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rollingsins · 1 year

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Quinn Bailey Must Die, p4

p1 | p2 | p3 | p4

summary: Tara puts her plan into action. YN loses a bet. all hers universe.

warnings: (+18), Tara is (was) Ghostface, language. Sexual content.

pairing: tara carpenter x reader, sam carpenter x quinn bailey

word count: 2.9k

a/n: ass agenda rise.

Tara’s plan comes to fruition over cups of black coffee, your scrambled eggs and a half-eaten set of Mickey Mouse waffles.

Mindy’s brow is pinched as she drafts up the first message.

You’re a little restless, Tara’s hand on your back doing nothing to soothe you.

“There,” Says Mindy, after a moment, “How’s that?”

Tara takes back her phone.

“Hey,” She reads out, “What u up 2?”

Tara blinks.

“This is what took you five minutes to draft?” She asks, voice scathing.

Mindy huffs.

“No,” She says, “That’s just a primer. You can’t go in all guns blazing, Tara, she’ll get suspicious.”

Tara rolls her eyes.

“Been thinking about u lately,” Tara continues, “Feels weird how we left things.”

You clench your jaw.

Tara rubs your back, absent-mindedly.

“How r u doing? Sorry when my gf gets crazy like that there’s nothing I can do.”

You scowl.

Mindy ducks behind her coffee cup.

“Mindy, I don’t type like this,” Says Tara, hotly, “Where’s the grammar? This sounds like it was written by a fourteen year old boy.”

“Fourteen year old boy is Mindy’s spirit animal,” Says Chad with a grin, throwing a blueberry between his lips.

“Shut up, Chad,” Groans Mindy, “Tara, fine, you can change the grammar. But the rest of it? Does it work?”

Tara purses her lips.

“I suppose it’s not terrible.” She offers.

Mindy smiles.

“Skip a bit,” She suggests, “Get to the good stuff.”

Tara scrolls, and reads out the rest of Mindy’s text.

“I always thought u were sexy,” Tara reads, “You know Ginger Spice was always my favorite spice girl.”

Tara raises an eyebrow.

You snort.

“This is the good stuff?” Chad asks, “Mindy, you could have a billionaire dollars and you still wouldn’t be able to talk a thirty dollar hooker into bed with you. No wonder you can’t get a girlfriend.”

Tara sniggers.

Mindy shoots a glare his way.

“I can too get a girlfriend,” Says Mindy, voice hot, “I just don’t want one right now. Girls are high maintenance, I don’t have time for that.”

“Amen.” Mumbles Tara.

You nudge an elbow into her side.

“Ow.”

“You can not have a girlfriend too, if I’m too high maintenance.” You say, and Tara shakes her head.

“You’re worth the maintenance baby,” Says Tara, as you dodge her kiss, “You’re like a really nice lawn. No house is complete without it.”

“Romantic.” You deadpan, “How come you’re a house and I’m just a lawn?”

“You’re a mansion, baby,” Tara assures, “A ten million dollar mansion with an infinity pool.”

Mindy huffs.

“Can we get back to the mission?” She asks, sounding annoyed, “If you don’t like my pickup lines, you’re welcome to try out your own, Casanova.”

“I don’t need pickup lines,” Assures Tara, “Isn’t that right, baby? One look and you were smitten.”

“And one sentence and I have the ick.” You say, crinkling your nose.

Tara’s smile drops.

“Babe.” She whines as Mindy snorts.

“Give it to me,” Chad says, with a sigh, “Apparently I’m the only one around here who can talk to a girl.”

“‘Wanna come watch me lift weights?’ is not the pick up line you think it is, Chad,” Says Mindy, voice wry, “Besides, it won’t work coming from Tara.”

“I lift weights,” Tara says, with a frown, “I’m getting super strong, see?”

She flexes her bicep.

You roll your eyes.

Mindy raises an eyebrow.

“You’re like 4’11, Tara,” She says, “I could snap you in half without flinching.”

“I’m 5’1 and I’ll snap you in half if you don’t stop talking.” Growls Tara.

