Lord Tracy, WWIII, Fifth Angel and more !

[Creeps]

heheh my fellow obscure music friends...

I feel that Lord Tracy's Def Gods Of Babylon album should have been HUGE. For 1989 that album had everything on it that appealed to people of all walks of metal. It had great humor, thrash, hard rock and what should have been a #1 MTV and radio hit with Foolish Love. I had the HONOR of seeing them perform live in Ft Lauderdale at Summers on the Beach and I'll never forget it. I got to hear new material from their 2nd album that either was never released or never recorded along with pretty much the entire Deaf Gods album. The drum solo was the most unique I've ever seen. The drummer took hot chicks out of the audience and had them get on their knees in front of him. He placed hard hats on all of them that were triggered to his drum sound and went to town... funniest sh*t I've ever seen.

I also saw WWIII at the same club. I actually got to meet the entire band and get absolutely &$#(faced with Mandy Lion. They opened with Time For Terror and the people who were "just there" and not really there for the show stopped dead in their tracks.. they did and extended intro..it was basically Mandy doing all the growls and screams for a while alone, then the guitarist came out with all the weirdness he does... they played the entire album and it was incredible. Nice guys all around and it was cool meeting Appice and Baine because the first concert I ever saw was Dio on the Sacred Heart tour.

side note, I'm sure you know that Tracy G played on Dio's Strange Highways album with appice and Baine.. it basically sounds like WWIII but with DIO singing.

side side note... I saw Wicked Alliance (Jake E Lee and Mandy Lion's project) in Tampa a couple years later. They did about 4 WWIII tunes and all new material. Picture WWIII with Jake's style and double bass mosnter riffs and you have it. I'm still baffled as to why there's no release yet. I hear they're recording now.

Too bad I never got a chance to see Fifth Angel.. great band, one of my favorites of that time frame.

anyhow, since there's fans of those bands I'd figure we can talk a little about them..

 

[mrbluelouboyle]

I saw Lord Tracy at the Plus 5 Lounge in Ft. Laud. I also think they should of been huge. My friend saw the Jake E. Lee and Mandy Lion band at the Button South , I missed that show. By the way how is the new WWIII ? I hear it good.

 

[Creeps]

it was amazing, those 2 bands have been a huge influence on some of my material for my band through the years. WWIII sounded very powerful live, I was very impressed.

I used to go to shows at the Button South all the time when I was down there. That's a great place to see a show.

 

[MetalAges]

Mention Fifth Angel and you have my attention

 

[ashaman7122]

Heehee...FIFTH ANGEL!!!!!

Muwah!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!

Just kidding...actually have very cool stories to tell about both 5th Angel and WWIII, but I need to wait 'til I'm sober...

Later!

 

[Creeps]

..waiting...

also I came across a cool vinyl record interview & songs.. one side is Sanctuary, one side is Fifth Angel. One of the most unique promo items I've found.

 

[ashaman7122]

I figured I should finish what I started, if anyone's still interested....sorry...just took me a while to get sober...hehe.

Creeps, I also got to see WWIII at one of my favorite little shithole clubs, The Back Room in Austin, TX. When the show started, there were maybe 300 people in the club. My buddies and I were up at the stage ready for a headbanging good time. About halfway through the show, I looked back and saw only about 50-60 people. WWIII scared everyone off, I guess. But, man, what a great show. Exactly what you described, weirdness, ferocity, and just a loud, proud, rockin' show. We all had to laugh cuz when we went backstage to meet the band, Mandy Lion was this really soft-spoken nerd who gushed appreciation and showed us off to everybody (look guys, we got fans!) cuz we had the album, bought the shirt, etc., while onstage he's this big metallized sexual predator. Great bunch of guys, though. Met Bain and Appice several times through the years, and they have always been gracious. G was just a weirdo, but I think that's his ongoing reputation.

