Rolling Stones Albums- Four Decades of Rock
Not every musician can remain ingrained in the collective consciousness of society forever. Nearly five decades of Rolling Stones merch and albums are an indication that this group has taken a permanent place in the history of past and present generations. In the years they have been around, they have made about 200 million album sales and received numerous awards and recognitions.
Like most success stories, this group had humble beginnings. They started out in 1962 as a bar band. The now famous friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards played as the Rolling Stones along with other members Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Mick Taylor and Tony Chapman. They were joined at a later period by Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. At this point in their careers, it was Jones who was regarded as the leader of the band. He was also the one who suggested the band’s name. Clearly though, avid fans of Rolling Stones CDs would now most likely know Jagger and Richards better than Jones.
From their initial stint as a club act, the group signed a deal with Decca records in 1963. Because Decca made the mistake of turning down the Beatles, the deal set before the group was said to have been more generous than usual, giving them high royalty rates, artistic control and choice of material for recording. The band’s first single was released in the same year but this was to be the start of brief tough times for the boys. The quality of songs produced from this point on had little originality and appeal and even the members’ appearances had been openly criticized.
By 1964, the group’s status started to pick up more steam as their renditions of popular classics like Little Red Rooster and It’s All Over Now started to climb the charts. This was an early indication that a wider acceptance for original material in Rolling Stones albums would be favorably met in every band store across the world. The group went on to perform chart topping hits The Last Time, Satsifaction, Paint it Black, Mother’s Little Helper, Ruby Tuesday and Midnight Rambler.
At the beginning of the 70s the band had already established a solid foothold in the music scene. They were so entrenched in popular culture that by the time their contract with Decca expired, they were able to stay solid under their own record label. This was not the only major shift in this decade. The group eventually left England and set up base in France.
By the 1980s the group had reached its career peak. Although previous years had been peppered by band members leaving, member deaths, personal rifts and drug use charges, it was in the 80s when more significant conflict began. Key members Jagger and Richards began to clash head to head. It was only in 1989 after the group’s induction into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that the two reconciled for a new album.
In the 90s the members stuck together but each member started to build projects of their own. It was then that they entered a seven year phase of not producing new songs for albums. This empty spell was only broken in 2005 with a Bigger Bang.
Despite the band’s age and dated musical age, there is simply no killing the sales of Rolling Stones CDs. The group is the only one to date that can still claim a top chart position for classic re issues.
Experience the Dark Carnival with Insane Clown Posse Albums
Strange is perhaps the best single word description for Insane Clown Posse merch and albums. It’s only right to call their work this way even if the artists behind ICP have been around for more than twenty years and have a strong following. You can call their music strange because they’d probably appreciate it.
ICP is presently made up of two Josephs, Bruce and Utsler. On stage, these two swap their real names for alter egos. They rap as two bad clowns Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J. The group enjoys an international reputation but they did not begin to rap under their popular personas until much later. The two formed their first group JJ Boys in the 80s together with some friends who shared an interest in wrestling.
The JJ Boys did not have any grand plans for breaking out into the music scene or selling albums in a band store. Their second group, Inner City Posse, which was at first a gang, was more promising. Unfortunately their gang activities put Bruce in trouble. To try to keep away from the bad side of the law, Bruce turned to wrestling where he tried to make a name. The backroom politics of wrestling however proved too much for Bruce to handle. This pushed him back into the arms of hip hop.
It was in 1991 when Bruce, Utsler and John Utsler started performing as Inner City Posse and established Psychopathic Records. It wasn’t long however before the group eventually saw gangsta rap as a negative factor. They could not get their break simply because there were too many others with the same style.
It was this attempt to avoid floundering in an already saturated genre that the idea for an Insane Clown Posse album started to form. The duo took on a new approach to rap by zeroing in on the unusual genre of horror and the supernatural. They made their musical direction even more unusual by specifying a carnival theme to their personas. After brainstorming, they settled on their present name.
Carnival of Carnage finally came out in 1992 but the release was marred by John Utsler’s departure from the group. The release was met with some positive reception. This eventually led to a more favorably accepted release of their second work, Ringmaster which received gold recognition.Their debut work Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992. Before it could even pick up steam though, John Utsler was already out the door. Even without him though, this initial release was met positively. This created a good starting point for the eventual release of Ringmaster.
