Hidden Treasures - March Metal Madness (Headbangers Ball)

[Scott]

Headbangers Ball was one of the most popular music shows ever to air on MTV, on the air for nearly 8 years, and for a time, it was one of the network's flagship shows. For some time in 1988 and '89, the show was increased to 3 hours. One hour added, plus Hard 60, a daily version of the ball that aired for an hour every weekday afternoon.


The name "Headbangers Ball" was originally invented and used by DJ John Brent of Bury, Lancashire and was used on his rock and metal roadshows from 1980 onwards and toured throughout the UK with great success. John's Headbangers Ball Rock charts were also regularly featured in the pages of Rock publications Kerrang! and Sounds along with many features on the show in local periodicals.


However, with the mainstream rise of alternative rock, grunge and rap music in the 1990s, the relevance of Headbangers Ball came into question, and the show was ultimately canceled in 1995


Let's take a look at the music that was often showcased on this program...


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/avum4mf5

	Queensrÿche Empire 1990 1 - Empire After the breakthrough success and worldwide respect that Queensrÿche gained from their conceptual masterpiece Operation: Mindcrime, it was a fair assumption that they couldn't possibly outdo or perhaps even match themselves. Empire, released just two years after that watermark, reveals that Queensrÿche reinvented themselves (though certainly not for the last time). While many fans were clamoring for a conceptual sequel, the band offers a song-oriented approach that is more art rock and less metal (though Empire does rock hard in places).
	Megadeth Rust In Peace 1990 2 - Hangar 18 A sobered-up Mustaine returns with yet another lineup, this one featuring ex-Cacophony guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, for what is easily Megadeth's strongest musical effort. As Metallica was then doing, Mustaine accentuates the progressive tendencies of his compositions, producing rhythmically complex, technically challenging thrash suites that he and Friedman burn through with impeccable execution and jaw-dropping skill. Thanks to Mustaine's focus on the music rather than his sometimes clumsy lyrics, Rust in Peace arguably holds up better than any other Megadeth release, even for listeners who think they've outgrown heavy metal. While the whole album is consistently impressive, the obvious highlight is the epic, Eastern-tinged "Hangar 18."
	Stone Temple Pilots Core 1992 3 - Sex Type Thing Core, as a debut album, displayed the band's attempt to revive the album-oriented music approach of the 1970s. Striving to create an intense and emotional sound, vocalist Weiland has said that the main theme of the album is that humanity is confused, with songs like "Sex Type Thing" and "Naked Sunday" dealing with social injustice. "Sex Type Thing", according to Weiland, deals with abuse of power, "macho" behavior, and humanity's attitude toward women, treating them as sex objects.
	White Zombie La Sexosrcisto - Devil Music Vol. 1 1992 4 - Thunder Kiss '65 Perhaps co-defining the future of heavy metal, White Zombie's major-label debut nearly equals fellow classics Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, the Cult's Electric, and Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger in significance. With a funky rap-metal undercurrent, these metal monsters combine Black Sabbath's riff sludge and Metallica's rhythmic intensity, a combination that would again resurface in the late '90s. On La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1, Zombie and co. take listeners on a hokey carnival ride capable of inducing vomit yet provide an exhilarating, heart-throbbing metal experience. Tactless and continuously shocking, lyricist Rob Zombie reveals blatant tales of muscle cars, sleazy encounters, and Fangoria-mustered fantasy, clearly paying homage to vintage trash culture.

[Jon]

[Scott]

[Meow]

[Jon]

Did you know that Queensryche was the first rock band to mention "crack" in a song?

EVerything about that Megadeth album reeks of awesomeness from the album cover to the songs. Just a brilliant album, my favorite Megadeth album. The song featured here I could play on an endless loop, especially the geetar goodness. Plus, it's so awesome it spawned a sequel. Who else does that? NOBODY!

I must admit I didn't care too much about STP at the beginning, but then they kinda grew on me. I really like "No. 4", it's a fine album. I think I have this album, but I mostly listen to "No. 4" if I want an STP fix. 

White Zombie was too scary for me. Their videos were scary. Their name was scary. Their album titles were scary. The guy with the dreads should have made movies, they would have been interesting. 

