Heavy Metal Parking Lot (1986) Sort-Of-Review

Last week, I watched this 1986 17-minute documentary directed by John Heyn and Jeff Krulik. Apparently it’s a bit of a cult classic that had totally passed me by for all these years.

Well, it’s not something I can exactly “review” but, as it’s available on YouTube, I thought it would be fun to mention it & share it here for anyone who may be interested in watching it. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia:

Heavy Metal Parking Lot documents heavy metal music fans tailgating in the parking lot outside the Capital Centre (which was demolished in December 2002) in Landover, Maryland, on May 31, 1986, before a Judas Priest concert during their Fuel for Life tour (with opening act Dokken).

By the early 1990s, Heavy Metal Parking Lot had become an underground cult-classic, usually traded on bootleg VHS videotapes. It was reportedly a favorite on the Nirvana tour bus, among many other bands. Due to growing popular demand for the film, music-rights issues were finally sorted out with Judas Priest.

Yeah, this was a fun watch and certainly not something that’ll waste your time at only 17 minutes. Only those who lived through this era will really appreciate the very low budget interviews with a bunch of drunk metalheads, though. There were several guys I went to school with who were exactly like these dudes (not the girls so much). I wasn’t really part of a group in school as I was more of a loner but I got along with the jocks, etc, just as well as with the metalheads. But I preferred the metalheads. I never really explored Judas Priest beyond the biggest hits but I did like the songs I knew (I was more of a Metallica & Anthrax girl).

Duuuuuude…..

The best thing about this documentary is the guy in the below photo, who they later named “Zebra-Man”. Because there’s a follow-up “Where Are They Now” thing in which they track him down & interview him (you can watch that HERE. but, of course, watch the film first). Two even shorter follow-ups, Monster Truck Parking Lot & Neil Diamond Parking Lot, are also available on YouTube. They’re okay but a bit pointless – stick with the original!

Here you go, my fellow 1986 metalheads! Heavy Metal Parking Lot… 🙂

**Yeah, I believe you heard that right… She’s 13! 😳

My Top Ten Devil & Hell Songs

Oh, sweet Satan – you’ve been the inspiration for so many heavy metal bands!

Today I have not just one, not 666, but TWO Top Ten lists! One for each Devil horn!

\m/(>_<)\m/

When I started making this list, I only had Satan in mind. Then I thought “I think songs with the word Hell in the title can be included as well”. Turns out there are way too many to narrow it down to ten that way so I have one list of songs with “Devil” in the title and one for those with “Hell” in the title. (Although my number one doesn’t actually have “Devil” in the title but I do like to play by my own rules). 😉

As always, these are ranked according to how much I like the song.

Let’s start with My Top Ten Devil Songs:

10. Billy Talent – Devil In A Midnight Mass
9. Devil’s Spoke by Laura Marling
8. Devils Haircut by Beck
7. Devil Inside by INXS
6. Christmas With The Devil by Spinal Tap

5. The Devil Went Down To Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band

4. Runnin’ With The Devil by Van Halen

3. Shout At The Devil by Mötley Crüe

2. Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones

1. The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden

Honorable Devil Mentions:
– Devil’s Child by Judas Priest
– (You’re The) Devil In Disguise by Elvis Presley
– Devil Gate Drive by Suzi Quatro
– Devil With A Blue Dress On by Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels
– Devil Woman by Cliff Richard
– Goddamn Devil by Ugly Kid Joe (Ha! Remember them? I’d forgotten about this song…)
– Grab The Devil By The Horns & Fuck Him Up The Ass by Sum 41 (it’s a title that I had to include)

Now it’s time to go to HELL… Here are My Top Ten Hell Songs:

10. TIE: Hell by Squirrel Nut Zippers & Hell by Foo Fighters
9. Catch Hell Blues by The White Stripes
8. Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf
7. Run Like Hell by Pink Floyd
6. Green Hell by Misfits

5. Cowboys From Hell by Pantera

4. Straight To Hell by The Clash

3. Hell Bent For Leather by Judas Priest

2. Heaven And Hell by Black Sabbath

1. Highway To Hell by AC/DC (and Hells Bells, too!)

Honorable Hell Mentions:
– Go To Hell by Megadeth
– Hell Hole by Spinal Tap
– The Hell Song & Welcome To Hell by Sum 41 (what’s with them and Hell & Devil songs??)

Also, an honorable mention in general to Tenacious D’s Tribute since it’s about the Devil. Plus, Dave Grohl is the coolest Satan ever.

Here’s a quick thanks to Hard Ticket To Home Video’s Brian for recommending Black Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell back when I did a list of My Top Ten Black Sabbath Songs. Thanks, dude – I love it! And I especially love the other one (Children Of The Grave).

And there’s one on this list that I only heard for the first time yesterday but I thought it was pretty damn good considering it’s folk! It went straight into my top ten so thanks to my husband for suggesting I listen to Devil’s Spoke by Laura Marling. Here’s the video: