Def Leppard‘s 1983 album, Pyromania, was one of the first hard rock/heavy metal albums that I connected with… that is until I started getting my own albums. See, Pyromania was a gift to my mother from my uncle, but I kind of took over ownership. That should tell you what kind of household I was raised in. I still have the vinyl and have never owned this album in any other format.

It’s true that 1987’s Hysteria was Def Leppard’s biggest record, but it’s Pyromania that broke the band. And it was a pivitol album too. It was the last album to feature orginal guitarist Pete Willis on rhythm guitar before he was asked to leave because of his excessive alcohol abuse. Consequently, Pyromania introduced Phil Collen who contributed solos and other parts to the album that hadn’t been recorded yet. It was also the last album on which drummer Rick Allen would have two arms. Perhaps most importantly, Pyromania had famed producer Mutt Lange on board for a second time with Def Leppard and he pushed Joe Elliot’s vocals further than ever before.

In my opinion, Pyromania is Def Leppard’s best album. Although many fans and critics disagree with me, citing either On Through the Night or High ‘n’ Dry as the band’s best. I simply find Pyromania to be their most cohesive and most energetic, and Elliot’s vocals were the best they ever got.

It’s true that Def Leppard faded away in a big way and have yet to call it quites, they became a cliche and ended up being mocked by thousands, but I will argue till my dying breath that they were once one of the best hard rock bands on the scene. Although their sound has strayed far away from their origins, Def Leppard remains one of the bands that pioneered the New Wave of British Heavy Metal genre — stick that in your hat and wear it!

The short live concert included in the player above may not be of the best quality, but I really wanted to focus on the Pyromania era. I think you’ll find that the raw energy in the performance is as pure as the Colombian white stuff. In the video, Def Leppard is playing at the RockPop Festival in Dortmund, Germany, in 1984; other guests included Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Judas Priest, Krokus, and The Michael Schenker Group. If you’re looking for something with a bigger budget, check out their 1988 concert in Denver.

And if you’re wondering what my first hard rock/heavy metal albums were, Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry and Van Halen – 1984.

Def Leppard – PopRock Festival 1984 Set List:

1. Rock Rock
2. Billy’s Got A Gun
3. Foolin’
4. Rock of Ages
5. Let It Go
6. Wasted

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

Obviously, 50 years in the biz makes them pretty damn old. It also makes pinpointing the height of their career a fairly difficult task, but it lies sometime between 1980 and 1994. In those years, Scorpions released a handful of albums that are arguably, their biggest: Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love at First Sting, Savage Amusement, Crazy World, and Face the Heat. As well, those albums contain some of their biggest hits: “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “No One Like You,” “Send Me an Angel,” “Still Loving You,” “Wind of Change,” “The Zoo,” “Rhythm of Love,” Big City Nights,” and “Ship of Fools.”

Scorpions has managed to walk the fine line between hard rock and heavy metal with as much precision as guitarist Matthias Jabs dances on the fretboard. Falling somewhere between Van Halen, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and glam metal in general, the band has appealed to a wide fan base, who has, through the years, purchased over 100 million albums. Great rhythm, great melodies, sing-along choruses, often sexual without being too dirty, some of the most powerful ballads, and Klaus Meines unmistakable vocals, it’s all led to an enviable career.

Check out the concert video above, which is taken from the Crazy World Tour Live… Berlin 1991 concert video release.

Crazy World Tour Live… Berlin 1991 Set List:

1. Bad Boys Running Wild
2. Hit Between the Eyes
3. I Can’t Explain
4. The Zoo
5. Rhythm of Love
6. Crazy World
7. Can’t Live Without You
8. Blackout
9. Dynamite
10. Lust or Love
11. Big City Nights
12. Rock You Like a Hurricane

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

Formed in 1988 by guitarist Jimmy Bower and late drummer Joey LaCaze, Eyehategod were instrumental in developing the NOLA metal scene, which drew heavily from influences like Melvins, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, and Black Flag, among others. Other bands representing the NOLA scene, and often having shared band members, include: Exhorder, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Crowbar, Acid Bath, Soilent Green, Goatwhore, and more.

Eyehategod has had an up-and-down career troubled with internal conflict and drug abuse, resulting in sporadic releases and an extended unofficial hiatus. However, during their time off, several 7” and splits were released. Although the band reconvened in 2000, quickly releasing a couple of comp albums [10 Years of Abuse (and Still Broke), Preaching the “End-Time” Message], members were still busy with obligations to other bands and it took them until 2014 to release a proper LP with new material.

In the player above you’ll find a 1993 Eyehategod performance that took place in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show took place in August, which predates the release of second studio album, Take as Needed for Pain. There are plenty of more recent Eyehategod concerts circulating on the internet, all of them excellent, and although this one is rough in terms of audio and video, it demonstrates a band at the cusp of greatness.

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

The pioneering death metal band had a pivotal role in developing the burgeoning metal genre, and being based in Tampa, Florida, they were definitely in the right place. Formed in 1984 as Executioner, they changed their name twice in 1988, first to Xecutioner and then to Obituary.

