My name is Justin Biggs, the bass player of the Swedish Epic Doom band SORCERER. Today, I will be writing about the top 10 records that have enriched or otherwise influenced me during my life (thus far). While I am sure there are many more to come, these are the ones that made a serious impact on me.
10. The Crowning of The Fire King – Sorcerer
Now, perhaps it seems unfair to name an album, of a band I am playing in. However, this is an album I heard prior to release, and it was also around that time I had joined Sorcerer. I was called to have an audition at Kristian’s (guitarist in Sorcerer) home studio. There, he played Sirens (without the bass) and told me to just play something over it. I asked of course to play back some of the small licks, but otherwise got the hang of it. From there I had the gig! Then I was sent the rest of the album to listen to and learn. It was a great experience, listening to that record, in its entirety for the first time. It has changed my life and allowed me to do things, that I was otherwise unable to do as an aspiring musician. With this, in one fell swoop, I was introduced to the larger stages in Europe, and have since then had a blast touring, writing, and hanging out with my bandmates, and what I now call family, in Sorcerer.So, again, while not appeasing ego or trying to sell a record, this record was absolutely monumental for me.
9. Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
I will never forget the drum fill leading into Where Eagles Dare, on Iron Maiden’s, 4th album Piece of Mind. Everything here is heavy metal gold. Listening to the bass was just jaw dropping. In fact, this whole record is jaw dropping. The vocal performance is brilliant, the drumming solid, the bass over the top and the technical guitar skills of duo, Murray and Smith is legendary. I had already in my collection the first 3 albums by Maiden. Each packed with their own charm. This (and Killers) left me gobsmacked! Being the aspiring bassist and musician I was, I poured myself over this album, learning every bass lick I could, to me Steve Harris is a bass god from another planet. I never understood how he got that sound and how he could play so fast and technical. It was a huge inspiration! I desperately tried to learn how to play like him.
8. White Zombie – La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1
This is an album, I listened to religiously in the 90’s. While interested in the heavier, darker music that was coming from Scandinavia, I also listened to a fair share of industrial types of metal. Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson were on heavy rotation. I liked it, because it was different. Now, the one band I listened to often was White Zombie, and this album, their 3rd (there other albums were out of print, I always thought this was there first). This album sees the band coming to true form. Swinging, heavy, fun, metal. It was hard not to get into this album. I also loved the out of this world artwork in the booklet and thought it was just nuts. They were also taking influence from all the cliché horror movies, B movies, and grinder films that was, at the time, not nearly as popular as they are today. Liking Zombie movies was not uncommon, but you rendered a person with no good film taste if you cited George Romero’s Night or Dawn of the living dead as a favourite movie. Sean Yseult is a bass player I held in reverence. She had a great punchy tone, some really cool bass riffs and was an absolute monster on stage. I had never seen a woman playing bass in a heavy metal band, not like her. I thought it was cool, and while, looking back, there were many women playing heavy metal. Lots within the Punk genre as well, like Gaye advert, Tina Weymouth, to name a few and they were making a stand, proving metal and punk aren’t just a man’s world.
7. Pink Floyd – Animals
This is my favourite record of all time! I love this album. From the concept to the musicianship. Pink Floyd have made a huge impact on my playing. This album showed me more complex bass parts to learn. Like on Pigs (Three Different Ones). There is the great little bass intro, and the verse riff is complex to play. But it’s a fun song that I enjoy playing along to. I love the entirety of the Pink Floyd catalogue but if I was to pick one, it would be Animals.
6. The Ramones – It’s Alive
Now, many hardrock fans will talk about Live After Death or Rock in Rio by Maiden, Ozzy’s Live & Loud, or Kiss‘ Alive as being the best live albums of all time. For me, it was The Ramones It’s Alive. I had never heard anything like it. 30 songs crammed into a half an hour or so. It was extremely impressive! Dee Dee Ramone, was and always will be, a heavy influence on me as a player. He had the attitude and didn’t care about anything but playing (or his next fix…). He was the main contributor to lyrics, in the band, even after his departure. The Ramones will always be The Ramones. There really is no copy of them, though many try and fail miserably. Gabba Gabba Hey!
