IRON AGE: CLANCY ROSS, the King of Bodybuilders and the the masterly regent of the golden era of Bodybuilding.

Hey guys, yes, I'm already back @ it again and this time again something sort of bigger and also again like with the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH marking the return of the "AMERICAN Oi! HISTORY SERIES" up here a few days ago now something (again) already thought dead and, looking at it from another direction or perspective, simply by far too long overdue will here and now be coming for you, yes, and this time it's nothing that's anoyhow 'dealing with music(k)' and instead of this this will be finally again an article of the 'Sports' category up here and, to be (even more) precise, here and now you finally get the next and newest "IRON AGE" article since/in a bit over three years since the "IRON AGE" article to pay tribute to the unforgotten LARRY SCOTT finally saw the light of day up here and so if you are a 'veteran-reader' of this very blog here then you know that right here and right now it's all about true and passionate Old School Bodybuilding and even over the last four to five years my passion for and interest in actual or current Bodybuilding grew very, very slim'n'small and I am in our current days'n'age finally pretty much all into (especially) Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman/Strongmen sports, Powerlifting, and some few Crossfit/Functional Training (but without all that ridiculous Hippster-Bullshit surrounding and polluting it all so much since so many years right now again) my heart still beats incredible strong for the true Old School Bodybuilding from the late 19th century and early 20th century on and especially over the 1930's and 1940's going on through the 1950's and 1960's and evolving into the 1970's and in my book the very best physiques ever developed up to present day had been without a single doubt John Grimek, Bill Pearl, and Arnold Schwarzenegger - and of course the almighty Steve Reeves. And in fact my heart beats as strong as ever before for that decade-spanning golden age of true Bodybuilding, the IRON AGE, that gave this article-series once back then its very name. So, yes, it's really about time that the "IRON AGE" gets revived and can celebrate its rebirth up here finally, yes, and so here and now we and I will do. When I primarly started this posting-series I had a "masterplan" or there was sort of a "grand-scheme" or a "figured-out-schedule" in my mind and I moved on straight ahead through the years and decades paying tribute to by me 'hand-chosen' favorite Bodybuilders of that golden time and I knew where I wanted to stop with finishing the original series in the 1980's with looking at what happened in that decade with Bodybuilding and the training-principles and nutrition and the 'enhancement' and with paying a honourful tribute to the high'n'mighty and unforgettable Lee Haney, probably and in my book for sure the last true IRON AGE Bodybuilding Champion. After this I would do a 'foray' on the 1990's and the early 2000's when Bodybuilding pretty much started to turn more and more into becoming 'Mass-Building' like we knoew it all so well today and with giving respect, showing honour, and paying tribute to Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, too, yes, and then finally closing the "IRON AGE" series as being finished. Over the years my by me hand-down-written schedule got lost somewhere along the way but to settle this one more time again would be no problem, yes, and so be sure that the "IRON AGE" series will from now'n'here on continue going on fnally again (we will see if that mentioned 'old schedule' will still be the order of it or if I will do it differently), sort of in an 'unregular-frequency'. Here and now we will for now move back from the 1950's and 1960's (the era of Larry Scott) into the 1940's and then also a bit into the 1950's with paying tribute to the one and only Clancy Ross, one of the mightiest and most fascinating Bodybuilders to have ever walked our beloved mother earth - and one that I missed out on in my 'old schedule' due to reasons I even by and for myself can't comprehend this days, hell no, and so I thought (and still think) that it is a great way to reanimate this very article-series up here with correcting a big wrong from the past. Yes, and so now by far too much and enough of the introducing smalltalking ongoing rambling(s) and so now finally right'n'straight direct into the action again.

The King of Bodybuilders...

- CLANCY ROSS -

...and the masterly regent of the golden era.