Somewhat interesting 5th Angel, story, I think. Bored in college, one day, my buddies and I started firing off letters to some metal fan clubs just to see what kind of responses we'd get (pre-internet, you know?). We got all kinds of responses, but that's another story. The coolest one was a personal, multi-page, hand-written letter from Ted Pilot, telling us about the end of the Time Will Tell tour (was there one?) and the impending break-up of the band. He was either in the process of finishing dental school, or he had just finished and was getting ready to open his own practice, so I guess he was putting his music-money to good use. His return address was his home address, and we ended up pen-palling for a few months after that...what a great guy, but 2 albums into Fifth Angel, he packed it up to become a dentist. If you're ever in Seattle and need a brother-in-metal to help you with an impacted molar...you know who to go to.

James Byrd (5th Angel guitarist) has carried on through the years, presumably making a living, cranking out some great albums. Don't know if you're a fan of the guitar-hero Shrapnel Records kinda thing, but he's got a bunch. Most are instrumental, but some of his later albums were more of a band format. Good stuff, and I'm not normally a fan of the guitar-hero thing, but I do collect a few...Macalpine, Byrd, Friedman, Becker...that's about it, I guess.

Anyway...great topic on some obscure bands....just when you think you're only one-of-10 people worldwide that ever got into "X" band, you find out that some of those bands influenced people worldwide, and the real metalheads never forget...very cool.

 

[Creeps]

yah a lot of those obscure "x" bands were favorites of mine. I could list some off but then you people would think even less of me than you do now Mostly the ones that had one kick ass album then faded away...

*cough*Electric Angels*cough*

sorry, had to throw them out, my rocker is showing again

Back when the rage was Slippery When Wet, I was listening to Keel's the Final Frontier and Loudness. You know how it goes.

 

[Rakosh]

I was with ashaman at the WWIII show he talked about from all those years ago...how time has passed! But I still remember a few things that will always stick in my mind from that show:

* The pain in my head as I desperately turned away from the speakers during Tracy G's opening solo. That fucker was LOUD and piercing!
* The bottle of Budweiser Mandy Lion stuck down his pants...open end first.
* The screaming chicks right behind us begging for the bottle of Bud.
* Headbanging and airdrumming along with Vinny Appice and catching his attention anytime I could (he was a minor god to the drummer in me then).
* Appice noticing me and in between songs handing his drumsticks to Jimmy Bain and pointing down to me.
* Jimmy Bain hand-delivering said drumsticks to me!

I agree with ashaman about the post-show acitvities. Mandy completely freaked us out by being the giddy little kid offstage--compared to the Badass Sex God he was portraying onstage. Bain and Appice were completely gracious, signing stuff, and even willing to talk about some Dio days. Tracy G I don't remember so well and obviously didn't talk to much. Besides...my ears still hurt. :Smokin:

 

[WhoFooldU]

yah a lot of those obscure "x" bands were favorites of mine. I could list some off but then you people would think even less of me than you do now Mostly the ones that had one kick ass album then faded away...


*cough*Electric Angels*cough*

sorry, had to throw them out, my rocker is showing again

Back when the rage was Slippery When Wet, I was listening to Keel's the Final Frontier and Loudness. You know how it goes.

Yeah, but you have to admit that the subsequent output from the Elecrtic Angles was still good. Between the unreleased "New York Times" demos and the formation of "The Loveless" there was more than enough to keep a smile on an Electric Angels fan's face

Glenn

 

[Creeps]

you know I neve rheard the demos or "the Loveless", please fill me in.

 

[WhoFooldU]

you know I neve rheard the demos or "the Loveless", please fill me in.

I'd be more than happy to send you a cdr of both. Just fire me an address in a Private Messsage.