5. King Diamond – Abigail
Here we have, heavy metal with amazing and stunning musicianship. We have also, one of the only bands in metal to continuously bring us concept album after concept album of the highest calibre. Not easy to do! But when you’re King Diamond, those ideas just come naturally. Everything about this album has imprinted itself on me both as a fan and as a musician. It is truly one of my favourite releases of all time. It’s an album I can listen to today and still get that same vibe I had when I was just a kid, listening to it for the first time.
4. Mercyful Fate – Melissa
Still on the King Diamond coat tails. This album is what introduced to me to King Diamond and the next level Satanic lyrical content. I thought it was profound and exhilarating to hear chants of „All Hail Satan“ in a chorus. I was flabbergasted! It really opened my eyes to the occult and a new way of writing. I had spent most of my teenage years in a predominately right winged Christian town. So, hearing such things felt taboo and exciting. I got to writing heavily after hearing this album. The influence of King’s writing has helped me and made me a better musician. For that I am thankful, and I can definitely say, „Melissa is still with us“.
3. The Traveling Wilburies – Vol. 1
This may come as complete shock to some. This was the first record I ever spun on my own. The First record I could call my own. I have always loved George Harrison, from when he was in The Beatles and after. But this was the first time I had ever heard him. It was also the first time I heard the bass filled, beautiful voice, of Roy Orbison. These tracks are imprinted in my soul. I listen to this album every day for a few years. I couldn’t get enough of it. This was my introduction to Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. I had no idea it was a super group, but the album still evokes, a blissful childish euphoria in me that I can’t put into words. That feeling is epic and I love it. It really does make me happy listening to this one.
2. Metallica – Ride The Lightning
While it is hard for me to pick one of the first 3 Metallica albums, I have to go with Ride The Lightning. I remember hearing it the first time, and hearing Fight Fire With Fire. The intro was the awesome classical guitar intro. I thought, this can’t be metal, what is this? Then the swell from hell, and the song opens up into barrage of demolishing, pulverising heavy metal, the likes I had never heard before in my life. I was shocked and in love. I love this album, as well as Master of Puppets and Kill Them All. Seeing bass player Cliff Burton, wowed me to the point of no return. I still, STILL, have my bellbottoms jeans and try to maintain that ferocity and attitude on stage. I tried to emulate Cliff so much over the course of my musical career. From the start, realising he had passed away, I wanted to have his memory live on, at least for me. So, I did what I could to play like him. The first time I ever played live, I played the track For Whom The Bell Tolls. It was my time to shine, and I delivered that opening bass solo like no one’s business, it was a very proud moment for me. After the gig, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The impact of Metallica can’t be understated for me. They were absolutely integral in forming how I approach and play today. Seeing them live for the first time, I immediately told my mother „That’s what I want to do, I want to play like that and play on stages like that“.
1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
No surprises here. Black Sabbath (along with Iron Maiden) is my favourite band of all time. Hearing the opening track on this album, both terrified me and filled me with jubilation. It was the heaviest, greatest thing I had ever heard in my life. Geezer Butler, bassist and lyricist, is (along with Cliff and Steve) my hero. It was much later in life I realised just how key Geezer Butler was, not just in Sabbath, but with Ozzy as well. His lyrics are poems, stories, dirges and the songs of a generation. Geezer is for me the venerated patron saint of Heavy Metal. Whereas Iommi is the guitar god, riff master, Geezer is for me Sabbath. His lyrics set the tone for the shape of things to come in heavy metal. His bass playing was totally unique. I had never heard a bass guitar act, almost, like a lead instrument! It was inspiring, so much so, that I picked up a bass instead of guitar. I wanted to mimic that sound under the guitars. It had pulse, it had reason. It was there, and I sold my soul for it. Hearing tracks like Sleeping Village/The Warning, The Wizard, Black Sabbath, N.I.B. and basically anything off the first 8 Sabbath records is like coming home. It was however this first album that defined me, and a generation, to follow in the steps of what would be heavy metal. What a journey it has been! Where Metallica showed me what I want to do on stage, Sabbath set everything in motion. From that day forward metal was life.
