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Life

Time To Cancel “Cancel Culture” And Bring Back The Chief

by admin December 17, 2020
Chief Wahoo giving the middle finger in disgust

In response to the announcement that the Cleveland Indians were going to change their name after a storied 105-year history, this is my letter to the local newspaper, directed at team owners, Larry and Paul Dolan.

Dear Mr. Dolan,

Exactly how many of your season ticket holders are of Native American descent? If the answer is less than 50%, then you are making a huge mistake. 

You see, the name Indians, on its own, is not, and cannot be, offensive in any way. Just as the words “whites” or “blacks” are also not inherently racist, neither is the term “Indians.” It is, on its own, nothing more than a noun that identifies a group; it does not pass judgement on that group. 

Blue Jays, Orioles and Cardinals identify birds, Rays identify fish, Diamondbacks identify snakes, Red Sox and White Sox identify colors of socks. There is no judgement in any of these things, just as there is no judgment with the word Indians.

If anything, a case could be made against the Cowboys that invaded and took over the Native Americans land. Or the Yankees, who are not necessarily welcome in many homes in the south after they defeated the Confederate Army during the Civil War. And let’s not even approach the double entendre of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Are they fighting because they are motivated or are they fighting because they are Irish? In any case, it should not matter because team names are just that – team names. They are not meant to cast judgement on any group or thing.

Interestingly, the Atlanta Braves came out and announced, emphatically, that they would hold tight to their tradition and absolutely, positively would not entertain any possibility of changing its team name. The fan response was amazing and almost uniformly supportive. What’s most interesting is that, with a simple review of the team’s social media page (which can be viewed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/246003725592002/posts/1587022814823413/), many Native Americans have weighed in in overwhelming support of keeping the name. Those who have posted speak of the name as a sense of pride. 

So if the great majority of fans want to keep the name, and a great majority of Native Americans also support keeping the name, why on Earth would the Dolan’s so easily cave to pressures of a definite minority?

It’s as simple as this. The minority is organized, driven by a specific purpose. The majority has no reason to organize because it already has what it wants. Look at Prohibition. In retrospect, a complete and total failure, to be sure. But at the time, while those who enjoyed their drink relaxed in their local pubs, the opposition organized, created a plan and, without opposition, made their ideals become a reality, albeit for a relatively short period of time.

How can the fans of this great team, full of history, organize to have their voices heard? Fans can start by not buying a single piece of team memorabilia. They can refuse to go to games and stop watching and listening to the broadcasts. At the end of the day, The Cleveland Indians Corporation is a business and the only way to affect a business is to negatively impact the bottom line. Do you want to show your displeasure with the removal of the Indians name and logo? Stop supporting the team until the owners relent or sell! 

Remember, although an announcement has been made, the team name is still intact and this deplorable decision can still be reversed. All Mr. Dolan has to do is say, “We’ve received a tremendous of feedback about our impending name change, including having extensive dialogue with members of multiple Native American tribes and after a complete and thorough review, we realize we have may have acted in error and have decided to honor the history and integrity of team by keeping the Indians name, after all.” Just do it, Mr. Dolan, it’s the right thing to do!

I am not of Native American descent, I am a Caucasian. If a professional team was named The Caucasians, I would take no offense whatsoever. As an Indians season ticket holder from 1994 to 2012 when I relocated out of town, I spent thousands of dollars with this team. I have enough Indians jerseys and shirts to wear for a month without repeating. I have dedicated many summer evenings to watching every pitch of almost every game. I have been FULLY INVESTED in this team, in ways no opposition voice could ever be. Had I still been a Cleveland Indians season ticket holder of record today, I would have relinquished those tickets effective with the name change announcement. I encourage others to do the same.

When I would walk by my closet and see my Indians and Chief Wahoo jerseys, they had always been a sense of pride for me. Now when I see them, it makes me angry. How unfortunate that the owners of my beloved team could ruin the team’s proud history and the dedication of its fanbase in order to appease a small minority who do not support the team in any way, regardless of the name!

It’s time to put an end to this ridiculous “cancel culture” once and for all. How many people have a great understanding of the history of the Cleveland Forest Citys, Naps or Spiders? The answer is very few, because once the team goes away, so do the memories that go with it. We have a proud and lasting tradition of 105 years with the name Indians. We have seen the likes of Tris Speaker, Mel Harder, Bob Feller, Rocky Colavito, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome all proudly wear the Indians uniform. Ask yourself this, Mr. Dolan, what would Bob Feller, a true American patriot, think of you changing the name of his beloved team? The Indians are OUR team. We, the fans, have supported the team so your investment in it could quadruple. We simply don’t appreciate you ignoring us and disrupting over one hundred years of history. Do the right thing and keep the name Indians.

This author, Dave Clark, is a lifelong Indians fan, as was his father and grandfather. A former season ticket holder of the Indians from 1994-2012, Dave believes history and tradition should be considered sacred as opposed to the current rash of cancel culture bullshit permeating society like a bad disease.

December 17, 2020
Music

The Ten Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of the Past Decade (2010-2019)

by admin December 7, 2020

Most “best of decade” lists came out the first week of January 2020 so why get lost in the crowd? Better late than never, this list showcases ten of the greatest hard rock masterpieces of the past decade, based on the criteria of one single source – this author’s opinion. 

The list focuses on any recordings in the rock/hard rock/heavy metal genres, but includes no death or speed metal nor metal core or straight pop rock. It’s mostly based in the hard rock category while lightly crossing into the rock genre. Nonetheless, anyone who enjoys old school hard rock / heavy metal and wants to hear new music should give each of these albums a good listen. 

  1. Everybody Wants – The Struts (2016)

While being one of the lighter albums on the list, The Struts official debut was simply the most interesting album of the past decade. The English group first released Everybody Wants in their homeland in 2014, re-releasing it two years later in the U.S. with an adjusted track list.

The modern production quality is stellar, the songs are unique and the band brings an energy and new sound that the music world desperately needs. 

Vocalist Luke Spiller is rock’s next great frontman. Delivering an original approach while clearly channeling the ghost of Freddie Mercury, Spiller is a vocal chameleon whose voice changes song to song, sometimes verse to verse, but is always exactly right for the song he is singing. 

Many highlights come to the forefront, including explosive album opener Everybody Wants, the mystery-encased Black Swan, the biographical Mary Go Round and the self-promoting Young Stars. It was clear the band went into the studio expecting to create a hit record and approached it as such. The production quality has all the markings of an arena-rock megaband, which is interesting, if not downright ballsy, for a debut record release from a mostly unknown band.

The highlight of the album culminates in the penultimate track Only Just A Call Away, an emotion-filled track that feels like a modern take on 80s classic ballads such as Love Bites, Heaven or I Remember You. 

Perhaps The Struts captured lightning in a bottle with Everybody Wants. Their second album, Young and Dangerous, had some strong tracks yet left a lot to be desired, while their latest release, Strange Days, is a bonafide train wreck and total failure.

  1. United – Harem Scarem (2017)

Toronto Canada’s Harem Scarem has been delivering melodic hard rock masterpieces since their inception in 1991. The band came on the scene strongly toward the end of the hair metal generation and delivered their eponymous debut release, followed by their cult classic Mood Swings. Whereas many bands run out of strong material after their first few efforts, Harem Scarem was just getting warmed up. 

The band’s signature sound derives from vocalist and band leader Harry Hess’ uniquely layered voice and virtuoso Pete Lesperance’s masterful guitar prowess. The sound is solidified with drummer/vocalist Darren Smith who delivers powerful backing vocals equal to his power and solid timing behind the kit. 

As melodic hard rock changed in the 1990s, so did Harem Scarem’s sound. Taking a slightly slower, darker detour during the heart of the grunge years, the band searched for its identity with Voice of Reason and Karma Cleansing. They came out of that less advised phase with two of their masterpieces, Big Bang Theory and Weight of the World. Fast forward to 2017, and everything that has led to this point culminated in what may be considered to be their best overall work, United. (Although it’s truly hard to argue against the powerhouse instant classic Big Bang Theory.) 

United is truly almost a perfect melodic hard rock album. It’s the playbook that defines exactly how to write, record and perform this style of music. Catchy, instantly memorable hooks, huge harmonies and clean, tasteful guitar is the blueprint for success. This is the greatest band that the majority of mainstream music listeners have never heard, which is truly sad, considering the world has had to endure its fair share of the likes of Dangerous Toys, Jackyl, Pretty Boy Floyd and Poison. For whatever reason, Harem Scarem has remained the secret of the dedicated few who have had the determination to seek them out.

The album’s opener and title track encapsulates the essence of the band. Those only willing to explore a single song would be well advised to enjoy United. Here Today Gone Tomorrow, Bite the Bullet and Indestructible all deliver the trademark Scarem sound and attitude. The album’s zenith can be found in the standouts No Regrets, Heaven and Earth and The Sky Is Falling. All three should be on any soundtrack used for long road trips. There isn’t a bad song on the album, a truly remarkable accomplishment, although Sinking Ship and, perhaps Gravity, would be the two tracks to skip if time doesn’t permit a full listen to this should-be classic.  

  1. Stand Your Ground – Jack Starr (2017)

Jack Starr is a metal lifer. Originally lead guitarist for Virgin Steele, Starr hit the scene around the same time as classic metalers Iron Maiden, Manowar, and others of the early wave of new heavy metal, Starr has been serving up his brand of metal magic for four decades. Two things are certain on any Jack Starr album – the guitar work will be masterful and the singer will be outstanding. Stand Your Ground delivers both in spades. 

Going out on his own in the mid 1980s, Starr debuted with an album called Out of the Darkness. A good album, no doubt, but it was 1986’s No Turning Back that helped Starr make his mark in the metal community, an album many metal insiders consider to be a classic. In fact, Starr spent the rest of his career trying to top that masterpiece. Mission finally accomplished almost 30 years later with 2017’s Stand Your Ground.

Todd Michael Hall, a recent contestant on The Voice, carried the heavy torch previously held by Mike Tirelli, one of metal’s most underrated vocalists. He delivered in a big way. Stand Your Ground has absolutely no weaknesses, delivering powerful, anthemic metal from the first note to the very last. Worlds Apart, Sky Is Falling (no connection to the Harem Scarem song of the same name) and Destiny are all instant metal classics while The Enemy, Stand Your Ground and To The Ends are the album highlights. The latter has a classic metal feel that harkens back to a time when metal was new, special and inspiring. Starr and his talented bandmates capture that feel throughout the album, but especially so in To The Ends, perhaps Starr’s best song in a long, storied career.  