Clancy Ross was born at the 26th of October of 1923 in Oakland, California/U.S.A. to Jeanette and Hershel Ross a son. He had two brothers named Art and Roy, and his respectively their grandfather once was an immigrant from Germany who gave up his shoe-factory when he finally should move over to the States. Still when he was a young boy his parents got divorced and his father moved away while he stayed with his mother who sadly enough soon after this tragically died. So, yes, it's definite to say that life wasn't that good from the get-go to Clancy Ross who had to face a lot of hardships right from the start and had to struggle heavily. After the death of his mother he spend several to many years in an orphanage and different nursing-homes before finally a couple of spouses should come along the way and should show some heart with taking him to them where he stayed and lived in Alameda near Oakland where he visited elementary school before becoming a pupil of/at the Oakland Highschool. He had finally found a home. And you see, Clancy Ross' beginnings had been more than 'just' humble, so to say. This hard biographic facts and the fact that Clancy Ross all his life never had that much of a great genetic for Bodybuilding should in the future lead the also legendary Bodybuilder and later on also coach Leo Stern to say that Clancy Ross was the one guy who made out of the by far less the by far most, if not all, with climbing to the top of/in Bodybuilding without ever backing down and with hard work, pure heart, sheer will, and a clear focus, becoming a true king if not the true king and this inside and outside the gym. A true rolemodel and a guy who never needed 'safe-spaces' and 'anti-mobbing-seminars'... our current time is nothing but weak, sick, and disgusting, period!!! But that's at least maybe sort of another topic, and so back to Clancy Ross: At school he should become a (very) good athlete, and from early on as a teenager and then as a young man he worked hard in several different jobs to make his living on his own and with just being 18 years old/young in 1941 he married his first wife Jackie, and together they should become parents to their daughter Carol Lynn. Like already mentioned, Clancy Ross should become a damn good athlete in highschool and he was pretty much always strongly and enthusiatically interested in several different sports and practising this also, too. When a friend of him then should introduce him finally to Weighttraining one day he should absolutely fell in love with it right from the get-go and especially the Squat-Rack should become his new home and the Squat was from then on his new found love and he did it with heartfelt bruning passion and it was his key to finally get rid of his 'stork-legs' (like his Friends annoyed him with back then regulary). Even with only very limited basic Training Clancy Ross already started to make good progress, not at least due to his untamable will. He should soon later on enter the "United States Air Force" and he was stationed in Las Vegas, Nevada/U.S.A. and also when'n'where at this time the above already mentioned great Leo Stern was stationed and who worked there also as a (or the) physical education trainer and he, Leo Stern soon noticed the hard working mentality and the sheer firy will of him, Clancy Ross and took him under his wings. Clancy Ross trained hard and heavy and gained loads of high quality muscles as well as in general more and more an impressive physique and when in 1945 Leo Stern and he decided it's time to hit the stage at "AAU Mr. America" it was no one else than Clancy Ross himself who supremely reigned and took the unrivaled victory and he also took the awards "Most Muscular Physique" and "Best Chest" with him, too. Then one year later in 1946 he also won the "Pro Mr. America" in San Francisco in a triumphant-way and then he moved on and in 1948 and 1949 he was also one of the very, very few men (in fact there were only two and Clancy Ross was one of them) who were able to beat the maginificient Steve Reeves not just once but twice, in 1948 Clancy Ross won the "Mr. U.S.A." right before Steve Reeves who scored at the 2nd place and at the "Mr. U.S.A." in 1949 Clancy Ross was ranked at the 2nd place right after the unrivaled John Grimek and with Steve Reeves placed on the 3rd rank. (Note: John Grimek and Steve Reeves are also part of the "IRON AGE" article series up here, so maybe just check out the articles about them if you are interested.) The "Mr. U.S.A." of/in 1949 took place in Los Angeles in the "Los Angeles Shrine" in front of 6.000 viewers what was a damn impressive number for that time back then. Still in 1949 Clancy Ross should also win the "Mr. North America" and he was with winning this competition one of the very first few Bodybuilders who grabbed a price of 1.000 Dollar for the victory, and again for that time back then this was something damn impressive to archieve. To make his daily living after the "United States Air Force" he was running from 1946 on several different gyms. The first of his gyms he opened in January of 1946 and he used to run it succesfully for ten years. He had close ties to other Bodybuilders of his era like for example Jack LaLanne and Jack Dellinger with whom he often went surfing at the 'Sunny Cove' in Alameda, California/U.S.A. and he also very often and regulary went swimming. Beside being an active and competing Bodybuilder and running his gym(s) he worked also a model and also as an author for example (and especially) for the early mags of that time of Joe Weider named "Muscle Power" and "Your Physique" and he should also become the most prominent and/or important editor of this magazines right after Joe Weider himself who surely also used the prominent and impressive Clancy Ross quite a bit as his figurehead just like Joe Weiders biggest rival at that time, the "York Barbell Comapny", did so with the almighty John Grimek who was also one of the if not the biggest rival of Clancy Ross himself back then. Some good pairings you see, so to say. In 1951 after ten years of their marriage Clancy Ross and his first wife Jackie got divorced and later on along the way Clancy Ross should meet the very attractive Lois who loved, so they say, especially motorcycles and enjoyed life in general as much as only ever possible and who should then become his second wife. They had a long and happy relationship together and had two kids together, Lance who was born in 1961 and Darcy Lee who was born in 1965. And they had several pets together, with Clancy Ross himself being a huge fan of cats and regulary bringing a stray with hime home that he gleaned somewhere along the way home.

Clancy Ross was beside being an enthusiastic athelete and a formidable and more than just great Bodybuilder also a huge music-lover and especially Jazz in all its different forms was his absolute favourite and he and his second wife Lois shared this passion and interest and they loved to dance and to party and they truly led a rich social life. Beside all this he also worked as a teacher for the(ir) local community at the Sunday-School, to give something back. And, of course, also Hollywood was/got attracted by Clancy Ross, his personality and his physique and so he had several movie-performances like for example already in 1949 in "The Piano Mover" and "So you want to be a Muscleman". Also for roles like "Tarzan" and even "Superman" and also as the private-detective "Sam Spade" the guys in/of Hollywood wanted to sign him up for but Clancy Ross turned that offers down because he refused to be that long away from home so often, and also because his heart still was completly signed to Bodybuilding. He should sell his own gym "Clarence Ross P.C. Gym" to work further on for the "American Health" 'gym-chain'. He was anyhow anywhere a much loved and highly respected and a through-and-through sympathic guy with lots of fans and Friends everywhere he went and came along. And he was a Bodybuilder through-and-through. He worked hard and gave it all he had to give and when we keep in mind that he lived and worked and trained and pumped in a time long ago where modern training-principles like sets and splits and such stuff and not to talk about 'fancy shit' like "FST-7", "Dogcrapp", etc. pp. weren't formulated and defined like we know and have it for example today and where of no training-equipment was to talk about and where 'things' about nutrition and especially supplementation were only of rudimentary knowldege (compared with later decades to come) and when there was no enhancement via drugs and hormons to talk of, yes, when it all was natural, yes, then you should see what an truly impressive physique he damn fucking build and how damn strong he really was. He was famous for his massive chest and did dumbbell bench-press with 60kg+ dumbbells regulary, squatted with 205kg for 10+ reps and when deadlifting he lifted 295kg+. Also his Olympic Weightlifting was damn impressive with for example 142kg+ at the strict frontpress. He also did 'deflected' culrs with 90kg+. And on the incline bench press with dumbbells he did 10+ reps with the 80kg+ dumbbells. Damn impressive!!! In 1955 then he won the "NABBA Pro Mr. Universe" in London, but due to a heavy (in)flu(enza) or a massive 'gripal-infect' he wasn't at his bestform and he did not take the Overall-Victory with him. This enlighted the fire in him one more time even stronger and led him to take the 2nd place at the 1956 "Mr. U.S.A.", only beaten by the larger-than-life Bill Pearl himself. (Note: Also Bill Pearl is already part of this "IRON AGE" article series up here, so why not check out his article as well?!) Somehwere along the road to come he and his second wife should got divorced as well, because Clancy Ross focussed more and more again and again on his training and Lois simply felt too heavily left behind and she draw her consequences. But at least both should stay close friends even after their divorce. His last years Clancy Ross, the "King of Bodybuilders", spend together with his close friends Auben and Margorie in a retirement-home where he finally died at the 30. of April of 2008 at the age of 84 years. Shortly before his death he planned together with his old friend Joe Weider to install a 'health-fitness-studio' in the retirement-home where he lived for all the residents of it, yes, but this dream he sadly could not fullfill anymore. But in the memories of all of us true IRON AGE and IRON SPORTS enthusiasts the unforgotten and larger-than-life Clancy Ross, the "King of Bodybuilders" will live forever on as one of the best, most impressive, strongest, and biggest and most (be)loved and respected Natural Bodybuilders of all time. Rest in Power!!!

Some of his impressive 'strength-stats' and or (much) better and (much) more precise sort of an impressive 'training-routine' of the almighty Clancy Ross I now still want to show you before I will finally close this article; so let's go:

(1.) Legs:

Squats 6 x 10 reps
Calf raises 4 x 25
(2.) Arms:
Seated dumbbell curls 3 x 8
Preacher curls 3 x 8
Triceps pushdowns 3 x 103
(3.) Chest:
Pushups on parallel bars 3 x 15
Chest Incline bench press 3 x 10
Bent arm laterals on bench 3 x 8
(4.) Abdominals:
Leg raises on ab bench 200 reps
Situps on ab bench 200 reps
Side bends 100 reps each side
(5.) Shoulders:
Lateral raises standing 3 x 8
Upright rowing 3 x 8
(6.) General Conditioning:
Pulldowns all the way down to legs on lat machine 3 x 10

(Copyright of/for this which means this training-plan or workout-schedule, is by: https://www.greatestphysiques.com/clarence-ross/ - check them out, great site, great work, big inspiration, and why not also like them up on Facebook @greatestphysiques.)

So, yes, that's it for now again already, and the "IRON AGE" finally is back again up here as well. I hope you enjoyed it, maybe at least as much as I enjoyed it putting this all together for you. And if you enjoyed it, yes, then make sure to stay tuned for more of this to come up here again one sooner or later day. And now, yes, have a great day and enjoy the weather, like I am about to do it now. I'm off and out for now, we'll read us (soon) again. Bye.

DRITTE WAHL - "10" (2017)

DRITTE WAHL - "10"
(Running time: 47:52 minutes; 12 songs)
("Dritte Wahl Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, good evening or good morning, how you prefer it and from where you are and where you are reading this. Anyhow, anyway… Time for another new post, at least that's how I decided it, so to say, and here and now this ,means it's time for another and a new record-review. Here and now you get my record-review on the still current full-length-album of/by the German Punk legends DRITTE WAHL (en)titled simply "10" and released via the band's very own label "DRITTE WAHL RECORDS" and this already last year in 2017 but I just got my hands on it this very year and so you still get my record-review on it also already still right now and right here in 2018, yes, and so now let's go: Thinking about it I can't really tell what was the last album of DRITTE WAHL I got and when was the last time I really listened to them, hm, a lot of water went down the river(s), so to say, and then "10" hit me pretty much from out of nowhere and really conquered me. I would never have thought that in 2018 finally again a German Punk band and album would make me cheer that enthusiastical and euphoric up to it'n'them but after this turned out to be exactly that way then it's maybe not that much of a surprise that DRITTE WAHL would/are that band to do  exactly that. This is a really and truly damn fucking strong album that really is packed up full with energy and dynamics that tear down every wall(s) and go straight over the top through the roof(s) and that's also filled with great surprises, fresh ideas, and an really incredible high level of 'thoughtfulness' and 'soulfulness' (musicwise and lyricwise) and all to the absolute maximum and all well-grown-up in a through-and-through authentic and honest and still highly energetic and just still hungry way, hell yeahr, and with a damn lot of the songs on/of "10" DRITTE WAHL really seem to speak right and direct and straight out of my heart and soul. This is right from the get-go a total and massive (German) Punk assault of the highest quality grade with strong (Hard) Rock and Metal reminiscences in it and this time heavily enriched with clear Old School Rock & Roll arrangements, rhythmes and grooves but all done very highly energetic and delivered so damn very fresh and in a pure organic way that it's just conquering again and again without taking any prisoners. Also fantastic worked out Chanty Rock rhythmes and grooves and influences are to be noticed and also some few to huge Country & Western marks in the arrangements and the compositorial work in general and also especially in the guitar work are (at least from my point of view) clearly there and this through-and-through only for the damn right reasons. And this all is melted perfectly in the still so incredible highly energetic and dynamic and totally fresh and still absolutely stand-alone done'n'delivered (German) Punk(rock) that it's nothing else and especially nothing less than mindblowing and you would expect anything but not that these fine gentlemen are now around for already 30/31 years and that this very one here was already their, yes, damn tenth full-length-album, because this is as fresh, as strong, and even greater than for example their legendary and in my personal case truly lifechanging and groundbreaking milestone "NIMM DREI" from back then in 1996. Highly diverse guitar work, multi-facetted rhythm arrangements and work, and charismatic vocals and all melted together by breathtaking melody lines, yes, this are the ingredients that turn DRITTE WAHL's "10" into a total masterpiece. All is wrapped up in brilliant, highly diverse and multi-layered as well as multi-facetted, incredible exciting and so damn grapping songwriting, and all highly emotional and intense, honest and heartfelt, and without any ridiculous clichées or pathos, it's really so damn close to perfect and it conquers and overwhelms me again and again. And this all is also to say exactly in that same way to/about the absolutely amazing and just totally fantastic lyrics. A beautiful artwork and a warm and organic and yet still clear and heavy production-sound finally round it all up. If you are into Punkrock and really should not have or even know DRITTE WAHL's "10" you really should desperately change this finally. My last words: A damn pretty much perfcet album, get it!!!