“Guys,” Says Liv, flailing her hands, “Stop. Chad’s got it. Show them, babe.”

Tara takes back her phone, still scowling.

“Can’t stop thinking about you,” She reads, “Should have kissed you. Sorry I didn’t.”

Mindy tilts her head.

“It works,” She admits.

“And if she just shows Sam the message?” You ask, “Then what?”

“She won’t, babe,” Says Tara, squeezing your arm, “Do you even remember how hard she worked for me?”

You do remember.

You wish you didn’t.

Tara presses a quick kiss to your cheek.

“And besides, if she shows Sam the messages, Sam will know how serious I am about this.” She kisses you, “It’s going to work, babe, I know it.”

“When are you going to send them?” Asks Liv.

Tara thinks.

“When she’s away from Sam,” Says Tara, “Maybe tonight. We’ll rope her into a movie night, right babe? That way we’ll know Quinn’s nowhere near Sam.”

You sigh.

“Come on,” You say, voice a little glum, “We better head back. With any luck, they’ll be done and she’ll be gone.”

“What’s your favorite breakfast food?” Asks Quinn, head pressed against Sam’s pillow.

“Eggs,” She answers, “With Arugula, preferably. Maybe a little balsamic vinegar.

Quinn wrinkles her nose.

“Most people say pancakes,” She teases, lightly, “Or bacon.”

Sam frowns.

“I believe you should only put good things into your body.” She says.

Quinn smirks.

“Nice to know I’m a good thing, then.” Smiles Quinn.

Sam’s cheeks turn red.

“You know what I meant.” She says.

Quinn leans over and kisses her.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Asks Quinn.

Sam shrugs.

“It’s Sunday,” She says, “I was just going to relax.”

Quinn bites her lip.

“How about we go and get some Eggs with arugula? My treat.”

Sam bites her lip. The thought of spending more time with Quinn is surprisingly, not that unpleasant.

“Alright,” She says, with a smile. Butterflies flutter in her belly, “If it’s your treat.”

“Sam?” Tara calls, as she cracks open the door, as if she’s scared of what’s behind it.

You press against her back, impatient.

“Baby, hold up,” She says, gently, “I don’t want you seeing something.”

“They’re not going to be fucking on the dining table, babe.” You say with a roll of her eyes as you push past her.

“Someone should.” Says Tara, voice pointed.

You look around.

The apartment is quiet.

Not a peep from Sam’s room. The door is open, the bed messy and unmade. But it's empty.

Tara drops her bag over the counter.

She picks up a small, handwritten note.

“Out for the day, back later.” She reads.

“With Quinn?” You dare ask.

But Tara only smiles back at you.

“Not for much longer,” She says, sounding pleased with herself, “As soon as Sam’s back and out of Quinn’s clutches, I’ll send the texts.”

She moves forward and loops an arm around your waist. Presses a hot kiss to your next.

“Now, about that thing you wanted to do this morning,” She says, voice low.

You cock an eyebrow.

“I think it’s safe to say the moment has passed.” You say.

You squeeze her hips.

“But, babe-“ Tara says, with a whine, “You said-“

“Another time,” You promise, “Besides, don’t you have a test to study for?”

Tara sighs.

“I’m majoring in film, babe, I don’t need to study.”

She looks up, bottom lip in a pout.

“Why don’t I quiz you?” You suggest, “It’ll be fun.”

Tara thinks.

“And if I get all the answers right then I get to rail your ass?”

It earns her a smack.

“You’re not going anywhere near my ass if that’s what your intention is.” You tell her.

“I’ll go slow, babe, I promise,” Tara assures, taking your earlobe between her teeth, “I’ll go so slowly you’ll be begging for it by the time I’m done with you.”

Your stomach flutters.

“Maybe later tonight,” You think after a moment, “If you nail it.”

Tara brightens.

“Not the only thing I’ll be nailing tonight.” She grins.

“Don’t make me change my mind.” You warn.

Sam comes back mid-quiz.

Tara hasn’t gotten a single question wrong, and you’re starting to sweat. There’s a hungry look in her eyes, as if she’s hunting down her prey.

