There I was, thumbing through Facebook on my smart phone, and came across something quite peculiar: Heavy Metal Disney music.  I scoffed at first and ignored it.  I then saw it again pop-up on a reputable site for everything “nerd”.  I decided to give it a shot, I clicked on it and was able to listen to a heavy metal version of Beauty and the Beast.  I pressed play and was immediately taken aback.  This is actually quite good, almost great.  The article also stated that the album was released in 2016 and was only available in Japan (I was deflated).  Then I thought, “iTunes.”  And there it was.  I purchased the album and must say, it is very good.

The Album: Metal Disney

 

The Band: D- Metal All Stars

Vocals- Michael Vescera (Obsession)

Guitars-John Bruno (Obsession)

Bass- Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Quiet Riot, White Snake, Dio etc)

Drums- BJ Zampa (Dokken)

Now At first, I was a little skeptical of the song list.  I am not a huge fan of ballads and about half of the album is what I consider Disney ballads.  You know, the songs that get you right in the feels.  But I was pleasantly surprised of how the band arranged them.  They still get you right in the feels, but is kicking you in the tail end at the same time with gut busting drums and face melting solos.

Now the band members were prevalent in the 80’s during the reign of glam and hair metal (Poison, Motley Crue).  The influence can be heard, especially with the vocals.  However, they implemented a very thrashy (Metallica) sound which is my favorite genre.  If I were to describe the sound to a person with some metal knowledge, I would say they sound like an 80’s East Coast Thrash Metal band (Anthrax, Overkill).

My favorite song on the album is probably The Disney Medley.   It contains 5 classic songs that every Disney fan will know, and can sing along to it.  This is probably the most thrashy of the list which is probably why I like it so much.  I was actually very surprised by the band’s version of It’s a Small World. I though it was going to be 4 minutes of nothing but “it’s a Small World after all,” but it was not. They filled most of the song with some very entertaining guitar solos and breakdowns.

As the writing of this post, the physical album is not available in the United States, but it can be purchased from Japan for a pretty penny.  But you can download it from Apple iTunes for about $10.

So if you’re a fan of heavy metal, and a fan of Disney music, get this album.  It is very entertaining and you will not be disappointed.

And of course, as you are head banging away to Metal Disney, grab you a mug of Joffrey’s Coffee or Tea.  But wait between songs, wouldn’t want you to spill any during the banging of the head.