Stryper - In God We Trust (1988)

Stryper caught my attention (and perhaps the attention of many other people) with their single I Believe in You. The single just came at the right time. In 1988, the interest to metal music, including or even driven by the so-called 'hairmetal' was increasing. There were hardcore listeners who sought for a wide range of music. Then there were the wider audience who were entertained by the lighter music, or by power ballads like this song.

I saw the videoclip when the first (and, at the time, only) private local channel screened it. Other things beyond the song caught my attention more. Michael Sweet's vocal power and pitch, Robert Sweet's visually attractive and unusual drum set (and his technique), and their overall physical appearance: the big hair, the yelow-and-black costume, that 1980s look!

That provided enough justification for me to look for their album "In God We Trust". And I enjoyed it. It wasn't an album that shed the light. When the likes of Poison, Warrant, Motley Crue or Bon Jovi was on their peak, Stryper gave us some added some colors to the era - the colors are yellow and black, to be precise. Later I got to hear their previous albums, "To Hell With the Devil" and "Soldiers Under Command." They were good albums too.
 
Stryper also had an interesting background. They came from what is often called as 'Christian rock/metal.' The Sweets started playing music inspired by Van Halen, but they disliked the the lifestyle and the lyrics. So they used heavymetal as a medium to express their faith. Later when I spent some time in the US, I learned that the Christian rock subculture is very deep-rooted. And Christian rock is just one face of American conservative culture (which many of Americans are, despite the secular image of the nation). I even had some friends who only listened to Christian rock bands - and the list are long.

Stryper was one of the very few Christian rock bands who could enjoy mainstream success. Although this somewhat alienated them from many of their fan base, who still considered that mainstream rock/metal as satan worshippers, and promoters of hedonistic lifestyle. (Their glam-type costume didn't help much, apparently).

Despite this, I enjoyed Stryper because of their music, and I still do. I happened to see a clip of their performance in Jakarta in 2010. Michael Sweet's voice was still powerful. And they still played their music like they did in the 1980s.

Favorite tracks: Always There For You, In God We Trust, I Believe in You

Van Halen - 5150 (1986)

Some conversations can be divisive; politics, religion, football, or a discussion comparing David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. My position is clear. Van Halen have had their best time during Sammy Hagar's era.

Sometime in 1984, I was in the fourth grade, my friend showed me this cool logo of the letters V and H with wings. I didn't know anything more about that, but the logo was just cool. Later I knew it stood for Van Halen. They played a nice song that started with chord-playing synthesizer. The beat just made me wanted to jump around. The title was, apparently, Jump.

The song and the band just passed by. During that era I was more interested in Michael Jackson and Voltus. Only a couple of years later I learned that Van Halen was one of the greatest bands in the rock history. At that time they have parted ways with the jumpy, eccentric front man David Lee Roth, which was replaced with the curly Sammy Hagar.

So the commercially successful "1984", also the singles Jump and Panama, was a bit of irony for Van Halen. The success didn't stop the band from parting ways. But when I dig in to interviews and stories about Van Halen, the album only delayed the break up. Tensions between Roth and the van Halen brothers have been around for a while. At some point, even Eddie van Halen planned a departure. He would like to join Kiss, a band he idolized in his youth. But Gene Simmons, who helped much in Eddie's early career, told him to stay at Van Halen.

When Eddie started working on Jump, he played the synthesizer opening to Roth, which didn't like the piece. But sometimes history worked randomly. The disliked piece become their anthem. The album was a big hit. And they still broke up.

After Roth's departure, Van Halen sought for some potential replacements (including Patty Smith). A mutual auto mechanic introduced them to Sammy Hagar. Hagar has been an established singer at that time, both with his band Montrose as well a solo artist. Their first album in the new era, "5150", became a hit. For the first time a Van Halen's album reached No. 1 in the Billboard list; "1984" only reached No. 2. I only listened to "5150" a few years after it was published. I think it was almost the same time when I listened to "OU812". Until now the two albums are still my favorite.

The album received mixed review, however. Some critics said that it was a failed experiment. Some thought it was a great musical work. Personally I really like "5150." I think Hagar's arrival brought Van Halen's music into another level. Eddie had been longing to write more complicated pieces - something that brought him and Roth into a clash of personality. With Hagar, he was able to pursue the desire. The fact that Hagar also plays guitar freed Eddie to explore other sides of his musical genius, like giving more room for synthesizer. Dreams and Why Can't This Be Love were great examples. Hagar also had a good vocal harmony with bassist Michael Antony (once again, Why Can't This Be Love).

