THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Headless Cross» by Black Sabbath
As Black Sabbath entered the 1980s, things were changing for the band. After sticking with the classic line-up throughout the 1970s, Ozzy Osbourne was now […]
Hard Rock/Metal
CLASSIC ALBUM COVERS: «Led Zeppelin IV» by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, released on 8 November 1971, is not just considered the most classic Led Zeppelin album. It is one of the defining […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Battle Scar» by Max Webster and Rush
Max Webster was a Canadian progressive hard rock band formed in 1972. The band was initially based in Sarnia, where Kim Mitchell (vocals/guitar) and the […]
When Ronnie James Dio severed his thumb while gardening
In 2003, a news story broke that Ronnie James Dio had accidentally severed his thumb in a gardening accident. The nature of the newsbit was […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Is That You?» by KISS
“Oww!” The eight studio album by KISS opens with a proper howl by frontman Paul Stanley as he launches into Is That You?. It might […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Stonehenge» by Spinal Tap
Stonehenge is a group of mysterious standing stones on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Historians believe Stonehenge was constructed around 1500 B.C. and was used […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Bible Black» by Heaven & Hell
They called themselves Heaven & Hell, but we know it’s really the Dio-lineup of Black Sabbath. When Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, and […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «July Morning» by Uriah Heep
July Morning is one of the finest tracks ever recorded. It is the third track on Uriah Heep’s third album Look At Yourself, released in […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Out In the Fields» by Gary Moore & Phil Lynott
Out In the Fields is a song by Gary Moore and Phil Lynott, released as a single on 6 May 1985. The two Irishmen had […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «My Michelle» by Guns N’ Roses
Appetite For Destruction was Guns N’ Roses’ first full-length studio album, released on 21 July 1987. The album would eventually explode onto the worldwide music […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «I Believe In A Thing Called Love» by The Darkness
When I Believe In A Thing Called Love appeared out of the blue and turned The Darkness into an overnight sensation, many did not know […]
When Yngwie Malmsteen unleashed the fury on a flight to Tokyo
Some years back a recording appeared online, supposedly of Swedish guitar maestro Yngwie Malmsteen launching into a furious tirade on a plane. Initially, it was […]
Artist spotlight: Quartz
Quartz is an English heavy metal band from Birmingham. They came to prominence during the initial rise of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Son of a Bitch» by Accept
As Accept prepared to go into the studio to record their third album Breaker, they brought with them what they considered to be the best […]
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «God Blessed Video» by Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz is a hard rock band that was built up around vocalist Graham Bonnet. Having been a member of Rainbow as well as Michael Schenker […]