CLASSIC ROCKFEATURESHEAVY MUSIC HISTORY

“It was the biggest shame in rock and roll; God knows what we would have done over the next three or four years. We were writing so well.” This was how the late Jon Lord described the end of DEEP PURPLE’s heralded ‘Mk. II’ line up some twenty years after the fact. A combination of internal tensions and exhaustion following the band’s rise to one of hard rock’s most prominent acts had taken its toll in the summer of 1973 – out the door went bassist Roger Glover (whether he chose to leave or was fired at the insistence of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore remains disputed) and, more pertinently, vocalist Ian Gillan following his own, infamous spat with the axeman.



Coming into the band were Glenn Hughes, initially on both bass and vocals, having impressed Lord and drummer Ian Paice whilst playing with Midlands outfit TRAPEZE. A move to take FREE vocalist Paul Rodgers collapsed when the singer decided to concentrate on forming BAD COMPANY, so PURPLE held auditions for a new frontman. An unknown name from the Yorkshire town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea came out on top, primarily because his masculine, blues-tinged voice resonated with Blackmore; thus, David Coverdale completed the ‘Mk. III’ lineup.

Along with Hughes, Coverdale brought elements of funk, soul and blues into the group, along with twin vocal harmonies – their first effort with the group, Burn, was released in February 1974 to great success, reaching #3 and #9 in the UK and US respectively. Coverdale’s individual performance was praised, most notably on the full-throttle title track and the brooding closer Mistreated, a track that would be played by him throughout his career even after he left DEEP PURPLE. The band themselves continued their impressive trajectory, co-headlining the California Jam alongside EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER in front of 250,000 fans on a bill that also included BLACK SABBATH and THE EAGLES.



Now brimming with confidence, Coverdale helped PURPLE fully embrace their funkier side on following record Stormbringer, much to Blackmore’s chagrin; the guitarist, wary of his previous fallout with Gillan, kept relatively tight-lipped, but he couldn’t help but criticise the album in the press, saying he didn’t want to play ‘shoeshine music’, a remark that immediately put him at loggerheads with Hughes due to the incredibly insensitive racial connotations, Hughes being good friends with many black musicians like Luther Vandross and Herbie Hancock. The album performed well commercially, but the die had been cast; in June 1975, Blackmore left to join forces with Ronnie James Dio and form the hugely successful RAINBOW.

Despite considering disbandment, DEEP PURPLE continued and recruited Tommy Bolin for their next album, Come Taste The Band (1975). Coverdale would say he was the one who recruited the guitarist, saying ‘he plugged into four Marshall 100-watt stacks and…the job was his’, although Bolin disputed that soon after. The album received mixed reviews at the time and, retrospectively, Lord would say that ‘the worst thing you can say about it is that, in most people’s opinions, it’s not a DEEP PURPLE album’. In recent years, Bolin’s work and influence has also gained praise; he was encouraged by Coverdale to develop much of the album’s material, and it revitalised the band once again as they continued their funk-meets-hard rock sound.



However, the following five months would prove to be the band’s last for eight years. Bolin’s drug addiction caused him to be openly booed at concerts as he struggled to mimic Blackmore’s solos, while Hughes’ self-confessed cocaine problem hampered the group further. This also included the release of Last Night In Japan (1977), a live taping of a truly awful performance where Bolin could barely play due to an arm injury, forcing Lord to perform most of the guitar lines. The UK leg of the Come Taste The Band tour was the final straw; Bolin was constantly on edge, only needing to hear one shout of Blackmore’s name in the crowd to completely lose focus on stage during his solos and his poor performances were causing tensions. On the last date, at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre on May 15th, 1976, they snapped – a dreadful showing all round, coupled with a crowd baying for Blackmore, proved too much for Coverdale: he left the stage in tears, broke down on Paice and Lord backstage and said, ‘I just can’t take this anymore’.

They agreed, and the band was officially over, the news being made public four months later. It wouldn’t be until 1978 that Coverdale would resurface, again flanked by Lord and, a year later, Paice – initially conceived as a backing band for Coverdale to perform with, the group were soon given a name; it’s another story entirely but, as is well known, WHITESNAKE would go on to dominate rock and metal for much of the 1980’s.

