DIO-KILLING THE DRAGON

Review by Simon Cantlon
Ronnie James and his latest version of Dio roll out another collection of songs on Killing the Dragon, steeped in the requisite medieval imagery he loves to use. The songs and the sound remain the same throughout, and as far as Dio is concerned this can be both good and bad. From the beginning he takes listeners down a familiar route with "Killing the Dragon," which begins with a sinister intro and quickly kicks in with a classic metal guitar riff -- formulaic yes, but definitely rocking. The song's subject is the computer ("small gods with electrical hearts"), referred to as the dragon, and how it is now "time to be killing the dragon again." Dio's voice is in fine form, as is the musicianship of his current lineup, including the latest addition of Doug Aldrich on guitar, who successfully captures the classic Dio sound. This release occasionally treads in too-shallow water, trying to sustain the magic on songs such as "Push" and "Guilty" with overly simplistic lyrics and hollow melodies. However, with songs such as "Along Comes a Spider," "Before the Fall" (a forceful rocker with great keyboard additions by Scott Warren), and "Rock & Roll" (a melodious ballad inspired by the September 11th tragedy that is very Sabbath-like in its pacing), Dio remains in classic form. "Throw Away Children," a song about runaways and child abuse that includes the requisite children's chorus, tries to mark the same vein as Pat Benatar's "Hell Is for Children," but ultimately is unsuccessful. The song was originally supposed to be used for Children of the Night (an organization that rescues children from street prostitution), but the lyrics were deemed too depressing. One could easily accuse Dio of being formulaic and unchanging, and while that is oftentimes true, it is also his consistency that gives him a quality of sound that fans know they can depend on. At one point he sings, "Kneel and behold your new king" -- same as the old king but still worthy of the metal crown. This is a welcome addition to any fan's collection.


1

Killing the Dragon
2

Along Comes a Spider
3

Scream
4

Better in the Dark
5

Rock & Roll
6

Push
7

Guilty
8

Throw Away Children
9

Before the Fall

10

Cold Feet

http://rapidshare.com/files/397545536/DIO-2002_-_Killing_The_Dragon.rar

DIO-MAGICA

Review by Bret Adams
Dio's rock-solid 2000 concept album Magica would have better fit the musical climate 15-25 years beforehand, but a good album is a good album. Ronnie James Dio's band's previous studio effort, 1996's Angry Machines, admirably addressed modern, non-traditional heavy metal topics. But the musically superior Magica is rooted in the dark, mystical themes he perfected on Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and early Dio albums. One important factor is the solid lineup, particularly the return of Craig Goldy, the best guitarist Dio's had in his band besides Vivian Campbell. Bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Simon Wright also return. Dio seems inspired, and his vocals are more textured than usual. Magica is a detailed fantasy epic about the struggle between good and evil. Several elements are similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Lord of the Rings novels, which themselves rely on traditional literary archetypes such as heroes, villains, and mythic quests. "Lord of the Last Day" builds slowly with Goldy's dirge-like guitar and Dio's menacing vocals augmented by strings. "Fever Dreams" is tightly arranged and geared for rock radio airplay with Goldy's crisp, snapping guitar and Dio's smooth, slightly edgy vocals. "Turn to Stone" is effective, traditional heavy metal based on slow, heavy rhythm guitar and drums. The most musically complex song is "Feed My Head" due to the hypnotic chorus, multi-tracked harmony vocals, clean guitar and cymbal interplay, slashing strings, and Dio's smooth vocal interlude. Although "As Long As It's Not About Love" has some of the characteristics of a basic power ballad, the arrangement is more detailed and flexible. The album ends with "Magica Story," Dio's 18 1/2-minute spoken narrative; the liner notes include a separate sheet with the complete short story. His warm, rich voice is enhanced with a little bit of echo and faint synthesizer touches occasionally add drama

1

Discovery
2

Magica Theme
3

Lord of the Last Day
4

Fever Dreams
5

Turn to Stone
6

Feed My Head
7

Ebeil
8

Challis
9

As Long as It's Not About Love
10

Losing My Insanity
11

Otherworld
12

Magica
13

Lord of the Last Day
14

Magica Story

http://rapidshare.com/files/397413224/DIO-2000_-_Magica.rar

DIO-INFERNO LAST IN LIVE

Review by Alex Henderson
Ronnie James Dio never sounded more inspired than he does on Inferno: Last in Live, an outstanding two-CD set recorded live on his band's world tour of 1996-1997. The goth metal singer was always known for going that extra mile on-stage, and he does exactly that with an excellent band that includes drummer Vinny Appice, guitarist Tracy G, bassist Larry Dennison, and keyboardist Scott Warren. The material falls into three main categories: 1970s classics from his years with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow ("The Man on the Silver Mountain," "Long Live Rock & Roll"), gems from his three years with Black Sabbath ("Heaven and Hell," "The Mob Rules"), and songs he had recorded with his own band, Dio, since 1983 ("Rainbow in the Dark," "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Holy Diver," "The Last in Line"). As blistering as much of the material is, Inferno points to the fact that the singer has always been an expert when it comes to combining rich melodies with brute force. Inferno is an essential release that no metalhead should be without.

1

Intro
2

Jesus, Mary & Holy Ghost
3

Straight Through the Heart
4

Don't Talk to Strangers
5

Holy Diver
6

Drum Solo
7

Heaven and Hell
8

Double Monday
9

Stand up and Shout
10

Hunter of the Heart

11

Mistreated (Catch the Rainbow)
12

Guitar Solo
13

The Last in Line
14

Rainbow in the Dark
15

The Mob Rules
16

Man on the Silver Mountain
17

Long Live Rock and Roll
18

We Rock

http://rapidshare.com/files/397034724/DIO-1998_-_Inferno_Last_In_Live.rar

JANIS TSOPLIN-GREATEST HITS

Biography by Richie Unterberger
The greatest white female rock singer of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of her era. She also did much to redefine the role of women in rock with her assertive, sexually forthright persona and raunchy, electrifying on-stage presence.

Joplin was raised in the small town of Port Arthur, TX, and much of her subsequent personal difficulties and unhappiness has been attributed to her inability to fit in with the expectations of the conservative community. She'd been singing blues and folk music since her teens, playing on occasion in the mid-'60s with future Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. There are a few live pre-Big Brother recordings (not issued until after her death), reflecting the inspiration of early blues singers like Bessie Smith, that demonstrate she was well on her way to developing a personal style before hooking up with the band. She had already been to California before moving there permanently in 1966, when she joined a struggling early San Francisco psychedelic group, Big Brother & the Holding Company. Although their loose, occasionally sloppy brand of bluesy psychedelia had some charm, there can be no doubt that Joplin — who initially didn't even sing lead on all of the material — was primarily responsible for lifting them out of the ranks of the ordinary. She made them a hit at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where her stunning version of "Ball and Chain" (perhaps her very best performance) was captured on film. After a debut on the Mainstream label, Big Brother signed a management deal with Albert Grossman and moved on to Columbia. Their second album, Cheap Thrills, topped the charts in 1968, but Joplin left the band shortly afterward, enticed by the prospects of stardom as a solo act.

Joplin's first album, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, was recorded with the Kozmic Blues Band, a unit that included horns and retained just one of the musicians that had played with her in Big Brother (guitarist Sam Andrew). Although it was a hit, it wasn't her best work; the new band, though more polished musically, was not nearly as sympathetic accompanists as Big Brother, purveying a soul-rock groove that could sound forced. That's not to say it was totally unsuccessful, boasting one of her signature tunes in "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)."

For years, Joplin's life had been a roller coaster of drug addiction, alcoholism, and volatile personal relationships, documented in several biographies. Musically, however, things were on the upswing shortly before her death, as she assembled a better, more versatile backing outfit, the Full Tilt Boogie Band, for her final album, Pearl (ably produced by Paul Rothchild). Joplin was sometimes criticized for screeching at the expense of subtlety, but Pearl was solid evidence of her growth as a mature, diverse stylist who could handle blues, soul, and folk-rock. "Mercedes Benz," "Get It While You Can," and Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" are some of her very best tracks. Tragically, she died before the album's release, overdosing on heroin in a Hollywood hotel in October 1970. "Me and Bobby McGee" became a posthumous number one single in 1971, and thus the song with which she is most frequently identified.