  1. For All Kings – Anthrax (2016)

As great as Anthrax’s preceding album Worship Music was, it was evident that something was just a bit off. It turns out that the vocals were actually written for former vocalist John Bush, who left the band just before the recording sessions commenced. Now armed with an album written for his much higher natural voice, Joey Belladonna excels, solidifying his place as thrash metal’s best vocalist.

Start to finish, For All Kings is pure, unadulterated energy. Adding new lead guitarist Jon Donais (formerly Shadow Fall) helped contribute to the album’s success. Donais plugs the one weakness Anthrax has faced since its inception – a great lead guitarist. The production quality of For All Kings is Anthrax’s best by a long shot. Charlie Benante continues to distance himself from others in his field, rewriting the book of how to be a world-class thrash drummer. A true legend, Benante is not slowing down with age; he may in fact be improving.

The track list could stand on its own being repackaged as a “greatest hits.” Album opener, You Gotta Believe, may be the best album opener since Metallica’s Fight Fire With Fire. Monster at the End is the perfect bridge to the album’s title track and best-of-show contender. If For All Kings isn’t the best song on the album, then track 4, Breathing Lightning is. An uncharacteristically commercial-sounding song for a traditionally heavy band, the outro music surprisingly hints at the Beach Boys California Girls. Back to its heavy ways, Suzerain, Blood Eagle Wings and This Battle Chose Us are metal standouts. 

It’s hard to argue against classic Anthrax from its heyday, especially albums such as Spreading the Disease and Among The Living. For All Kings delivers songs of similar quality, but with lead guitar solos and production quality that far surpass either of the aforementioned classic Anthrax albums. Of this top ten list. For All Kings also gets the nod for best album art, edging out Jack Starr and Helloween.

  1. The Book of Souls – Iron Maiden (2015)

Can it be called a comeback if the band didn’t actually go away? Iron Maiden continues to reinvent itself and, with the exception of the ill-advised Blaze Bayley era, put out instant metal classics with regularity.

Book of Souls is a 2-CD epic journey through a whopping 92 minutes of metal with no filler. After singer Bruce Dickinson’s run in with tongue cancer, the band took chances, expanded its boundaries and charted new territory. Never before was there a piano-dominant Iron Maiden song, nor a song eighteen minutes in length. Yet, Empire of the Clouds keeps the listener riveted as it tells the tale of a grand airship that faced its premature demise. Written solely by Dickinson, it’s odd subject matter from someone who is a full-fledged commercial airline pilot when he’s not fronting England’s greatest metal band. 

If Eternity Should Fail kicks off the album in typical Maiden fashion, full of energy and memorable hooks. A definite candidate for album’s best track, along with Tears of a Clown, written in memory of Dickinson’s friend, comedian Robin Williams. “Who motivates the motivator; Facade it has to go; He knows it sooner or later; Smile for cameras all okay; But tomorrow is another day he must get through.” A beautiful, yet chilling snapshot into what Williams may have been feeling before his self-inflicted demise. 

Speed of Light is classic Maiden, meant to get people out of their seats with hands in the air. Death or Glory and Man of Sorrows are memorable and The Red and the Black doubles as Maiden’s latest anthem and as one of its most recent band brews made by Robinson’s Brewing of England.)

Three songs exceed ten minutes, solidifying Maiden’s place as epic anthem writers. The Book of Souls delivers new music in the classic Maiden sound that shows this band is as strong and popular as ever. 

  1. Stay Gold – Butch Walker (2016)

Definitely the least heavy album on the list, Stay Gold is one of Butch Walker’s finest works to date. Having formerly been the guitarist of hard rock outfits Southgang and Marvelous 3 qualifies his inclusion on this list. 

Walker’s eighth full-length release not so subtly showcases some of his influences. Hints of Springsteen and Petty abound on this album, but more in a tributary than plagiaristic sort of way. The strong title track sets the tone for this solid album, and may be one of Walker’s all-time best tracks. 

Wilder in the Heart tells the story of an awkward reconnection with a lost love, long after the love is gone. East Coast Girl has “top ten hit” written all over it while Mexican Coke may or may not be about cola made with natural sugar. 

Ludlow Expectations and Can We Just Not Talk About Last Night feel autobiographical and are relatable. Irish Exit showcases Walker’s wide range of musical abilities. 

Walker started his career as a lead guitarist for a hair metal band, evolved into a hit writing machine and lead vocalist for Marvelous 3 and now has evolved again into one of the world’s greatest, most thought provoking singer/songwriters. All the while, Walker has gained his greatest fame writing and producing others, including Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, and seemingly every pop band from the early 2000s, such as Green Day, Bowling For Soup, All Time Low and SR-71. Thankfully, Walker saved some of his best material for Stay Gold, an album that will long be considered one of his best. 

  1. Firepower – Judas Priest (2018)

Judas Priest has a long history of putting out metal classics, but it has been a while since they were churning out masterpieces such as British Steel, Unleashed in the East and Screaming For Vengeance. Firepower is the first album that deserves to be mentioned in the same conversation as those metal classics. 

Sans KK Downing who is no longer with the band, the classic Priest sound is still intact. In fact, the album contains all the traditional Priest components they are known for, including energy, killer guitars, soaring vocals and, well, firepower. The production quality of the album is stellar; the blueprint for what a metal album should sound like. 

The title track gets a lot of run among metal faithful, yet it’s hardly the album’s best work. Lightning Strike, Evil Never Dies, Never the Heroes, Spectre and Rising From The Ruins all top the title track. The album’s best song, No Surrender, is as good as Priest’s classics such as Breakin’ the Law, Electric Eye and You Got Another Thing Coming. With or without KK Downing (and now Glenn Tipton suffering from Parkinson’s Disease), Priest still finds a way to not just stay relevant, but continue to create some of metal’s best sounds long into their fifth decade. 

  1. My God Given Right – Helloween (2015)

German metal masters Helloween could have made this list more than once. 7 Sinners (2010) or Straight Out Of Hell (2013) were considered for inclusion, but the edge goes to 2015’s My God Given Right. 

The band’s new lineup has been in place for a solid decade with this release, and it has become a well oiled machine. While long-time Helloween fans still miss the ethereal vocals of German metal god Michael Kiske and the heart and soul of original vocalist/guitarist Kai Hansen, current vocalist Andi Deris and guitarist Sascha Gerstner are more than able replacements. 

Four different band members contribute tracks to this album, all containing the signature Helloween sound. Gerstner contributes Heroes, Like Everybody Else and the fantastic Wicked Game while vocalist Deris brings four tracks to the mix, including three of the album’s strongest: If God Loves Rock n Roll, Lost In America and My God Given Right. Founding member Michael Weikath delivers Battle’s Won, Creatures in Heaven and Claws, with Battle’s being the standout. Living on the Edge comes from Markus Grosskopf, of whom an argument can be made as metal’s most talented bassist. 

Helloween of today sounds relatively nothing like Helloween of the late 1980s, yet both versions of the band are absolutely outstanding. The Deris version of the band would be considered heavier than the Kiske/Hansen era, yet both deliver some of the greatest metal ever created.

  1. Open Wide – Nitrate (2019)

Once time travel is invented and perfected, this album will become an all-time classic. Had it been released in 1989 instead of 2019, there’s no doubt we’d be talking about it the way we talk about Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Warrant’s Cherry Pie and White Lion’s Pride. The album contains all the elements that made the aforementioned bands huge. But, let’s face it, timing is everything in this business. 

(Editor’s Note: This is in no way meant as a condemnation or a negative; in fact, I can relate to this very conundrum with the release of my own album, Rock City, also about 30 years past the height of the hair metal generation. But as I always say, better late than never. And maybe we’re just ahead of our time for the next wave?)

Open Wide is a melodic rock masterpiece, the brainchild of Nitrate’s bassist/keyboardist Nick Hogg. Hogg assembles top notch musicians to create instantly memorable melodic hard rock classics. This is Nitrate’s second effort, and first to feature vocalist Philip Lindstrand. Drummer Pete Newdeck performed double duty by also mixing the album, while Marcus Thurston handled lead guitar duties. Harem Scarem’s Harry Hess mastered the record which is never a bad thing. 

You Want It You Got It is typical 1980s arena rock while Night Time City and Only A Heartache Away follow flawlessly. Heartbreak Suicide seemingly borrows its title from the 1998 Danger Danger track of the same name, but delivers great melodic rock, nonetheless. In The Night is a classic power ballad while Shot In The Dark and Never Surrender keep the hits coming. 

The album’s strongest track is the finale, the re-recorded Waiting On You from the band’s debut album, Real World. An instant melodic hard rock classic, Waiting On You defines the band’s sound and is a “must listen” for anyone who enjoys this genre of music. 

Nitrate’s first two albums have featured different vocalists, with Sweden’s Lindstrand being the voice that better fits the music, despite some odd phrasings as English is not his primary language. The band’s follow up is currently being recorded and will feature yet another new vocalist, also from Sweden, Art Nation’s Alexander Strandell. 

Anyone who loves 80s hair metal music but needs new music in their lives absolutely needs to discover Nitrate. 

  1.   Ritual – Tygers of Pan Tang (2019)

Tygers of Pan Tang are among the famous group of bands known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), despite never really breaking through in America like their counterparts Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon and others. Despite having several starts and stops and numerous member changes throughout the years, their latest release, 2019’s Ritual, is among their strongest. 

A band that came to at least moderate prominence during the early 1980s when future Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes shared the lead guitar duties with founding member, guitarist Robb Weir. 

The newest incarnation features Italian vocalist Jacopo Meille and guitarist Mickey Crystal, significantly – yet positively – altering the traditional Tygers’ sound. Meille’s vocals appear behind a perfect layer of echo and delay, allowing them to blend seamlessly into the aggressive, heavy, yet catchy music. Even with a band that once featured the aforementioned guitar legend Sykes, the guitar work on Ritual is as good as any previous Tygers album. 

White Lines is solid, while opening tracks Worlds Apart and Destiny are standouts. Love Will Find A Way may have been a bigger hit in another era but fits memorably on Ritual. Not every track is a home run, but many are, and the outstanding overall production quality makes Ritual a must-have album for any fan of modern melodic hard rock.

  1.    Dystopia – Megadeth (2016) Honorable Mention

How cliche, eleven albums on a top ten list, right? The argument for number ten went back and forth literally for months before finalizing the positions for this article. All in all, Ritual is the overall better album and, therefore, gained the number ten spot on the list. However, had this been a list for best songs of the past decade, Dystopia would have been represented twice. The Grammy-award winning title track is pure metal greatness, yet still second to possibly the greatest Megadeth song of all time, Poisonous Shadows. 

Megadeth’s 15th studio album, Dystopia, marked the debut of guitarist Kiko Loureiro (Angra) and the South American had some big shoes to fill. Marty Friedeman set the standard for lead guitar playing in Megadeth and his subsequent replacements have all fallen short until Loureiro. Possessing a completely different, yet equally talented style as Friedeman, Loureiro delivers lightning fast licks packaged in a pleasant, melodic approach. 