This month, in honour of fifty years since he joined the band, Coverdale has released The Purple Years, a compilation of re-recorded songs by the current WHITESNAKE lineup from his time in DEEP PURPLE. Given the material he had to work with, it’s understandably a mixed bag, but its place in history cannot be understated. In just three short years, David Coverdale had gone from a salesman residing in an English seaside town to one of the most recognisable and celebrated vocalists in heavy music – even if he HADN’T achieved such success after his departure, his place in rock and metal’s tapestry would have been cemented forever more.



The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition is available now via Rhino Records.

MICK MARS ON LEAVING MÖTLEY CRÜE - "SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GROW MORE"

BraveWords' Streaming For Vengeance sat down with former Mötley Crüe guitar legend Mick Mars to discuss his new solo material, the recently-released 40th anniversary Shout At The Devil box, the Sunset Strip and how they skyrocketed to fame by just sounding different from every other band in Los Angeles. And despite the fact that he's in legal battles with the other members of Mötley Crüe (Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil), he actually owned the name Mötley Crüe first. When asked if it broke his heart the way things ended with the band he responded: "Sometimes you have to grow more. I can't take it any further than that cuz of all the crap. What did The Byrds say? "A time to reap, a time to sow" (on their classic 'Turn Turn Turn'). I learned how to play that song when I was 14. On a 12 string too!"

WHAT IF PAUL DI’ANNO HAD REMAINED IN IRON MAIDEN?

WHAT IF PAUL DI’ANNO HAD REMAINED IN IRON MAIDEN?


feature heavy metal iron maiden paul di'anno



Would Maiden have gone on to enjoy the same worldwide success if singer Paul Di'Anno remained behind the mic? A question that many a metalhead has pondered over the years. And in my book from a few years back, Iron Maiden: 80-81 (which as its title states, focuses solely on Maiden’s “Di’Anno era,” and features exclusive interviews with some of metal’s most renowned names), this question was thoroughly investigated…in fact, an entire chapter was solely designated to it! Below is an excerpt from the book, which is available for purchase as a paperback version and a Kindle download.

John Gallagher (Raven singer/bassist): “Ah, there's the $64,000 question. It's debatable. I'm not sure how much of the material Bruce wrote on the third album (Dickinson did not write any songs for The Number Of The Beast album). I honestly don't know. But if he'd had his act together, maybe. If he'd had his act together, yeah, they would have done stuff. He didn't have his act together. It wasn't going to happen. And it was really the music and the fact that he just couldn't perform to the level that he should have. He bought himself a one-way ticket out of that band. And those guys did what they had to do. I'm sure it was very painful, because they were all mates and they'd all grown up putting this thing together for a long time, and a lot of work. People just don't know the stresses and strains that the personal relationships between bands can get. We can only guess what went on with all that stuff. But it worked out - they found the right guy. They found the guy that literally took them to the next level. And a guy who is one of the premiere performing artists that are out there. Bruce is a force of nature - God bless him.”

David Ellefson (Megadeth bassist): “I think that's kind of a two-part question. As far as stylistically vocally, I think Paul was probably a little limited as far as mainstream appeal. And then as it turns out, you never know what someone's personality is like within a group. Lots of times when changes are made, it's because of a person who the group didn't feel was going to be able to go the distance and really keep it all together. And that's a whole other side to the thing, it's a risk when you're in a band and you have to make those changes, because ultimately if that personality isn't going to be able to hold it together at the lower levels, chances are, they're not going to hold it together at the higher levels.




“And I don't know any of the internal dynamics of what that was in Iron Maiden. To me, they sounded awesome, but hitting the big time isn't for everybody. I've never seen Paul play live, and I would like to hear him sing some of those Maiden tunes, because I know he's out gigging and doing stuff. But Iron Maiden, they accomplished some pretty remarkable stuff once they made the change with Bruce. Bruce having to go back and sing early songs, that's not always easy for a singer to do, too, because certainly fans grew up listening to Paul Di'Anno, so for Bruce to have to go back and sing songs, that probably puts him out of his comfort level too. To answer your question, everything happens for a reason. And it seems the way things panned out worked out really well for Iron Maiden, and I think that's great for all of us who are fans.”

