Monsters of Rock

  • Who doesn’t know “Eye of the Tiger” that iconic song of Rocky 3? Today I had the privilege to talk with one of the co-writers Jim Peterick. Jim’s home base has always been The Ides Of March, where Jim wrote and sang the evergreen hit “Vehicle”. The Ides began their journey in 1964, and continue…

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  • Since it is ‘Earth Day’ today, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicated this episode of Epic Rock, to the blue planet we live on. What better song to do that then ‘Mother Earth’ by ‘Within Temptation’ “Mother Earth” is the third single of Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation from their second studio…

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  • Blue Murder were an English rock band led by guitarist-vocalist John Sykes. The group was formed in 1987 following Sykes’s dismissal from Whitesnake. The initial line-up was rounded out by bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. In its nascent stage, vocalist Ray Gillen and drummer Cozy Powell were attached to the project. In 1989,…

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  • Papa Roach are celebrating 23 years of their legendary album Infest, which was released April 25, 2000. One of the many songs on the album is “Last Resort,” Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix described the song as a “cry for help”. He also said “That song was about one of my best friends, and then…

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  • When it comes to heavy metal it probably doesn’t get better then this. It is the forgotten Live Aid project. Hear ‘n Aid was a charity record recorded by a large ensemble of 40 heavy metal musicians and released in 1986. The project was organized by Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain, and Vivian Campbell, all…

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  • AC/DC’s first singer.

    AC/DC will celebrate their 50th anniversary later this year. I was surprised to find out that their first singer wasn’t Bon Scott but, Dave Evans, Although he only recorded one song with the band. He was the original lead singer for AC/DC in 1973–1974 and sang on their debut single and one other single shortly…

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  • “Paranoid” is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 off the band’s second studio album Paranoid (1970). It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song “The Wizard”. It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot…

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  • I think it is safe to say that Eddie van Halen changed the concept of a guitar solo forever, when he first played “Eruption”. Not only guitar solos, rock guitar in general. Eruption” solo popularized the tapping style of guitar playing, and in doing so revolutionized the sound of rock. Not bad for a tune…

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  • “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica, was released in 1992 as the third single from their self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, number 1 in Denmark, and reached the top ten on many other European charts. “Nothing…

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  • “Over the Hills and Far Away” is a song by Northern Irish musician Gary Moore, released in December 1986 by 10 Records as the first single from his sixth solo album Wild Frontier. The song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart,[but was most successful in the Nordic countries, topping the charts in…

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