Lyrics was a department that improved greatly. In the Roth era, they wrote wild or humorous lyrics, but sometimes they were just collections of words. Hagar once said, he refused to sing Roth era songs expect some classics like Jump or Ain't Nothing But Love, because he couldn't understand what the words are. I kinda agree. As much as I like Jump, I didn't get what the words are about. (I recently listened to Tatoo,  their new song after re-reunited with Roth. My first expression on the lyrics was "seriously...?")

In their subsequent albums, 'Van Hagar' kept improving. Songs like When It's Love, Right Now, Poundcake, and Can't Stop Loving You are great pieces. However, some things are not for last. The decision to release a "Best of" album was disliked by Hagar, which led to his departure. But tension has started years before. Eddie and Alex' alcoholism, Hagar's Cabo Wabo restaurant, and other things.

Now, Hagar has reunited with Michael Anthony, in their new band Chickenfoot, teaming up with Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Chad Smith. Van Halen, meanwhile, has reunited with Roth, and recruited Eddie's son Wolfgang van Halen as their bass player. I guess they are now a family band, aren't they? I hope that the reunion with Roth is a happy one. They tried it before, when Hagar left. But Roth's antics in the 1996 MTV Awards made them think that they were too old for such behavior. But looks like they gave Roth the third chance.

I still hope that if the world has to end soon, there will be a Sammy-Eddie-Alex-Michael reunion before
.

Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985)

It's hard for me to single out an Iron Maiden's album. I didn't start listening to them from a specific album. Rather, my first Maiden's cassette was a pirated "The Very Best Of Iron Maiden" - from the era where all cassettes in Indonesia were 'illegal', in the sense that the record companies didn't pay the royalty to the artists. That was until Bob Geldof got pissed off, since the companies also sold the 'illegal' copies of Live Aid. The first 'real' Maiden's album that I listened to was "Seventh Son of the Seventh Son". But I never owned it - I only listened to it in my cousin's car one day.

Fortunately, there was "Live After Death", which includes most of my favorite Maiden's track. From Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, Flight of Icarus, The Number of the Beast to Phantom of Opera. Although, having been released in 1985, it didn't include Wasted Years and Somewhere in Time.

 I have known Iron Maiden before started listening to heavymetal music. Well, at least I’ve heard about them. I knew them as longhaired rockers playing loud music. This was mixed with the ‘satanic’ myth (well most rock/metal bands have had some allegations of satanic link, no?).

After I knew more about them, I learned that yes, they are loud! But they play a kind of loudness that I like. No, they are not satanic. In fact their music was about war (the modern one like in Aces High, or a classic one like in The Trooper), native people (Run to the Hills), or Greek mythology (Flight of Icarus). They did refer to evil (The Evil that Men Do) or, well, satan (The Number of the Beast) – but not in the context of praising. (Drummer Nicko McBrain is in fact a born again Christian). And Ed, their mascot, is not a horror creature after all! He’s more an expression of Maiden’s sense of humor. Come on, you can seriously be scared of Ed.

My favorite tracks aside, this is a great Live album. Bruce Dickinson is indeed a great singer, both in studio and on stage. He controlled his voice, knew when to ‘manipulate’ his in-studio screaming and high notes (which was indeed difficult to replicate on stage) with more reasonable range.

Bruce Dickinson’s opera-type voice is one of Iron Maiden’s trademarks since the early 1980s. Some things in life are meant to be. And Bruce Dickinson was meant to be Iron Maiden’s singer.

But the band as big as Iron Maiden has not just one trademark. Steve Harris’ machine gun-like bass playing is another trademark. In fact it is their biggest trademark. I happened to see a videoclip of them – I forgot what song it was, Aces High I think. I saw how Harris picked his bass with all four fingers in a high speed. I said to myself, damn, he’s a beast!

Having Steve Harris as a bass player, who plays more like a rhythm guitarist, means that their two guitarists can have a freedom to explore. This is what I like from Iron Maiden. They have two guitarists with no exact lead-rhythm guitar division. They took turn playing lead guitar section, or in many cases they both played the lead. Later when they reverted to the three-guitar formation, they continue to maintain the harmony. Not many guitar players can survive sharing their ego with another guitar player, let alone with two other.

(There are many discussions in the Internet on who is the main guitarist of Iron Maiden. Many people gave equal vote to both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Even Janick Gers received a significant number of votes despite joining later).

That seems to give drummer Nicko McBrain lesser credit. That is not true as his contribution to Maiden’s music is no less substantial. Most Maiden’s songs are actually built around the rhythm sections developed by Harris and McBrain. Harris relied heavily on McBrain in writing songs. Adrian Smith once explained how Harris and McBrain often spend hours in the studio to work on the bass and drum sections, which will be the basis for their new songs.

