Twisting the strangle grip won't give no mercy

Strange Highways was a dark, heavy and difficult album, which made “Here’s to You” with its hollering and cheering both feel like a welcome respite from the borderline oppressive heft and also a little awkward.  Presumably it was meant as another Dio anthem along the lines of “Stand Up and Shout” and “We Rock”, and there was something of a hook in Tracy G’s riffing as well as the pre-chorus.  But Ronnie’s growling had the same belligerence that made “Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost” and “Evilution” total monsters and this iteration of Dio was all about beatdowns, so “Here’s to You” felt a bit stuffy and claustrophobic even as the lyrics offered a rallying cry.  Ronnie was aiming for something very deliberate on Strange Highways and for the most part he achieved his goal of crafting a more modern metal record more rooted in the real world, but that created a weird dichotomy on “Here’s to You” that he couldn’t fully reconcile.

Markus Grosskopf was typically the less prolific writer in Helloween, but he could often be counted on to come up with something a bit weird but also fun and bouncing and Andi Deris sometimes seemed to enjoy singing these tunes more than the more serious proper singles and album tracks.  “Walk Your Way” was a B-side from The Time of the Oath and while it didn’t fit the overarching vibe of that record it still captured one of Helloween’s best lineups totally in their zone: Uli Kusch’s drumming kicked ass and ably demonstrated how he was the group’s secret weapon, the guitars alternately charged, bounced and sizzled and Deris was appealingly rowdy at the mic.  The back half of the ‘90s was a second golden age for the band, and even theoretical throwaways like “Walk Your Way” were still a blast.

It was the intro to “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” that rendered the track the goofy outlier on …And Justice for All even though it had nothing to do with the rest of the song which was otherwise totally in line with the rest of the album.  Coming in late on the record as yet another long and unwieldy number, the tune showed signs of fatigue with the overarching conceit of Justice, though by that point the boxy production and lack of Jason Newsted were easier to digest and both the primary riff and monster chorus were prime Hetfield, as was his yarl.  As a deep cut on the golden-era Metallica album with the highest concentration of dark horse favorites, “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” was perhaps the last time the band wasn’t self-conscious about their writing and playing, and Lars’ typically clumsy drumming finally revealed the internal logic that he had forever been striving to articulate.

Such a badass album, if you haven't heard you should, tell me your thoughts!!

Although Ronnie James Dio regularly complained about Cozy Powell’s overplaying- and really about Cozy in general- the drummer unquestionably elevated Rainbow’s game and arguably earned his co-writing credit on “The Shed (Subtle)” as the track appeared to have been built around his blunt-force pummel and arrangement.  The tune still had plenty of Ritchie Blackmore’s medieval fixations and Ronnie’s dramatic snarling, but Dio's more earthbound tough guy lyrics matched the strutting yet blocky percussion and that could’ve only come from one irascible Englishman in particular.  It didn’t have the majesty of “Stargazer” or “Gates of Babylon”, nor did it possess the full-throttle fury of “Kill the King”, but “The Shed (Subtle)” kicked just as much ass and did just as much to showcase the sheer power of the Blackmore/Dio/Powell triumvirate.

Artist Dion Kitson created 1,000 commemorative bank notes featuring Ozzy Osbourne after the heavy metal legend died at age 76 on July 22, 2025. The notes replace the King with the “Prince of Darkness” on £5, £10, £20 and £50 denominations, featuring images of Ozzy, his bandmates, bats, and Birmingham landmarks. Kitson spent three sleepless days using Photoshop to create the detailed tribute, saying it was “quite emotional” working on them after Ozzy’s passing. 30% of proceeds go to Parkinson’s UK charity, honoring Ozzy’s battle with the disease.

One last performance. A lifetime of legacy.

📸 Photo taken by Ross Halfin

Loudwire Ross Halfin 📸