Echidna - Manifests of Human Existence

Hey all, sorry for my prolonged absence - extracurricular responsibilities, you know how it is. Anyway, here is my next long-awaited (at least by me) review: Manifests of Human Existence, a very tasty slice of prog-tech death from little-known Greeks Echidna (nothing to do with the Australian animal, as I discovered - actually the 'Mother of All Monsters' in Greek mythology). This one caught me completely off-guard, as it is an extremely accomplished, mature and well-executed album, all the more astonishing given that it is the band's debut! This is the sort of thing I really love about metal; how something you've never heard of can come along and just totally blow you away, barely giving you time to catch your breath before the compulsion sets in to listen to it again, and again, and lots more after that. Commence review!

News!

So...home from work at 3:30am, what are you gonna do first? Why, write a blog entry of course! I'm trying to write myself to sleep, so if I trail off you'll have to forgive me. I did have the extraordinarily good fortune to find $70 on the ground at work tonight though, so adrenalin levels are high...anyway, on with the metal!

Anthrax - Among the Living

Anthrax. Not usually the first constituent of the famed Big Four of thrash that one would think of, being the least commercially successful, they nevertheless earned their place among this elite pantheon (also occupied by Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, for the uninitiated and uneducated) with albums such as this, 1987's Among the Living, generally accepted as being the band's best and most significant work. It is also one of the first albums that springs to my mind when I hear the word 'classic', and as such, makes the perfect candidate for my maiden classic review.

The Sword - Warp Riders

Hello and good day to you. For today's edition of TBoP, I bring you my very first proper review (not like the ones I left over on rateyourmusic.com)! My subject for dissection is the latest release from Texan heavy metallers The Sword, called Warp Riders. A distinct (and wise) change of pace for J.D. Cronise and his jaded cronies (hehe), this album finds them abandoning the well-worn fantasy/battle themes of their first two records in favour of a good old-fashioned sci-fi concept album, complete with oh-so-retro cover artwork, and the division of the tracks into Side A and Side B, a la vinyl. Jake, of Metalreviews fame, notes in his own review that each 'side' is structured essentially the same way, beginning with an instrumental, and steadily progressing towards an epic to finish. While this may seem somewhat uninspired at first glance, it does in fact serve the music well, and helps to organise the mostly chaotic story, such as it is. It appears that The Sword remain committed to championing the cause of 70s hard rock and heavy metal, and they have certainly pulled out all the stops with this release.

Something to look forward to

Hola! Hopefully this finds you well, whomever, wherever, and whenever you may be – I've just been drinking homemade carrot juice, so you just know I'm good. First thing this week I thought I'd let you in on some of my most anticipated releases for 2011, which is shaping up to be a huge year in many respects. I have the personal privilege of seeing many of my favourite bands (Iron Maiden, Slayer, the Sword, Kyuss), as well as some that I'm not so familiar with (Finntroll, High on Fire); but of chief concern to my fine self, several of my most beloved bands are releasing new studio albums in the coming months, and excitement levels are high around Chateau du Jimmy.

Problogue

Greetings, my loyal multitudes (hi Mum), and welcome to the long-awaited Second Edition of The Blog of Perseverance!! Or rather, more of a prologue to the post proper - thus, the so-good-you-wish-you-thought-of-it-yourself portmanteau of the above title. I have many goodies to share with you this week (and yes, I'm going to try to maintain weekly posts), but first, it strikes me that a more specific description of the blog might be in order. I'm James, but you can call me Jimmy; I'm currently partway through a Professional Writing degree at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and I am a massive fan of all things metal. I'm aiming to write for an established magazine once I'm finished my degree, but having never really done anything of the sort, it occurred to me that I may need some practice. So, I thought, what better way to not only practice my writing skills, but also promote some home-grown talent, and explore my own musical interests on a deeper level? Why, work for the local street press, of course! However, due to my lack of experience and a steadily-improving (but still quite noticeable) inability to work to a deadline, I decided to go with a blog. Genius! Also, this way I can write whatever the damn hell I want. Mwaha!

So. Yes. The blog. As mentioned, I will be endeavouring to post on a weekly basis, but don't be surprised if I miss a week here or there – I am a renowned procrastinator after all. Each week I will be covering any major news I have uncovered regarding bands I consider noteworthy, and occasionally in this section I will post a review of a local band's album or live show. Following the news will be a new/recent release for the week, which may be anything, anything at all (within stylistic reason, of course); and last but certainly not least, a classic. I aim to eventually provide a comprehensive list of metal classics, all sub-genres considered – all of which should be an essential part of any metalhead's collection, be they seasoned veteran or wide-eyed newcomer to the wonderful world we headbangers call home.

Thus concludes the blurb – on with the show!