By Steve Newton Back in 2015 I interviewed Rob Halford in advance of Judas Priest's doubleheader at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. When I asked him if there were any newer metal bands that had blown him away lately the 64-year-old "metal god" went off on a bit of a tangent. "They're all over the place, … Continue reading Rob Halford says that Priest, Maiden, AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, and Slayer have all stood the test of time
Category: heavy metal
Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two
By Steve Newton I interviewed Rob Halford a couple of weeks ago in advance of Judas Priest's upcoming shows at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and we had a pretty nice chat. We go way back, to that time he called me up to promote the Defenders of the Faith tour in '84. At one point we … Continue reading Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two
My first Judas Priest interview: Screaming for Vengeance Tour, 1982
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 5, 1982 By Steve Newton If there ever was a music devised to torture grandmothers, it would probably sound a lot like Judas Priest, a band that fuses the meanest of lyrics and nastiest of guitar sounds to create what can only be described as raunch. Though more recently the band … Continue reading My first Judas Priest interview: Screaming for Vengeance Tour, 1982
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford calls “Black Sabbath” the most evil song that’s ever been written: “It’s very f***ing scary!”
By Steve Newton Back in 2015 I interviewed Rob Halford in advance of Judas Priest's two shows at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver and, as old-school rockheads will do, we got to talkin' Sabbath. I'd known that Halford had sang with the metal legends three times--twice covering for Ronnie James Dio, and once for Ozzy … Continue reading Judas Priest’s Rob Halford calls “Black Sabbath” the most evil song that’s ever been written: “It’s very f***ing scary!”
Dear Iron Maiden: please play Vancouver on the Book of Souls World Tour –your old buddy, Newt
By Steve Newton The world's old-school headbangers got some great news the other day when British metal legends Iron Maiden announced that it would embark on a global tour in 2016 that is set to visit 35 countries in six continents. "Details of the precise schedule are currently being finalised," said the band on its website, … Continue reading Dear Iron Maiden: please play Vancouver on the Book of Souls World Tour –your old buddy, Newt
Guitarists from Exodus, Exciter, and Metal Church weigh in on the heaviness of metal in 1985
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 2, 1985 By Steve Newton Blue Oyster Cult's Tyranny and Mutation. Aerosmith's Rocks. UFO's Phenomenon. The Montrose debut. Back in the early to mid-'70s those albums forged a sound that critic Lester Bangs called "heavy metal". They were dynamic and forceful, fast, loud, and proud. The bands that made them had … Continue reading Guitarists from Exodus, Exciter, and Metal Church weigh in on the heaviness of metal in 1985
Metal gods Judas Priest to play first Vancouver shows with Rob Halford outside of a hockey rink
By Steve Newton I've been going to see Judas Priest play concerts at Vancouver hockey rinks since the 1982 Screaming for Vengeance tour hit the Pacific Coliseum, and, quite frankly, I'm sick of it. The acoustics are never any good, and you can never get close enough to see the sweat dripping off Glenn Tipton's fretboard unless you … Continue reading Metal gods Judas Priest to play first Vancouver shows with Rob Halford outside of a hockey rink
Krokus warms up with Tom Allom and finds blood and guts on Headhunter
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 17, 1983 By Steve Newton Swiss rockers Krokus recently released a new album of scorching heavy metal, Headhunter, and they play Vancouver sometime this summer. I spoke to the group's vocalist Marc Storace recently, and gained a few insights into the new LP and the Swiss music scene … Continue reading Krokus warms up with Tom Allom and finds blood and guts on Headhunter
Fist takes Thunder in Rock (and keyboards!) on tour with Motörhead and Krokus
Fist, a band made from Ottawa, is the Canadian entry in the international heavy metal package tour that played Kerrisdale Arena last Friday.
Rudy Sarzo on playing with Randy Rhoads, life after Ozzy, and the return of Quiet Riot
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 5, 1983 By Steve Newton Formed in 1975 by Kevin DuBrow and the late Randy Rhoads (who died in a plane crash last year while a member of the Ozzy Osbourne band), Quiet Riot were one of the leading Los Angeles rock bands during the late seventies. Boasting dynamic live performances … Continue reading Rudy Sarzo on playing with Randy Rhoads, life after Ozzy, and the return of Quiet Riot
Iron Maiden’s Clive Burr on Martin Birch, Ruddles, and The Number of the Beast
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 9, 1982 By Steve Newton Iron Maiden is quickly becoming one of Britain's most popular metal bands. Last year the band sold well over a million albums with their second release, Killers, cracking the top ten in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Belgium. Their latest album, The Number of … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s Clive Burr on Martin Birch, Ruddles, and The Number of the Beast
How Black Was Our Sabbath lacks firsthand accounts of the metal masters’ early days
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 9, 2004 By Steve Newton How Black Was Our Sabbath By Graham Wright and David Tangye. Sidgwick & Jackson, 237 pp, $34.95, hardcover. The subtitle of this new book on British heavy-metal legends Black Sabbath is An Unauthorized View From the Crew, as it was penned by Dave Tangye … Continue reading How Black Was Our Sabbath lacks firsthand accounts of the metal masters’ early days
Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” chosen as the top heavy-metal song of all time
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 4, 2003 By Steve Newton Toronto-based music writer Martin Popoff is Canada’s top expert on heavy metal. Senior editor of metal mag Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles and author of The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal, the Trail, B.C.–raised Popoff certainly knows his stuff when it comes to … Continue reading Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” chosen as the top heavy-metal song of all time