Drummer Chris Adler (Lamb of God) was an unexpected addition to the album, pausing from his full-time band to lay down tracks for a band he considers personal heroes. The drumming was exceptional on Dystopia, absolutely front and center in the mix. You don’t just hear the drums on Dystopia, you feel them as well.

The Threat Is Real, The Emperor and Fatal Illusion were all memorable contributions. Dystopia is not a solid record start to finish; in fact there are some low lights such as Conquer or Die, Death From Within or the punk cover Foreign Policy (Fear) that seems wildly out of place. However, the best tracks are so strong, and the production quality so great that despite its weaknesses, Dystopia deserved strong consideration for being one of the decade’s best and came in ever so slightly short of hitting that mark.

December 7, 2020
Music

The 50 Greatest Rock Vocalists

by admin October 22, 2020
John Lennon Beatles

The 50 greatest singers in rock history. At least, the 50 greatest rock vocalists that most people have heard of. What makes a singer great? How can a singer of one era be judged against a singer of another? How does one judge between singers of different genres? Rather than answer those questions, let’s talk about what this list is NOT.

This list is NOT a pop list and it’s not who has accomplished the most or who was the most significant. (Otherwise Prince and Michael Jackson would probably have made the list). It has NOTHING to do with popularity or a singer’s influence on others (or Mick Jagger, Bono and Paul Stanley would have made the list). It matters NOT how many records the singer’s band sold (or Paul and John would be 1 & 2). It has nothing to do with charisma (otherwise Jim Morrison, Bob Marley and David Lee Roth would have made the cut). And, the list considers a singer’s entire career, not just the highlights. Simply stated, this is a list of 50 great voices, predominantly from the rock, hard rock and heavy metal genres. 

Some fantastic and deserving singers were left off the list due to nothing other than anonymity. There’s no need to create a list (and subsequent story) containing a bunch of singers no one knows. For those deeply dedicated to the pursuit of great, obscure bands that never achieved mainstream status, just know that stellar vocalists such as Mike Tirelli (Jack Starr), Todd Michael Hall (Riot V), Tommy Heart (Fair Warning), Ted Pilot (Fifth Angel), Andre Matos (Viper), James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Guy Speranza (Riot), Tobias Sammet (Edguy), Roger Manning (Jellyfish) and Greg Anderson (Prizoner) would have otherwise likely been included. With that said, let the debating begin! 

  1. Steve Perry (Journey)
Steve Perry. Rock’s Greatest Vocalist

The king of the hill, top of the heap, A number 1. Steve Perry sets the example for what a lead singer should aspire to be. The look, the stage presence and a voice from another world. Perry can sing rock, he can sing ballads, all while being the absolute best at both. The voice of a generation, Perry sings every song like his life depends on it. With that kind of focus, intensity, talent and passion, it’s no surprise that Perry stands alone at the very top of the greatest singers of all time list. 

  1. Robin Zander (Cheap Trick)
Robin Zander

The man with the indestructible voice, Cheap Trick has seemingly been on tour since Columbus discovered America, and yet Zander’s voice is as clean and perfect as ever. With hits spanning four decades, the voice that delivers If You Want My Love, Surrender, Dream Police, She’s Tight and, well, Voices, sets the standard for rock vocalists. Zander is an inspiration, if not outright idol, to vocalists of all generations worldwide.

  1. Michael Kiske (Helloween)

The singer from the “pumpkins” band, Michael Kiske would – and should – be a household name.  Helloween designed the playbook for what a heavy metal band should sound like: high, soaring vocals; intense, dueling guitars, and a rhythm section that touches every one of the body’s senses. But it all starts with the vocalist, and heavy metal has never seen a better one than Michael Kiske. And to imagine, he joined the band at the ripe old age of just 18. Now back in Helloween after a lengthy hiatus, Kiske has also lent his vocal talents to the likes of Place Vendome, Unisonic (with Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen) and Avantasia, among others.

  1. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)

The voice of the quintessential heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, Dickinson defines what it means to be metal. Making his debut on the classic Number of the Beast album in 1982, he followed that up with an album considered by many to be the greatest metal album of all time, 1983’s Piece of Mind. With Powerslave to follow, the trilogy showcases Dickinson’s brilliance and separates him from all metal vocalists short of Kiske. With power, an incredible range, and an attitude and stage presence to match, Bruce Dickinson is an iconic heavy metal singer.

  1. Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow, Black Sabbath)
Ronnie James Dio. The Godfather of Heavy Metal and Inventor of the Metal Horns.

What can you say about a guy that fronted three top line bands? Getting his international start with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Dio delivered some of the finest rock classics ever created, including Rising and Long Live Rock N Roll. When Blackmore wanted to go more commercial, Dio left and joined Black Sabbath, replacing the iconic Ozzy Osbourne. All Dio did was smoke Osbourne and take Sabbath to a whole new plateau in the metal world. Finally forming his eponymous band with ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain, ex-Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice and guitar prodigy Vivian Campbell, Dio delivered three consecutive masterpieces that included metal anthems such as Rainbow in the Dark, Holy Diver, Last in Line and Evil Eyes. The godfather or heavy metal and the inventor of the “metal horns,” Dio was an icon and one of the greatest rock and metal singers who ever lived.

  1. Brad Delp (Boston)

Rumor has it that once studio genius Tom Scholz was finished recording the music to his debut record and ready to field a band he called Boston, he had to choose between two vocal candidates: Billy Squier and Brad Delp. While Squier is somewhat of a rock god in his own right, Scholz made the right call in hiring Delp. He became the voice of the 70s fronting the top-40 sensation that ruled the radio from 1976 to 1980, and still enjoys regular airplay to this day. Delp’s range could equal just about anyone’s and his ability to lay down harmonies in several octaves created one of rock’s most unique sounds. More Than A Feeling, Peace of Mind, Don’t Look Back and A Man I’ll Never Be showcase the brilliance of one of rock’s greatest voices. Delp also appeared on fellow Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau’s solo album, and the two formed the short lived group RTZ which produced two solid albums that most Boston fans would greatly enjoy.

  1. Geoff Tate (Queensryche)

When contemplating the “Mt. Rushmore” of metal vocalists, Tate and the metal God, Rob Halford, are neck and neck for the fourth spot (behind Kiske, Dickinson and Dio). While Halford has more longevity, a bigger catalog and a pretty cool nickname, Tate gets the nod due to sheer talent. As great as Halford may be and is, Tate does things that Halford simply couldn’t. Metal anthems Queen of the Reich, Take Hold of the Flame and Prophecy are a testament to that. Yet, the heartfelt ballads, such as Lady Jane, One More Time and Someone Else uncover the true greatness in Geoff Tate’s incredible voice.

  1. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
The Golden God: Robert Plant

Robert Plant is the golden god, the frontman of one of rock’s most iconic bands, Led Zeppelin. The voice behind In the Light, Kashmir, Stairway to Heaven and Dancing Days, Plant set the bar higher than most can reach. His stellar brilliance carried on into his solo career, highlighted by the lovely ballad, “Moonlight in Samosa,” found on Plant’s solo debut, proving the multi-dimensional talent Plant possesses. 

  1. Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

The metal god has been delivering the goods for almost 50 years and he’s as great as ever. The leather, the motorcycles, the shrieks and the high notes, Halford is one of a kind and a trendsetter for the heavy metal generation. The voice behind Living After Midnight, Breaking the Law, Green Manalishi, Electric Eye and You Got Another Thing Coming, Halford delivers strength and energy that perfectly support the dual guitar attack of KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, legends in their own right. Halford has also produced a second band, Fight, and solo records, the zenith being the classic “Resurrection.” He very easily could have made the metal Mt. Rushmore, but just as a fifth stone head appears in South Dakota in the form of Crazy Horse, Rob Halford is the metal Crazy Horse.

  1. Lou Gramm (Foreigner)
The voice of late 70s/early 80s rock: Foreigner’s Lou Gramm

Like Halford, Lou Gramm very easily could have made the rock singers’ Mt. Rushmore. In an era competing with the likes of Journey, Styx, Led Zeppelin and other powerhouse bands, Gramm and his band Foreigner held its own, delivering a jukebox full of hits. With virtually unmatched power and range, Lou Gramm’s voice defines the rock generation of the late 70s/early 80s. 

  1. Freddie Mercury (Queen)

Rock? Check. Opera? Check. Ballads? Check. Bohemian Rhapsody? Absolutely. Freddie Mercury could do it all, and set the standard for what it meant to be a charismatic frontman. Unrivaled energy, an incredible range and a stage presence surpassed by no one, Mercury is an all-time great that delivered his best performances on the biggest stages, including his legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985.

  1. Dennis DeYoung (Styx)

The theater singer with the most operatic voice in rock, Dennis DeYoung is the perfect counterpoint to bandmate Tommy Shaw’s straightforward rock style, giving the band depth and dimension that other bands can’t match. DeYoung mastered perfect pitch and was the king of the 70s rock ballad, including classics such as Come Sail Away, Babe, Lady and The Best of Times. 

  1. Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)

The third voice of Rainbow, and arguably, the smoothest, Turner’s voice was all over AOR radio during rock’s peak years in the early 80s. Stringing together hits such as I Surrender, Can’t Let You Go, Street of Dreams and Stone Cold, it was virtually impossible to turn on the radio and not hear Joe Lynn Turner crooning yet another hit from the machine known as Rainbow. Ritchie Blackmore wanted to go more commercial when he split with Ronnie James Dio and it came to fruition, first with Graham Bonnet, but more so with – and because of – Joe Lynn Turner. 

  1. Rik Emmett (Triumph) 
The pride of Toronto Canada, Triumph’s Rik Emmett.

When Triumph came onto the scene in 1976, they were doing everything they could to be the next Rush. Also from Toronto, Canada like Rush, Triumph was a 3-piece band consisting of talented musicians, led by a frontman with an incredibly high voice. The difference between Triumph and Rush is that Rik Emmett could actually sing. He sang his heart out, perfectly in sync with the rise of MTV, which gave the band the boost they needed to become mainstream virtually overnight. Triumph’s sound started to gel with the Just a Game album, but it was the MTV smash Allied Forces that brought them into superstardom, led by hits Fight the Good Fight, Say Goodbye and the timeless Magic Power. The imageless band relied on their talent and their songwriting, which were as good as anyone’s. Sadly, as Andre Agassi can tell you, image is everything, and Triumph faded from popularity as quickly as they achieved it, through no fault of their own, once the hair metal generation came on the scene.