(10 of 10 points)

http://www.dritte-wahl.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

DRITTE WAHL - "SCOTTY" (2017, "10")

DRITTE WAHL - "DER HIMMEL ÜBER UNS" (2017, "10")

The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH: Legendary patriotic American Oi! from the Motorcity of Detroit - THE SOUL OF THE STORM.

Hey guys and oh boy, yes, trust your eyes, hell yeahr, because oh fuck yes yeah', it's back, yes, the "AMERICAN Oi! HISTORY SERIES" finally and really makes its glorious (and by far too long overdue) return up here and this time it had been really freakin' fuckin' ages since the last article (paying tribute to the almighty STARS & STRIPES from Boston, MA/U.S.A.) came up here sort of damn six years ago in the late summer of 2012. I just read over the mentioned last article recently and oh boy was I wrong back then, because not only took it not only a year before this very one here finally is following it up but more or less six straight years, goddamn it, it almost feels a bit like a different life back then… okay, keeping in mind that I back then just got still a bit recently 31 years old and was just starting to go through some damn tough years to come that's maybe not that wrong after all. But anyhow six years, yes, that's still sort of a statement. (Also incredible that I still or sort of again-still run this very blog here.) How this all came to happen and so on I will here and now spare you and me, anyhow anyway, but by looking at what band this very article here and now will (finally) be paying tribute to this all is even more starting to really feel a bit 'surreal'. Like the headline/name of this article tells you (or at least should have told you already) this time here and now it will all be about no one else and/or no one less than the, yes, (al)mighty ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, the patriotic Motorcity Madmen from the city of Detroit. This was planned already back then in 2010 and 2011 as one of the earlier posts of or in this nowadays (more or less) well aged posting series up here but was then held back by me because it was sort of meant to be published in a german printzine back then at the time but this should then ultimately never came to happen and then it sort of fell overboard… hm... and then right now, yes, it is really so much about time and already again by far too much bla-bla-bla and so now here we are and so enough of my anyhow already by far too long introducing smalltalking rambling(s), yes, and so now finally and ultimately here we go again…!!!

Starting this all now off with the confused questions concerning the "What?" and "Why?" of/about the anyhow/anyway also still today pretty weird and for sure damn unusual (but also damn cool) bandname that there is/was the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. The bandname came to happen like the underground-fame of the band, too, it developed over time and sort of just 'accidentitally' and so someday the band rampaged under the banner of (the) ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH just like the band someday was enthusiastically hailed in/by the underground by Oi! hardknocks and Streetpunk die-hards. They started out in the 1980's as a local Punkrock band jamming and roaring in their hometown and local suburbs with their original line-up consisting out of Danny Mason as their lead singer, the 'Big Dog' at the guitar, Pat 'Scruff' Shaw playing the bass, and Jeff Gordon beating the drums and more and more their weekly to daily practises with the band turning into rampaging parties and little/small concerts with a big bunch of friends and likeminded people/persons attending their practises in ever growing numbers and celebrating a damn good time together with the band. More or less (and again) 'accidentially' the signature sound'n'style of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH should develop heavily during that certain time period, and it was exactly that specific and back then in their area and maybe also espcially in the U.S.A. in general very unusual or untypical sound'n'style that should cause their ongrowing underground-fame. While back then pretty much anybody and everybody was looking to come up with (more or less) melodic and fast paced Skate Punk/Hardcore/Crossover in the tradition of or like bands like BLACK FLAG and D.R.I. and such stuff the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH took the or a pretty opposite direction. First simply due to the fact that primarly their drummer simply couldn't keep up with the higher fast paced tempo they slowed down and this all 'just' to develop over time their very own sound'n'style of stoic hammering, harsh and heavy, hard stomping mid paced (Street-) Punk that further down the road should finally lead them to develop their damn own and unique interpretation of (American) Oi! musick for which they gained and gathered sort of their very own cult-following over time and their ongrowing underground-fame. To say it with the words of 'Big Dog' of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH himself: "It was kind of like the invention of pizza. We stumbled upon it by accident and everybody seemed to dig it." The band and their ever-growing circle of friends used to even set up their own club named the "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS". Their first famous signature sing-a-long chants (and anthems) like for example "Drink Beer!" and "West Side!" were brought up by Danny Mason but things really took off'n'up when Jimmy Doom joined the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. The band went through some to a lot of ('troubled') line-up-changes that all came with some sort of controversy but should maybe finally make the band better or so to say. The clubhouse of (the) "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS" was a 'landmark' in Detroit and for the local Oi!/Punk/Hardcore scene and not only more or less every day some sort of action and/or party used to take place and not only did the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH used to spend a lot of their time exactly there but it was also the place where after the bars closed their doors you could find the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH regulary up on stage playing live every friday and saturday night from 3am on. Chaos and destruction, ramapge and party where all around. And still the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH managed to make it to the big(ger) venues and shared stages with acts like THE EXPLOITED, G.B.H., the CIRCLE JERKS, and also SOCIAL DISTORTION who were all bringing (far) over 500 kids to the shows everytime (we're still to be found in the late 1980's to the early 1990's, keep that in mind) and Punk (and Hardcore and Oi!) was (/were) getting bigger and bigger and the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH were one of the many bands in the middle of it all fueling enthusiastically only even more fuel'n'fire to the flames. Things were looking nice, right, and then…

