead: Orgasmatron
9. Megadeth: Peace Sells, but Who's Buying?
8. Pantera: The Great Southern Trend Kill
7. Rush: Anything that crunches on any of their albums between "Rush" and "Moving Pictures".
6. Anthrax: Pretty much any of the earlier stuff.
5. Yngwie Malsteem's Rising Force: Marching Out (sure the lyrics and singing suck, but; Yngwie is incredible).
4. Zakk Wylde: Sonic Brew.
3. Ozzy Osbourne: Tribute: Randy Rhoads (I still miss Randy).
2. Iced Earth: Night of the Stormrider
1. Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II. The godfathers... you have to give respect.

That's all for now..

Take care,

Cabal Quid

I don't know about the new Metallica album - they have been going downhill ever since they ran out of albumn names and used Re-load after load. Sounds like a load of bunk!

Now, if you want Metal, and I mean real, f*cking metal, then you should get XM Radio!!! They have a station that plays all current hardcore, death metal, speedmetal; I mean the kind of music that only metal heads listen, too.

My favorites are:
Madball, SOD, Suicidal Tendancies, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Saxon (although they have become lame since the 70s) Six Feet Under, Type O Negative, Pantera, Iced Earth, Early Metalica, Slayer, Venom, Bolt Thrower, Broken Hope, Exodus, Judas Priest (with Halford - non-Halford music blows), Overkill, Hatebreed, Nothingface, Sameal, Accept, Bruce Dickinson, Exodus, Fear Factory, Obituary, Skarhead, Benediction, and Death.

Just remember one thing:
"If you're gonna die? Die with your boots on!"

I listened to the whole new Metallica album while on vacation. Don’t waste your money. It’s not even worthy of being a coaster for a warm can of Piels.