Archive for the ‘Metal’ Category
The Music’s Over’s Favorite Albums of 2016
Posted by themusicsover on December 30, 2016
Posted in Americana, Blues, Country, Electronic, Funk, Metal, Musician, Punk, Rock, Singer, Songwriter | Comments Off on The Music’s Over’s Favorite Albums of 2016
Died On This Date (May 21, 2016) Nick Menza / Former Drummer of Megadeth
Posted by themusicsover on May 21, 2016
Nick Menza
July 23, 1964 – May 21, 2016
Nick Menza was an American metal drummer who is best remembered for playing in Megadeth during a period that many consider their greatest. Born into a musical family – his father was Don Menza, longtime sax player for Buddy Rich – Menza started playing drums at the age of two. He began playing professionally at 18 and soon found work as a session player covering many genres of music. His most notable early gig was on recordings for John Fogerty. In 1989, Menza was asked to join Megadeth although he had played with the band live on occasion going back a year prior. His contributions to Megadeth were felt immediately. Menza played on the band’s next for studio albums, including the two that many consider the band’s greatest, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction. On stage, he added a new force to band’s live show, most notably due to his skills on the double bass drum kit. Menza left Megadeth due to knee problems in 1998. He went on to play in bands over the years until his most recent, OHM. It was with OHM that he was playing at a club in Studio City, CA when he died unexpectedly of heart failure on May 21, 2016. He was 51.
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Posted in Metal, Musician, Rock | Tagged: Buddy Rich, John Fogerty, Megadeth, OHM | Comments Off on Died On This Date (May 21, 2016) Nick Menza / Former Drummer of Megadeth
Died On This Date (January 24, 2016) Jimmy Bain / Bassist For Dio, Rainbow & More
Posted by themusicsover on January 24, 2016
Jimmy Bain
December 19, 1947 – January 24, 2016
Jimmy Bain was a rock bassist who is best remembered for his years playing with Rainbow and Dio. Born in Highland, Scotland, Bain caught the attention of Ritchie Blackmore when Bain was playing a gig at London’s Marquee. Blackmore quickly hired him to play on Rainbow’s 1976 metal masterpiece, Rising and on the tour that followed. That tour, with Bain on bass, was recorded for Rainbow’s popular On Stage album that came out the following year. After leaving Rainbow in 1978, Bain formed Wild Horses who received moderate success with two albums. During the early ’80s, Bain co-wrote songs for Phil Lynott‘s two solo albums and toured as part of his backing band. In 1983, he joined forces with former Rainbow singer, Ronnie James Dio in the latter’s new band, Dio. Bain wrote several of the band’s hits, including “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow In The Dark.” He played on The Last In Line and Dream Evil, among other Dio classic albums. In 1985, Bain founded Hear ‘n Aid which was metal’s effort to raise money for famine relief. The all-star collective recorded, “Stars,” co-written by Bain, which reportedly raised over $1 million in its first year of release. Bain continued to record and tour with various members of metal’s elite up until the time of his death. It was while traveling as a performer on Def Leppard‘s Hysteria On The High Seas cruise on January 24, 2016, that Jimmy Bain passed away unexpectedly His cause of death was not immediately released and was believed to have been health related. He was 68.
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Posted in Metal, Musician, Rock, Singer, Songwriter | Tagged: Def Leppard, Dio, Jimmy Bain, Phil Lynott, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Wild Horses | Comments Off on Died On This Date (January 24, 2016) Jimmy Bain / Bassist For Dio, Rainbow & More
Died On This Date (December 28, 2015) Lemmy Kilmister / Motorhead
Posted by themusicsover on December 28, 2015
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister
December 24, 1945 – December 28, 2015
Lemmy Kilmister was the lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only original member of Motorhead, the legendary English rock band he formed in 1975. Over the course of four decades, the band, which was equal parts punk rock and heavy metal, released over 22 albums, which sold upwards of 30 million worldwide. Kilmister was born in Straffordshire, but spent most of his early years in North Wales. After leaving high school early, he worked various menial jobs while learning to play the guitar. When he was 16, he saw one of the Beatles‘ iconic Cavern Club shows and instantly knew he wanted to make music. The next day, he bought Please Please Me and learned to play the guitar while playing along with it. After performing in a series of local bands, Kilmister moved to London where he shared a flat with Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the band’s manager. They hired him to roadie for them throughout the UK in 1967. In 1968, Kilmister joined Hawkwind, a space rock band that would later prove to be highly influential to countless prog rock, metal and punk bands. He sang lead on several Hawkwind records, including their biggest hit, “Silver Machine,” which reached #3 in 1972. He was ultimately fired from Hawkwind after being arrested trying to carry drugs across the Canadian/US border in 1975. He ended up not being charged or convicted of a crime once it was determined that he was holding speed, which was legal in Canada at the time. Kilmister soon formed Motorhead, who quickly found a cult following for its hard, fast, and loud rock – a sound that appealed to the growing punk scene of the UK as well as the older hard rock fans of Hawkwind and such. Motorhead, and particularly Kilmister’s fierce playing and vocal delivery has been credited for laying the foundation for what would be called thrash and speed metal. On the other side of the metal spectrum, Motorhead was arguably flash point of what would later be known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Over the next 40 years, the band’s lineup changed several times, while their music fell in and out of favor as tastes around the world changed. But Kilmister forged on and seemed indestructible in spite of his vices. In 2010, the documentary film, Lemmy was released to both critical and fan acclaim. The poignant film focused on Kilmister’s private life, which was mostly spent either on tour or sitting at the bar at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip. The documentary introduced and reintroduced Motorhead to fans around the world, leading to the two critically acclaimed and commercially successful late-career albums, Aftershock (2013) and Bad Magic (2015). And although he suffered a few health setbacks over the past few years, Kilmister seemed as if he’d continue to outlive many of his peers. On December 26, 2015, he reportedly learned he was suffering from a very aggressive form of cancer. Lemmy Kilmister was just eight days past his 70th birthday when the cancer took his life on December 28, 2015.
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Posted in Metal, Musician, Rock, Singer, Songwriter | Tagged: Hawkwind, Jimi Hendrix, Lemmy Kilmister, Motorhead, Noel Redding, The Beatles | 3 Comments »
Died On This Date (June 4, 2015) Allan Fryer / Lead Singer of Heaven
Posted by themusicsover on June 4, 2015
Allan Fryer
DOB Unknown – June 4, 2015
Allan Fryer is perhaps best remembered as the lead singer of popular ’80s Australian heavy metal band, Heaven. Following the death of Bon Scott in 1980, Fryer auditioned to replace him in AC/DC. It was believed he secured the role until a surprise announcement (at least to him) that Brian Johnson had in fact been given the job. Fryer went on to form Heaven whose sound was definitely cut from the same cloth as AC/DC, at least on the early records. They eventually grew into a more NWOBHM sound. Heaven found some success in the US, enough to tour with Dio and Motley Crue in 1982. Throughout their run, the band released four albums and also toured with Judas Priest, KISS, and Iron Maiden. On June 4, 2015, Allan Fryer died following a long struggle with cancer. He was 60.
Thanks to David Plastik for the assist.
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Posted in Metal, Musician, Rock, Singer, Songwriter | Tagged: AC/DC, Allan Fryer, Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Dio, Heaven, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kiss, Motley Crue | 1 Comment »