Glenn

 

[ashaman7122]

Creeps, I also got to see WWIII at one of my favorite little shithole clubs, The Back Room in Austin, TX. When the show started, there were maybe 300 people in the club. My buddies and I were up at the stage ready for a headbanging good time. About halfway through the show, I looked back and saw only about 50-60 people. WWIII scared everyone off, I guess. But, man, what a great show. Exactly what you described, weirdness, ferocity, and just a loud, proud, rockin' show. We all had to laugh cuz when we went backstage to meet the band, Mandy Lion was this really soft-spoken nerd who gushed appreciation and showed us off to everybody (look guys, we got fans!) cuz we had the album, bought the shirt, etc., while onstage he's this big metallized sexual predator. Great bunch of guys, though. Met Bain and Appice several times through the years, and they have always been gracious. G was just a weirdo, but I think that's his ongoing reputation.

Hey guys...just got this in my e-mail from Mandy Lion from WWIII...wow...what a small world...check it out...

I was just browsing around on this site after checking out my latest CD review
and came across your post. It absolutely amazes me that my being kind and
appreciative of your appreciation for my music qualifies me as a nerd in your
book. I have always taken my fans very seriously. Even at age 18, which is when
you met me. I have always tried to remember how important the fans are, how
without them a band would be nothing and therefore tried to be extra
accommodating whenever I can. I always felt that I owe my fans all the respect
and attention I could possibly muster up. I have had arguments with my band
members such as Jake E. Lee for the amount of time I spend trying to let my fans
feel that they are the single most important thing in this business to me. Then
I see a post like yours, which is not exactly unflattering but certainly
disrespectful. If it were not for the countless times I met fans that respected
the fact that I am exited to meet them, this post would have changed my mind
about trying please the people that make my career what it is. I am sorry you
feel that someone who appreciates meeting you must be a nerd... Just something
to think about...

OK...let me be (hopefully) cool enough to use this forum to publicly apologize to Mandy Lion for my comments he considered to be critical.

When I re-read the post, I do not mean to poke fun. I was trying to point out the fact that your animalistic image onstage is certainly different from the real person we met backstage. When I say that my friends and I have a "good laugh" remembering that show, it's not in jest of you, just the wonderment and the grounding in reality that you guys (meaning you personally, any rock/metal celebrities, or any celebrity in general) provide by showing us that you are essentially real people who appreciate those that appreciate their craft.

Looking back, I know that it is callously and un-flatteringly stated, but it is meant with appreciation for your demeanor after the show, however badly stated. It was quite a surprise to be so well received backstage after you picked my friend up by his hair during the show and told him to shut the fuck up cuz you were trying to finish a song (it was when we were yelling so loudly during the finale of Going Down). To be fair, you did good-naturedly apologize and thank my buddy for being a good sport for the sake of the show...which gave us another good laugh and sense of pride for being included in the festivities of the show.

So...bottom line...I'm a big fan (certainly have leant my share of support for When God Turned Away, as well as your other projects), and I appreciate the fact that I pissed you off enough for you to respond.

Thus...I retract any "attitude" that may have been attached to my previous post. I have met countless musicians through the years, but you were definitely one of the most gracious and courteous bands to ever host their fans. I would hope that you must admit that, with your onstage persona, you can't blame people for being a little freaked when you're just a normal guy in real life. Comes with the territory, I guess...

As a side note...it's always interesting to meet celebrities and find out they are real people, who pretty much want to be treated like real people as well. I find that I get more out of people that I meet when I ask them about the tour, current album, future plans, etc. rather than just going up and grabbing them and saying..."Dude...you fucking rock!"

I have chosen many times to be an asshole on this board...and this is not one of them...I should hope that my comments do not affect your opinion of the way you should treat your fans.

Regardless...it's very cool to get a personal e-mail from Mandy Lion (hehe).

Rock on, brothers!

Doc

 

[Hamburglar Metal]

I liked WWIII's album that Disney records put out, I always thought that it was a pretty bold move, considering how heavy it was. I was amazed when I saw that WWIII had a new album out. Is it just Mandy Lion, or did he get the rest of the band back together?

Fifth Angel were good, I thought that "Time Will Tell" should have been a bigger hit.

 

[Creeps]

Creeps enters the forum after getting a private message from someone claiming to be the almighty Mandy Lion..