Wil Malone (Iron Maiden album producer): “That's difficult to say. Yeah, I think they probably would have. But it depends really on the original singer, whether he could hold up. I mean, there must have been a reason why they got rid of him. I have no idea what it was.”

Charlie Benante (Anthrax drummer): “I don't know. That's a hard question to answer, because you don't know that for sure. Would AC/DC be as popular if Bon Scott was still in the band? I don't know. But I'll put it to you this way - I can never hear The Number Of The Beast without Bruce Dickinson, I can never hear Back In Black without Brian Johnson. So I think maybe in the back of my mind I don't think the band would have been as popular without those changes, but you never know. I mean, Metallica went on to be huge, and I don't think James would say back in the day, he was this great ‘Rob Halford type of singer,’ you know what I mean?”



Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden guitarist, 1979-1980): “No, I don't think they would have had worldwide success if Di'Anno had stayed, because he was hard work, he's a bit silly in the head, and I would never work with him…I wouldn't even talk to him. Just hard work.”

Biff Byford (Saxon singer): “No. I don't think so. I think Bruce brought a sort of style to Maiden that once Bruce joined, his melodic style and his writing style made an impact on Maiden. I think they went much more mainstream.”

Mike Portnoy (Former Dream Theater drummer): “I hate to say it - with all due respect to Paul - but probably not. I think Bruce was a huge, huge part of the band's sound and when the band finally really broke through with The Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind, and Powerslave, I think a big part of it was…not only Bruce's voice, but also his look. Paul…at that time, nobody in metal had short hair - it just wasn't the look at the time. And Bruce had the long hair and was like a ‘Golden God.’ I think a big part of Maiden's mainstream breakthrough was due to Bruce joining the band.”

Scott Ian (Anthrax guitarist): “Honestly, I don't think they would have been as big. I just don't think he's the frontman that Bruce is, and couldn't have sang those songs on The Number of the Beast or Piece of Mind or Powerslave - some of those bigger, epic, or even let's say, "commercial" in quotes, because it's not like they were a radio band. But I just don't think it would have worked. Those songs wouldn't have been as great as they are without Bruce on them. I can't imagine it any other way. Just the same way I feel like I only really want to hear Paul singing the Di'Anno stuff. Bruce sings it and obviously they do those songs live, and those are the songs, but I only want to hear Paul really singing those. Bruce does a fine job on them, but it's not the way they're supposed to sound in my brain. I don't think they would have become the band they became, unless they made that move. That really did push them to the next level, where they were able to separate themselves from the pack, because you had that whole scene of bands coming out of England, and there were so many bands and were all trying to do something different and original…and a lot of the bands sounded the same.

“Bruce really set Maiden apart from the pack, because now they had a true frontman, like in the vein of Rob Halford or Ronnie James Dio. They had 'their guy' - they had that position covered, whereas none of the other bands, except for Motörhead in a different way, because obviously Lemmy as a frontman, it's iconic in a completely different type of way. But all the other bands, nobody had a Bruce. And Maiden found that missing piece of the puzzle, which was going to be able to take them to that next level, where Judas Priest had gone, and Ronnie had gone either with Rainbow or Sabbath or his own solo career, obviously. That was the missing piece of the puzzle, truly, I always felt…not felt, but thought about after the fact, that once Bruce was in, they found their guy. They found the frontman that was on a level with the great frontmen that came before him.”



Doro Pesch: “Oh man, it's hard to say. Since I'm doing it now for so many years, I know it's hard to keep the band together. And if somebody leaves, you have to make the best out of it - to keep it going. I think it's always very tragic when the singer has to be replaced, or when the singer leaves. It's a very hard challenge for a band. But I think they pulled it off great, and I think they always had great singers. I love Paul Di'Anno, but I love Bruce Dickinson so much, too. It's hard to say. I know there are diehard fans of Paul Di'Anno and that line-up, but I think with Bruce, they went to "superstar status" in heavy metal. I think everything has its time and you always make the best out of it. I love all the singers - they have a good hand in choosing the right people for the right time, for the right records.”