The group’s greatest success however was The Great Milenko, released in 1996 under the Disney owned Hollywood Records. The label however eventually dropped them because of public criticism. It was PolyGram Records that took over and saw the album through to platinum status.
From their first success, the tandem began to work towards gaining greater respect for their act. They thought they’d be able to do this by asking established rappers to perform some tracks for their album Amazing Jeckel Brothers. Snoop Dogg and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were among those featured. The album is now platinum.
From troubled beginnings, ICP is now at the top of its game boosted by a loyal fan base of Juggalos and Jugalettes. Of course, there are still those occasional problems with the law but Insane Clown Posse albums don’t seem to be losing their appeal. It all must be because of the unique direction the pair has taken.
HIM Defines Love Metal Best
For the most part, HIM has remained defiant of the labeling that is an all too common preoccupation among music fans and band store experts. The group has been variously placed under such categories as gothic, alternative and hard under the major umbrellas of rock and metal. Until today, there is no clear agreement as to how to define or categorize the band’s music. For certain though, both the fans and the group itself don’t seem to mind that they are viewed from different perspectives.
Band Symbol
Perhaps the closest label that can be pinned on HIM is love metal. This may seem like a strange category considering that it is in fact a mix of a variety of influences and approaches including gothic, rock, pop, glam and heavy metal. This unique brand of music is often said to be Ville Valo’s creation.
In keeping with the band name, the group has adopted the heartagram as its definitive symbol which also reflects its genre. Valo believes that the symbol has become so well known that people now associate it more with the band than anything else.
Band Story
The band was originally known as His Infernal Majesty. By 1998, the name was changed to HIM after the release of the Wicked Game single. The name however should not be taken as the same as American post rock group HiM, Christian group 4Him and Canadian metal band Infernal Majesty.
Incidentally, the band bought the rights to the name from HiM and has since used it in their worldwide tours and albums. Previously, they used the name HER for Razorblade Romance, which was their sophomore album, as well as HIM and HER during tours in Europe.
Like a lot of other bands, HIM has had its fair share of member shifts and changes. Band members include a considerably long list of performers. This includes lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Ville Valo; lead and acoustic guitarist Mikko Lindstrom; bass guitarist and backup vocalist Mikko Paananen; drummer and percussionist Mika Karppinen; and keyboardist and backup vocalist Janne Puurtinen. Past members complete the official list with drummers and percussionists Juhana Tuomas Rantala, Juippi, and Juha Tarvonen; keyboardists Sergei Ovalov, Antto Melasniemi and Jussi-Mikko Salminen; and guitarist Oki.
Albums Out
As expected from this unique band, they can boast of a substantial work collection. They have twenty-two singles, twenty-three music videos, seven HIM albums, six compilations, one live album, one extended play and four video albums.
• Greatest Lovw Songs Vol. 666- This 1997 album is nowhere close to Satanic despite its title
• Razorblade Romance- This came out in 1999 and holds the record of being the top bestseller in the band’s country of origin
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights- This came out in 2001 and is the band’s third piece of work
• Love Metal- As the title suggests, this is the groups most definitive piece of work and came out in 2003 with the heartagram symbol featured for the first time
• Dark Light- This 2005 release included elements of mythology and current religions
• Venus Doom- This 2007 release is widely regarded as the heaviest piece of work the band has produced
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice- This newest 2010 release is considered by Valo to be a cathartic, primal scream
We can expect many more from the band that pioneered love metal. And that’s what we love about HIM. There’s no doubt that they’ll me on more band posters.
Post-Hardcore Craze with Escape the Fate
Escape the Fate is a post-hardcore and metalcore band that originated in Las Vegas, Nevada. So far, their main music merch consist of two albums, six singles, three EPs, and eight music videos.
Band History
Initially consisting of members, Ronnie Radke, Max Green, Robert Ortiz, Bryan “Monte” Money, and Omar Espinosa, the band got together in 2004 in Pahrump, Nevada. The following 2 years, saw the release of their first EP called “There’s No Sympathy for the Dead”. Two of the songs included in the EP made it to the first debut studio Escape the Fate album titled “Dying Is Your Latest Fashion.” Prior to the release, Carson Allen left the role as a keyboardist to join the band On the Last Day.