  1. Paul McCartney (Beatles)
Legend

It’s Paul McCartney. The man who created and sang Yesterday, I Will, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Maybe I’m Amazed, Silly Love Songs, My Love, Hello/Goodbye, Helter Skelter, She Loves You, The Long and Winding Road, Here There and Everywhere and countless others. A damn good bassist in his own right, Paul is the ultimate frontman engaging audiences non-stop for almost 60 years. An icon. A legend. The best there ever was at what he does, including being a great vocalist.

  1. Steve Walsh (Kansas)

When they weren’t trying to fit in another violin solo or six minute long guitar solo, Kansas was at the top of their game, led by frontman Steve Walsh. A man who could crank out rock classics and lovely ballads with the perfect touch, Walsh is the voice behind Carry On Wayward Son, Dust in the Wind, Hold On and the Point of Know Return. The band had hits with his replacement, Jon Elefante, but they weren’t the same. He returned to deliver a standout performance on Power, an album that featured guitar legend Steve Morse.

  1. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)

Sammy got his start fronting the band Montrose, but hit the big time once he refused to drive 55 and went out on his own. Charting top 20 hits year after year, including Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy, Three Lock Box, Two Sides of Love and 55, Hagar is a virtual hit machine. He even lent his friend Rick Springfield a top 10 hit with his tune I’ve Done Everything For you. He was selling out arenas as a solo artist when Eddie Van Halen called, and Sammy couldn’t resist the opportunity to join forces with the most talented guitarist in the world. All he did was make Van Halen bigger, more popular and achieve higher and longer chart success. Creating masterpieces such as Dreams, Love Walks In, When It’s Love, Top of the World, Why Can’t This Be Love and 5150, Hagar was the energy the band needed to replace the charismatic David Lee Roth. The difference between the two singers, who were both great frontmen, was that Sammy was actually a great vocalist and didn’t rely on stage antics and props the way his predecessor did. His much higher vocal range gave bassist Michael Anthony fits trying to hit the high harmonies above Hagar’s tenor leads, but together they created the soundtrack for a generation.

  1. Billy Squier (Billy Squier)

The former voice of Piper that was almost the voice of Boston, Squier was a rock idol in the early 80s with the success of his smash album, Don’t Say No. Featuring the songs In The Dark and My Kind of Lover, Squier was quick to headline major venues, fronting his hard hitting band. Emotions in Motions solidified Squier’s claim to the top of the charts. He seemed destined for long lasting greatness until a changing of the guard took place on his own tour. His opening act, Def Leppard, caught fire, sold 7 million albums with their smash Pyromania, requiring a change in billing, relegating Squier to opening status. He never fully recovered from that. A few hits followed, but never the superstardom he enjoyed prior to the British invasion.

  1. Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)

The brains behind some of the most intricate music in rock history, Brian Wilson is a hard vocalist to categorize. Some of his vocals were among the greatest ever recorded, while others, especially in later solo years, lacked imagination and intensity. Wilson hits notes in Surf’s Up that few could touch, and his lead on Wouldn’t It Be Nice is one of the best vocal performances of the 1960s. Wilson’s greatest gift was what he created, both in his mind and in the studio, changing music forever in how it was both written and recorded. Wilson’s ability to understand and harness the power of vocal harmony has never been, and likely never will be, matched.

  1. Joey Belladonna (Anthrax)

One of thrash’s “big four,” Anthrax was the one thrash band that had a legitimate lead singer in Joey Belladonna. With a tenor range that could hit soprano notes, Belladonna soared over Anthrax’s searing dual guitar attack. Belting out classics Indians, Lone Justice, Medusa, A.I.R. and I Am The Law, Anthrax set themselves apart from the other thrash outfits by being a well-rounded band led by the stellar vocals. 

  1. Don Henley (Eagles)

When the Eagles started, it was supposed to be an equal partnership with everyone getting to sing the same amount of lead. Except Don Henley just kept doing it better than the others, vaulting him to the position of frontman despite being behind the drum kit. The voice behind Eagles hits such as Hotel California, Wasted Time, The Last Resort and Desperado, as well as solo hits such as The Boys of Summer and The Heart of the Matter, Henley is a vocal master to go along with being a legendary songwriter, successful band leader and steady drummer.

  1. Phil Mogg (UFO)

After 50 years of being Too Hot To Handle, it’s finally Lights Out for Phil Mogg and the boys from UFO. The band that has featured guitar legends Michael Schenker, Paul Chapman and Vinny Moore is led by the band leader and arguably THE voice of classic rock, Mr. Phil Mogg. Rocking with Doctor, Doctor, Cherry, Highway Lady and Rock Bottom or crooning to the mellow Love to Love, Mogg commands the stage with vocals that are iconic and define the era we now call classic rock.

  1. Roger Daltrey (The Who)
Roger Daltrey

The Who was a groundbreaking band that came to popularity around the same time as the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Led by Roger Daltrey who had an energy, a range and power that neither of the other two bands possessed. Able to deliver rock classics such as Won’t Get Fooled Again and Baba O’Riley as well as the beautiful ballad Behind Blue Eyes, Daltrey was up for the task no matter what type of song Pete Townshend happened to write. Known for twirling his microphone high into the sky, Daltrey is one of rock’s most iconic and long lasting vocalists.

  1. Tony Harnell (TNT)

A lesser known vocalist known more by underground heavy metal and hard rock fans, Harnell has one of the highest voices in rock. Known mostly for fronting Norwegian band TNT, Harnell has an operatic vocal style with a soprano’s range. Harnell came on the scene as a metal singer, cranking out anthems such as Seven Seas and 10,000 Lovers in One. He evolved into a true singer, highlighted by masterpieces Tonight I’m Falling and Lonely Nights. A hard rock legend, even if under the radar, Harnell has also worked with the bands Morningwood, Westworld, Lovekillers, Starbreaker, and he spent some time in Skid Row, one of the few vocalists that could suitably replace Sebastian Bach.

  1. Ann Wilson (Heart)

The queen of rock, Ann Wilson is as strong of a singer as any alive. The voice behind Barracuda, Magic Man, What About Love and Crazy on You, Wilson can shriek like a horse or hold a note in perpetuity. Wilson has collaborated with rock vocalists such as Robin Zander of Cheap Trick and Mike Reno of Loverboy to create some of the classic movie ballads of the 80s.

  1. Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

The man who had the indubitable task of replacing Ronnie James Dio in Rainbow decided to just be himself. Instead of trying to sound like Dio, Bonnet decided to do it “Graham style” and delivered Rainbow’s biggest hits to date in Since You Been Gone and All Night Long. He later fronted the Michael Schenker Band on the Assault Attack album which produced Desert Song and Dancer. His best work was when he founded his own band, Alcatrazz, the band that brought guitar prodigy Yngwie Malmsteen to national prominence. Bonnet has power and a very unique and recognizable voice that is still going strong at age 71.

  1. Jani Lane (Warrant)

Another talent of the hair metal generation, Jani Lane had the look of the more popular Brett Michaels but ten times the talent. No song is more indicative of the time then their super smash, Heaven, or the cheesy and forgettable Cherry Pie. All that aside, Jani Lane was a gifted songwriter and even more gifted vocalist with a wide range, a charismatic stage presence and the ability to sing ballads and hard rockers with equal grace and skill. He was a charismatic frontman who could command a crowd during every single minute of a performance. I Saw Red, Blind Faith and Sad Theresa are among Lane’s high water mark performances, and the lesser known Thin Disguise and Stronger Now might be his best.

  1. John Lennon (Beatles)
John Lennon.

It’s John Lennon. Imagine a world without John Lennon. Or better yet, let’s not. To say that he and his bandmates started a musical revolution is an understatement. The Beatles re-wrote what it meant to be singers, songwriters and musicians, in general. They achieved greatness that has never been, nor ever will be, matched. That greatness was due in part to the fearless duo of Lennon & McCartney. Lennon has said he only ever wrote two “real” songs, cuts he considered to be autobiographical: Strawberry Fields and Help. Lennon didn’t need much help getting to – and staying at – the top of the charts, as well as the hearts and minds of music fans for generations.

  1. Mike Tramp (White Lion)

The man with the perfect hair, Mike Tramp had a voice to match during the height of the glam metal era. White Lion was the quintessential 80s hair metal band, bringing great songs, top notch musicianship and an unparalleled look. The band started and ended with the magical combination of guitarist Vito Bratta and vocalist Mike Tramp. Cranking out hits such as When the Children Cry, Wait and Tell Me, the band’s Pride album was a chart topper. Unlike many of their counterparts in the music scene, each band member was truly talented. Pride was the hit album but their best work could be found on their raw debut Fight To Survive and their fourth effort, Main Attraction.

  1. Harry Hess (Harem Scarem)
Harry Hess of Harem Scarem

Harem Scarem is the greatest band most people have never heard. This Toronto, Ontario four-piece outfit can write hits as fast as Warren Buffet can make money. Yet, they’ve never achieved the mainstream success they so greatly deserve. There’s so much talent in this band, the three main band members: guitarist Pete Lesperance, Drummer Darren Smith and vocalist Hess each front their own bands outside of Harem Scarem. Hess is the master of the studio and can do things with his voice that few others can touch. Big Bang Theory, Weight of the World and United are the “must hear” albums from the Harem Scarem collection, but don’t pass up a chance to take a deep dive with Mood Swings, Change the World or the band’s self-titled debut. 

31. David Coverdale (Whitesnake)

The man who broke on the scene as Ian Gillan’s replacement in Deep Purple (producing the hit Burn), Coverdale is best known for the band he founded, Whitesnake. The band had more lineup changes then Cher’s wardrobe, but no matter who surrounded Coverdale, he cranked out hit after hard rocking hit. And when a song didn’t become a hit, he re-released later until it did (see Crying in the Rain and Here I Go Again). Achieving success with Slide It In, Coverdale hit the big time with the release of the band’s self-titled 1987 masterpiece. Featuring Still of the Night, Bad Boys, Here I Go Again and Is This Love, Whitesnake was one of 1987’s biggest successes on the Billboard charts. It catapulted the band to sold out arena shows, with a supergroup consisting of guitarists Vivian Campbell and Adrian Vandenberg, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Later, guitarist Steve Vai replaced Campbell and took the band to new heights. Coverdale achieved related fame by marrying Playboy playmate Tawny Kitaen who was the “Whitesnake” girl on several of the band’s overplayed videos.

  1. Andi Deris (Helloween)

Deris had to replace Helloween’s iconic vocalist Michael Kiske and somehow managed to pull it off. Helloween started off as a heavy metal band, and got even heavier with the addition of the powerful Deris. Ably handling the Kiske (and Hansen-era) vocals, and contributing a completely different and unique style of his own, Deris has helped Helloween achieve superstardom in Europe and South America, even if they never quite caught on in North America. It’s clearly North America’s loss, because Deris is one of the finest singers in, arguably, the greatest heavy metal band in the world.

