Monthly Archives: May 2010

A true legend never dies.

Posted on May 16, 2010 | 1 comment

Not many words are needed, or could describe the loss that the world of metal suffered at approximately 7:45am on Sunday May 16. Metal lost its messiah, its patron saint.

Ronnie James Dio. The name rings with such deep power and meaning to those who have loved metal such as I have. Raised on the metal from the era in which Dio reigned supreme, his voice has always had a special place in my heart.

Too young to have lived when Elvis did, I can’t imagine it felt much different than Dio’s passing today. When I heard the news that the terrible rumors of his death had been confirmed, I put on Heaven and Hell while sitting in quiet sadness. For the first time ever, I felt personally sad when I heard news of the loss I had no personal connection with.

As the day has passed, thoughtful remarks and anecdotes of Ronnie have flooded in – each showing Ronnie’s true and incredible character as a human being.

I’ll not waste more words trying to convey his greatness both as a person and as a musician – we all know his potential knew no bounds.

Rest in peace, Ronnie – it appears your demons have let you go. Your voice will live on forever, like a rainbow in the dark.

Ronnie James Dio

RIP Ronnie James Dio, 1942-2010

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Razormaze – Miseries [Review]

Posted on May 14, 2010 | 1 comment

Now, I don’t want to make it a habit to review EPs of bands all the time, but I’ve made an exception due to a special request. So, let’s talk about Boston-based Razormaze‘s new (free!) EP Miseries. The EP was released unto the word on April 27th through the band’s Bandcamp page.

Miseries by Razormaze

So, I’ve been listening to these guys a lot, including seeing them multiple times live, since before their first full-length, The True Speed of Steel (which I reviewed) back in ’09. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when I heard Miseries. Where The True Speed of Steel was a bit silly and funny at times, there’s little fun to be had with this EP. It’s foot-to-the-throat for all three songs, which is both good and bad. The most endearing part of Razormaze’s first full-length was how fun it was, which at times overshadowed the over-the-top attitude of the band members. It’s nice to know, however, that the guys can make music that’s more serious, though (which helps them avoid being treated like band who rely on schtick to be successful).

In terms of the music and production, though, it’s another stretch in the right direction for Razormaze. It’s still full of catchy riffs and melody lines everywhere, and the guitar solos just keep improving. A lot of people criticized Alex Citrone’s vocals on The True Speed of Steel (I always thought they were great), and he’s stepped up his game as well. The only real downside I can see to the new stuff is that they’ve started to wander away from their very unique brand of thrash in favor of a less original and more traditional thrash sound (which, if you think about it, might not even be a negative).

Regardless, Miseries does just what a good EP should do – shows promise of forthcoming new material and gets the mouths of ravenous fans watering.

Since there’s only three tracks, I’m not going to give the EP a rating or make track selections, but I’ll say it’s definitely worth checking out. You can grab a copy for free from the band’s Bandcamp page in just about any format you like.

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Posted in CD reviews, Thrash Metal

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