...and then "Operation Desert Storm" happened and 'it all' became 'ugly'. A lot of the scene, the people in it and the bands of it, took an anti-war standpoint and burned their flags, joined communist groups, started protesting the war (sort of without really knowing for what they were or would be protesting anyhow with protesting against the war but that's another story) and this more or less all 'simply' also to show a middle-finger to the establishment and the(ir) 'warmongering politicians'. The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH and their "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS" crew and their fans more or less in general took the exact opposite standpoint, showed that middle-finger(s) right back, waved the american flag with honour and pride, spoke out pro the troops and voiced their opinions through their musick and their lyrics loudly and proudly. Especially Jimmy Doom, who along the way replaced Danny Mason as the lead singer of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, wrote fantastic and very outspoken lyrics to voice the patriotic opinion of the band. In that in a 'political-sense' very overheated situation and time the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH further on sharpened their 'musical profile' with 'ongoingly' nothing but getting stronger and better all the time. And also again new band members joined the band and no matter if they stayed long or short in the ranks of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH they left their marks and helped to develop the sound'n'style of the band further on. One or maybe even the best and most prominent example for that was/is Jiney Jim (who also played in the damn fantastic ROGUES, another great American Oi! legend from Detroit) who joined the band for a short while and took over the drums delivering that precise and harsh stomping Oi! Oi! Oi! beat that should help the band immensely and lead the band to sharpen their unique American Oi! musick even far more, despise the only short while he was with/in the band. And so the band wrote some of their biggest hymns and hits with Jiney Jim at the drums, like for example "GANGLAND" and "WORKING CLASS KIDS". It also helped surely quite a bit that the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH back then were completly into that fantastic classic English Oi! we all still love today and that all the stuff they wrote songs about were authentic, honest, and heartfelt experiences and opinions that they voiced within and throughout their ever stronger gowing musick. Soon after Jiney Jim left the band again sort of ''as soon as he joined'' the band found their new drummer in and with Cliff "born to kill" Hill and after this they step-by-step should finally reach their full prime, even a lot of ''troubled'n'troubling'' line-up-changes really took place on-and-on-again and the band for sure wasn't the band anymore that once started in the basements of Detroit (so to say) with finally "Big Dog" being the final original or founding member at the end of this development. The shows were anyhow all the time and even more'n'more pure enthusiastic mayhem and 'onslaughting' chaos unleashed filled to the absolute max with violent circle pits, ever-retreating bouncers at the shows, audiences regulary taking over the stage, flying stage divers and also flying beer-bottles all the time everywhere, rivers of beer flooding through the halls and venues, open fights, even bloody brawls at/on stage, and the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH over the years became headliners in Detroit having nation-wide far more famous acts opening for them and with having close ties to formidable legendary acts like MURPHY'S LAW. But over the years and maybe to all the madness-energy and the incredible intensity and maybe or surely also due to ever-on-going line-up-troubles the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH should finally 'die-out', (with) maybe having sort of burnt too bright and too intense for a too long while and so they faded away and the bandmembers went seperate ways and founded new bands. The most prominent and best known bands of that "followers" are for sure "Big Dog's" very own 'new' bands COLD AS LIFE and SWORN ENEMY.

Over their time of existence the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH never released that much of records/albums and their discography is rather short/small… very short/small. They only released (for all what I know and if I now not miss out on something) two tapes. In 1989 their tape (I think it was later on also released on vinyl as a 7'') "ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER" was released and soon becoming an underground-hit, and then in 1991 their "SOUL OF THE STORM" tape was released again causing much havok in the scene. It wasn't until 2005 when the glorious "DISCONNECTED RECORDS" finally released the fantastic "ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION" CD that the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH released (or) sort of finally a proper full-length-album for their fans. And, yes, if you really still don't have that CD you should try anything to still find somewhere a copy of it for you. The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH played a mid-paced orientated and very heavy and energetic, strong rocking and sort of a despise the anthemic and hymnal character also still pretty dark style of American Oi! filled with dirty, noisy, heavy, and strong rocking guitar work, harsh and yet still melodic delivered and highly charismatic lead vocals (also at the Right moments nicely backed up), an evil and pissed-off roaring bass at work, and forceful and onward pushing pure power drumming, delivering great done verses as well as highly addictive refrains full of huge sing-a-longs and that's still today as fresh as it (so I think) was back then for example in 1989 or 1991. It was really so damn much about time that I finally pay my heartfelt tribute and show them my honest honour and give them my enthusiastic praise up here and so this article/post really was by far too much overdue and I'm glad (and maybe even a bit sort of proud) that it really finally saw the damn light of the day right here and right now (even at minimum six years too late… how-ever, better late then never, I guess). The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, one of the greatest unforgotten legends in the glorious history of American Oi! and, again, by any means make sure to try your best to do everything to still find a copy of their above mentioned 2005 CD (re)release and then make sure to grab it and never let it loose again. All hail the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