  1. Ray Gillen (Badlands)

Ray Gillen’s story is short and somewhat tragic because he could have gone down as one of rock’s all-time greatest. Breaking onto the scene with Black Sabbath, he recorded an album known as Eternal Idol. Prior to its release, Sabbath founder Tony Iommi got word that Gillen was looking to put his own band together (later known as Badlands), and he cut the singer loose and had his vocals re-recorded by replacement vocalist Tony Martin. Gillen formed Badlands with guitarist Jake E. Lee and bassist Greg Chaisson, and the band was known for its hit Dreams In The Dark. Gillen’s vocals were Coverdale-esque, if not slightly better. He also appeared on an album by the project band Phenomena. Had he possessed a bigger catalog of work, he would likely have appeared much higher on this list. Gillen was a truly gifted vocalist.

  1. Billy Joel (Billy Joel)

The piano man and songwriting legend is also a formidable singer. While splitting his personality between the crooning piano balladier and the rocking guitar slinger of Glass Houses fame, Joel’s voice is identifiable, strong and timeless. He’s everyman’s singer; no frills, no strange effects and virtually no falsetto (with the exception of the oddball River of Dreams), Billy Joel could rock with the best of them while winning over the ladies by writing and singing some of music’s greatest love songs.

  1. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) 
Phil Lynott: The Genius Behind Thin Lizzy

The black Irishman had a voice like none other, and he took full advantage of his uniqueness. Lynott’s Thin Lizzy is known for chart topping hits such as Boys Are Back In Town and Jailbreak, but it was some of the lesser known gems such as The Cowboy Song, Hollywood, Get Out Of Here and Thunder and Lightning that showcased Lynott’s greatness. A guest appearance on Gary Moore’s Out In The Fields solidified Lynott’s greatness. A formidable bassist and incredible songwriter, Lynott wrote songs that accentuated the uniqueness in his voice, creating timeless classics that live on long after he’s left us.

36. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)

The man is more than just hair. Bach delivered some of the 80s strongest vocals, especially found on the chart-topping debut Skid Row album. Ranging from the anthemic Youth Gone Wild to the melancholy 18 and Life and back around to the sweet I Remember You, Bach has the vocal training, excellent tone and huge range to pull off a plethora of rock styles. If hair were a determinant in the rankings, he would certainly have ended up higher on the list.

  1. Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi)

The master of the power ballad, Jon Bon Jovi delivered hits the way Wisconsin delivers cheese. Never Say Goodbye, I’ll Be There For You, Stick To Your Guns, Always; whenever there was a new Bon Jovi album, a hit power ballad was sure to follow. But he could also rock with the best of his era, cranking out gems such as Wild Is The Wind, In These Arms as well as the now tired radio hits Born To Be My Baby, Livin’ On A Prayer and Bad Medicine. Starting it all off with Runaway, Jon Bon Jovi is the poster child for the big hair glam metal era.

  1. Eric Adams (Manowar)

Despite these middle-aged men dressing like vikings and singing about conquering foreign lands in battle, Manowar’s lead singer, Eric Adams, deserves a spot on this list. There is no one with a stronger voice in all of rock. He can sing, he can scream, he can hold a note as long as he wishes. While the music itself can be somewhat one-dimensional, Adams has a voice unlike most. It would be interesting to see what he could do in a more mainstream heavy metal/hard rock band.

39. Jimi Jamison (Survivor)

While he didn’t appear on Survivor’s biggest hit, Eye of the Tiger, Jamison was the voice on all subsequent hits. The album Vital Signs is an all-time rock classic, an album from which any song could – and should – have been a top 10 hit. I Can’t Hold Back, High on You and The Search Is Over were the hits from this album, yet the highlights of the album are the non-hits, Everlasting and I See You In Everyone. The follow up, When Seconds Count, picked up right where Vital Signs left off sonically and hit-wise; sounding like it may have been recorded at the same time as Vital Signs. That album delivered Is This Love and Rebel Son. Too Hot To Sleep continued the trend, but to a lesser degree, with minor hits Desperate Dreams and Didn’t Know It Was Love. Burning Heart, from 1985’s Rocky IV, was another signature smash for the group. Jamison got his start with a band called Cobra which featured future-Asia guitarist Mandy Meier.

  1. Luke Spiller (The Struts)
Luke Spiller of The Struts

Arguably the most interesting vocalist and band to come out of the 2010-era, Luke Spiller is a bit of a chameleon. He molds his voice to each song and often sounds like a completely different singer. One moment, he sounds like Steven Tyler while the next he’s the second coming of Freddie Mercury. In any case, Spiller brings energy, vibrancy, excitement and a throwback attitude to when vocalists simply tried harder. 

  1. Butch Walker (Marvelous 3)

It would be remiss to not include the multi-talented Butch Walker on a list of great singers. The man of many voices, Walker is a bit of an enigma. Emerging onto the scene as a lead guitarist, not a vocalist, Walker morphed from a “lead guitarist” to a “lead vocalist who plays guitar.” And the transition was flawless. All the while, he also became a notable and reputable producer. His first foray into being a lead vocalist came with his band Marvelous 3, which, to many, would be considered a one-hit wonder (Freak of the Week). But that was no fault of Walker, he produced three albums full of hits, even if the record company and the public didn’t particularly notice. After going solo, his vocal prowess increased significantly. Walker expanded his hand at different musical styles and genres, each one building his vocal resume. Stay Gold is a highlight for showcasing Walker’s vocals, as is Left Of Self Centered.

  1. Mike Reno (Loverboy)

Absolutely forgettable tennis headband aside, Mike Reno took his band to the top. Having produced hits the way Sammy Hagar sells tequila, Reno’s voice was all over the early 1980s radio. Top 40 hits, movie soundtracks or duets with Ann Wilson, commercial radio turned Reno and Loverboy loose for a while which really wasn’t a bad thing.

  1. Eric Martin (Mr. Big)

While known mostly for the smash hit To Be With You, Eric Martin and his band Mr. Big are certainly not one trick ponies. The band stayed somewhat under the radar but still charted with Just Take My Heart, Daddy Brother Little Boy and Strike Like Lightning. Singing in front of virtuosos Paul Gilbert (guitar) and Billy Sheehan (bass), Martin had to be good, and he more than held his own. Martin has also released several solo albums, spawning the radio friendly These Are The Good Times.

  1. Paul Rodgers (Bad Company)

The voice of Bad Company, Rodgers was anything but a Shooting Star. He doesn’t have an outstanding range, and for that matter, his style may be somewhat one dimensional, but he may very well be “the voice” of the classic rock era. There cannot be a list of great rock singers without Mr. Rock n Roll Fantasy.

  1. Vince Neil (Motley Crue)

If Neil were to be judged by Motley Crue’s debut album alone, he would have undoubtedly made the top 20. However, for all the beauty, balls and sheer coolness of tracks such as Public Enemy #1, Starry Eyes and On With the Show, we’ve also had to endure Girls, Girls, Girls, Dr. Feelgood and You’re All I Need. The facts of life state that you take the good with the bad, and with the exception of Neil’s first five or so hungry years, it was more of the latter.

  1. Elvis Presley

Elvis didn’t have much of a range compared to others on this list, but he was Elvis. The king. Responsible for carving out the genre known as rock’n’roll, along with fellow pioneers Chuck Berry and Little Richard, no one commanded a stage the way Elvis could. His take on the old Italian opera classic O Sole Mio, 1960’s It’s Now Or Never sold an astonishing 20 million units! What he may have lacked in range, the old Hound Dog makes up for in hits, cool factor and everlasting legacy.

  1. Aldo Nova

Life is just a fantasy, can you live the fantasy life? Aldo Nova did in the early 80s, and one can make the claim that he, along with April Wine, ushered in the glam hard rock era. With a little less hairspray than those who followed, Nova got by on energy, catchy songs and a great voice. While he never captured the mainstream success that he achieved on the eponymous debut release, he put out four solid albums including the unheralded (and fantastic) Blood on the Bricks, an album co-written with Jon Bon Jovi. 

  1. Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids, Nordic Union)

A lesser known vocalist among the mainstream but a legend and icon among those who love European hard rock and heavy metal, Ronnie Atkins is the voice that identifies this genre. The brainchild behind his main act, Pretty Maids, and his sideband, Nordic Union, Atkins freely moves between his signature growl and a beautiful tenor tone that define his uniqueness. Check out “Last Beauty on Earth” side by side with “Future World” to see the talent and vocal diversity Atkins brings to the rock world.

  1. Don Dokken (Dokken)

Dokken’s inclusion is based entirely on his extensive and impressive collection of studio work. If this list were based solely on live performance, Dokken would come somewhere between a cat in heat and a pack of howling coyotes. Thankfully, Don Dokken has produced some of the hair metal genre’s greatest work, none better than what was found in the trilogy of 80s classics: Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back For The Attack. At some point, hopefully Dokken will realize that his contribution to the world needs to focus on releasing new material and leave the live performances to someone that can actually still perform live.

  1. Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, John Norum)

The chameleon has been killing it in rock circles for more than 45 years with no signs of slowing down. Glenn Hughes has fronted Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and guitar prodigy John Norum’s band. He bobs and weaves and morphs his voice fluidly with whatever project he is with at the time. No man has had so many unique sounds as Hughes. Teaming up with Pat Thrall, he released the beautiful, falsetto driven “Look In Your Eyes” that was a minor MTV hit in the early 80s. After his Sabbath stint, he teamed up again with his friend Iommi to do a Hughes/Iommi album producing a few memorable tracks. According to Tony Iommi’s book, Hughes may have also consumed more cocaine than anyone in rock and roll history. Maybe that’s why he still has all this energy all these years later?

What do you think? Let’s hear your thoughts! Check out more music insights at www.Brewsician.com

Dave Clark is a performing musician and recording artist who loves to write about fun and interesting topics, especially music and craft beer. Check out www.Brewsician.com to see more blogs or go to www.DaveClarkMusician.com to catch a live show in your area.

October 22, 2020
Music

The Ten+ Most Influential Albums of My Lifetime

by admin July 15, 2020

When it comes to ranking music, especially bands of different genres and generations, it’s kind of like having to rank your kids. Many times, like beer or food, it’s a lot about what sounds good right now in the moment. 

Album lists are highly subjective and intensely personal, so what registers for one person may not make the radar of someone else. When compiling this list, I put together ten albums that are highly important to me. Then I snuck in an extra one for good measure. It’s not about total sales, historical significance, pedigree of band members or anything of that nature; it’s simply what ten (eleven) albums moved me more than any others. With that, let’s agree to disagree.