http://rapidshare.com/files/397028989/Janis_Joplin_s_Greatest_Hits.rar

DIO-ANGRY MACHINES

Review by Steve Huey

Originally released on Mayhem in 1996, then reissued by Spitfire in 2000, Angry Machines was Dio's first effort away from Warner/Reprise, and it does find Ronnie James Dio looking for subtle ways to push into new territory. The lyrics mostly avoid Dio's familiar medieval-fantasy D&D obsessions, instead directing their attention to more real-world concerns (albeit with the same sense of drama). Similarly, there aren't many of the gothic neo-classicisms present on the band's best-known output; and while there are a few progressive sections, Angry Machines is more of a straightforward metal record, full of pounding rhythms and guitars along with plenty of wailing by Ronnie James Dio. The main problem is that the band often seems to concentrate on sound more than songwriting — the album sounds good while it's playing, but not enough of the riffs or melodies stick with the listener afterwards to judge it a complete return to form. Yet there are enough moments here to make it worth the time of Dio diehards.

1
Institutional Man
2
Don't Tell the Kids
3
Black
4
Hunter of the Heart
5
Stay Out of My Mind
6
Big Sister
7
Double Monday
8
Golden Rules
9
Dying in America
10
This Is Your Life


http://rapidshare.com/files/320209935/DIO-1996_-_Angry_Machines.rar

DIO-STRANGE HIGHWAYS

Review by Vincent Jeffries

The final Warner Bros. release for Dio after an 11-year run of hard-edged post-Sabbath recordings, Strange Highways is almost a return to early '80s form for a group that hadn't done anything particularly inspiring since 1984's Last in Line. Joining the band's namesake vocalist Ronnie James Dio on this 1994 release is an all-star lineup, including long-time drumming cohort Vinny Appice, bassist Jeff Pilson (most notably of Dokken, and an nice addition to the group, especially live), and unknown guitarist Tracy G. Dio is in fine voice as usual, especially on "Hollywood Black" and the emotive opener "Jesus, Mary & the Holy Ghost." G. provides a nice, generally staccato guitar flow that harkens back to the glory days when Vivian Campbell filled the six-string slot in the group's finest lineup. Original drummer Appice seems to have lost some energy, tone, and sharpness by the time of this release, which is too bad considering that he had formerly personified all those qualities. As a unit, however, Dio prove they can lay down some deadly riffs, as songs like "Pain" and "Firehead" keep a nice momentum going throughout this return to solo work for Ronnie James Dio after a brief second tour of duty with Black Sabbath. Strange Highways is a solid effort with some of Dio's better late-career material, powerful singing, and strong performances from G. and Pilson.

1

Jesus, Mary and The Holy Ghost
2

Firehead
3

Strange Highways

4

Hollywood Black
5

Evilution
6

Pain
7

One Foot in the Grave

8

Give Her the Gun
9

Blood from a Stone

10

Here's to You
11

Bring Down the Rain

http://rapidshare.com/files/320207387/DIO-1993_-_Strange_Highways.rar

NICK CAVE AND BAD SEED-MUTINY

http://rapidshare.com/files/307262125/Nick_Cave.1989_Mutiny-The_Bad_Seed.rar

NEIL YOUNG-FREEDOM

Review by William Ruhlmann

Neil Young is famous for scrapping completed albums and substituting hastily recorded ones in radically different styles. Freedom, which was a major critical and commercial comeback after a decade that had confused reviewers and fans, seemed to be a selection of the best tracks from several different unissued Young projects. First and foremost was a hard rock album like the material heard on Young's recent EP, Eldorado (released only in the Far East), several of whose tracks were repeated on Freedom. On these songs — especially "Don't Cry," which sounded like a song about divorce, and a cover of the old Drifters hit "On Broadway" that he concluded by raving about crack — Young played distorted electric guitar over a rhythm section in an even more raucous fashion than that heard on his Crazy Horse records. Second was a follow-up to Young's previous album, This Note's for You, which had featured a six-piece horn section. They were back on "Crime in the City" and "Someday," though these lengthy songs, each of which contained a series of seemingly unrelated, mood-setting verses, were more reminiscent of songs like Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" than of the soul standards that inspired the earlier album. Third, there were tracks that harked back to acoustic-based, country-tinged albums like Harvest and Comes a Time, including "Hangin' on a Limb" and "The Ways of Love," two songs on which Young dueted with Linda Ronstadt. There was even a trunk (or, more precisely, a drunk) song, "Too Far Gone," which dated from Young's inebriated Stars 'n Bars period in the '70s. While one might argue that this variety meant few Young fans would be completely pleased with the album, what made it all work was that Young had once again written a great bunch of songs. The romantic numbers were carefully and sincerely written. The long imagistic songs were evocative without being obvious. And bookending the album were acoustic and electric versions of one of Young's great anthems, "Rockin' in the Free World," a song that went a long way toward restoring his political reputation (which had been badly damaged when he praised President Reagan's foreign policy) by taking on hopelessness with a sense of moral outrage and explicitly condemning President Bush's domestic policy. Freedom was the album Neil Young fans knew he was capable of making, but feared he would never make again.

