One of Kerrang’s early regular features was Strictly For Konnoisseurs, an opportunity to revisit albums of the past that (perhaps) were integral to the evolution of music into the metal genrel. Each issue revealed a host of sometimes missed musical gems that was generally considered worth revisiting, or indeed experiencing for the first time. What is remarkable looking back at them now is just how important some of these albums have become in understanding the genre and its origins. Whilst Striktly For Konnoisseurs as a feature was to become pushed back to make space for more mundane aspects of the magazine, it still played an important part in broadening the musical spectrum of its readers. Where Legends Live! will bring you some of those oft forgotten albums alongside albums that truly defined an era and bore the origins of the music we are here to celebrate. As it states in Issue #1, ‘Naturally, albums like ‘Led Zeppelin II’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ should never be far from any self-respecting HM fan’s turntable. But here Kerrang! reviews five old discs that will transform your loud library from the merely mundane into the utterly elite…’
If the intention was to introduce readers to albums / acts that sometimes didn’t get the credit they were due, then i guess it was successful on the whole. Even so, the writer never held back and were honest, sometimes brutally honest, when discussing the work. In general though it was always encouraged to give the album a listen and make your own mind up beyond there. Believe us, there are some gems hidden away within these listings!
Each issue, we aim to bring you tracks from some choice albums written about in Kerrang! along with our thoughts and an update on the artists involved on our ‘Old Konnoisseurs’ page. Whereas our ‘New Konnoissuers’ page will, as with the original Kerrang! feature, highlight albums that are long forgotten and didn’t always get the recognition we felt they deserved. So sit back, pour a glass of something fruity and enjoy some oft forgotten gems…..you’ll either love ’em or hate ’em!