11. Next Position Please – Cheap Trick

When money’s no object and I can hire any band in the world to play my birthday party, I’m going to hire Cheap Trick. I’m going to overpay the band, because I will insist on creating the setlist.

Said setlist will include playing the entirety of my favorite Cheap Trick album, Next Position Please. What’s not to like about this masterpiece? Vocalist (and Mt. Rushmore of singers resident) Robin Zander was in his prime as he was cranking out hit after should-be hit on this radio-friendly epic.

I Can’t Take It leads the rock assault as the opening (and album’s best) track. The title track, Younger Girls and Invaders of the Heart are all highlights. Don’t Make Our Love a Crime is just a fun song. And Y.O.Y.O.Y shows off the best of Zander’s vocals; as good as anything he’s done since Voices.

Todd Rundgren produced the record and even lent his songwriting expertise on Heaven’s Falling, which sounds, well, basically just like a Cheap Trick song, so it worked flawlessly.

Sure, Budokan broke this band, and it may be “sexier” to list the debut album, In Color or Heaven Tonight as a favorite. Even Dream Police or their MTV smash, One on One – all good choices. But for my money, this 1983 album is the best of the bunch.

10. Don’t Look Back – Boston

No top ten anything list would be complete without the inclusion of Boston. This band was the pure definition of everything great about music – and America, for that matter. Apple pie, fourth of July and Boston! (Chevy, not so much.)

Many consider their debut album to be the greatest debut album of all time. I think it’s close, but I give that edge to Motley Crue’s Too Fast For Love, yet with Boston slightly outranking Led Zeppelin I and Van Halen I.

How about that patented “Rockman” guitar sound??!! So far ahead of its time, in my opinion.

Don’t Look Back is upbeat, happy, inspirational and still as cool today as it was when it was released in 1978. Feeling Satisfied is the quintessential party rocker. It’s Easy is somewhat unheralded, yet one of the album’s highlights. Don’t Be Afraid closes the album as strongly as DLB opens it. 

A Man I’ll Never Be is probably Boston’s greatest tune. This, and the kick ass blue graphics on the album cover, make Don’t Look Back the Boston representative in a very tight race with its predecessor, the self-titled Boston.

9. Big Bang Theory – Harem Scarem

No list of mine could be complete without inclusion of the band Harem Scarem. As a melodic rock songwriter, I immerse myself in bands of this genre, so I know the great majority of them. Harem Scarem pretty much created the mold for how to craft the ideal melodic rock song.

This band simply doesn’t write bad songs. They are either good, great or out of this world. When the band’s self-titled debut came out in 1991, it was classic hair metal (of the best kind). The classic follow up, Mood Swings, was more of the same, only better.

As grunge dirtied the airwaves, the Scarem sound also got darker for the subsequent two albums. It wasn’t until Big Bang Theory that they found their true identity.

Big Bang Theory is a masterpiece from the very first note. This is one of those albums that – even if you’ve never heard of the band or the music – you’ll find yourself with the songs stuck in your head after just one listen.

Harry Hess is the lead vocalist and producer, and apparently can write great songs at will. His vocals are always exactly what the song calls for, and the harmonies are perfect every single time.  Every so often, you can hear Harry channeling Freddy Mercury, one of his personal vocal heroes.

If I could start a band with any guitarist on the planet alive today, hands down it would be Pete Lesperance. He can play pretty much anything he wants, but he doesn’t overplay like so many guitarists. His note choices are brilliant and tasteful, and his sound sets the standard for the music genre. He’s also a studio whiz which is why Scarem records simply sound better than most others out today.

It’s a nice luxury when your drummer, Darren James Smith, is so talented that he also fronts another internationally known band (Red Dragon Cartel with Jake E. Lee) when he’s not playing drums for HS. Darren also released a great solo album around 2005; a time when he fronted his band – and played guitar! Of course he did. That’s just how talented these guys are.

Straightforward rockers like Climb the Gate are instant classics while others, such as Without You, defy genre categorization. Both are among my all-time favorite HS tunes in a catalog approaching almost 200 songs at this point. 

Had they hit the scene a year or two before they did, and had proper record company support, there’s no doubt they could have been as big as Whitesnake, Bon Jovi or Guns N Roses. Instead, they may be destined to live just under the mainstream, but without question, at the very top of the melodic rock genre.

If you don’t know this band, you should. This is the “greatest band you’ve never heard of,” which would make a fantastic title for their biography. With a little luck and serendipity, maybe I’ll get to write that book someday.

8. A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles

A Hard Day’s Classic

Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album and you can make the case that Sgt. Pepper may be the most socially relevant album of all time. But none of it happens without this album happening first. In fact, this whole top ten list might have been a list of big-band performers if the Beatles didn’t do what they did.

Take a minute to understand the impact of an album such as 1964’s Hard Day’s Night. Pick a song – any song – and chances are it was a huge charting success.

You have the iconic title track, where Paul needed to sing the bridge because it was just out of John’s range. You have the ethereal ballad If I Fell. Tell Me Why, And I Love Her, Can’t Buy Me Love and I Should Have Known Better are all radio staples, as are I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, Anytime At All and I’ll Be Back. The first seven tracks were from the movie of the same name. I’ll Cry Instead was a last minute cut from the movie, but a radio hit, nonetheless.

No band did what they did. Period. They changed absolutely everything. Amassing a huge song list in a relatively short span of about EIGHT YEARS. Take a lesson Boston & Def Leppard!

Imagine that George Harrison was only about 27 years old when the band BROKE UP! They got to where they got because of dedication, hard work, a little serendipitous timing and those ridiculously catchy songs. Before they were signed, they would regularly perform EIGHT hours a day in the German Reeperbahn honing their craft. I’d like to see someone do that today.

The Beatles. The greatest band that’s ever been or ever will be.

7. Rising – Rainbow

What do you get when you combine a guitar maestro (Ritchie Blackmore), one of rock’s greatest drummers (Cozy Powell) and an up and coming vocalist who would effectively become the godfather of metal (Ronnie James Dio)? You get an instant classic. Only six songs in length, Rising delivers power and legacy well beyond most albums double the length. 

Metal was Rising to new heights with this Rainbow Release featuring Ronnie James Dio

Stargazer, Tarot Woman and A Light in the Black are metal royalty. This unit, complemented by bassist Jimmy Bain and keyboardist Tony Carey, created sounds that never before existed and have never been replicated. The sound was magical, just as were many of lyrical ideas produced by a young Dio. Rainbow was definitely rising upon this release. Though they may have achieved higher charting success in future records, none captured the mystique of this classic masterpiece.

6. Blizzard of Ozz – Ozzy Osbourne

I picked this album because of its guitarist, the late, great Randy Rhoads. It could have just as easily been Diary of a Madman; I chose this simply because it came first. In my opinion, Ronnie Dio is a better singer than Ozzy, and as much as I love the first two Dio-era Sabbath albums, the first two Ozzy solo albums reign supreme, as absolute classics. The difference between “great” and “world class” and that’s all because of the greatest guitar player who ever lived, Randy Rhoads.

Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads.
Arguably the greatest guitarist who ever lived

I’m sure neither Ozzy or Randy could have ever imagined Crazy Train being played in baseball stadiums or on mainstream radio, but this band and its music were simply ahead of the time. Ozzy was failing as the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, deeply immersed in booze and drugs to the point of uselessness. Saved by his manager and future wife Sharon, she kicked him in the ass, hired an incredible backing band, including the unheralded drummer Lee Kerslake and bassist/songwriter Bob Daisley, and got him back on the stage. Ozzy surpassed his Sabbath success in spades, and is still going strong almost 40 years later. Much of that has to do with the brilliance and mastery of his young guitar protege, Randy Rhoads.

5. Keeper of the Seven Keys – Helloween

German metal gods Helloween may be the quintessential metal band of all time, and are my personal favorite. Doing everything Iron Maiden does, but just a little bit better, this band delivers anthemic metal with musical virtuosity.

On Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II (and two subsequent albums after), vocalist Michael showed why he is the greatest metal vocalist in the world. Bassist Markus Grosskopf challenges Steve Harris for the same title in the bass category.

Many people think this was a one or two hit wonder band because they didn’t really hit in America. That’s absolutely not the case. Still making great music today, Helloween has been uniting pumpkins around the world since 1986 – 34 solid years!

Helloween: German metal masters

If you love metal; especially metal with a classical/symphonic band, this is your band, and Keeper 1 & 2 are your albums. The two go together as a unit, as if they were written and recorded at the same time, even if they weren’t. If I had to give a nod to one over the other, I choose Keeper part 2, since it has Helloween’s greatest song, the anthemic twelve minute masterpiece, Keeper of the Seven Keys.

4. Abbey Road – The Beatles

John and Paul did legendary things for about seven years, then decided to give young George Harrison a chance. Who knew there were three legends in this band from Liverpool? (Nothing personal Ringo, but let’s be real.) 

Abbey Road: The culmination of the Beatles genius

Abbey Road is the result of everything that led up to this masterpiece. Intricate harmonies, catchy hooks, substantive lyrics and pure musical diversity that highlighted each Beatles’ strengths. There’s just something special about this album, pun intended. Pure musical mastery, the best album from the world’s greatest band.

3. Piece of Mind – Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is the classic “new wave of British heavy metal” (NWOBHM) act. I can argue that the combination of Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind and Powerslave is the best 3 album run in all of music history. (Boston’s 1st 3 and Led Zeppelin’s “4,” “Houses” and “Graffiti” would also contend).

Steve Harris sets the standard for bassists while renaissance man & vocalist Bruce Dickinson delivers as good of a live show as anyone, when he’s not flying the band’s plane, writing an autobiography or creating another Trooper beer. Martin Birch writes the production gospel that every metal producer forever after will try, and fail, to replicate.

A contender for greatest album of all time: 1983’s Piece of Mind by Iron Maiden

It’s hard to pick a favorite Maiden album and Number of the Beast could have easily gotten the honor – but it doesn’t have either Revelations or Where Eagles Dare – so the nod goes to 1983’s Piece of Mind.

2. Too Fast For Love – Motley Crue

The first or second album I bought with my own money as a new teenager, TFFL instantly became my inspiration for all things heavy metal. (That’s what we used to call hard rock back in my day, kids.) The raw sound (mistakes and all), the look, the attitude and damn, those songs! Nikki Sixx could never duplicate the magic of this incredible masterpiece.

The rawness is captured by the classic sound of guitarist Mick Mars and the clean, tenor-styled vocals of Vince Neil. Tommy Lee showed you can never have too much cowbell and Nikki Sixx created a whole new level of rock star by just walking into a room. 

There doesn’t exist a more metal riff than the opening notes of the album’s opener, Live Wire. Awe inspiring, crusade starting and life changing. 