Another thing that makes him the coolest band on earth: they fly their own 747 during tours, with the singer in the pilot seat. The call sign? Flight 666…

Anthrax - State of Euphoria (1988) and Among the Living (1987)

Metallica has brought me to another dimension of heavymetal music; the genre they called it 'thrash metal.' Soon I began to learn about the existence of another thrash metal band (though I did not necessarily listen to them). One band that particularly caught my attention was Anthrax.

In 1988, Hai magazine reviewed their recently published album, State of Euphoria. They gave it four stars out of four. Around the same period I also bought a copy of Metal Edge (after saving for a couple of months), in which Anthrax appeared in one of the articles. I was interested in the band. Unlike other thrash metal band, their appearance was more relax, even humorous. They wore surfing t-shirts, caps, and shorts, made silly faces (not scary) and seemed to have fun on stage.

So on a journey during a school break, I took a bus from Bintaro to Blok M. The mission: to buy a copy of "State of Euphoria." In a small cassette store just opposite Aldiron Plaza, I found the album for Rp5,000 (worth ten days of pocket money at that time). Aldiron Plaza is now gone, so is the cassette store. Blok M area is now a mixture of new buildings and in some corners we could see urban decays.

Be All, End All opened the album. For the first time I heard a song played with double-bass drums, creating sound just like a helicopter. Wow, this is awesome, I thought. I listened to the rest of the albums with much enjoyment. Antisocial became my new favorite. Later I learned that it was not their original song. But Anthrax really put their stamp on the song.

In many articles I read, the writers compared this album with their previous one, "Among the Living." It took me another year or two to be buy a copy of "Among." It's hard to compare the two albums - they could simply be a double-album. As a whole, I slightly liked "Among" better. It was supposed to be in every lists of the best rock album in history. Although, I consider "Be All, End All" as my favorite track. (Unfortunately I missed their 2010 concert in Jakarta. I heard the crowd could force them to play "Be All, End All" which was not in the set list initially. Yeah!)

In addition to their humorous appearance and persona (remember the Indian headdress they wore in the videoclip, and later on stage?), Joey Belladona's voice was their trademark which differentiated them from other thrash metal bands. Some critics said his voice was 'non-metal.' But I thought this was more an asset rather than weakness. Their rap performance was also an interesting experiment.

Well, they are not considered one of the "Big Four" (with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer) for no reason, aren't they?

Favorite tracks: Be All, End All, Antisocial, Among The Living, NFL (Efilnikufesin), I am The Law, Indian

Skid Row - Skid Row (1989)

I remember yesterday.

A videoclip in the 'new' private TV Channel, RCTI. The song was titled "18 and Life." Later, Hai magazine wrote an article about the new band. Skid Row was their name. The story was about some young musicians from New Jersey, who started their career hopping from one pubs to another in their home town. With a big help from Jon Bon Jovi - another New Jersey-based musician, a good friend of guitarist Dave 'Snake' Sabo - Skid Row finally got a chance to go into record studio.

Not long after that, their self-titled album was available in the music stores. It didn't take me long to get a copy. True, their music, their appearance, was still within the hairmetal mainstream of the era. But Skid Row was different. While Poison, Motley Crue mainly wrote about hedonistic lifestyles, Bon Jovi was about love or romantic relationship, Skid Row's lyrics was about youth energy, anger, but also hope.

Some things in life were meant to be. They happened to meet Canadian-born Sebastian Bach. His voice, his persona, were all the things required by a rock band. Skid Row started as Bon Jovi's prodigy. But they didn't have to stand under Bon Jovi's shadow for long. They immediately stamped their presence. Skid Row became the new favorite among my peers.

I remember yesterday.

Going through the album tracks. From Big Guns to Sweet Little Sister, to Can't Stand the Heartache. Then tried to imitate the bass track in Piece of Me. Wait - let me get my accoustic guitar. It's 18 and Life. I need to impress my peers by showing how I can play the intro.

Youth Gone Wild could potentially be the heavymetal anthem at that time. It could also be the album's title, I wonder why they didn't choose it. And what more can I say about I Remember You? If you can't play it, you are not cool, period.

Their second album, Slave to the Grind (1991) was also a good one musically, although not as commercially successful. They played heavier, darker sound compared to the first album. But entering the 1990s, the music industry has changed. Most 1980s metal band either changed their sound (because of the grunge invasion), had internal problems, or ceased to exist.

Bach broke up with Skid Row after he agreed to be Kiss' opening act. The other members thought they were too big to be an opening band. Bach, a huge fan of Kiss, said "one can never be too big to open a Kiss concert." They they parted the way. Some attempts to reunite them has never succeeded.

So everytime now I woke up in a pouring rain, I always remember them.

Favorite tracks: Big Guns, Sweet Little Sister, Youth Gone Wild, I Remember You, Can't Stand the Heartache

Metallica - ...And Justice for All (1988)

There's just so much I could write about Metallica. I once wrote a piece on their album "Master of Puppets" (read here). Recently I wrote a personal note on their 2013 concert in Jakarta (read here). If Bon Jovi was the reason I started listening to heavy metal, then Metallica is the reason why I loved the music.

I remember sometimes in my Junior High School, circa 1987. My friend introduced me to the album "Kill 'em All." It was the music I've never heard before. Very loud, very heavy, yet melodious at the same time. There were so much energy from the music. They said heavy metal songs made you want to do destructive things. I disagree with it. Just ask the FPI guys, how many of them listened to Metallica. Even if they did, how many of them were triggered by the music.

After "Kill 'em All" I was lucky because I get to hear their mini-album "Garage Days Revisited." It was a training session for their new bass player Jason Newsted. That was a rare record, at that time I did't know how precious it was. I was lucky for the second tie to have a friend who had the copy of "Cliff 'em All" - a compilation video of their concerts with Cliff Burton who just died in a traffic accident.

Later in 1988 I got "...And Justice for All" as a birthday present. Third time lucky. That album really brought rock music to a different level. "Kill 'em All" was raw, explosive, spontaneous. In "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets", Metallica showed that they were not just rock musicians - they were brilliant composers (remember "The Cal of Ktulu", "Orion"?). I think their creativity really culminated in "Justice." Blackened was just the perfect opening for the album. ...And Justice for All, the second track, was just brilliant. Eye of the Beholder allowed me to take a deep breath before listening to the masterpiece, One.

The only disappointment from the album is the missing bass sound. Jason Newsted later accused that as a prank or hazing by Ulrich and Hetfield. But Hetfield explained that in his rhyhm and Newsted's bass sounds were competing for the same space. Hetfield mainly played in low notes, while Newsted simply doubled his rhythm.

As we know, Metallica changed their sound after this album. I still follow their music until the self-titled aka "Black Album", but not after that. But Metallica is a giant, and nobody can deny.

Favorite track: everything

Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)

I have never been a big fan of Def Leppard. I do enjoy some of their songs. But I have more than one good reasons to write about them. First, "Hysteria" was part of the golden era of heavymetal (1987-88); the era where I developed my passion to rock music. Second, I have great respect for them as a band, as well as individuals. Def Leppard is an example on how a band can - and decided - to survive despite many tragedies. Third, they will also be remembered as a band who keep exploring their musical side, and refused to stay in one musical style.

The band's most notable story was about drummer Rick Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident in December 1984. At that time, the band has started the "Hysteria" project. Instead of finding a new drummer, the band chose to stay besides Allen. Almost miraculously, Allen found a way to play drum with one arm. He found that his legs could substitute some drumming parts previously done with his arms. Allen has given the new meaning of "playing music single-handedly".

The incident delayed "Hysteria" for three years. When it was finally released in 1987, a huge commercial success followed. The album went into first in UK and US charts, and stayed in the Top 100 for weeks. It was one of the best-selling rock/metal albums in the history. The single "Pour Some Sugar on Me" reached number 2 in Billboard Top 100. Other singles like "Rocket", "Hysteria", "Love Bites" also enjoyed commercial success between 1987-88.

A couple of years later another tragedy hit the band. Guitarist Steve Clark died in 1991 because of an accidental mix of alcohol and prescribed drugs. Prior to that, Clark went to alcohol rehabilitation for a couple of years. Clark was replaced by Vivian Campbell (formerly Dio and Whitesnake) - who is now struggling with cancer.

Def Leppard is also known for their constant search of music style. They started their journey as one of the founders of the 'New Wave of British Heavymetal' in the late-1970s and early 1980s. The wave that also brought Iron Maiden and Judas Priest to our ears. In their first two albums, they played heavier and more raw music. In "Hysteria" they played lighter music, with melodious riff and dance floor-friendly drum beat (I sometimes thought they played disco songs with guitar effects). "Hysteria" made them considered in the same league as other glam/hairmetal bands, an association they never liked.

Maybe that was the reason they changed sound in the 1990s. Or perhaps the change of music was their respond to the grunge era. Or they just wanted to play a different type of music. But in the 1990s and early 2000s Def Leppard, like Bon Jovi, tried to distanced themselves from hairmetal. Later Def Leppard returned the ties when they toured with 1980s rock musicians like Lita Ford.