Paul Di'Anno (Iron Maiden singer, 1978-1981): “They've had a couple of good ones [songs after Di'Anno left the band], but they've had some stinkers as well, over the last couple of years! Oh, who knows? Who can tell? I mean, if I could tell the future… [Laughs] You never know, you can't tell, can you? I think we would have still carried on the same direction as they did - like, The Number Of The Beast stuff and all that.”

Lips (Anvil singer/guitarist): “I think that Paul had a very unique voice, as well. It's about the friendship within a band, I think. If you haven't got that, then it's no good - it doesn't work. I think that Bruce was a huge advantage for Iron Maiden. It's one of those very few and far between moments for a band to change singers and for it to work. Bruce is a great singer and he's in a great band, and the combination worked.”

Richard Christy (Death and Iced Earth drummer): “I think they still would have. I think so. The songs were there. It would be so interesting if they did a version of 'The Number Of The Beast' with Paul Di'Anno - just to see what it would have sounded like. The important thing about Iron Maiden is that they write amazing songs, so I think anybody singing with them, they would have been just as popular and just as good. Yeah, I absolutely think they would still have gone on to be the legendary Iron Maiden that they are today.”

Head to Amazon to order the book.

Måneskin sai da paixão e começa romance sério com São Paulo em show esgotado

Måneskin ainda é tudo aquilo que nos lembrávamos desde a estreia explosiva no Brasil no último ano (e muito mais), como mostrou o show esgotado em São Paulo na última sexta-feira, 04. E ainda que a apresentação tenha deixado evidente que a banda precisa deixar sucessos virais de lado, a irreverência e domínio dos italianos sobre o público apaixonado ainda são as memórias que ficam de mais uma apresentação de alto nível.

É impossível não comparar os shows de 2023 ao primeiro contato da banda com o público daqui, frequentemente citado pelo Måneskin como uma das experiências mais marcantes para na estrada até então. A banda retornou ao Brasil nesta semana para dois shows esgotados que repetiram o roteiro do ano anterior: primeiro, desembarcaram no Rio de Janeiro, desta vez em proporção bem menor no Qualistage, e depois seguiram para o Espaço Unimed, em São Paulo, mesma casa que os recebeu na estreia. Com duas apresentações tão próximas, o amadurecimento do grupo fica explícito em diversos aspectos.

Agora mais seguros do próprio poder no palco, o quarteto se despiu da selvageria depravada de quem estava em turnê mundial pela primeira vez, mas ainda brilha com a certeza da entrega de um bom show com doses certeiras de sensualidade irônica. Antes deslumbrado com a gritaria ensurdecedora dos fãs, o Måneskin de hoje sabe o que esperar e cobra do público uma participação a altura. Sabe quando uma relação passa da paixão para o relacionamento sério, onde as partes já se conhecem melhor? É justamente esse o caso.

E a entrega dos fãs começou a noite em coros ensurdecedores com a sequência das novas “Don’t Wanna Sleep” e “Gossip”, partes do álbum Rush, muito bem recebido em todo o show. A apresentação já mostrou desde que o destaque seria do novo disco, mas com espaço para faixas favoritas dos fãs, com “Zitti e Buoni” e “Coraline” intercaladas por “Honey (Are You Coming?)” e “Supermodel”.

Quando o hit viral “Beggin'” chegou, o próprio vocalista Damiano David confessou certo cansaço da versão que os revelou a nível mundial. Apesar de ainda ser um momento inevitável nos shows do Måneskin, se torna evidente de imediato que a banda já pode deixar essa canção de lado, uma vez que o público abraçou tão bem a discografia autoral dos italianos.

Esse sentimento voltaria com o sucesso “I Wanna Be Your Slave”: inexplicavelmente, a música é performada duas vezes no show, no segundo ato e para fechar a noite. Quando se tem três álbuns e fãs clamando por músicas deixadas de fora do setlist, como no caso de “Baby Said”, apresentada de improviso e sem paixão, não há justificativa para repetir uma faixa. Por melhor que essa música seja, duas vezes foi demais e tirou espaço de faixas muito queridas no show.