1. Escape – Journey

While I wouldn’t mind if I never heard Don’t Stop Believing again, back in the day this was THE ALBUM! Virtually no bad songs (except maybe the mundane Lay it Down), it was hit after hit after hit. The three best songs on the album were not even released as singles (Escape, Mother/Father, Stone In Love) which speaks to the strength of this instantly memorable rock classic.

Not to mention it features the man, myth and legend – Mr. Steve Perry – at his peak – a singer who earns a spot on the Mt. Rushmore for rock singers, right there with Robert Plant, Robin Zander and Brad Delp. (But that’s a post for another day.)

The voice, the songs, the guitar sound, the solos; all speak to a soundtrack in time when life was good and the music was even better. 

July 15, 2020
Music

What is the Best Iron Maiden Album?

by admin July 15, 2020

Few hard rockers will argue that Iron Maiden is one of the quintessential metal bands of all time. From the melodic dual harmony guitars of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith (and occasionally Janick Gers), the ethereal vocals of renaissance man Bruce Dickinson, the steady beat of Nicko McBrain and the wizardry from the world’s greatest bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden sets the standard for heavy metal in the modern age.

When talking about greatness, how can one begin to determine which albums rank supreme from a catalog with very few weaknesses? A few friends and I sat in my home bar, over a few tasty craft brews, and decided to create the ultimate list of Maiden classics, in order from worst to first. Do you agree? If not, let’s hear what you think!! Up the Irons!

16. X Factor

The album has neither vocalist extraordinaire Bruce Dickinson nor his brilliant songwriting and vocal phrasing. Blaze Bayley simply wasn’t cut out to handle vocal duties in this band. Not his fault, but when you replace a legend, you better deliver and, unfortunately, Mr. Bayley did not. Best tracks: Sign of the Cross.

15. Virtual XI

See response to #16. Best tracks: The Clansman.

14. No Prayer For The Dying

As great as the chemistry was between the classic Maiden lineup, there was a time when friction prevailed and the band effectively mailed in the effort. The high point of this low period culminated in the very disappointing No Prayer For The Dying. The album also marked the debut of guitarist Janick Gers into the fold. It can be argued that it’s actually Maiden’s worst album, but even a bad album with Bruce Dickinson is better than a decent album with Blaze Bayley. Best tracks: Hooks In You, Holy Smoke.

13. Iron Maiden

This New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band stormed onto the scene with this interesting, energy-filled release. Nothing sounded like this previously. With two dominant guitarists and a bassist that dominated both of them, this album pummeled the listener from start to finish with new sounds and an original style. Drummer Clive Burr is exceptional and creative, the driving force behind a lot of the band’s energy. The vocalist of the time, Paul DiAnno, was a punk rocker trying – and mostly failing – to sing metal. The band had limited prospects until they’d eventually find the vocalist (Dickinson) that would lead them to superstardom. Many great tracks exist on this record, but pre-Martin Birch producing, the sound quality is somewhere between poor and awful. Best tracks: Prowler, Iron Maiden.

12. Dance of Death

When it comes to Maiden (especially as you’ll see in #12-#1), it’s a matter of good, better and best, with few exceptions. Dance of Death would be many band’s greatest work, but most bands aren’t Iron Maiden. The band delivered some winners here, even if Kevin Shirley’s production fell flat compared to earlier works from Martin Birch. Best tracks: Age of Innocence, Paschendale, Rainmaker, Wildest Dreams.

11. Killers

Maiden’s second album was a huge improvement, sound quality-wise, over their debut, and contained some of the bands early classic tracks. Paul DiAnno showed improvement, and the songs took on more structure than the loosely formulated debut. Still, no Bruce, no top 10. Best tracks: Killers, Wrathchild.

10. The Final Frontier

Rumored to be the band’s final album (it wasn’t), Final Frontier delivered energy and a sense of urgency that had been missing from previous releases. Bruce Dickinson sang with passion and the songs delivered throughout the album. High energy album and very memorable. Best tracks: The Talisman, Coming Home, El Dorado, Final Frontier.

9. Fear of the Dark

The decline of classic Iron Maiden can be found throughout this somewhat confusing album. A good part of this album can be considered filler (Chains of Misery, Childhood’s End, Weekend Warrior) and it was clear that Dickinson’s heart was elsewhere. However, there are still flashes of brilliance, including the album’s best tracks: Wasting Love, Judas Be My Guide and all-time classic, Fear of the Dark.

8. 7th Son of a 7th Son

No Iron Maiden album gets more mixed reviews than 7th Son. For some, it’s the pinnacle, for others, it’s the start of the decline. The guitar synthesizers dominated this album, and they did not improve the classic Iron Maiden sound. With few exceptions, they were a distraction. On the flip side, the band was securely in their element by this time, gelling and crafting classic after classic, all finely weaved into music mastery by the great producer Martin Birch. Best tracks: Infinite Dreams, Only The Good Die Young, Can I Play With Madness.

7. A Matter of Live and Death

Capturing the magic the band once had prior to Dickinson’s departure, A Matter of Life and Death was throwback Maiden, filled with instantly memorable classics, high energy and promise for the future. The 3-guitar attack utilized each players’ talents and the songs benefited. Dickinson starred while Harris continued to cement his legacy as the world’s greatest bassist as well as one of metal’s best songwriters. The Longest Day is among Maiden’s greatest hits. Best tracks: The Longest Day, For The Greater Good of God, Different World, These Colors Don’t Run.

6. Brave New World

Brave New World marked the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith back into the band, and the results were instantaneous. The title track is based on the 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley about a futuristic world controlled by a totalitarian system that controls and manipulates society’s feelings and movements. (Feels a little close to home these days.) Kevin Shirley’s debut as producer failed to capture the classic Maiden sound of albums past. Best tracks: Blood Brothers, Out of the Silent Planet, Wicker Man, Ghost of the Navigator.

5. Somewhere in Time

When you have to create an album to follow up Number of the Beast, Peace of Mind and Powerslave, the challenge can be daunting. Maiden put forth their best effort and mostly delivered. Firing on all cylinders, Somewhere in Time, starts with the energetic Caught Somewhere in Time and keeps the listener riveted until the album’s conclusion. Best tracks: Alexander the Great, Wasted Years, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

4. The Book of Souls

Maiden’s 16th studio work, The Book of Souls brought new beginnings to the band. While Dickinson was often credited as a co-writer, his epic 18-minute long, self-written Empire of the Clouds brought a whole new dimension to the band, including him playing piano for the first time in band’s history. Three of the album’s tracks exceed ten minutes in length, although interest never wanes on this instant classic. Known less for its hits and more for its anthems, Book of Souls is one of the band’s greatest efforts to date, all recorded while Dickinson overcame his battle with mouth cancer. Truly a renaissance man, without a doubt. Best tracks: If Eternity Should Fail, Tears of a Clown, Speed of Light, Empire.

3. Number of the Beast

This MTV-era album broke Iron Maiden from cult classic to mainstream sensation. Imagine it’s 1982, you turn on your TV and see videos of dude’s in leather and spikes, singing about the devil amidst videos of fire and killings. That’s metal and Maiden brought the metal to the mainstream. The album’s title track is as chilling as it is mesmerizing. Run to the Hills, with its eccentric drum stylings of the late Clive Burr, set the standard for what metal was supposed to sound like. Number contains Maiden’s all-time classic anthem, Hallowed be Thy Name. Best tracks: Hallowed, Children of the Damned, Run to the Hills, Number of the Beast, 22 Acacia Avenue.

2. Powerslave

The first two tracks of this album are as strong as any two tracks of any album of all time, except maybe the preceding Maiden album. At full capacity from the first note, Powerslave turns the volume up to ten and delivers riveting metal in your face throughout. Murray and Smith cement their legacy and the next wave of dual guitar virtuosos. Best tracks: Aces High, Two Minutes to Midnight, Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

I. Piece of Mind

Arguably, the greatest metal album of all time was released in 1983. Bruce Dickinson at his absolute best, Piece of Mind delivers the greatest metal album side with Where Eagles Dare, Revelations, Flight of Icarus and Die With Your Boots on. Then side two almost equals the greatness. The only weak spot being the album’s final track, To Tame a Land, Piece of Mind creates the prototype that bands have tried to achieve – yet never have succeeded – because no one can match the magic that Maiden delivered on this metal masterpiece. Best tracks: Revelations, Where Eagles Dare, The Trooper, Sun and Steel.

July 15, 2020
Craft Beer

What Kind of Beer Drinker Am I?

by admin July 10, 2020

Understanding the Styles and Terminology in Today’s Crowded Craft Beer Marketplace

Walking into a bar today can be a little unnerving for someone just entering the craft beer scene.  So what does a beer drinker who is well versed in light lagers, but not much else, do when they enter one of these craft-centric watering holes?  The more you understand about the different styles of beer, and where they fall on the “hop-malt continuum” the easier it will be to find that next perfect pint!

Hoppy vs. Malty

Today, we’ll focus on identifying styles of beer based on how “hoppy” or “malty” they are.  “Malt” represents grains processed for brewing. Though barley is the most common brewing grain, wheat, rye, oats, corn and rice are also used.  It’s malt that provides much of the flavors, aromas, color, and the sugars for the yeast to ferment the “wort” into beer.

The Continuum

Hops are the spice of beer, and are used to counteract the very sweet liquid wort that is produced from the malt. A beer without hops would be too sweet for most palates, so hop additions are necessary to give the beer some balance. Beers that tend to use just enough hops to balance, but not showcase the hops, are called “malt forward.”  Beers that are intended to highlight, showcase and sometimes assault your senses with hop aroma and flavor are known as “hop forward” beers.

Picture a straight line, and think of malt forward beers being on the left side and hop forward beers being on the right side.  This is known as the “hop-malt continuum.”  Beers will fall somewhere on this line, depending on their characteristics.  A beer that would be found right in the middle of this continuum is called a “balanced” beer.  Level of balance does not indicate quality of a beer, it simply let’s you know what to expect when consuming a particular beer style.

The hoppy side

American IPA and Imperial IPAs would fall on the far right end of the continuum.  These beers are intentionally unbalanced, providing just enough malt behind copious amounts of aromatic, flavorful hops. The intention is to showcase the hops so balance is not the goal – hoppiness is. These beers also have high levels of bitterness, so they finish dry.  Examples include Ballast Point Sculpin, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA and Russian River’s Pliny the Elder.

Pale Ales, American Ambers, California Commons and authentic German and Czech Pilsners are styles that would fall on the hoppy side of the continuum to the right of the balanced midpoint.