Headbangers Ball was cool, but Rikki was a tool. They did introduce a lot of lesser-known bands to us which was good. When it was brought back, it really sucked.

[Scott]

I never watched the "comeback", sounds like I didn't miss anything.  And as far as Queensryche trivia goes, well that's new to me.

[Scott]

By the way - I am late comer to the Megadeth party (last 5 years-ish) and while I do like Rust In Peace, I really really dig their  melodic stuff like Cryptic Writings and Risk, and the new ones Endgame and SuperCollider are really solid.  But as of late have been really into Rust, Peace, Countdown and Youthanasia.  Havent been able to get into So Far, So Good yet though it has moments....

For some reason White Zombie has always appealed to me, I just like the beats he comes up with and his WZ and early Rob Zombie work is pretty stinkin good!

STP?  Well, my opinion on Weiland still stands - best singer of the 90's.  Shame he cant get out of his own way! (Hope his new ones good!!  I'm looking at it but not sure yet)

[Jon]

Cryptic Writings is a fine album. Risk? Not so much. It has a few moments, but there was something seriously wrong with them at this time. The World Needs A Hero started the turnaround and then came The System Has Failed and United Abominations, both fantastic albums. 

Rob Zombie is too scary. I can't even type his name without feeling frightened.

I'm just guessing at that Queensryche bit o' trivia. It sounds so good, it's gotta be true!

[Scott]

I skipped Thirteen as well, not sure I remember why, but I had a reason!  I probably will need to go back and check out The World Needs A Hero, The System Has Failed and United Abominations...

I'm relieved to learn you're not a Queensryche stalker!

[Jon]

Nope, but I still say that Hear In The Now Frontier is a very underrated Queensryche album.

[Niels (Mod)]

Well, here's my comments for what it's worth:

I do remember seeing Headbanger's Ball in the late 80's at a friends house a few times. I don't remember being introduced to any new music/bands, just some new video's form bands/albums I already knew. Mick Wall's SKY TV-show was actually better IMO.

"Empire" was when Queensrÿche "broke" especially with "Silent Lucidity", which was kind of a joke imo. Nothing wrong with the song or album (even though it was the first weak Queensrÿche-album in a longe line), but for Christ sake: Why didn't they "break through" with either "Rage" or especially "Operation"? I hated when bands I loved, would be popular among "music-idiots", just because of a ballad.

I never liked Mustaine or Megadeth. I bought "Peace Sells..", but hated it. I hate his voice and attitude.

Stone Temple Pilots was for me a part of the Grunge-movement. I started out with "Purple", and it's still my favorite. But again: I'm definitely not a fan. Weiland is also a jerk, or appears to be. I don't think his voice is THAT great, just mediocre.

White Zombie: Never gave a F...!! It was the late 80's/start 90's, and I was getting SO tired of Heavy Rock, or what it should be called at the time.

[Scott]

Niels, did you engage with the grunge movement once it got rolling?  I didn't and kind of checked out for awhile, probably for the same reasons you just outlined, 80's rock was growing tired and weary.  Nothing sounded new anymore.  I will give Headbangers Ball credit for pushing through all the trends of the day and giving rock a kick in the pants.  I think Mustaine and Zombie were a bit counter-culture and worked well against the big hair back drop of the time. (Though they too had some big hair)

As far as Queensryche is concerned, I thought The Warning and Rage For Order were brilliant but the band definitely went commercial after that and it worked for 2 albums and then they never recovered (IMO).  Weiland is an idiot, I'll give you that, but I still think if you listen close to his voice its so natural and smooth and work sin so may different styles that he's easily the 90's best and no one else is close from my perspective. 

Good thoughts and valid points!

[Niels (Mod)]

"Niels, did you engage with the grunge movement once it got rolling?"

Kind off, yeah. It was a breath of fresh air for me, but I didn't know it was called Grunge at first. I loved "Smell Like Teen Spirit" from the first time, I heard it in '91-'92, but at first, the "new" music I bought was a mish-mash of Grunge and other stuff, like "Ten" (Pearl Jam), "Angel Dust" (FNM) and "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (RHCP) in '92, but when I learned, it was a "movement" called Grunge, I went straight for Grunge-albums/bands like Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Nirvana, AIC and a little later STP.