So, yes, that's it or that was finally the newest and current post/article in/of the "AMERICAN Oi! HISTORY SERIES" up here. (Yes, sometimes the dead really come back.) I hope you enjoyed it, I had much fun writing it, and I especially hope that you got curious because of it for the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, yes, that would definitely be damn fucking great. Currently I would say that one sooner or later day this very series of articles/posts up here finally really will continue up here again. Don't ask me when but, so much I can say, it won't take again six years (not at least because if you ask me right now I wouldn't say that six years more from now on down the road I will still be doing this blog anyhow anyway, no, I really don't think so), and so just stay tuned for more of this to come in the future one sooner or later day. Until then, yes, maybe check out some of the other stuff up here you may enjoy it (as well) and never forget to always have a laugh and always have a say. Oi! Oi! Oi!

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "A.L.D."

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "DRINK BEER"

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "MOTOR CITY TRICK OR TREAT"

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "DRINK BEER" (live, reunited in 2015)

SCHLUSSAKKORD - "SPIELER ODER BAUER" (2018)

SCHLUSSAKKORD - "SPIELER ODER BAUER"
(Running time: 39:02 minutes; 12 songs)
("Metalspiesser Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, the newest post is coming in right for you, yes, and this time it is again (I think so since December 2017 the first) early morning post that I'm doing right after getting out of bed, right before eating breakfast, getting ready for the day, and starting off to work. I don't know how much I will be able to still get done today and already tomorrow I will be up'n'away and will be attending the "THIS IS SKA" festival so after this very one here maybe don't expect that much before next week (or we will see); okay, and after this very one here is an early morning post it's by far enough of the introducing smalltalk and now finally direct right and straight into the action, yes, so here we go: Here's my record-review on the new SCHLUSSAKKORD full-length-record "SPIELER ODER BAUER" (not sure right now if it there debut or not but Maybe that's also not that important right now and right here), a to me totally new band, released still pretty to very recently this year on CD via the to me still very new record-label "METALSPIESSER RECORDS" that also released (also still pretty recently) the strong "LASS UNS FLIEGEN" full-length-album of/by the sympathic FORMLOS that I reviewed all-in-all not that long ago also up here, and also SCHLUSSAKKORD here on and with "SPIELER ODER BAUER" deliver us a good load of German Rock musick and here and now in this very case of SCHLUSSAKKORD (and "SPIELER ODER BAUER") especially and strongly in the tradition of (a lot) FREI.WILD and (a bit) GOITZSCHE FRONT. (On the current GOITZSCHE FRONT album "DEINES GLÜCKES SCHMIED" you also already find a review on up here and for my review on the new, damn fucking strong FREI.WILD album "RIVALEN UND REBELLEN" you probably and finally won't have to wait that much longer.) And with that influences already named let us also right name the pretty much only weakness of SCHLUSSAKKORD's "SPIELER ODER BAUER": I really would wish that they would work out far stronger and more explicit and precise their own identity than they do so currently because the quality of the musick and the songs and all is right there and pretty high and it is a really strong album... that just too often sounds too much like their influences (especially) FREI.WILD and (also, even far less) GOITZSCHE FRONT. But beside this, yes, SCHLUSSAKKORD's "SPIELER ODER BAUER" is a really good and strong album full of enthusiastic and highly energetic and dynamic, strong rockin', hymnal, sing-a-long-filled and heartfelt German Rock musick of the by far better kind and that I honestly can only recommend to any of you into German Rock, point and fact. Strong and pretty fresh, really strong, and massively onwards pushing (even, like more or less already mentioned shortly above, anything but unique or overly characteristic and individual) songwriting full of drive and power and an authentic gladiatorial attitude that also delivers honest emotions and different moods and this also nicely clichée-free  marks and makes the songs heavily, yes, and this songs are really strong songs that are build on a very loadable and bulky backbone consisting of beefy punching drumming and powerful buzzing bass playing and that are then built from forceful 'crushingly' rocking and slightly metallic rolling and yet very catchy and melodic guitars that deliver heavy riffs and a hard and in sort of an organic or natural grooving rhythm work as well as melodic and anthemic leads and spicy solos and that are finally crowned by harsh and nasty rough and tough and yet still pretty melodic and very hymnal delivered lead vocals, yes, and I can really nothing but recommend SCHLUSSAKKORD and "SPIELER ODER BAUER" to you. Work out more precisely your very own identity that will make you more unique and aim at writing down even stronger and even far more anthemic songs to create really hymns with your next dose and SCHLUSSAKKORD could or should and probably will become sort of the next big thing 'in all things' German Rock. Strong, outspoken, and pretty diverse lyrics, a pretty clear and surely powerful production-sound, and also an all-in-all okay artwork then round it all up. Okay, and after I already pointed out one or two times before above that I can only recommend SCHLUSSAKKORD's "SPIELER ODER BAUER" to any of you out there into German Rock musick I will now close this record-review and will eat my breakfast and then start off to work. So, yes, and now have a great day and then get SCHLUSSAKKORD's "SPIELER ODER BAUER" best right later this very day (in case you still don't know and/or have it), guys.

(8 of 10 Points)

http://www.schlussakkord.band/site/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

SCHLUSSAKKORD - "SCHWARZE SCHAFE UNTER SCHLANGEN" (2018, "SPIELER ODER BAUER")

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - MAY 2018: RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET"

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - MAY 2018:

RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET" (2000)
(Running time: 31:47 minutes; 11 songs)
("I Scream Records"; CD):

Tracklist:
(01.) "SONG OF FRUSTRATION"
(02.) "STEP BACK"
(03.) "HE'S MY FRIEND"
(04.) "A PLACE LIKE THIS"
(05.) "TWIST MY WORDS AROUND"
(06.) "FIGHT VIOLENCE WITH VIOLENCE"
(07.) "OUT IN THE FIELDS" (GARY MOORE - cover)
(08.) "ELECTRIC GUN"
(09.) "THE BAR THAT ONCE WAS MINE"
(10.) "HEROES NEVER DIE"
(11.) "EYE IN THE SKY"

(Note: The first paragraph of this article gives you just some 'general informations' on/about what's currently going on in my real life and why it was for nearly one-and-a-half-month so damn 'silent' up here and also tries to give you a little outlook into the near future up here, so, yes, if you're not interested in it, no problem, just skip it and scroll down to the second paragraph of this very article.)

Hey guys, yes, trust your eyes, I'm still alive, still not dead yet. But... oh damn it, real life currently eats my time away - and this sort of in a 'drastic way'. If you should know me personally or if you are a reader right from the start of this little blog back then in 2010 (damn it, really eight years already… I grow old, goddamn it) then you maybe know (or probably should know) that in real life I make my living being a teacher and despise all the bullshit-clichées this is anyhow a pretty time consuming job but that's not that what I mean right now, nah, I'm working towards becoming a principal one day (and hopefully and if it all now works out the right way better sooner than later) and this all takes quite a bit of time and effort that needs to be invested (like you may can imagine) and so this all combined with the  fact that it wasn't that easy for me to keep up my normal and real social life over the last weeks due to my 'working-towards-becoming-a-principal-one-soon-day' plan it gets maybe clearer why I and with me also this very blog here was sort of like in stand-by modus since the beginning of last month. I don't know if already this month this 'mess up here' will get better again but at least I hope to bring up a handful of posts still this month. A lot is overdue (to be honest already again by far too much is now already by far to long, long overdue), this starts with record-reviews on current (and also past) records as well as this "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in its "MAY 2018" edition (that you now obviously get first) and ending by the two now already since a few months announced bigger posts up here and so on and so on. For this month I aim at bringing, like already mentioned shortly before/above, at least still sort of a handful of posts up here and beside this very one right now right here this means at least still the two bigger posts and at least two new record-reviews on current albums as well. But, yes, please keep in mind that this all up here is absoluetly nothing else and nothing more than  simply a through-and-through hobby, a passionate one, for sure, but still just a hobby; and so at the end of the day the priorities should be clear to anyone who's older than three times six and calls a real life his/her own. Anyhow: From the end of June 2018 and especially July 2018 on then I have summer vacation(s) for six weeks and even I will hopefully be up and away a lot and also be pretty active in this time (if all goes good and stays fine…) I still have to do a lot for my Job but I'm pretty sure that finally then again more new stuff will come up here, also more frequently and then hopefully again on a more regular basis. Just let us wait and see. But just that you know about what's-up currently in camp MANSLAUGHTER. And now, yes, finally (by far) enough of the introducing smalltalk filled with 'general informations' to the max and so now finally into the action and why you probably came here in the first place; and if you've made it so far through my egotrippin' rambling you're a champ and so now finally all breaks off and here we go…!!!

Originally this was meant to be and still is the newest (even it's already very long overdue now) "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in its very own "MAY 2018" edition and this time it will be and is all about the almighty RIGHT DIRECTION and their masterpiece "BURY THE HATCHET" released via the legendary "I SCREAM RECORDS" label back then eighteen years ago in 2000 and this to for all what I know so far only on CD. And all of you who are also now already a bit longer around now maybe can draw (already) some lines between the two last "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" posts that payed tribute to HARD RESISTANCE (and their "ENGINE OF HATE" masterpiece) and DEVIATE (and their "STATE OF GRACE" gift of the gods) because (at least to me and damn sure not only for me) this bands are linked (closely) together, yes, all of them being at the frontlines of what was back then one day labeled Euro Core. Hard and heavy and crushing and yet still sort of catchy Hardcore raised on a heavy New York Hardcore diet enriched with far more flavoures of Metallic Hardcore, Metal, Holy Terror Hardcore, Hardcore Punk, Punkrock, Streetpunk, Oi!, and more, yes, and all delivered by fantastic acts like the already mentioned HARD RESISTANCE and DEVIATE as well as (early) DISCIPLINE, BACKFIRE!, BRIGHTSIDE, RYKER'S, ONLY ATTITUDE COUNTS, the almighty SPIDER CREW, and BUST THE CHAIN, to name just a few, and all this bands added their own identity to it all and this with their very special own flavour. What has this all now to do with RIGHT DIRECTION? They were one of the greatest back then and their fourth full-length-album "BURY THE HATCHET" from 2000 was and still is and for sure will always remain to be nothing but a total masterpiece, hell yeahr, and they also added their very own flavour to it all and this was especially on "BURY THE HATCHET" a strong and very hymnal/anthemic and catchy, melodic Streetpunk/Oi! taste of highest quality and 'deliciousness' while remaining a heavy hitting Hardcore band all the time. Here and there also still some few metallic influences are to be noticed, hm, maybe mostly in the guitar department.

