Mike Lee back in Barren Cross

kmorg wrote:

Phenomenal band! They played a new song at Elements of Rock, I was hoping someone filmed that and posted it on YouTube.

Yeah, I was hoping the same thing, but if a video was shot of that new tune, it hasn't surfaced yet. The clip I posted came from Barren Cross' Facebook page.

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

exact33 wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

It's just so difficult for me to like a 'knock-off' band cuz I have never heard somebody blatantly copying the great Bruce Dickinson other than them (or the singer)

Barren Cross could've been a kick @$$ thrash/speed metal band. They did have it in them.

They wrote great songs, Maiden comparison aside. IMHO

Not too much Maiden except the voice. Yeah, a British Metal type sound but how many bands do that?

Quote :

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

Uhhhh... yeah, as a matter of fact, I would.

Some of y'all probably know the words to this one cuz I've used it before: I don't really give a rat's ass if a band is into God, Satan, Captain Kirk or the Teletubbies. If they're a good band, they're a good band. If they suck, they suck.

Barren Cross happened to be a pretty damn good band. ATOMIC ARENA is a top ten of all time for me.

EmoElmo wrote:

exact33 wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

It's just so difficult for me to like a 'knock-off' band cuz I have never heard somebody blatantly copying the great Bruce Dickinson other than them (or the singer)

i didnt they copied maiden all that much - Lee's vocals were similar but the music wasnt all that similar. I just think of them as a heavy metal band.

EmoElmo wrote:

exact33 wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

It's just so difficult for me to like a 'knock-off' band cuz I have never heard somebody blatantly copying the great Bruce Dickinson other than them (or the singer)

I never even understood the Maiden comparisons. Barren Cross doesn't even do the double guitar thingy.

Truth is, the first 3 Barren Cross discs are killer metal releases, regardless what tag you wanna try an add to them.

Barren Cross = Good Heavy Metal

kmorg wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

exact33 wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

It's just so difficult for me to like a 'knock-off' band cuz I have never heard somebody blatantly copying the great Bruce Dickinson other than them (or the singer)

I never even understood the Maiden comparisons. Barren Cross doesn't even do the double guitar thingy.

Truth is, the first 3 Barren Cross discs are killer metal releases, regardless what tag you wanna try an add to them.

plus there is not a lot of original sounding metal bands out there, even when BC was in their prime. I could see someone saying Trytan was a clear rip of Rush but those Maiden comparisons to BC were strictly because of the vocals - and then not all that close.

I don't think they sounded like Maiden either, with the exception of "Two Thousand Years" from State of Control.

Infinite wrote:

I don't think they sounded like Maiden either, with the exception of "Two Thousand Years" from State of Control.

Living Death from Atomic Arena too

thejokeriv wrote:

Infinite wrote:

I don't think they sounded like Maiden either, with the exception of "Two Thousand Years" from State of Control.

Living Death from Atomic Arena too

Unless you saw them live, you never really got to see the biggest influence that Bruce had on Mike. The way Mike ran a (much smaller) stage and the mannerisms/gestures/poses that he used. Mike had a "similar" tone as Bruce here/there but the phrasing and delivery were quite different.

James B. wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

Infinite wrote:

I don't think they sounded like Maiden either, with the exception of "Two Thousand Years" from State of Control.

Living Death from Atomic Arena too

Unless you saw them live, you never really got to see the biggest influence that Bruce had on Mike. The way Mike ran a (much smaller) stage and the mannerisms/gestures/poses that he used. Mike had a "similar" tone as Bruce here/there but the phrasing and delivery were quite different.

There is no doubt that Mike Lee/Drive was heavily influenced by Bruce. Also with Jim, you can hear the Steve Harris influences in his playing. More than anything, those two are what gave BC their Maiden-style sound.

I always thought Jim LaVerde's bass work was rather 'Arry-ish too.

*EDIT* Dammit, Joker just posted the exact same thing while I was typing that. Get the hell out of my head, Leo!!

Oh yeah, Mike Lee definitely sounds a lot like Dickinson; I'm just saying the sum of the parts didn't add up to a Maiden sound, for the most part, to my ears.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I always thought Jim LaVerde's bass work was rather 'Arry-ish too.

*EDIT* Dammit, Joker just posted the exact same thing while I was typing that. Get the hell out of my head, Leo!!

Well, it's true and we're both huge fans of Atomic Arena

kmorg wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

exact33 wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

If they weren't into Jesus and stuff, would you guys still consider them as an AWESOME BAND?

15 years ago, I remember listening to them for the first time thru my friend's cassette tape and I was like "Ugh, So Maiden", nothing spectacular, nothing special ... so I'm just wonderin' what is so great with this band

i dont know about 'awesome' but i like them.

It's just so difficult for me to like a 'knock-off' band cuz I have never heard somebody blatantly copying the great Bruce Dickinson other than them (or the singer)

I never even understood the Maiden comparisons. Barren Cross doesn't even do the double guitar thingy.

Truth is, the first 3 Barren Cross discs are killer metal releases, regardless what tag you wanna try an add to them.

The first three are awesome! Atomic Arena can easily compete with the other metal releases of that year.

As far as the comparisons, I think we've covered it with Mike & Jim's influences. Heck, listen to the main riff of this one (after the slow intro):

[youtube][/youtube]

i saw a video on youtube from a recent performance from bc, and mike lee still got the voice. lets hope the come up with a great album

powermacho wrote:

i saw a video on youtube from a recent performance from bc, and mike lee still got the voice. lets hope the come up with a great album

that is an excellent album in your avatar powermacho!

BC's entire Elements of Rock set is now up on YouTube...



I haven't had time to sit thru the whole hour-plus thing but I will eventually cuz I wanna check out the "new song" (whatever it's called)....

With the blonde hair and the suit/vest combo, Mike looks like Robin Zander of Cheap Trick.

killer opening tune, "The Living Dead" then into "Stage of Intensity" YEPPERS

Mike sounds good for an old fart !


Gonna scope out the rest later, Thanks Kieth

I have to admit that, while I am still skeptical, this seems to be gaining more momentum than I thought it would. I have been used to BC putting out a 'we are recording' notice every couple years and fading into the background.

According to BC's Facebook page, the new song in their set at the Switzerland gig was called "Whitewashed Love."