1

Rockin' in the Free World

2

Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero, Pt. 1)

3

Don't Cry

4

Hangin' on a Limb

5

Eldorado

6

The Ways of Love

7

Someday

8

On Broadway Leiber

9

Wrecking Ball

10

No More

11

Too Far Gone

12

Rockin' in the Free World

http://rapidshare.com/files/288337245/Neil_Young.Freedom.rar

NEIL YOUNG AND THE CRAZY HORSE

http://rapidshare.com/files/288329661/NEIL_YOUNG_CRAZY_HORSE.rar

TRYPES-ENA KEFALI GEMATO XRISAFI

1

Xartino Tsirko

2

Den Yparxv

3

Oti Skotvneis Einai Diko Soy Gia Panta

4

Kefali Gemato Xrysafi

5

Namai Pali Edv Zvntanos

6

Akoyv THN Agaph

7

Mia Yperoxh Eykairia

8

Jenos

9

Patrida Moy Einai Ekei Poy Mishsa

10

Apo Polh Se Polh

11

Kainoyrgia Zalh

12

Tsakismenh Xara

13

Ua Anatellv

http://rapidshare.com/files/288282983/Trypes_Kefali_gemato_xrusafi.rar

TRIBUTE TO OZZY-FLYING HIGH AGAIN

http://rapidshare.com/files/286855534/Flying_high_again_-_The_world_greatest_tribute_to_Ozzy_Osbourne.rar

ERIC BURDON-ROD STEWART

http://rapidshare.com/files/286846728/ERIC_BURDON__ROD_STEWART.rar

FLEETWOOD MAC-JUMPING AT SHADOWS

Review by Richie Unterberger

Recorded live in Boston in 1969, Jumping at Shadows finds the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac at their best on seven lengthy but focused cuts. The album includes versions of "Black Magic Woman" and "Oh Well," along with a couple of straight blues covers and some Danny Kirwan material.

1
Oh Well Green
2
Like It This Way Kirwan
3
World in Harmony Green, Kirwan
4
Only You Kirwan
5
Black Magic Woman Green
6
Jumping at Shadows Bennett
7
Can't Hold On


http://rapidshare.com/files/286852261/Fleetwood_Mac_-_Jumping_At_Shadows__1970__U.K.rar

DIRE STRAITS-LIVE AT THE BBC

http://rapidshare.com/files/269009587/Dire_Straits_-_Live_at_the_BBC.rar

DIRE STRAITS-ON EVERY STREET

Review by William Ruhlmann

It took Mark Knopfler more than six years to craft a follow-up to Dire Straits' international chart-topper, Brothers in Arms, but although On Every Street sold in the expected multi-millions worldwide on the back of the band's renown and a year-long tour, it was a disappointment. Knopfler remained a gifted guitar player with tastes in folk ("Iron Hand"), blues ("Fade to Black"), and rockabilly ("The Bug"), among other styles, but much of the album was low-key to the point of being background music. The group had long since dwindled to original members Knopfler and bassist John Illsley, plus a collection of semi-permanent sidemen who provided support but no real musical chemistry. This was not the comeback it should have been.