You welcome the distraction.

“Hi girls,” Sam says, as if nothing in the past twenty-four hours has changed, “Do you want lunch?”

“We just ate Sam, thanks,” You say, and she hums.

You catch Tara’s eye.

“Sounds like you had a good night.” Says Tara, a little snarky.

Sam sighs.

“Don’t start, Tara.” She warns.

Tara folds her arms.

“Just don’t come crying to us when she breaks your heart.” She says, a little pointed.

“Tara-” You say, but Sam just rolls her eyes.

“Noted. What do you want for dinner tonight? Cauliflower tacos or lentil spaghetti?”

Tara wrinkles her nose.

“Why don’t we make dinner for you, Sam?” You interject, hurriedly, before Tara can speak, “It’s the least we can do. You cook for us every night.”

Sam blinks, a little surprised.

And then she smiles.

“Alright,” She says, sounding happy, “That sounds nice.”

Sam disappears into her room.

Tara pulls out her phone, giving you a pointed look.

She taps a few buttons and then smiles, pleased with herself.

“Operation you-know-who-must-die is in action,” She mumbles, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand, “Now finish the quiz. I’m ready to take my prize.”

Tara aces the quiz.

Not a single question wrong.

In truth, there’s a part of you who had hoped she’d fail. But there’s another part of you positively gleeful she hadn’t.

Tara kisses you with a victorious grin, and then smacks your ass with her hand.

“Go get ready for me,” She says, voice low, “I’m all ready for you, baby.”

“It’s 4PM,” You say, biting you lip, “Maybe we should wait until tonight-”

Tara groans.

Your skin feels sensitive, tingly. The anticipation over the last few questions has you in a hot flush.

It feels exciting. New.

The fact that your girlfriend is preening only adds to the excitement.

“You promised,” She whines, “Stop moving the goalposts. You want me to beg? I’ll beg. Please, baby, let me fuck your ass-”

“Tara.” Sam groans as she emerges from her room, gym bag in hand, “Boundaries, we talked about this-”

Your face flushes red.

You’d die on the spot, if the option were possible. But Tara doesn’t miss a beat.

“I don’t think you can lecture me on boundaries considering the noises that were coming from your room this morning.” Tara says, curling an arm around your waist.

Sam huffs.

“I’m going to the gym,” She mumbles, “YN - something healthy for dinner tonight? Please?”

“You got it, Sam,” You mumble, face bright red.

But Sam is unperturbed. Nothing phases her, at this point. She leaves the apartment with a click of the front door.

“All alone,” Tara murmurs, looping her arms around your waist and squeezing your ass, hard, “So you can be as loud as you want, baby.”

You bite your lip.

“Let me get ready,” You mumble, “Meet you in the bedroom in a bit.”

When you’re showered and ready, you make your way into the bedroom.

Tara’s already laid out her arsenal.

Her strap-on, a bottle of lube longer than your forearm and a grin that tells you this almost certainly won’t be the first time she takes you like this.

You drop your towel.

And watch Tara’s gaze sink down.

“You’re so beautiful,” Tara murmurs, as she reaches you out to take her in your arms, “I’m going to make you feel so good, baby.”

She pulls you down for a searing kiss.

You’re nervous, but she always finds a way to soothe you. Firm hands on your hips, her mouth working wonders against your lips.

She pulls you on top of her, and then pulls back, nudging her nose against yours.

“We can stop anytime you want,” She promises, “If it’s too much, just say.”

She brushes a strand of rogue hair out of your eyes, “I love you, baby,” She whispers against your lips, “I want you like this, but if it hurts too much, just tell me. I won’t be annoyed. Promise.”

She seals her promise with a kiss.

You don’t doubt her for a second.

You capture her lips once more, arousal pooling in your stomach as you feel her against you.

You’ve denied her before, like this.

You wanted her to work for this.

But in the process, you’ve been denying yourself your own desires.

You slip your tongue into her mouth, grind down against her, ready to give her everything.

And then the front door slams open.

“Tara!” Sam calls, sounding anything but mellowed after her gym session, “Get your ass out here, now.”

The mood shatters. You pull away from Tara, head turning.

Sam sounds pissed.

Tara groans.

“Fuck off, Sam, I’m busy,” She says. She flips you onto your back, nudges herself between your legs.

Sam bangs on the door.

You almost jump out of your skin.

“Quinn told me everything,” She says, voice dangerous, “Get out here now or I’m coming in.”

Tara freezes.

Your heart jumps.

Hastily, Tara slides off you.

She fumbles around for a spare t-shirt and tosses it your way, running a hand through her hair. As if her worst nightmare has just come to realization.

“Tara!” Sam bangs once more.

“I’m coming, Jesus, Sam.” Tara says.

You pull the shirt over your head, fumble around for a pair of sleep shorts.

By the time Tara opens the door, Sam is standing behind it, red-faced, fury in her eyes.

She holds up her phone.

Although you’re squinting, you can still make out Tara’s text messages to Quinn.

“This is next level pathetic, Tara,” Sam says, voice hot, “Even for you.”

“Sam, I can explain-“ Says Tara. .

“You don’t need to explain,” Says Sam, “I know exactly what this is. You trying to prove Quinn is using me. But it didn’t work. She showed me the texts. So now what, Tara?”

“I was just trying to help,” Tara says, voice even.

Sam scoffs.

“You were trying to help?” Sam asks, “You can help me by minding your own business and staying out of it.”

“She’s using you, Sam,” Tara explodes, “It’s obvious to everyone except you. Why can’t you see it?”

“I don’t care if Quinn’s using me,” Says Sam, “I’m using her too, in my own way. That’s what we all do as people, isn’t it? Use each other? For love, for comfort, for sex? Why do you care so much that it’s her?”

“Why does it have to be her?” Growls Tara, “We hate her, Sam. We kicked her out of our apartment, for crying out loud. She tried to ruin our relationship-”

“But she didn’t,” Says Sam, eyes wild, “I have nothing, Tara, don’t you understand? Why couldn’t you let me have this?”

Tara blinks.

You swing your legs over the bed, move to Tara’s side.

“We were just trying to protect you, Sam-” You say, voice a little shaky.

Sam looks over at you.

“You don’t need to protect me,” She says, “Quinn’s fun. Quinn’s easy. I need a little bit of that in my life.”

“She’s certainly easy,” Says Tara, folding her arms.

Sam’s face flashes.

For a moment, you think she might actually hit Tara.

But then she clenches her jaw, and her shoulders draw.

“I’m going away for a while,” Says Sam, after a long moment, “I’m going to stay with Quinn. I can’t even - look at you right now, Tara.”

Tara blinks.

“I was trying to save you.” Says Tara, “You’re going to punish me for that?”

“It’s hardly a punishment,” Retorts Sam, “You don’t want me here anyway, you’ve made that much clear. Now you can do whatever you want.”

“And what about rent?” Asks Tara, voice hot.

Hurt flashes through Sam’s features. Your breath catches in your throat knowing Tara’s said the wrong thing. Again.

“Rent?” Sam asks, voice incredulous.

She scoffs.

And then turns.

You and Tara follow her out, a little hasty. Sam returns to her room and pries her suitcase from under her bedframe.

She starts tossing items in as Tara scrambles.

“No, wait, Sam- that isn’t what I meant,” Says Tara as Sam throws her suitcase onto her bed, “That’s not the most important part of this. YN and I want you to stay. Not just because of rent.”

Sam offers her a weak smile.

“You don’t need your big sister cramping your style,” She says, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Maybe I should have just got a second job in California and venmoed you the rent.”

“We’re glad you came, Sam,” You say, a little urgent, “We like living with you. It’s a small apartment, of course we all annoy each other. Tara annoys me everyday. And I annoy her too. That’s just how it is.”

Sam sighs.

“That isn’t how it should be,” She says, “I shouldn't be here, God. I shouldn’t be in your space. I should have left you both alone.”

Tara has a weird look on her face.

“Sam, don’t leave,” She asks, sounding crestfallen, “Please.”

“It’s for the best, Tara.” Answers Sam.

She zips her suitcase closed.

“If you leave me again, I can’t promise I’ll let you back in.” Tara says. Her eyes are hard, but her voice shakes.

Sam sighs.

She touches Tara’s shoulders, and then pulls her in for a long hug.

“I’ll be gone a week or two,” She says, “I’m not abandoning you, Tara. We just need some space from each other right now.”

“If you leave,” Tara repeats, “You’re not coming back.”

Sam smiles, a little sad.

“I won’t be gone long.” She says, “God, Tara, I'm just so mad."

She pauses, a moment.

"But I love you. Always."

Tara's face hardens.

And she doesn’t say it back.

Sam leaves.

And you deal with the fallout.

#all hers #qbmd #ghostface!tara #sam carpenter #tara carpenter #scream #scream vi #scream v #tara carpenter x yn #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter imagines #jenna ortega x yn #jenna ortega x you #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #mine #fanfic

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starchildghost · 11 months

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sugasiren · 2 years

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☆ Astro Observations Pt 2 ☆

**NOTE: This blog contains Mature Content.

💜 Scorpio Suns can "fake" smile A LOT - especially the women. They'll have big ass Cheshire Cat grins on their faces when trying to convince others that they care when they DO NOT. Shit looks mad weird! 🤣 Scorpionic Energy is meant to be dark, enticing & magnetic. So just embrace it!

💜 Scorpio Venus Women can be reserved Nuns or wild Wh0res! Lol. They can go hard in either direction. Either way though, they *hate* to be objectified and crave connection. Scorpio Venus Men are simply seductive AF. 🔥 Like dayummm! They're usually a highly sexual yet very choosy bunch. They can go years (by choice) without sex like a Monk. Many will "hold back" and repress their craving for an all-consuming love. Then suddenly FLOOD with emotions (and semen lol) for that special somebody - ready to devour your pu$$y & envelop your soul! 😎 These men are possessive & not for the faint of heart.

💜 Individuals with Mars in the 3rd House are MAJOR Sapiosexuals. Deep conversations turn them on!! Intellect gives these women many tingles and usually arouses *both* heads on the men. 🔥 3rd House rules short-distance travel... so these people may enjoy car sex, sex outdoors or sex while on a weekend getaway. Also, the women can correlate how a man drives/parks with how he fucks. 🤣 And you know what? It actually makes sense! A man who sucks at parking is probably a shitty lay. Lol. A man who handles large trucks with ease will probably dominate you.

*fans self*

💜 Libra Risings often look like walking works of ART from the Romantic Era. 💕 Paint these pretty bitches in ALL of their Venusian glory! Just sit them next to an elegant fireplace wearing *nothing* but a silk robe and a smile for Titanic vibesss. Often, the Men look like Sculpted Gods (like The Rock & Idris Elba) or Pretty Boys - like Leo DiCaprio & Harry Styles. And the Women are typically very lovely & voluptuous - like Beyonce, Doja Cat & Kate Winslet. Even when Libra Risings are average in appearance, they come across as pleasant & attractive to others.

💜 Men with strong Capricorn and/or Leo in their charts (especially Mars, Moon or ASC) give hella Big Dick Energy. 💪💪 Take me from the back, Zaddy! And they often make for being the best Providers for their families. *King Aura*

💜 Women with strong Taurus and/or Scorpio in their charts give Big Clit Energy. 🔥 Women with heavy Leo or Capricorn definitely possess Queen Energy. 🥂 Ladies with strong Aries give BOTH! The Queens w/ the Juicy Clit. ♈

💜 Aries Suns are indeed the PIONEERS of the Zodiac in every sense of the word. They blaze trails everywhere they go. 🔥🔥 Aretha Franklin was The Queen Of Soul; Marlon Brando & Bette Davis were the King & Queen of Old Hollywood; Celine Dion & Mariah Carey created the female Vocal Trinity that dominated the 90's music scene; Steven Tyler taught us how to boldly "Dream On" and Marvin Gaye asked us "What's Going On?" and inspired us to think! Selena was the FIRST woman to became a megastar in Tejano Music; Loretta Lynn broke major ground for women in Country Music; Martin Lawrence made us laugh until we peed our pants; Lady GaGa is in a glorious class all by HERSELF. 💯 Van Gogh created timeless Art; Phoebe & Simone have inspired the masses to bring back real romance as the lead actresses on the smash show 'Bridgerton'; Halle Bailey is amazingly talented & is going to be the best damn ARIEL this world has ever seen. 🧜🏾‍♀️

You need a ground-breaker? You need courage & inspiration? You need to see the IDGAF spirit in action? Go find an Aries and they'll get the damn job DONE. ♈

That's all for now Darlings! 💕 Catch you again soon.

#aries sun #arieswoman #libra rising #scorpio venus #scorpio #leo sign #capricorn sign #capricorn women #taurus sign #astro observations #astro notes #astro tumblr #astroblr #astrology observations #3rd house #mars

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dedalvs · 2 months

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I've been listening to the langtime studio chats and it's made me wonder, what are some of your favorite hard rock/heavy metal bands? What kind of genres do you tend to enjoy?

What is and is not metal has changed over the years. It's kind of like how in the 90s every single new band was "alternative", a genre designation which ended up meaning nothing. I loved (and still love) bands like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, the Scorpions, and Def Leppard, which, believe it or not, were considered metal at one time or another. I was also a huge fan of Soundgarden which was called metal on an episode of Northern Exposure I recently rewatched. But my first real metal band was Megadeth.

In 1994 Megadeth came out with an album called Youthanasia which was accompanied by a music video for the song "Train of Consequences" that ran on MTV. The same way that Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" begins with a drum solo that's reminiscent of a motorcycle engine, the guitar in the beginning of "Train of Consequences" is reminiscent of a steam train engine. Trains are something that have always fascinated me, so the video caught my attention. Soon I was looking forward to it in the regular rotation of music videos on MTV (at the time, this would've been Weezer, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Coolio, Nirvana, Liz Phair, TLC, etc. [all good stuff!]). The singer of a band can really turn me on or off, and Dave Mustaine's voice is unique. At the time, when I thought of metal, it was primarily screaming, but Dave Mustaine was singing, and I found that interesting. I bought the album, and soon had all of Megadeth's albums. I was hooked.

From Megadeth, I moved on to Metallica, when I learned that Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after getting kicked out of Metallica. Metallica itself was an interesting story at that time. They came out with the black album, which was a mega mega hit (and controversially so, as metal fans saw it as a departure from real metal), and then they disappeared, with Nirvana and alternative taking over. Then, after years of nothing, suddenly they release a new song, "Until It Sleeps", which sounds...weird. It was followed by the album Load, which...I mean, listen to "Mama Said" and tell me that's metal. I heard "Hero of the Day" played on Coast—the adult easy listening station. Whether you could get into or not, it definitely did not sound like Metallica—or metal, as we understood it. They did accidentally invent the band Volbeat with Load, for which we must all be grateful, but still, with Megadeth getting a new lineup very album, Metallica going off the rails, Iron Maiden with Blaze Bailey, it was clear that metal was moving forward, so I needed to move backwards.

I started going back and finding any metal band from the 80s that I'd heard of to see what I liked. Guns N' Roses and Ozzy Osbourne were easy favorites. I dug everything they did. Other more glam/hair metal bands I didn't really get into as much—Poison, White Snake, Mötley Crüe, LA Guns… But then I found Queensrÿche. Queensrÿche was the favorite band of my history teacher, so I gave them a listen. They'd come out with a new album, Promised Land, and then I happened to get as my second album of theirs Rage for Order, and I lucked into what would end up being my two favorite Queensrÿche albums and two of my favorite albums of all time. The album Rage for Order is sheer perfection—and one of my name-alikes is thanked in the Special Thanks section! I mean, look at this photo:

If that isn't a fuckin' mood! Geoff Tate singing like a gothic opera singer, everything that can have a harmony being harmonized, every one of them taking every aspect of it so desperately seriously. This album is an entire genre all by itself. It was so good Stratovarius wrote, essentially, a terrible fan fiction song based on "Screaming in Digital" (with, perhaps, some influence from "NM 156" from Queensrÿche's first album The Warning). It also serendipitously to introduced me to Dalbello (a real life Robin Sparkles transformation), whom everyone should check out (seriously, check out whomanfoursays. She just laid it all out).

Queensrÿche also disappointed after Promised Land in the 90s, but I want to return to Iron Maiden. My introduction to Iron Maiden was The X Factor. This was their 1995 album, the first with former Wolfsbane singer Blaze Bayley. I didn't know that. I assumed what I was listening to was the Iron Maiden—the ones Bill and Ted waxed so eloquently about. All I could determine is that maybe they just got old...? I didn't get how the band I was listening to could have ever been popular.

Fast forward a couple years and I'm listening to the only metal show left on SoCal radio after KNAC died and I hear a song that sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Fast-paced with a beat like galloping horses and a singer with power, range, vibrato, but also a kind of wild, undisciplined menace not found in more refined singers like Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche. Who was this band?! Clearly someone from the 80s I hadn't heard, but I thought I'd heard everything. The song finished, and then the DJ came on listing all the songs in the set, finishing up with "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden.

Clearly I had been duped. I went back to the record store to look up Iron Maiden's old albums and, lo and behold, only the most recent album featured Blaze Bayley. Before that there were seven albums featuring lead singer Bruce Dickinson.

A few albums later, Iron Maiden was my favorite metal band. Pretty soon I'd listened to everything—including the first two with Paul DiAnno which I would come to appreciate later—and I was disappointed. There was nothing left! Iron Maiden came out with a new album with Blaze, and we were cursed with "Como Estáis Amigos?" and other disappointments, but it became clear that the Iron Maiden I'd falle in love with was a thing of the past. Imagine what I felt when I was back home from college and heard on the radio a commercial for a new Iron Maiden album with a song I'd never heard being sung by none other than Bruce Dickinson. The song was "The Wickerman", the album was Brave New World, and I would go on to see Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden in concert six times—and a seventh coming this October (with the Hu!!!!!! I'm so pumped!!!!!).

There's a lot more to tell here—like the time I visited my ex-girlfriend in Michigan after she'd moved away hoping to rekindle a relationship that I didn't realize was deader than 8-track only to be introduced to Dream Theater by her older brother, or the time the company my friend worked for was hacked with all computers playing a song that would introduce me to Finnish heavy metal, or how looking into James Ronny Dio led me to the truly baffling yet kind of sweet story of Blackmore's Night—but as this is getting long, here are some highlights that haven't yet been mentioned with one song I'll recommend (bands with an asterisk I've seen live):

European Power Metal

Nightwish* ("Bless the Child")

Sonata Arctica* ("My Selene")

Epica ("Cry for the Moon (The Embrace that Smothers, Part IV)")

Lacuna Coil* ("Our Truth")

Delain* ("Stardust")

Amberian Dawn ("I Share with You This Dream")

Helloween ("Power")

Sound-Alike Bands

Crimson Glory ("Lonely")

Autograph ("Hammerhead")

Enforcer ("From Beyond")

The Sword ("Lament for the Aurochs")

Proto-Metal

Black Sabbath* ("Sweet Leaf")

UFO ("Doctor, Doctor")

Deep Purple ("Burn")

Hawkwind ("Assault and Battery/The Golden Void")

Not Quite Metal

Faith No More ("From Out of Nowhere")

X-Japan ("Silent Jealousy")

System of a Down ("Chop Suey")

Tool* ("Sober")

Monster Magnet* ("Mastermind")

The Mars Volta ("Goliath")

Mdou Moctar ("Ilana")

All right, I put a lot of time into finding all those links, so listen to some of those songs! I could write a book on this. I've already taken two hours too long, though. Need to get back to the stuff they pay me to do! >.<

#music #metal #heavy metal

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