10. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power(1992)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

My ranking journey continues wih my first plunge into groove metal and its most famous reprezentative, the mighty Pantera. Here is my rating and ranking of the tracks from one of the Texan band's most successful albums, Vulgar Display of Power:

11. Rise- 8(solid)

10. No Good(Attack the Radical)- 8.5(very good)

   9. Live in a Hole- 8.5

   8. Regular People(Conceit)- 9(great)

   7. F***ing Hostile- 9

   6. This Love- 9

   5. Walk- 9

   4. Hollow- 9.5(fantastic)

   3. By Demons Be Driven- 9.5

   2. A New Level- 10(stellar)

   1. Mouth for War- 10

    OVERALL RATING: 9.09

   

The two masterful tracks which are 10 out of 10 for me, Mouth for War and A New Level, are interchangeable. They are both super heavy, have outstanding riffs and guitar solos, and they are empowering tunes, perfect to listen whenever you need to boost your morale and find that remarkable combination of strength and determination that only great metal songs can generate.

By Demons Be Driven lands in 3rd place thanks mostly to its fabulous chorus, while the semi-ballads Hollow and This Love get really high marks as they Pantera's somewhat more melancholic side, but they still have kickass heavy parts which are in great contrast with the slower, ballady sections.

As for Walk, probably Pantera's biggest "hit", it's only in 5th place on my list because it's less complex than the tracks above it, but still its main riff and anthemic chorus stick to my mind for quite a while after hearing it.

There are obviously no bad tracks on this awesome album, a unique blend of energy, agression and catchiness. No wonder it helped Pantera become hugely popular and carry on the flag of heavy music during the 90s, a dark period for metal otherwise. Vulgar Display of Power remains for me an essential listen, a staple of groove, thrashy metal which I will always enjoy hearing from top to bottom!

Wandering Soul

                  

                 

       My soul is free to wander

       To distant, dreamy sights

       Just like the Andean condor

       In search for greater heights.

       There is no limitation

       To my strong, deep desire

       My rich imagination

       Is fuelling the fire.

      I roam through time and space

      And stars lighten my way

      A journey filled with grace

      On such a perfect day!

9. Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I(1987)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

German legends Helloween make their debut in my ranking series with an album which is hugely influential on the growth of European power metal. Out of the 8 tracks on 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I', there are two short instrumental tracks- the intro and the outro- which I didn't rate(though I really love the intro), so only six tracks remain to be ranked, and here is my classification:

6. Twilight of the Gods- 7.5(good)

5. A Little Time- 8(solid)

4. I'm Alive- 9(great)

3. A Tale That Wasn't Right- 9.5(fantastic)

2. Future World- 10(stellar)

1. Halloween- 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.00

There could only be one winner on this album: Halloween, a 13-minute monster track of epic proportions which perfectly illustrates how fabulous European power metal can be when performed by the iconic band which basically invented the genre. Everything in this brilliant song- the versus, the chorus, Michael Kiske's unique voice, the fantastic drumming and guitarwork- is pure perfection!

The second place in my ranking, Future World, also gets the highest mark from me thanks to its musical prowess, amazing chorus and the positive effect it has upon me whenever I give it a spin, while the third place, A Tale That Wasn't Right, is also close to perfection thanks to its emotionally charged delivery and great guitar solo which help it reach the top 10 of my favourite metal ballads of all time.

Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I,along with the second part, which I will analyze in a future episode, remains a hugely influential record for the style of European power metal, and an album I will always enjoy listening to along with other fabulous works from German icons 

Helloween!

Fountain from Onești

A beautiful fountain from Onești, my hometown(link to my Youtube short video in green)

Fountain from Onești

8. Ozzy Osbourne- Blizzard of Ozz(1980)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

1980 was a huge year for heavy metal since several seminal albums were released. One of them is  Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo whose tracks I'm ranking in this post. I have to mention that I decided not to include ' Dee', a very short instrumental, in my ranking, so this how I rank and rate the songs from 'Blizzard of Ozz':

8. No Bone Movies- 6.5(average)

7. Goodbye to Romance- 8.5(very good)

6. I Don't Know- 9(great)

5. Suicide Solution- 9

4. Steal Away(The Night)- 9

3. Revelation(Mother Earth)- 9.5(fantastic)

2. Crazy Train- 9.5

1. Mr. Crowley- 10(stellar)

OVERALL RATING-  8.87

Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train were the two well-known tracks which fought for supremacy in my ranking. The former won the big prize thanks to the wide range of emotions caused by Ozzy's singing and the magical guitarwork by Randy Rhoades, while the latter, which also benefits from a great guitar solo and an  iconic riff, finished in second place mainly because its verses aren't that impressive for me. Just like "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, I sometimes skip this song when it appears on my playlists because of the burnout factor, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a remarkable track.

As for Revelations(Mother Earth), the most complex song of the album and the winner of the bronze medal, the emotional component is also highly present in Ozzy's voice as well as in its melancholic sections as the touching lyrics invite the listeners to meditate on the fate and future of our planet. It'a song with a really deep message.

The tracks ranked from numbers 4 to 6 are all greatly entertaining, addictive hard and heavy tunes which I truly enjoy, while Goodbye to Romance showcases Ozzy's more melancholic side and it's in my opinion one of his best ballads. As for No Bone Movies, I admit I don't find it particularly interesting. It could be my least favourite songs from Ozzy's 80s albums, but we'll see that after I finish ranking all of them.

However, one less interesting song can't change my general impression on Blizzard of Oz, which I consider to be one of the greatest debut albums of the 80s. After his inglorious departure from Black Sabbath, Ozzy was back in bussiness and ready to conquer the world of rock!

Strange World

               

          

      We're living in a world that's strange

      And full of wonders to be seen

      From Macchu Picchu to Stonehenge

      Our planet is a splendid scene.

      We yearn to travel and explore

      The deepest and most hidden sites

      We'd never stop cause we want more

      To go further and reach new heights.

       If only we could leave behind

       The things that burden our lives

       Pollution, war, stress, daily grind

       Ignore then, lock them in archives!

      We would be then careless and free

      To wander towards distant lands 

      And full of joy our days would be

      To have fun and shake our hands!

     

The Wheel Keeps Spinning

           

          

          The mighty wheel is spinning

          At a relentless pace

          And as the clock is ticking

          It's laughing in your face.

         With every passing second

         The end is getting near

          And all that you have reckoned

         Gives in to pain and fear.

        Your big dreams and ideals

        Are crushed by wheel's sheer power

        So you know how it feels

        To suffer day and hour.

        And yet, in times of sorrow

        When all hope appears lost

        You still wait for tomorrow

        And fight the past's ghost.

       The battle may be long

        And hanging by a thread

        But if your spirit's strong

        You'll beat the grief and dread!