As mentioned, the live show in the player above was filmed in 1990, which puts them two albums deep with Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death. The energy and passion seen in this performance is undeniable, and actually makes me wonder what would have happened if death metal had taken off as an alternative to hair metal instead of grunge.

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

Jordison’s sudden departure comes shortly after the news that a new Slipknot album is in the making, which was finally some good news about the band. After the death of founding member and bassist Paul Gray, the future of the band was uncertain. Fans were happy to know that the band would continue, but there was no news of an album at the time.

For me, that’s an issue I have with Slipknot; their productivity just isn’t there — despite lots of touring. Forming in 1995, and releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999, they’ve only released a total of 4 albums. Understandably, Slipknot hasn’t had the smoothest ride in recent years, and members are heavily involved in various other projects (my preferred is Corey Taylor’s Stone Sour followed closely by Jordison’s Murderdolls), but given the popularity and demand for Slipknot, one would think that this band would take priority. As it is, however, it’s like a well-maintained car that never dies.

Nonetheless, the band most easily recognized for its masks, costumes, elaborate performances, and outrageous number of band members, has had a meteoric rise. Most bands producing just 4 albums in a 15-year existence would have been forgotten, but their huge success and massive following have allowed them to take their time as if they were a much older band. Perhaps their slow pace has also kept them interested in maintaining the band. Who knows?

The concert filmed at Australia’s 2005 Big Day Out certainly displays the intensity at which Slipknot performs. Having seen them in the summer of 2012, I’d say that their stage show has gotten more elaborate than back in 2005, but the intensity has always been there. It takes a certain amount of insanity or genius to put on a show like this.

Slipknot: Big Day Out 2005 setlist:

1. (Sic)
2. The Blister Exists
3. Disasterpiece
4. Eyeless
5. Pulse of the Maggots
6. The Heretic Anthem
7. Duality
8. Spit it out
9. People=Shit
10. Surfaсing

Rock Hard \m/

But let’s get this out of the way. According to Sam Dunn, the terms “heavy metal” and “hard rock” were synonymous prior to the ‘80s because heavy metal had yet to break off into its own thing. So, in many respects, this is why many of the classic rock bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s are sometimes classified or referred to as heavy metal, despite the protestations of many would-be experts.

In my opinion, any metalhead worth his salt can comfortably sit in a parking lot on a hot summer night and listen to Aerosmith, Megadeth, Death Angel, KISS, Van Halen, Slipknot, Metallica, Judas Priest, etc. on a back-to-back basis.

Aerosmith is one of those bands with a legendary story. Emerging at the dawn of the ‘70s, their sound was described as something between the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls. If you know these bands, then that makes total sense. What doesn’t make sense is that by the time Aerosmith had released their third album, Toys in the Attic, in 1975, critics were calling them punk rock. But when you consider that they were breaking the conventions of modern rock at the time, set by the like of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Instead, Aerosmith stripped away the elitist, almost prog elements of Zeppelin, and offered rippin’ riffs that rocked. Basically, Aerosmith played music you could either party to or fuck to.

But, by the time the ‘80s came, Aerosmith had enjoyed massive success and fell victim to the perils of massive drug use. Hey, two of your members don’t become known as “The Toxic Twins” for nothing. So, with both guitarists (Joe Perry and Brad Whitford) leaving the band and a failed album with two replacements, a regrouping, and an inability to perform because of drugs, the band went on hiatus (i.e., into rehab).

In 1986, with an appearance with Run-D.M.C. on their cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way,” the stage was set for an ultimate comeback. In 1987, Aerosmith released Permanent Vacation, which spawned three massive hits, sold three million copies, and landed at No. 11 on the charts, all of which added up to one of rock’s greatest comebacks.

After Permanent Vacation, Aerosmith released Pump and Get a Grip, both massively successful, and essentially the same album. I like Pump as it didn’t sound like previous work from the band, but it definitely was the template for their future formula. And that’s why I think Permanent Vacation is so great; it sounds nothing like Aerosmith from the ‘70s and nothing like anything afterward, but it’s still distinctively Aerosmith.

So, with that and because Aerosmith is currently on tour I give you this performance from 1977, perhaps their best era from the ‘70s.

Aerosmith Live In Houston (1977) Tracklist:

1.Back In the Saddle
2.Mama Kin
3.S.O.S. (Too Bad)
4.Big Ten Inch Record
5.Lord of the Thighs
6.Dream On
7.Lick and a Promise
8.Adam’s Apple
9.Sweet Emotion
10.Sick As a Dog
11.Draw the Line
12.Walk This Way
13.Rattlesnake Shake
14.Same Old Song and Dance
15.Toys In the Attic
16.Train Kept a Rollin’
17.Helter Skelter
18.The Batman Theme
19.The Peter Gunn Theme

Vocals: Steven Tyler
Guitar: Joe Perry
Guitar: Brad Whitford
Bass: Tom Hamilton
Drums: Joey Kramer

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

I’ll be honest here, I’ve never really been into Dio, or Ronnie. There’s no particular reason; I like his vocals and I like his music. I do disagree with the claim that he “invented” the metal horns, but I’ll attribute that to my obsession with KISS, and thus give that credit to Gene Simmons.

I do have Dream Evil on vinyl, and I think it’s great, but it’s not exactly the first thing I grab when I want a shot of old-school metal. Odd, right?

But after reading up on the man, and, from my assessment, how close he came to becoming a session musician/vocalist if not for his perseverance and vision, he’s totally inspiring. And he’s totally gotten me interested in his career, posthumously… obviously.

Anyway, check out this amazing concert video and rock your Friday hard, motherfuckers!

A Special From The Spectrum (1984) Track List:

1. “Stand Up and Shout”
2. “Don’t Talk to Strangers”
3. “Mystery”
4. “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”
5. “Heaven and Hell”
6. Guitar solo by Vivian Campbell
7. “Heaven and Hell”
8. “The Last in Line”
9. “Rainbow in the Dark”
10. “The Mob Rules”
11. “We Rock”

The Lineup:

Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Vivian Campbell – Guitar
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
Claude Schnell – Keyboards

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

King Diamond (aka, Kim Bendix Petersen) got his start in 1974 with Brainstorm, moved on to Black Rose, joined the Brats in 1980, and from there formed Mercyful Fate in 1981. King Diamond has been in and out of Mercyful Fate through the years, since forming his solo band in 1985.

Aside from his evil persona, he’s also known for his falsetto vocals, which I find extremely annoying. I much prefer is natural singing voice, but I get that the falsetto adds to the theatrics. Think what you will about his vocal style, the music of King Diamond is among the best metal you’ll hear.

You’ll hear and see proof of King Diamond’s superior stage show, and the best thing about it is how King Diamond plays air guitar with his microphone. You gotta love someone who’s a fan of his own music. The video isn’t bad for someone filming from the audience, but you’ll be surprised by the audio (I’m guessing someone was jacked into the soundboard).

King Diamond: Live At Sweden Rock Festival (2012) set list:

[00:00] 01. Intro
[01:33] 02. The Candle
[07:00] 03. Welcome Home
[11:31] 04. Matt Drum Solo
[13:28] 05. Voodoo
[18:20] 06. At The Graves
[27:36] 07. Up From The Grave
[31:00] 08. Let It Be Done
[32:17] 09. Dreams
[37:10] 10. Sleepless Nights
[42:25] 11. Andy + Mike Solo
[44:47] 12. Shapes Of Black
[50:19] 13. Come To The Sabbath (Guests: Hank Shermann + Michael Poulsen)
[55:54] 14. Eye Of The Witch
[61:12] 15. Band Introduction
[62:11] 16. The Family Ghost
[67:24] 17. Halloween (Guests: Michael Denner + Mikkey Dee)
[74:15] 18. Black Horsemen

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

If the Big 4 were the Big 5, Suicidal would be that fifth band. The band has influenced their peers and followers alike, a list that included the likes of Anthrax, Biohazard, Children of Bodom, Death by Stereo, Dub War, Green Day, Jane’s Addiction, Incubus, Korn, Megadeth, Metallica, MxPx, NOFX, P.O.D., Pantera, Papa Roach, Rage Against the Machine, and many more.

Formed in 1981, founding member Mike Muir remains the only original member after 13 albums (well, 12 if you don’t count Still Cyco After All These Years).

Anyway, check out the live concert in the player above and learn a thing or two if you’re unfamiliar with ST. Also, you’ll see how insane Muir is as a frontman.

Suicidal Tendencies: Live in Madrid (1993) Setlist:

01 You Can’t Bring Me Down
02 Join the Army
03 War Inside My Head
04 Go’n Breakdwon
05 Accept My Sacrifice
06 I Saw Your Mommy
07 Monopoly on Sorrow
08 Suicidal Failure
09 Lovely
10 Waking the Dead
11 Send Me Your Money
12 How I Will Laugh Tomorrow
13 Pledge Your Allegiance

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/

Currently, founding member and the band’s heart and soul, Jeff Waters, and since 2003, Dave Padden, are the only two permanent members of the band. The rest, respectfully, are hired guns that get smuggled around on tour.

After 30 years, Annihilator has released 14 albums on a steady and consistent basis, 2 live albums, 2 EPs, 2 live DVDs, and more. This band proves that slow and steady wins the race. The live performance above is one of those live DVDs, and it can be purchased at Amazon.

A metal bias dictates that “Alison Hell” is the best track in this performance, but there is plenty of wicked thrash to be enjoyed throughout.

Annihilator Live At Masters of Rock Setlist:

01 Intro
02 King Of The Kill
03 Blackest Day
04 Operation Annihilation
05 Clown Parade
06 Set The World On Fire
07 I Am In Command
08 Never, Neverland
09 Fun Palace
10 Phantasmagoria
11 W.T.Y.D.
12 Wicked Mystic
13 Alison Hell
14 Shallow Grave

Yell! Magazine’s Concert Series brings you kick-ass live shows to get your party started right and to help you vent your Friday frustrations.

Rock Hard \m/