Happy Happy HELLOWEEN!!!!

[Mountain King]

first off power metal wasnt new then....there was tons of it....

Running Wild
Helloween
Mordred
Midas Touch
Scanner
Vendetta
Rage
Heathen (mix of speed metal)
Watchtower

and many many many other Power Metal acts out there. Sure it wasnt as huge as it is now...but to call it new. The LP's, cassettes and CD's were not hard to get. Most record stores carried them. I never had a problem getting them around me. There was life before Impulse Music.

Rage power metal? I always thought they were more of a thrash band back in the day that progressed into your straight up metal band....


I'm up in the air on this one. It's a good lineup but I've seen both bands a few times and both are well past their prime, especially Helloween. I hate being stuck on the past but I really just never got past Kiske being out of the band.

 

[The_Q]

first off power metal wasnt new then....there was tons of it....

Running Wild
Helloween
Mordred
Midas Touch
Scanner
Vendetta
Rage
Heathen (mix of speed metal)
Watchtower

and many many many other Power Metal acts out there. Sure it wasnt as huge as it is now...but to call it new. The LP's, cassettes and CD's were not hard to get. Most record stores carried them. I never had a problem getting them around me. There was life before Impulse Music.

I know there was life before Impulse Music. Impulse came here in 1996. As far as getting imports in the early 1990's it was rare. At least for me it was. And you can't tell me that in 1992 it was easy to get stuff because it wasn't. Other than Rolling Stones and Hip Kat Records there was nothing that I knew of. Those places were treks for me anyway.
Power metal was not popular in the early 1990's. The only bands I ever saw in the shops that you listed was Helloween and Rage. Helloween only because they were the biggest in power metal. And Rage because I remember them standing out because of their covers but thats it. And just a FYI when Impulse started it wasn't as great as it was a few years later. They were new to retail and it took a while to get a steady stock of power metal which they got very good at. So the inference that I am "spoiled" because of Impulse is wrong. I struggled with this genre just as much as everyone else at the time.

 

[Saladbar]

I know there was life before Impulse Music. Impulse came here in 1996. As far as getting imports in the early 1990's it was rare. At least for me it was. And you can't tell me that in 1992 it was easy to get stuff because it wasn't. Other than Rolling Stones and Hip Kat Records there was nothing that I knew of. Those places were treks for me anyway.
Power metal was not popular in the early 1990's. The only bands I ever saw in the shops that you listed was Helloween and Rage. Helloween only because they were the biggest in power metal. And Rage because I remember them standing out because of their covers but thats it. And just a FYI when Impulse started it wasn't as great as it was a few years later. They were new to retail and it took a while to get a steady stock of power metal which they got very good at. So the inference that I am "spoiled" because of Impulse is wrong. I struggled with this genre just as much as everyone else at the time.

I had a group of friends at Impulse yesterday and you weren't there!!

 

[Diabolik]

Rage were always power metal. I used to go to Music Wharehouse, Crows Nest, and Rose Records and still be able to get stuff from Noise, Combat and other labels at the time. All those bands I mentioned were all available at regualr music outlets. I never had problems finding power metal back then. Sure it wasnt as popular as it is now but it wasnt new in the early 90's.

I miss those days of so many record stores to choose from. I was just talking to someone the other day and on Broadway from Belmont to Fullerton there was tons of record stores with tons of great stuff. You could walk down that street all day looking at stuff.

 

[Diabolik]

In my day we had to walk 17 miles to Belmont to buy our Russian folk metal and then walk 22 miles uphill to the Pearl Room to see a band play for 15 minutes.

remind me to slap you at Powerfest

 

[Saladbar]

I miss those days of so many record stores to choose from. I was just talking to someone the other day and on Broadway from Belmont to Fullerton there was tons of record stores with tons of great stuff. You could walk down that street all day looking at stuff.

For me it was Tower Records by Woodfield Mall, I spent half my saturdays in that store just browsing for stuff, they always had what I was looking for even if I had to pay a bit extra for it.

 

[Diabolik]

For me it was Tower Records by Woodfield Mall, I spent half my saturdays in that store just browsing for stuff, they always had what I was looking for even if I had to pay a bit extra for it.

Good call, Tower always had a good selection. I remember many days with the load offficer to take out a loan to buy a CD there.

 

[skyrefuge]

is there really a fan of the early Gamma Ray stuff?

Yeah, anyone who is smart! First three Gamma Rays are easily the best. My listens in the last 4 years:

Sigh No More - 13
Heading For Tomorrow - 12
Insanity & Genius - 11
Somewhere Out In Space - 7
Land of the Free - 6
Majestic - 4
Land of the Free II - 2
Powerplant - 2
New World Order - 0

first off power metal wasnt new then....there was tons of it....

Running Wild
Helloween
Mordred
Midas Touch
Scanner
Vendetta
Rage
Heathen (mix of speed metal)
Watchtower

lol...I think you got your "Noise Records Bands" and "Power Metal Bands" lists mixed up!

Neil

 

[The_Q]

I had a group of friends at Impulse yesterday and you weren't there!!

I know, it was the one Saturday I was sick. Who did you come with?

 

[The_Q]

Good call, Tower always had a good selection. I remember many days with the load offficer to take out a loan to buy a CD there.

Rolling Stones and Hip Kat Records were the place for me. The early 1990's started a spiraling downsize in what you could find metal at these places. Stones used to be the mecca for all things rock and metal.

 

[Saladbar]

I know, it was the one Saturday I was sick. Who did you come with?

That sucks. I was there with Met-Al, my drummer Phil and 2 more people that I don't think you know. I was surprised to the so many people there actually.

 

[wildfyr]

In my day we had to walk 17 miles to Belmont to buy our Russian folk metal and then walk 22 miles uphill to the Pearl Room to see a band play for 15 minutes.

Uphill, in the snow, in bare feet....

 

[Jasonic]

Rolling Stones was the place for all suburban and city metal folk in the 80s.

Beyond The Limit on the same block was cool too, though they didn't sell CDs (except for demos and select vinyl in those days).

I still frequent Hip Kat on occasion.
Right down the street from the original Hip Kat was a place called Rock N Records, which primarily was a punk and hardcore store, but had select metal.

The majority though came from going to Record Conventions which were HUGE back then.

 

[KingsGene]

Vocal link though.

For those not "in the know", Primal Fear vocalist Ralf Scheepers used to be in Gamma Ray. Wikipedia states "He has also sung in Gamma Ray, Tyran' Pace, and Helloween although he never recorded in-studio with the latter. Ralf Scheepers has also done guest vocals for the bands Scanner,Therion and Ayreon." Gamma Ray albums listed are:
Heading for Tomorrow (1989)
Sigh No More (1991)
Insanity and Genius (1993)

Having seen PF last year at PPUSA, I am definitely now a Scheepers fan but don't have any of the early GR he was on. I only have Land of the Free and Majestic.

 

[KingsGene]

Rolling Stones was the place for all suburban and city metal folk in the 80s.

Absolutely. I think the bulk of my vinyl came from there...

 

[Jasonic]

Absolutely. I think the bulk of my vinyl came from there...

Yeah, I remeber they had the vinyl bins towards the front of the store. You could sometimes score a new album on vinyl there for like $5.99.

Remember when they had cassettes in those long rows behind glass?
You would have to ask them to take them out!

Imagine that!!! There was a time when tapes were valued to the point where they didn't want the customer grabbing them off the shelf!!!

 

[GateXII]

I'd go to this show only if it were at the Manhole!!!!!!!!

FIXED!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Jasonic]

FIXED!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

No problem!!!
I would FLIP for Helloween!!!!!