In that message he states reading one of his -new- CD reviews... this didn't set in until about 5 minutes after I realized I got a message from Mandy Lion.

Creeps sees someone mention "When God Turned Away" and other projects

Creeps thinks real hard.. "hmm what is When God Turned Away? what could these other projects be?"

curiosity now oozes from the eyes of Creeps as he quickly loads up CDUniverse's web site and does a search to find... BOOM... a new, honest-to-goodness WWIII album !!!!! :hotjump:


-= the rest of this post comes after screaming my ass off and waking up my daughter and room mate and acting like a complete maniac =-

It's about damn time !!!!!!!

My friends and I have waited years for another opportunity to place something new in the cd player from this man. I am ordering the CD now on rush delivery because I want it here by Saturday (fingers are crossed).

I am more excited about this than when I found out that Halford & Priest reunited.

The WWIII album has been a major influence on my music and seeing them perform live twice (counting Wicked Alliance as well) I count those shows in my top 10 easily without 2nd guessing.

I'm glad they're back and I want a tour.

 

[Creeps]

umm I just had to pick myself up off the floor again because in finding Mandy's official site I just saw a review on the new album which stated he covered WARRIOR's Firghting for the Earth.

Warrior Fighting For The Earth is one of my favorite ablums of all time.

I'm giddy...

damn you Mandy.. you made me say giddy

And, on a side note Warrior has a new album out with a new singer that I ordered at the same time as the new WWIII disc... I'll post reviews of both in here after I get them..

 

[Rakosh]

I was with ashaman at the WWIII show he talked about from all those years ago...how time has passed! But I still remember a few things that will always stick in my mind from that show:

* The pain in my head as I desperately turned away from the speakers during Tracy G's opening solo. That fucker was LOUD and piercing!
* The bottle of Budweiser Mandy Lion stuck down his pants...open end first.
* The screaming chicks right behind us begging for the bottle of Bud.
* Headbanging and airdrumming along with Vinny Appice and catching his attention anytime I could (he was a minor god to the drummer in me then).
* Appice noticing me and in between songs handing his drumsticks to Jimmy Bain and pointing down to me.
* Jimmy Bain hand-delivering said drumsticks to me!

I agree with ashaman about the post-show acitvities. Mandy completely freaked us out by being the giddy little kid offstage--compared to the Badass Sex God he was portraying onstage. Bain and Appice were completely gracious, signing stuff, and even willing to talk about some Dio days. Tracy G I don't remember so well and obviously didn't talk to much. Besides...my ears still hurt. :Smokin:

Damn! Am I the only one who DIDN't get an email from Mandy Lion??

By the way, Mandy, when I say "Mandy completely freaked us out by being the giddy little kid offstage"--it's a good thing! Ashaman7122 and I both had a completely kick-ass time at that show so long ago and everyone in the band were incredibly cool backstage.

Oh, and Creeps--you'll love the new WWIII...a killer selection of dirty & mean metal!
:Smokin:

 

[Hamburglar Metal]

I wish Mandy would just come to hang out at PPV.

 

[ashaman7122]

And, on a side note Warrior has a new album out with a new singer that I ordered at the same time as the new WWIII disc... I'll post reviews of both in here after I get them..

Creeps...just so you know...the singer on the new Warrior albums isn't exactly "new." It's Marc Storace, or Krokus on vocals. From the reviews that I've heard and the samples I have sampled, though, it sounds very solid, with none of the Krokus "cheese-wheeze" that we've come to expect from Storace in the past.

Jesus...I've probably just pissed off the faithful Krokus fans. Seriously, it ain't McCarthy and it ain't Rob Rock, but Storace sounds pretty fuckin' kick ass.

Can't wait to receive the new one...mine's already shipped...

Rock on!

 

[Rakosh]

Well, I got my email from Mandy Lion today--too cool! Big props to the man... ...he didn't have to take the time, but he did. Some other bands could learn a lesson here...

:Smokin: