Queensryche - The Forge, Joliet, Illinois 10/23/24 (Visual Review- images by Mark Kadzielawa)

 

LIVE CLIPS

The Prophecy

Child of Fire

Paul Di'Anno, the Prodigal Son (a personal tribute by Mark Kadzielawa)

 

Paul Di’Anno had a long but strange career.  One thing about him I liked is that he did everything on his own terms.  Not always the best choices, but they were truly his.  He navigated his life the best he knew how. 

The Iron Maiden years were crucial, and pretty much locked him in that perimeter.  He could never quite get out of the shadow of those two albums he’s made with Iron Maiden.  The records were fantastic, released in 1980, and 1981, when heavy metal music was in its infancy.  The fans from all over the world were exposed to it, and pretty much forever scarred.  The early Maiden was extremely influential to countless bands that followed on the heavy metal path.  There are still fans out there who swear by those two albums, and refuse to accept anything else that followed.  And rightfully so, the Iron Maiden with Paul Di’Anno on vocals was very special, and extremely far reaching.  Also, the band was a lot more aggressive sounding than anything else they did with Bruce Dickinson, or Blaze Bayley.  Not to say Iron Maiden had  became a bad band afterwards, it was just a completely different dynamic.  They became extremely successful, so they knew what they were doing, and what they were aiming for.

Iron Maiden was on a quest for a world domination, which they pretty much achieved that by 1984.  Could they have done it with Di’Anno on vocals?  Very unlikely, but they still would’ve been a killer band.  Steve Harris and Rod Smallwood had different goals in mind, and Di’Anno’s unpredictable behavior, and unreliability, only speed up his exit from the band. 

Paul Di’Anno continued with several projects, and various amount of success.  Di’Anno band, in 1984, sounded very commercial, and only left on album.  This project was eventually revisited a couple decades later with slightly better results.  Things improved vastly with Battlezone, and Killers.  Both projects had some credibility, but stopped just as the momentum was building up.  Finally, Paul Di’Anno started releasing records under his own name.  He could never really have vital career outside of Iron Maiden.  That shadow just kept orbiting around him at all times.  In live situations, the fans mostly wanted to hear the Maiden tracks, and he kept playing them at the expense of whatever he was promoting at the time.  Eventually, his live set completely consisted of Maiden songs.  He did not even have a band, but played with back up groups that knew the Maiden material. 

Despite all of this, and serious concerns about his health, he kept on going.  At one point, he had a difficult time getting around, his mobility eventually reduced to a wheel chair.  Not even that could stop him from being creative, and performing.  Paul Di’Anno was a real force of nature.  His exit is unexpected because it seemed like he caught another lucky break recently.  There was a new record out, and a new opportunity.  It was great to see him reconnect and  make peace with his bandmates from Iron Maiden.  Perhaps all of those closures needed to happen in order for Paul to find a personal peace.

Paul Di’Anno leaves an incredible legacy behind.  He was part of something special and legendary.  His music is greatly appreciated by heavy metal enthusiasts from all over the globe, and will continue to be discovered by younger generations of fans.  He had a definite style and charisma that was completely his, but above all, he did it his way.  Having spent few hours with the man himself, this writer can declare that he was bad-ass motherfucker who would not compromise one bit!  RIP Paul Di’Anno….

Mark Kadzielawa

IronFlame - Kingdom Torn Asunder (High Roller Records)

IronFlame returns with a brand-new album, Kingdom Torn Asunder.  It’s great to see an up and coming band making steady progress while maintaining a certain level of excitement.  Kingdom Torn Asunder is without a doubt one of the best heavy metal releases of 2024.  It’s a very sincere record that celebrates the music and the passion of its main creator.

Andrew D’Cagna is the sole creator of this album, and once again he is victorious in his quest at creating a perfect heavy metal record.  D’Cagna is one of the few visionaries who possess the ability to envision each layer of the song, and then have the means to carry it out in the studio.  Much like Athenar of Midnight, or Chris Black of High Spirits, D’Cagna’s musical wit and skills rate him very highly among his peers.  The only difference here, is that both guitar players, Quinn Lukas and Jesse Scott, from the live band wrote and performed their leads on the record.  When you have players this good available, it would be a sin the keep them on the leash.

Kingdom Torn Asunder is full of many great compositions.  The songs have a very melodic feel, and before you know it, you are singing along with most of the tracks.  Lyrically, it’s the medieval fantasy, but upon closer examination, metaphorically, many of these tracks can be interpreted differently.  If you look hard enough, you will find what you’re searching.  Either way, it’s an incredibly rewarding listen, and you’ll find yourself going back to this record again and again.

IronFlame struck gold here!  They’ve developed a very rich sound and a style, and now they are able to move places within it.  The mood of this record is a lot lighter, and more in sync with European metal bands than it was on Where Madness Dwells, yet both of them are definite IronFlame releases.  One can only wonder where D’Cagna will go next, but in the meantime, Kingdom Torn Asunder is the name of the game.  Big chords, big words, and soaring delivery, just pure magic!

Mark Kadzielawa

Alien Sex Fiend – Classic Albums Volume 3 (Cherry Red Records)

As the title indicates, this is the third instalment of Alien Sex Fiend albums.  The label on the box says, “Exhumed from the vaults!”  Yes, it’s a great treat for any Alien Sex Fiend enthusiasts, or anyone into dark goth rock.  This music is clearly not for everyone, it takes a very specific taste to truly understand and appreciate a creation like Alien Sex Fiend.

There are four albums included in this set.  Namely, Nocturnal Emissions, Information Overload, Death Trip, Possessed.  There is also a disc with alternative mixes, and the Re-Possessed EP from 2019.  The albums include several bonus tracks, many of which were never before released.  It’s a true collection of just about all you ever wanted to have from Alien Sex Fiend.  And it’s all in one place!

The music here takes you on a wild ride, it’s a death trip, it’s nocturnal, and you feel possessed by the overload of dark tunes!  At the same time, Alien Sex Fiend are incredibly creative and intense unit.  The dark overtones, or just pure evil, creates a very eclectic mood.  It takes your head somewhere else, away from 9 to 5, away from everything.  It fills the void, and it makes you feel great! 

Once again, Cherry Red Records, comes through with a winner!  This set is explosive, and extremely well put together.  The accompanying booklet is very informative, and rich in visuals.  The band was obviously involved, and nothing is out of place here.  Grab it, play it, and feel zombified!

Mark Kadzielawa

U.D.O. - The Forge, Joliet, Illinois 9/28/24 (Visual Review - images by Mark Kadzielawa)