Classic Spins with Lords of the Trident's Aki

Lords of The Trideny

It's time to check back in with Wisconsin's own LORDS OF THE TRIDENT!

It's been a minute since they've talked us. In the meantime, they've released a new video for their amazing track, Burn It Down With Fire.

You can and DAMNED WELL BETTER check it out on YouTube.

The song comes from their amazing record, Shadows From The Past. If this is your first day, check out my vinyl review HERE.

Now, The Lords have submitted a different member of their group to answer questions about great albums.

Let's get stuck in with Aki.

1. My favorite kind of album is the concept album. The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. What's your favorite one and why?

Haha, this is actually kinda funny... I'm really not a huge fan of concept albums. 

I guess my favorite would probably be Abigail by King Diamond, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden, or Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche.

2. My very first album was Live Evil by Black Sabbath. Since then I've had a strong affinity for the live record, even if they're a bit fake. KISS set the bar with Alive!. Surely, it was fake, but it's got the best concert feel of any one.

Tell me about your favorite live record?

Wow... it's hard to choose a favorite live record. I'd have to say Live After Death by Iron Maiden and Live Loud Alive by Loudness. 

Both albums feature those bands in their prime, playing tight and inspired shows. I'm particularly fond of Live Loud Alive by Loudness. 

It features the band before they tried to make it big in the States. They're sound was very unique at the time. Just a couple years later they would drastically change their sound to appeal to an American audience. 

This live show in Japan features a mix of hits along with a few songs that were never released onto their studio records until decades later. There's an epic guitar solo, drum solo, sing along parts and a very enthusiastic audience.

I would say some of the early Rush live albums like Exit...Stage Left are up there too.

3. There are a great number of records I've turned to for my moods. What do you listen to when you're angry? 

Sad?

Despite behaving rather silly and facetious during our podcasts and tour rides, I tend to be rather pensive and somber. My go-to album I listen to almost every night is Electric Tears by Buckethead. 

I think most people know him for his fast, shreddy parts, but I like him most for his quiet, introspective pieces. Electric Tears features a number of outstanding melodic, but sad tracks such as the title track, Datura, and Witches on the Heath. 

In addition to more major releases like Electric Tears and Colma, Buckethead has an enormous catalog of small albums (pike series) that features tons of gems. 

Another musician that I listen to almost every night is Bruno Sanfilippo, an absolutely outstanding Argentinian pianist that composes very minimalist, dark and atmospheric piano tracks. His Piano Textures series is excellent. 

Two other musicians I listen to when I'm sad or angry is The Midnight and Strung Out. The Midnight is my favorite synthwave band. They literally on their bandcamp say "There is a Japanese term: Mono no aware. 

It means basically, the sad beauty of seeing time pass - the aching awareness of impermanence. These are the days that we will return to one day in the future only in memories." 

This sums up their music well, hehe. I highly recommend Endless Summer by them. And Strung Out is this awesome metal influenced punk band with some of the best lyrics I can think of for the genre. 

They run the gamut of songs about relationships, political commentary, the sad passage of time, etc. I highly recommend any of their last 4 albums.

4. One of my friends laughs at me, routinely, for loving the Misfit Toys of albums by major bands. Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed, Carnival of Souls by Kiss, Diabolous En Musica by Slayer, etc.

What's the strange one that you love?

Heh, I'm sorry... I can't really think of one at the moment. I will say this much... as a guitarist, I can often find some kind of musical idea that I enjoy on rock/metal albums that might otherwise be near universally panned.

5. It's almost fashionable to release live versions of albums or re-record the old ones. King Diamond is releasing a concert with Abigail front to back. Roger Waters has done The Wall twice. Which ones do you have in your collection?

I don't really have any in my collection outside of Dream Theater's Live Scenes from New York where they play Scenes from a Memory. 

I don't know if the idea has much appeal to me.