The malty side

To the other extreme, rich, malty Scotch Ales, English Strong Ales and Barleywines can be found on the continuum’s left side.  These beers are all about the malt, often with just enough hops to support. Other beer styles that would fall on the malty side include: Brown Ales, Imperial Stouts, Belgian Dubbels and Dark Strongs, English Porters and Blonde Ales. Four Peaks Kilt Lifter is a good example of a malt forward beer.

Switzerland (Beers in the middle)

Beers that would appear truly balanced and in the center of the continuum include:  Amber Ales, Helles and Dortmunder Lagers, and even some Robust Porters where the bitterness from the malt and higher hopping rates can counteract the rich malts to create balance. Spaten Premium Lager, a Helles, is a fine example of a well balanced beer in the center of the continuum.

Understanding malt versus hops, and the styles that represent these differences, will give you a better chance of ordering a fantastic beer next time you find yourself facing a wall of beer names of which you may not be familiar.

July 10, 2020
Craft BeerMusic

Becoming Brewsician: When Music and Beer Collide

by admin November 23, 2019

Two passions motivate me:  great music and delicious craft beer.  After picking up my first guitar at age 14, I fully immersed myself in the arena of rock ‘n’ roll, honing my craft and writing music. Through the years I learned to play various instruments such as guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and, eventually, taught myself how to sing.  Around this time I realized that it was writing that was saving my scholastic career and that I actually enjoyed it. Somewhere midway through high school I also realized I really liked beer…a lot! Mix brews with a musician and you get…a brewsician!

Music

Playing lead guitar for several different area bands such as Baby Blue, Dreamer and Dia Pason, I got to perform all over my hometown area of Northeast Ohio. The rock passion was in full gear. Craft beer really wasn’t a thing just yet and where it did exist, it was called “microbrew.”

Writing

I started my writing career doing concert and album reviews, as well as band interviews for U.S. Rocker Magazine based in Akron, Ohio in the early 1990s, landing the cover story two out of the first three months on the beat.  Along this journey, I was discovering my love for all things craft beer, “imbibing” as much knowledge as possible.  Fueled by music and refreshed with beer, I moved out of the band scene and into the solo performer realm doing two full length album demos in the 1990s entitled “City of Broken Dreams” and “Paradox in Paradise,” playing all parts on both albums. This was the precursor to my first full-length album released in August of 2019, called Rock City. (You can hear Rock City at www.DaveClarkRocks.com.)

Brewing

Fast forward to 2008 where I took a dive into the beer industry when I became a professional brewer with award-winning brewery Hoppin’ Frog of Akron, Ohio.  Along the way, I became a Certified Cicerone, a Master BJCP Judge and a student of all things craft beer. “Beer geek” basically sums it up.

Coming full circle

I re-started my writing career focusing this time mainly on craft beer, writing weekly columns for The New Times of Phoenix and monthly stories on music and craft beer for The Entertainer Magazine.  Today, I contribute regularly to acclaimed national magazine Brew Your Own, and have written for Zymurgy, Beer Connoisseur and Beer Advocate among others. Now living in my new hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, I am writing my first book, Phoenix Beer: A History Rising To New Peaks, for Arcadia Publishing. (Editor’s Note: The book was published November 25, 2019).

Performing acoustic shows all over the Metro Phoenix area helped me to re-start my musical journey. It also gives me exposure to all the new, cutting edge beers on the market. When music and beer collide, my two worlds rejoice. When metal legends Megadeth and Unibroue came together to release A Tout Le Monde, it was a living example of the best of both worlds (at least my world). Having the pleasure to interview the masterminds behind the music and the suds (Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Unibroue Brewmaster Jerry Vietz) is just one example of why being Brewsician is a pretty cool thing to be. Raise a glass, crank the tunes and enjoy. Here’s to ya!

November 23, 2019
Craft Beer

Firestone Walker: Setting the Standard For Craft Beer

by admin November 16, 2019

Firestone Walker Brewing Company has been setting the standard for American craft breweries for years. Four time winners of the coveted mid-sized brewery of the year award at Great American Beer Festival, Firestone Walker continues to grow at a pace that regularly exceeds the rest of the craft market. For such an accomplished brewery, it would be understandable if they got comfortable and complacent, basking in their success. But that’s not how it’s done at this Paso Robles, California brewery. They take it upon themselves to retool and reload long before they need to. It’s this type of forward thinking that makes Firestone Walker the cutting edge, preeminent example that many other breweries aspire to be. Impeccable balance, uncommon complexity and complete drinkability are the goals when any beer is designed at Firestone Walker.

Best in class

david walker double barrel ale
David Walker with his beloved Double Barrel system used to make Firestone Walker DBA

Achieving widespread success with beers such as Pivo Pilsner, Union Jack IPA and 805, these beers are viewed as the classic examples of the styles they represent. Once Union Jack gained national notoriety, it spawned a whole series of beers known as the Proprietor’s Reserve Series, a series that included Double Jack, Wookey Jack and Opal Saison. These beers, in their own right, had quite a following, but are no longer in production; a testament to the forward thinking of the Firestone Walker team, led by owners (and brothers-in-law) David Walker and Adam Firestone, as well as Brewmaster extraordinaire, Matthew Brynildson.

Luponic Distortion

Out with the Proprietor’s Reserve Series and in with two new concepts. Luponic Distortion is a rotating series of IPAs, all brewed with a consistent malt base but with each member of the series dosed with a different bouquet of hops. With a new Luponic brewed every 90 days, the series is meant to showcase the freshness of the experimental hops used. Many of the hops used in this series are so new they haven’t even been named yet, settling for temporary names such as “Experimental Hop 1234.”

The base beer is flavorful, but the bread crust-like malt is meant to support the hops which are clearly the stars of the show. At 5.9% ABV and 59 IBU, the beer is light enough to let the hops shine brightly without any heaviness on the palate. Up to six different hop varieties can be used in the dry hopping process alone! (The dry hopping process is where hops are added after fermentation to produce aromatic qualities without imparting any additional bitterness to the beer.) There is no end in sight to this rotating series of beers; in fact they were given three digit numbers, starting with 001, because this series may go on indefinitely due to the countless number of hop combinations available in which to experiment.

Leo vs. Ursus

Another interesting and adventurous undertaking is the Leo versus Ursus series of beers. This series represents the heart of Firestone’s culture, which for 20 years has been forged by often opposing forces in pursuit of the perfect beer. Leo v. Ursus is a chronology of beers that shift stylistically with each limited quarterly release. These are bold and often intense, hoppy beers, but always with balance in mind. Brewed at their pilot brewery known as The Propagator in Venice, California, this series gives the brewers the freedom to experiment on a smaller scale in pursuit of that perfect beer.

The first member of this series is Fortem, a sneakingly subtle 8.2% ABV unfiltered Imperial IPA that isn’t out of place in a conversation with the world famous Pliny the Elder. Subtly balanced with complex newer Northwest USA and German Hallertau hop varieties, supporting malt flavors and pleasant soothing alcohol, Fortem delivers huge flavor, while still showing balance in a rustic presentation. Any hop lover will undoubtedly find this beer on their short list of favorites.  Adversus, the latest member of the series, is also an imperial IPA with a pilsner malt base, an interesting twist that gives the beer its lighter color and body.

Respect

matt brynildson brewmaster firestone walker
Matt Brynildson
Brewmaster Extraordinaire

Speaking of Pliny the Elder, it was Firestone Walker that brewed this renowned beer for their friends at Russian River Brewing Company while Russian River was installing a new brewing system in 2016. It shows both the level of respect, as well as trust, that the two breweries have for each other for Russian River to let their beloved masterpiece be brewed by anyone other than themselves. The two breweries collaborated on another beer for last year’s Brewer’s Invitational Festival called STiVO, which brewer Matt Brynildson called the “love child” of their Pivo and Russian River’s outstanding STS Pilsner. The beer did not disappoint.

A well timed investment in Firestone Walker by the Moortgat family, makers of Duvel, is one of the reasons all this expansion is possible. While the Moortgat family retains an ownership percentage in the company, David Walker and Adam Firestone remain the operating partners. Firestone Walker is run independently from the other breweries in the Duvel portfolio, which include Kansas City’s Boulevard, Cooperstown’s Brewery Ommegang and Belgium’s Duvel Moortgat. This additional capital not only helped to finance the new Propagator Brewery, it allows Firestone Walker to concentrate the time and resources on their award winning, high end beers.

Beer Mecca: The barrel aging room

Happy Place: The Barrel Aging Room at Firestone Walker

As part of the Proprietor’s Vintage Series, Stickee Monkee (quad), Parabola (Russian imperial stout), Bravo (imperial brown ale), Helldorado (blonde barleywine) and Velvet Merkin (barrel aged oatmeal stout) are big beers that produce a literal and figurative buzz anytime they are available. Firestone Walker also specializes in the art of blended beers.

Annually, Firestone Walker produces an anniversary beer that is a blend of certain percentages of beers from its Proprietor’s Vintage Series aged in hand selected oak barrels. The end resulting Anniversary ale is not only extremely sought after, it represents the best of what the brewery has to offer. Each year the percentages and beers used in the blend change, making each anniversary something special and unique. The anniversary beers started in the brewery’s tenth year with the aptly named Ten, and this year marks the tenth year of the series with the release of Twenty. All beers in the Proprietor’s Vintage Series pack a punch (most over 12% ABV range) so, like fine wine, they age extremely well and typically improve after proper storage of at least a couple years.

A fantastic beer from Garage Project of New Zealand

Every year in June Firestone Walker invites the world’s best brewers to participate in their very own Invitational, a beer festival that sets the standard for what a festival should be.  This festival did not disappoint with brewers not only representing the far reaches of our country, but also having representation from brewers as far away as Germany, Italy and New Zealand. It was a party enjoyed by all, with Firestone Walker not only being a gracious host, but firmly entrenched right in the middle of all these world class breweries, a place they have definitely earned. As someone who has had the honor of attending this event twice, I can say from a personal perspective that it sets the standard for all brew festivals, which comes as no surprise because it’s just the way Firestone Walker operates.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally written in June 2017.

Logan Plant owner Beavertown Brewery
This author with Logan Plant, owner of London’s Beavertown Brewery.
November 16, 2019
Craft BeerMusic

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine: Metal Legend, Beer Creator

by admin November 1, 2019

A Tout Le Monde: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine fills the glass with first beer

November 1, 2019
Craft Beer

Stout versus Porter, Part II

by admin March 17, 2019

History and Evolution of These Popular Beers

March 17, 2019
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About Me

About Me

Dave Clark

Dave Clark is a beer scribe, author, Master beer judge and former pro brewer. He’s also a performing musician, singer and songwriter who has a love for all things music. Brews + Musician = Brewsician...the intersection of Dave’s two biggest passions.

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