Mas nenhum desses detalhes conseguiu diminuir a potência da apresentação como mais uma noite inesquecível do Måneskin em São Paulo. A sequência caótica de “For Your Love” e “Gasoline” mostrou toda a dedicação rock n’ roll da banda, que não economizou tempo nos solos de guitarra, baixo e bateria, como deve ser.

Em um dos momentos mais intimistas do show, Damiano e o guitarrista Thomas Raggi fizeram um set acústico em um palco menor, montado no pista comum do Espaço Unimed. Depois de atender pedidos do público brasileiro com “Vent’Anni” e apresentaram um cover de “Exagerado”, do Cazuza, apesar do cantor confessar que possui um repertório mínimo de português. Nesse momento, a faixa etária predominantemente jovem do público se fez perceber pelo número de pessoas que não acompanharam o refrão do clássico nacional, como se simplesmente não soubessem a letra.

O toque físico continua sendo uma das linguagens do amor do Måneskin com os seguidores apaixonados. A baixista Victoria de Angelis desceu para a plateia em um momento, Raggi se jogou em outro e mais de uma dezena de fãs foram ao palco para “Kool Kids” na reta final da apresentação, cantando próximo aos ídolos com intimidade de amigos.

E no fechamento do show, “The Loniest” provou ser um dos grandes acertos do mais recente álbum do Måneskin . Se não por originalidade, sendo uma balada hard rock mais convencional, a música foi um momento de lágrimas e casais dançando abraçados na pista, algo que o repertório da banda não tinha até então.

Show de carisma e talento, o retorno do Måneskin à capital paulista mostrou amadurecimento sem perda de atitude e deixou a curiosidade ara saber em quais circunstâncias a banda voltará ao país no futuro. Maiores, mais fortes ou complemente diferentes? Seja como for, o Brasil é um amante ansioso pela descoberta.

Bruce Dickinson anuncia novo single “Afterglow of Ragnarok”

Bruce Dickinson. Créditos: Reprodução/Facebook



Bruce Dickinson anunciou o novo single “Afterglow of Ragnarok”, que faz parte do álbum solo The Mandrake Project.

Ao falar sobre a escolha de música, Dickinson comentou: “Foi importante definir o tom do projeto com essa faixa. Condizente com o título, é uma música pesada e há um grande riff conduzindo-a… mas também há um verdadeiro melodia no refrão que mostra a luz e a sombra que o resto do álbum traz… e espere até ver o vídeo!”

O cantor também irá lançar uma história em quadrinho que, segundo uma declaração divulgada à imprensa, é “uma história sombria e adulta de poder, abuso e luta por identidade, ambientada contra o pano de fundo do gênio científico e oculto.”

A HQ foi criada por Bruce Dickinson, roteirizado por Tony Lee e ilustrada por Staz Johnson para a Z2 Comics. A série apresenta 12 episódios que se reúnem em três histórias em quadrinhos e serão lançados em 2024.

Mais detalhes sobre o The Mandrake Project serão revelados na abertura da CCXP23, evento brasileiro da Comic-Con que acontece em São Paulo onde Dickinson será palestrante.

O músico anunciou também uma turnê mundial que passará pelas terras brasileiras entre abril e maio. Ao todo são 7 cidades anunciadas até o momento, sendo elas Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Ribeirão Preto e São Paulo. Saiba mais aqui.

The Mandrake Project é o sétimo álbum solo de Bruce Dickinson e também o primeiro em 19 anos. O disco foi produzido em conjunto com o produtor e colaborador musical de Bruce de longa data, Roy Z.“Roy Z e eu planejamos, escrevemos e gravamos há anos, e estou muito animado para que as pessoas finalmente ouçam”, comenta Dickinson em comunicado para a imprensa.

“Estou ainda mais animado com a perspectiva de cair na estrada com essa banda incrível que montamos, para poder dar vida a este projeto. Estamos planejando fazer o máximo de shows que pudermos, em tantos lugares quanto possível, para o máximo de pessoas que conseguirmos atingir! The Mandrake Project realmente é…. Bem, tudo será revelado em breve!”

Protótipo de guitarra signature de Steve Vai irá a leilão; lance inicial é de 2500 dólares

Protótipo de guitarra signature de Steve Vai irá a leilão; lance inicial é de 2500 dólares
Instrumento feito pela Hamer em meados dos anos 80 apresenta características do que se tornou a Ibanez JEM

Um protótipo de uma guitarra signature de Steve Vai irá a leilão. O instrumento é da marca Hamer e foi desenvolvido por volta de 1985-1986 como uma versão inicial do que viria a resultar na icônica Ibanez JEM, que leva a assinatura de Vai, embora a ideia completa ainda não estivesse totalmente desenvolvida.

A guitarra vem acompanhada de uma carta de autenticidade assinada pelo próprio Steve Vai e uma fotografia dele segurando o instrumento. O corpo da guitarra possui um adesivo da Virgin Merchandising e outro com um crânio e a inscrição DD Ghosts Vision. Além disso, ela vem com um case de couro da Ibanez, forrado com tecido cor-de-rosa.

| Leia mais: Steve Vai explica como criou a técnica de joint shifting: “Dentro de uma limitação, há infinitas possibilidades”

Um aspecto interessante é que essa mesma guitarra foi leiloada no início deste ano. Na primeira vez, o lance inicial foi de U$S 20 mil e esperava-se que fosse arrematada por algo entre U$S 40 mil e U$S 60 mil. Agora, a expectativa é que a guitarra seja vendida por algo entre U$S 10 mil e U$S 20 mil, e o lance inicial é de U$S 2.500,00 (aproximadamente R$ 12.500,00).

Quanto à criação de uma guitarra com características próprias e exclusivas, Steve Vai disse à revista Guitarist que, na época em que trabalhava com Frank Zappa, o via mexer e fazer adaptações em seus instrumentos.

Isso o encorajou a ir pelo mesmo caminho. Steve Vai relembra que gostava das Stratocaster, mas que elas não tinham o som que buscava. No entanto, preferia a sonoridade das Les Paul, mas às achava desconfortáveis de tocar.

Se você é fã de Steve Vai e quer participar do leilão, basta acessar esse link.

Gus G. relembra o pior show da carreira: “Fui atacado por um morcego”

Foto de Gus G. via Facebook






Em nova entrevista, Gus G. foi convidado a relembrar o pior show de sua trajetória musical, em que foi simplesmente atacado por um morcego durante a performance.

“Em 2007, tocamos em um festival localizado perto de um lago. Fui atacado por um morcego no palco. Essa coisa voou em minha direção muito rápido. E era um grande, grande morcego”, contou o guitarrista grego durante o podcast That Metal Interview.

“E, de repente, o morcego simplesmente se prendeu à minha camiseta. Senti como se ele estivesse me mordendo ou prendendo suas garras em mim. Acho que o bicho era realmente um morcego, porque era enorme.”

| Leia também: Gus G. explica por que a banda Firewind não se tornou maior
Salvo pelo técnico de guitarra

Gus G. explicou que a banda não parou de tocar. “Eu também continuei tocando, mas estava em pânico. Comecei a gritar, fui para a lateral do palco e berrei para meu técnico: ‘Cara, tire essa coisa de mim!’. Ele começou a me bater na camiseta, e o morcego voou para longe.”

Curiosamente, o músico acabou se juntando à banda de Ozzy Osbourne menos de dois anos depois. O lendário vocalista de rock é também conhecido como O Príncipe das Trevas, cujo currículo inclui morder morcegos durante apresentações ao vivo.

Sobre o marcante trabalho, Gus G. afirmou em outra entrevista realizada há poucos meses: “Ser guitarrista na banda de Ozzy sempre foi como o ‘Santo Graal’ do heavy metal. Subir no palco com ele, mesmo que por alguns shows, tem o poder de transformar qualquer um.”

Ele finalizou: “Muitas coisas grandes estavam acontecendo ao mesmo tempo. Era meio difícil digerir e processar tudo naquela época. Eu ainda era muito, muito jovem. Porém, fiz o melhor que pude e aproveitei meu tempo com Ozzy.”