The tour Black on Black saw some participation from this band. Unfortunately, it was during this event that Omar Espinosa who handled rhythm guitar left because of personal reasons. After this, vocalist Ronnie Radke was taken out of the group after members forced him out due to legal problems that had resulted in Radke being sentenced to prison. Former Bless the Fall band member Craig Mabbitt jumped in to cover for Radke. What was meant as a temporary solution however eventually became a permanent one as Mabbitt is still onboard for the position. The current lineup also includes Robert Ortiz on drums, Bryan Money on bass guitar and Max Green on lead guitar.
Studio Albums Released
It was on September 26, 2006 that the Escape the Fate album “Dying is Your Latest Fashion” came out. Ronnie Radke is given credit for being the writer and composer behind all the tracks. Of the eleven songs, two were lifted from their EP “There’s No Sympathy for the Dead” while nine are originals. “Look Your Best” is a Japanese bonus track that was also released.
A second album, “This War is Ours” followed the first release after two years. This time it was Craig Mabbitt who took center stage with his perfect vocal rendition of the band’s songs. This second piece of work is shorter than the first one. The deluxe special edition however contains more music for fans to enjoy. It carries remixed and acoustic versions of “Harder Than You Know” and two new tracks that were not previously introduced. There’s more to this second release. It also contains a DVD that details some behind the scenes events, a tour documentary and a couple of music videos. This is the most recent release from the band after having come out with it on April of 2010.
Escape the Fate revealed their plans to start a new third album during Warped Tour 2009. Recording began winter 2009 with the release originally slated for spring 2010. A few demo songs are already finished along with featured song which is co-written by Mick Mars of Motley Crue fame. It was recently announced that the target release date moved to mid to late summer 2010. Catch it then at your local band store. They are currently active in online social networking sites including MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.
Hear Love Metal First From HIM
HIM is a Finnish band that seemingly defies conventional band store categorization. The band has been alternatively placed under the genres of rock and metal. This isn’t the end of the attempt to define the group though since it has also been variously placed under the sub genres of gothic, hard, doom and alternative. There are just so many different ways of looking at the band’s work. Clearly though, it doesn’t seem to matter what their music is most like.
Symbolism
It is perhaps because of the differing categories that the term love metal was hatched to define the group’s kind of music. In an attempt to be as exact as possible, experts say that love metal is really a mixture of rock, gothic, heavy, rock and pop elements. This rich mix is said to largely be the result of lead singer Ville Valo’s creative juices.
In accordance with its name, the so-called heartagram represents the band as well as the musical genre. Because of its wide popularity, Valo once remarked that the band is now better known for its symbol than its music.
Band Past
The original name of the band is His Infernal Majesty. After the Wicked Game single came out in 1998, this name was seemingly shortened to HIM. Other groups carry names similar to it. The group however is not the same as the Christian band 4Him, the American post rock group HiM and the Canadian metal band Infernal Majesty.
The group only really adopted the HIM name after it bought the rights of the name from HiM. Before they were able to obtain the rights, they used HER for Razorblade Romance, and HIM and HER for tours across Europe.
Just like any rock band, the group has had its share of musical chairs amongst its members. At present, the band is composed of Ville Valo on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Mikko Lindstrom on lead and acoustic guitar; Mikko Paananen on bass guitar and backing vocals; Mika Karppinen on drums and percussion; and Janne Puurtinen on keyboard and backing vocals. The former members included Juippi, Juha Tarvonen and Juhana Tuomas Rantala on drums and percussion; Antto Melasniemi, Sergei Ovalov and Jussi-Mikko Salminen on keyboards; and Oki on guitar.
Released Albums
The band is currently one of the most productive of modern bands. They have seven HIM albums, six compilations, one live album, one extended play, twenty-two singles, four video albums and twenty-three music videos. Some of their works are detailed below.
• Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 came out in 1997 but is not a Satanic album as some would think
• Razorblade Romance was released in 1999 and is a particularly significant work because it is an undisputed bestseller in the Finnish music scene
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights was a 2001 album that first featured the current band lineup
• Love Metal is a 2003 album, featuring the heartagram, that clearly reflects the band and its genre the most
• Dark Light followed in 2005 and was inspired by ancient mythology and present day religions
• Venus Doom was released in 2007 and is currently considered the most heavy metal of all HIM albums
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice is the most recent 2010 release from the group and is dubbed by Valo himself as a cathartic primal scream
With this long list of artistic creations, there is no doubt that HIM will be around for long on band posters. There’s no killing this pioneering music giant.