RIGHT DIRECTION started already back then in 1989 (yes, nearly already thirty years ago now) and they hailed out of the the city of Maastricht also known as M-Town in the Netherlands like also, just as a side-fact, the almighty Oi! Silverbacks of CLOSE COMBAT but that's sort of a different story (you know, different band, different story) and they called it a day ten years ago in 2008. For all what I know they are back today (also with four original members) but have so far no plans of releasing any new material. Their first album "HOW MANY MORE LIES" they've released in 1993, followed by "ALL OF A SUDDEN" in 1995. Both albums I didn't know back then and changed this then over the following years after I finally got to know RIGHT DIRECTION. My first contact with RIGHT DIRECTION was in 1998 when I was 17 years young with their phenomenal thrid full-length-album "TO RIGHT THE WRONG" and they took me by storm - just to overwhelm me even more only two years later in 2000 with their larger-than-life masterpiece "BURY THE HATCHET". In 2002 then they released their killer album "BEYOND THE BEYONDS" and this was and is so far their final output to this date. A bunch of vinyl sngles ("THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES"/1991, "NO REASON TO LAUGH"/1991, BEOWÜLF & RIGHT DIRECTION split/1994, WARZONE & RIGHT DIRECTION live split/1995, and "ALL THESE YEARS"/1996) and also the retrospection-compilation "ECHOES FROM THE PAST" (1996) they've released also over the 1990's. And then after six years of no new album since 2002 in 2008 they called it finally a day. And right now, right here we're here, yes, paying tribute to them, RIGHT DIRECTION, and their fantastic "BURY THE HATCHET" longplayer.

RIGHT DIRECTION toured over their existence with several great ones like WARZONE, MADBALL, SICK OF IT ALL, and SLAPSHOT as well as BEOWÜLF, YUPPICIDE, EXCEL, and BITTER. They also appealed to the Metal crowd like tours with for example GOREFEST showcase(d) to the world. Their original Drummer Richard Bruinen seperated ways with them in 1992 to join BACKFIRE! in the following years. (BACKFIRE!, also one of the greatest, hell yeahr, and they will be featured up here as well for sure some day in the future.) And you can be sure that bands like WARZONE and SICK OF IT ALL as well MADBALL and SLAPSHOT had their influence on RIGHT DIRECTION as well as AGNOSTIC FRONT and for sure definitely AWKWARD THOUGHT in heavy doses, too. But they, and of course I mean RIGHT DIRECTION, owned their very own spirit and also their very special flavour and on "BURY THE HATCHET" this culminated in heavy and fresh Streetpunk/Oi! vibes that also fantastic bands like the great TECH 9 or even the immortal and larger-than-life DISCIPLINE didn't do any better back then. A special guitar tone, highly charismatic lead vocals, huge dynamics, strong emotions, and also a very own melodic/melody work really added massive amounts of a unique identity and character to it all, yes, and this for all the right reasons.

With or to this band, RIGHT DIRECTION, and especially this particular album, "BURY THE HATCHET", I have very special and just great memories very closely linked. Great times, great friends, great concerts, great parties, yes, all this and even far, far more. RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET" for damn sure is another album that holds and owns a very special place in my heart. I mean, of course it is exactly this, yes, because otherwise it would not appear here and now despise the anyhow over-all premium quality of it all. But also beside this, hell yeahr, it absolutely and totally shines with outstanding and overwhelming quality and this still today after or with now being already 18 years old. Highly charismatic lead vocals, sing-a-long chants, smashing and incredible forceful yet damn melodic guitars, thunderous drumming, and a crispy bass work made'n'make the musick and formidable and still damn fresh and very varied and intense songwriting, tons of energy and dynamics, and all never shyed away from big and honest heartfelt emotions wrapped in tight atmosphere cultivated'n'cultivates it all, with a very unique character gave'n'gives it all finally the bright shining crown. One hell of a legendary and larger than life masterpiece of an album that anyone who really should not know it so far really needs to call his/her own and so I can't praise it anyhow anyway enough.

My personal favorites here on RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET"? God-damn it, that's a hard one. Yes... a really hard one. And I mean a really, really hard one. You really ask why? Okay... simply because every damn song is purest platinum up here on this most precious gem. But, hm, okay, let's go, yes, I'm trying my best to give you or better pick for you my personal favorites… Sort of my absolute faavorites up here. I massively love the damn catchy and Streetpunk fueled "ELECTRIC GUN", the highly atmospheric and intense "HEROES NEVER DIE", the Saxophone fueled fantastic anthem "HE'S MY FRIEND" (sounds more and better like DOG EAT DOG than all what they've done after or since "PLAY GAMES" and it offers strong SKA vibes, too), the harsh hitting anti-racist tune "STEP BACK", the in all honesty damn great GARY MOORE cover "OUT IN THE FIELDS", the by crushing Oi! influenced angry Hardcore slasher "THE BAR THAT ONCE WAS MINE", the every resistance slaying harsh Hardcore wrecking ball "SONG OF FRUSTRATION", the Hardcore-ish raging Dutch Oi! beast "TWIST MY WORDS AROUND", and the purest platinum Streetpunk/Oi! monster "FIGHT VIOLENCE WITH VIOLENCE". Yes, nothing but the best of the best - back then and still today and probably this will never change. And don't make the mistake to think that the (anyhow only very, very few) not mentioned songs would be weak or what the hell else ever because hell no, they are also nothing but purest gold. So, yes, that's it, I think I've said so far all what I had to say right now and right here and I will now close this tribute post with saying clearly that I can only recommend RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET" to you and you should definitely know (and have) it to close a big portion of blank space in your Hardcore history and collection and it's damn good that RIGHT DIRECTION are back even if they 'only' play live. I love this stuff!!! Welcome back, guys. HEROES NEVER DIE!!!

HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!

RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET" (2000) ///the complete album\\\