Let's talk a moment about Montreal based metalers, Special Ops.
If you need some more information, check out their BANDCAMP page.
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?
There are a few that stand out. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Manowar had - "Achilles, Agony, and Ecstasy in Eight Parts" that was supposed to be a predecessor of a concept album that never came, but instead in 2007 the band redeemed itself with "Gods of War" that is more focused on Norse Mythology.
Those guys know their warrior history pretty well. But the most influential concept record to me growing up was WASPs "The Crimson Idol".
Cheesy I know, but at the time it wasn't, and to this day, when I throw it on, it is like stepping into a time machine.
Its one of those records that I stumble upon every now and then when I'm rearranging the collection or something and I just hold it in my hands for a few seconds remembering the times, then I put it on right away while I finish what I was doing.
I was a wee teen back then and those lyrics and that story hit home. It's a typical ROCK N ROLL tale of ups and permanent downs and of being a musician and all that. Check it out when you have a chance, the drummer is really busy on there. ;p
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 anyone.
Tell me about your favorite live record?
I am not a fan of live records, not because they are fake, I'm not sure to what level fake would be, sometimes if the sound engineer is a new guy, he will forget to put microphones in the crowd.
Now I am not sure if you know much about show mics, but they very directional, they are designed to cut the sound from the surroundings and to only pick up directly what's coming in from the front.
That being said, if there are no microphones facing the crowd, it will sound like the band is playing in front of an empty room no matter how many people were there.
Anyway back to the subject, I had 2 that I would actually listen to, Slayers "Decade of Aggression" and Deep Purple "Live in Japan".
Ask me back then Slayer would have been my favorite pick hands down. Ask me today, its Deep Purple, if there was ever a band that would just rip it live it's them, and you hear and feel every ounce of energy and feeling on those tracks.
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?
Dude this is Metal and Rock, those emotions are one and the same. Let's call it Sadgry!
To be honest most of my collection is that. it's rare that I listened to anything that wasn't Angry or Sad. You had everything from Death - "Spiritual Healing" to Jazz and Blues with the likes of Gary Moore and Nina Simone.
There is no lower song than "Strange Fruit" I would Say Nina was (and still is) my go to girl for the low end of things. but for the anger it was Anthrax funny enough, then later on came bands like Alice in Chains and Sound Garden who solidified the Sadgry emotion perfectly.
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?
Lulu really?
That is worse than St Anger. Oh man Misfit toy album that I love, the skeleton in the closet in the record collection.
Metallica "LOAD" would be it. I was laughed at a lot for liking that one. not sure if it fits exactly the category for this question, but its the one where they ventured out in desperation and tried to stay alive while the Alternative and Grunge scene was taking over.
I just don't believe in genres, and I do my best not to have any expectations from a band's previous work when I listen to new material. LOAD to me was original, new at the time, and lyrically it got me, so let them laugh.
At least I'm not pretending to like "St Anger".
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?
As a full live rendition of an album, none. Sorry, I would always opt for the studio record its the writing that catches my attention first, then the production, last would be whether or not they can pull it off live.
I have live records, just not full album versions. For example, the Alice in Chains Unplugged is a master piece. but the rest I would get for specific things that the bands would do differently live.
Like Pearl Jams live bootlegs, especially the Australian ones, those are pretty good, and they are different. Slayers Decade of Aggression is a good live record, but its nothing special when compared to the studio recording, it's almost the same.
Anyway, you get my gist.
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