I'm a huge Chris Poland fan. Great call on Return to Metalopolis, I remember when that came out and thinking it was basically going to be instrumental Megadeth. And of course it does have plenty of the heavy, but I started hearing all this other stuff (not realizing until shortly thereafter that he was actually a jazz/fusion guy originally) and it was like, wow, he's got more versatility than I was expecting. A few times I was like, this is almost like a Steve Vai album in a few parts where it gets a little more "eclectic".

His later Chasing the Sun solo album has some good stuff too, but Return to Metalopolis is definitely the classic. He also did a live album version of Metalopolis that's good too. The other Poland material I REALLY am into is all the OHM recordings (not so much OHMphrey though). OHM is definitely not straight metal, very fusion-oriented and appeals to the fusion crowd. But it's still "heavier" and for me much catchier than a lot of other fusion (which I tend to find too boring to listen to even though I appreciate the musicianship).

This about sums up my thoughts on most jazz fusion type stuff, too.

I absolutely love the concept, combines my two favorite things! 

Just being absolutely realistic, much as my heart says "heck yeah!", right at the moment I would fear saying yes and not being able to deliver on it. Even being a "just for fun" project, I hate to do that. Up until Christmas I'm travelling a lot every week, so for now I would say I'm a maybe down the road a little.

That said, I would absolutely LOVE to see something get started, and if others are able to get involved sooner, that would be awesome.

I know reaction channels aren't super loved on this forum, nor do I follow many, but one of my favorites is Lost in Vegas. Two black guys around my age who came up primarily on hip hop and R&B but who are genuine music lovers and explore a variety of genres. They hit unexpected success with the metal audience and have thoroughly enjoyed it, and following their journey is fun. They have a fun charisma and dynamic, and seeing them geek out to our beloved classics is the closest I have come to getting to hear them again with fresh ears.

After blowing up for their reaction to Megadeth's Holy Wars which is what got them big, they've done many songs over the years. They finally followed advice and decided to finish the full Rust in Peace album.

I tell you guys, their reaction to Lucretia is everything I waned it to be. It's so much fun, it's validating, and seeing the genuine joy in their reaction allows me to reexperience it with them. Also they are funny as hell.

I think for now it's an exclusive to their Patreon (which is the easiest dollar a month I pay), but if and when it gets released on public Youtube, it's a high recommendation from me.

Even when I was a wee lad in my metal journey, I knew Lucretia was special even if I lacked the knowledge or vocabulary to say why. It's perfect blend of funky-ass groove and ripping metal was made for me, and I thought Tornado of Souls (classic that it is) unfairly overshadowed it.

The biggest problem with the song is coming before Tornado haha.

No, I never heard that before, but yes, it does sound good. Thanks.

I've heard *of* Ray Gillen, and I'm sure I heard his work before, but I never took much notice. Coincidentally, I watched a three-hour long interview with Jake E Lee recently, which inspired me to eventually give Badlands another shot, but I haven't gotten around to it yet, just like I haven't looked at the solo Chris Poland yet.

Well, this is fun to get to do. To recap recent events, Dolly Parton was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Being a lifelong country musician, she felt like she did not deserve it, and she was going to decline. She ended up reconsidering (I think at other's advice) and accepted, but basically said well, I guess I need to make a rock album now so they don't make a liar out of me, and she did.

And I am delighted that I have a relevant post in the metal thread about Dolly Parton. It's mostly a covers album of classic songs with a KILLER guest list of many of the original artists, and one such example is Bygones....featuring Rob Halford. Here you go.



The album is pretty darn good, too, considering. One nice aspect is that Nashville-esque PRISTINE sound production. We metal heads get used to a wide degree of varying audio quality with our rock and metal. It's nice to get to enjoy something so well done from a production standpoint