Life is full of tragedies. But the way Def Leppard handled them, stayed besides each other as friends, and continue making music, in one of the best thing could happen in this world.

Favorite tracks: Hysteria, Pour Some Sugar on Me

Mötley Crue - Shout at the Devil (1983) and Dr. Feelgood (1989)

Mötley Crue was once my favorite band. Seriously, they made good music, although admittedly their lifestyle brought more discussion. Yes, Mötley Crue was the poster band of the so-called glam rock. The hairspray, tattoos, girls, drugs, alcohol, bar fight, leaked sex tape (yes, the famous Tommy and Pamela video), Nikki Sixx's near death experience, band break-up and make up. But hey, I'm serious, they really made good music.

Mötley Crue was not just a band. They were four musician with four personas who blend together as a team. Nikki Sixx led most of songwriting task. Mick Mars worked on the music and production. Vince Neil deals with the crowd. And Tommy Page - well, let him create headlines that will boost the band's popularity.

I first knew the band in 1988 when my classmate in junior high school lent me a copy of their second album, Shout at the Devil. I instantly liked their music - it was dark, a bit heavy. A lot of distortion in Mick Mars' guitar; something that I kinda looked for. Even the album cover was also scary looking (or tried to be).

For some reason I wasn't able to get their third album, Theatre of Pain. I did get to hear some tracks from that album, however, including their classic ballad Home Sweet Home. Later that year I finally bought Girls, Girls, Girls, their fourth album and one of their best-selling one. Compared to 'Shout' which was dark and heavy, 'Girls' was more a light, easy-listening one. It was OK, but not the one I liked most. Fortunately they raised the standard in their next album, Dr. Feelgood (1989). The distortion was back. The lyrics were more serious.

After Dr. Feelgood, the band broke up. Vince Neil left the band. But the 1990s was tough for most '80s metal band (especially the glam, hairmetal band). Grunge killed the metal stars. A couple years ago the Crue reunited, quite successfully. I heard that they plan to do a farewell tour next year before going for a retirement.

Favorite tracks: Shout at the Devil, Kickstart My Heart, Dr. Feelgood, Time for Change

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986) and New Jersey (1988)

I didn't remember what was my first metal band or song. Sometimes in 1984 I listened to Van Halen's "Jump", of course. Then I vaguely remembered that earlier I knew about Iron Maiden. But Bon Jovi was definitely the reason I decided to start my heavymetal journey.

"But Bon Jovi was not even a metal band...!" some of you may scream, or jeered.

Well, whatever. Billboard, Metal Edge, etc. classified them as 'metal' and put them in the same edition as Metallica, Guns N' Roses and many more - that's enough reason for me to call them a metal band.

Sometimes in 1987 I rented a video in a video rental in my old neighborhood. Hey, this is Bon Jovi, the band everyone talks about, I think. It was a collection of video clips from their album 'Slippery When Whet.' The hot pants, the hairspray... This is cool! (Come on, admit it, at that time, the outfit was cool).

"Wild in the Streets" opened the scene. It was a compilation of their footage during a tour. Then of course "You Give Love a Bad Name" - you know, the 'let's pretend we're doing live performance' type of video. How Richie Sambora played the solo, David Bryan's calm act behind the keyboards, all the things that made me want to be a rock star. Ah, and who didn't fall in love with "Never Say Goodbye?" Don't forget how Jon Bon Jovi floating around the stage (using steel cable) in "Living on a Prayer". In the end, Richie Sambora's double-neck guitar in "Wanted Dead or Alive" really lift my mood up.

* * *

A year later my friend lent me his copy of Bon Jovi's newest album "New Jersey." If "Slippery" was mainly rock n' roll, in "New Jersey" the five explored the country and blues side of their music. If "Slippery" was more spontaneous, in "New Jersey" they seemed to put extra efforts in the mixing and final touch. 

"Lay Your Hands on Me" was really intended to be an opening song for a concert. "Born to be My Baby" and "Blood on Blood" offered heavy and noisy tracks. They didn't forget the formula for a commercially successful album: a ballad - here came "I'll be There for You." I really worked hard to find the guitar keys by myself for that song, and hey, I did it! Later on, I developed a special feeling for "Living in Sin."

Yes, Bon Jovi may be the cheesy type of metal band. But they were the reason why later I listened to Metallica, Iron Maiden, and so on.

My favourite tracks: Living on a Prayer, Wild in the Streets, Living in Sin, I'll be There for You.