1

Calling Elvis

2

On Every Street

3

When It Comes to You

4

Fade to Black

5

The Bug

6

You and Your Friend

7

Heavy Fuel

8

Iron Hand

9

Ticket to Heaven

10

My Parties

11

Planet of New Orleans

12

How Long

http://rapidshare.com/files/269006249/Dire_straits._1991__On_Every_Street.rar

DIRE STRAITS-COMMUNIGUE

Review by William Ruhlmann

Rushed out less than nine months after the surprise success of Dire Straits' self-titled debut album, the group's sophomore effort, Communiqué, seemed little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor with less compelling material. Mark Knopfler and co. had established a sound (derived largely from J.J. Cale) of laid-back shuffles and intricate, bluesy guitar playing, and Communiqué provided more examples of it. But there was no track as focused as "Sultans of Swing," even if "Lady Writer" (a lesser singles chart entry on both sides of the Atlantic) nearly duplicated its sound. As a result, Communiqué sold immediately to Dire Straits' established audience, but no more, and it did not fare as well critically as its predecessor or its follow-up.

1

Once Upon a Time in the West

2

News

3

Where Do You Think You're Going?

4

Communiqué

5

Lady Writer

6

Angel of Mercy

7

Portobello Belle

8

Single-Handed Sailor

9

Follow Me Home

http://rapidshare.com/files/265230445/DIRE_STRAITS.rar

DIRE STRAITS-MAKING MOVIES

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Without second guitarist David Knopfler, Dire Straits began to move away from its roots rock origins into a jazzier variation of country-rock and singer/songwriter folk-rock. Naturally, this means that Mark Knopfler's ambitions as a songwriter are growing, as the storytelling pretensions of Making Movies indicate. Fortunately, his skills are increasing, as the lovely "Romeo and Juliet," "Tunnel of Love," and "Skateaway" indicate. And Making Movies is helped by a new wave-tinged pop production, which actually helps Knopfler's jazzy inclinations take hold. The record runs out of steam toward the end, closing with the borderline offensive "Les Boys," but the remainder of Making Movies ranks among the band's finest work.


1
Tunnel of Love
2
Romeo and Juliet
3
Skateaway
4
Expresso Love
5
Hand in Hand
6
Solid Rock
7
Les Boys
http://rapidshare.com/files/265237787/Dire_straits._1980__Making_Movies.rar

DIRE STRAITS-ALCHEMY (LIVE)

Review by William Ruhlmann

There is an interesting contrast on this 94-minute double-disc live album (recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in July 1983) between the music, much of which is slow and moody, with Mark Knopfler's muttered vocals and large helpings of his fingerpicking on what sounds like an amplified Spanish guitar, and the audience response. The arena-size crowd cheers wildly, and claps and sings along when given half a chance, as though each song were an up-tempo rocker. When they do have a song of even medium speed, such as "Sultans of Swing" or "Solid Rock," they are in ecstasy. That Dire Straits' introspective music loses much of its detail in a live setting matters less than that it gains presence and a sense of anticipation. Alan Clark's keyboards help to fill out the sound and give Knopfler's spare melodies a certain majesty, but Dire Straits remains an overgrown bar band with a Bob Dylan fixation, and that's exactly how the crowd likes it. (The CD version of the album contains one extra track, "Expresso Love," which adds a needed change of pace to the otherwise slow-moving first disc).

1
Once upon a Time in the West
2
Expresso Love
3
Romeo and Juliet
4
Love Over Gold
5
Private Investigations
6
Sultans of Swing
7
Two Young Lovers Intro: The Carousel Waltz
8
Tunnel of Love
9
Telegraph Road
10
Solid Rock
11
Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero

http://rapidshare.com/files/265235757/Dire_straits._1984__Alchemy__Live_.rar

IRON MAIDEN-ACES HIGH

http://rapidshare.com/files/249545586/Iron-Maiden.Aces_high_1982.rar

IRON MAIDEN-A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Review by James Christopher Monger

2003's Dance of Death marked the triumphant return of old-school Iron Maiden. Gone were the murky, over-produced set pieces that clogged 2000's Brave New World and in their place fell blistering slabs of Piece of Mind-era metal. That trend continues with their 14th full-length album, Matter of Life and Death, a more elaborate and meandering experience than Dance of Death, but a rewarding one for fans willing to indulge the group's occasional excess. At over 70 minutes, Matter of Life and Death is closer to 1988's woefully underrated Seventh Son of a Seventh Son than it is to Piece of Mind, but with far less keyboard tickling. Recorded live in the studio, epics like "Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg," "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns," and the brutal "Longest Day" -- the whole record is a loosely-knit song cycle with war at its core -- exhume prog rock complexity and discipline yet manage to bristle with the kind of small-club intensity usually reserved for acts half their age. At just over four minutes, opener "Different World" -- a near twin of Dance of Death's "Wildest Dreams" -- is the only cut that screams single, but it's also the most misplaced. On a record that positions beloved avatar Eddy on top of a tank with a machine gun leading a weary troop of skeletal soldiers to their doom, any act of brevity, no matter how expertly crafted, sticks out like a saxophone solo. [Matter of Life and Death is also available with a bonus DVD that includes videos, live performances, and rehearsal footage.]

1
Different World
2
These Colours Don't Run
3
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
4
The Pilgrim
5
The Longest Day
6
Out of the Shadows
7
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
8
For the Greater Good of God
9
Lord of Light
10
The Legacy

http://rapidshare.com/files/249544144/Iron-Maiden.A_Matter_of_Life_and_Death.rar

IRON MAIDEN-DANCE OF DEATH

Review by James Christopher Monger
Drummer Nicko McBrain kicks off Iron Maiden's 13th studio record with an uncharacteristic one-two-three-four before launching into the rousing opener, "Wildest Dreams." This bar-band sensibility permeates Dance of Death's first three refreshing yet unremarkable tracks before shifting into the more familiar fantasy rock of previous releases. That shift begins with the remarkable "Montsegur," a brutal, melodic assault that recalls the group's glory days and showcases lead singer Bruce Dickinson at his venom-spitting best. The anthemic "New Frontier" is a musical sibling to the band's 1982 classic "Number of the Beast" and eclipses any doubt about the band's ability to keep up with the phantom specter of age. Despite the dark imagery and the ferocity of the performances, there's a looseness to the record that conveys a surreal sense of fun. They enjoy playing together, and that more than anything shines through on old-fashioned rockers like "No More Lies" and "Gates of Tomorrow." No Iron Maiden album would be complete without a Dungeons and Dragons-style epic, and they deliver on the hammy title track and the lush closer, "Journeyman." The group's innate ability to consistently cater to its fans' stubborn tastes, while maintaining a level of integrity that other veteran bands displace with unintentional Spinal Tap zeal, is a testament to its talent and experience. While the keyboard-heavy sound of their previous release, the excellent Brave New World, creeps into some of the more indulgent tracks, Dance of Death is a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends.

1
Wildest Dreams
2
Rainmaker
3
No More Lies
4
Montsegur
5
Dance of Death
6
Gates of Tomorrow
7
New Frontier
8
Paschendale
9
Face in the Sand
10
Age of Innocence
11
Journeyman

http://rapidshare.com/files/248464894/IRON-MAIDEN.2003_Dance_of_Death.rar

DIO-DIOMONDS

http://rapidshare.com/files/232835385/DIO-1987_-_Diamonds.rar

DIO-INTERMISSION

http://rapidshare.com/files/232830210/DIO-1986_-_Intermission.rar

DIO-SACRED HEART

Review by Eduardo Rivadavia

Although relatively strong sales at the time of its release would appear to refute this claim, Dio's third album in three years, 1985's Sacred Heart, was a terribly divisive affair, and is largely viewed as a disappointment in retrospect. This is because, although many brand-new yet fickle-minded fans were attracted by the album's noticeably more commercial hard rock songwriting, almost as many of Dio's most loyal, long-serving supporters were turned off by this new direction — as well as the already stagnant clichés being recycled from prior triumphs. If only writer's block had been to blame, but the unnecessary live audience added to the album's obviously self-referencing opener, "King of Rock and Roll," seemed to point to a single-minded and egotistical leader instead. So when he wasn't putting his ever more despondent (and soon to be terminated) henchmen through the motions on rote metallic anthems like the title track, "Like the Beat of a Heart," and "Fallen Angels," singer Ronnie James Dio seemed intent on strangling every last creative spark out of them in a bid to score a pop-metal hit. Among the top candidates, the synth-drunk "Hungry for Heaven" and the deplorable "Shoot Shoot" proved especially forgettable and contrived, and even though "Rock 'n' Roll Children" succeeded in cropping up frequently on MTV at least, Ronnie's distinct lack of sex appeal (not to mention his 40-plus years of age!) killed any possibility of true crossover success in image-conscious America. In the end, selling out with Sacred Heart plunged Dio's career into a steep decline from which it would never entirely recover.

1

King of Rock and Roll

2

Sacred Heart

3

Another Lie

4

Rock 'n' Roll Children

5

Hungry for Heaven

6

Like the Beat of a Heart

7

Just Another Day

8

Fallen Angels

9

Shoot Shoot

http://rapidshare.com/files/232825726/DIO-1985_-_Sacred_Heart.rar

SEPULTURA-MORBID VISIONS

Review by Ed Rivadavia
Sepultura's early work can be described as extremely raw, under-produced, and unspectacular death metal, hardly a harbinger of their groundbreaking early-'90s output. Thankfully, Roadrunner conveniently reissued the band's first album, 1986's Morbid Visions, and its 1985 EP Bestial Devastation on one CD. Recorded with minimal time and money, this material reveals a band still learning its craft; in fact, original lead guitarist Jairo T. is the only decent musician of the bunch. Still, Sepultura shows early flashes of death metal inspiration on "Warriors of Death," "Crucifixion," and "Show Me the Wrath," while "Troops of Doom" (later re-recorded) is the only obvious standout.

1
Morbid Visions
2
Mayhem
3
Troops of Doom
4
War
5
Crucifixion
6
Show Me the Wrath
7
Funeral Rites
8
Empire of the Damned
9
The Curse
10
Bestial Devastation
11
Antichrist
12
Necromancer
13
Warriors of Death

http://rapidshare.com/files/212211493/Sepultura_-1986-_Morbid_Visions.rar

IRON-MAIDEN-NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING

1

Tailgunner

2

Holy Smoke

3

No Prayer for the Dying

4

Public Enema Number One

5

Fates Warning

6

The Assassin

7

Run Silent Run Deep

8

Hooks in You

9

Bring Your Daughter...To the Slaughter

10

Mother Russia

http://rapidshare.com/files/212197129/IRON-MAIDEN.1989_No_Prayer_for_the_Dying.rar

IRON-MAIDEN-FEAR OF THE DARK

Review by Greg Prato

While 1992's Fear of the Dark was definitely more of a return to form for Iron Maiden, it still wasn't quite on par with their exceptional work from the '80s. Easily an improvement over 1990's lackluster No Prayer for the Dying (both musically and sonically), the album debuted on the U.K. charts at number one. The opening "Be Quick or Be Dead" proved Maiden could easily hold their own with younger thrash metal bands, "From Here to Eternity" contained lyrics that seem better fitted for Mötley Crüe, while the expected epic album-closing title track would become a concert staple (all three tracks were released as U.K. singles). While Maiden records of the past would contain an album's worth of first-rate material, Fear of the Dark is again weighed down with too many drab compositions — "Childhood's End," "Chains of Misery," "Judas Be My Guide," and more. The serene "Wasting Love" proves to be one of Maiden's better ballads of the '90s, while the rockers "Fear Is the Key" and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" are also standouts. Fear of the Dark would be singer Bruce Dickinson's final studio album with the band (until their late-'90s reunion), as he publicly voiced that he felt the band had run its course.

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Be Quick or Be Dead

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From Here to Eternity

3

Afraid to Shoot Strangers

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Fear Is the Key

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Childhood's End

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Wasting Love

7

The Fugitive

8

Chains of Misery

9

The Apparition

10

Judas Be My Guide

11

Weekend Warrior

12

Fear of the Dark

http://rapidshare.com/files/212208322/Iron-maiden.1992_-_Fear_Of_The_Dark.rar

IRON-MAIDEN-SOMEWHERE IN TIME

1
Caught Somewhere in Time
2
Wasted Years
3
Sea of Madness
4
Heaven Can Wait
5
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
6
Stranger in a Strange Land
7
Déjà Vu
8
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)

http://rapidshare.com/files/212201872/IRON-MAIDEN.1989_Somewhere_in_time__2_.rar

ZHTHSTE PROSTASIA APO THN ASTYNOMIA.MEGALOI FLOROI

IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES-THE WEIRDNESS

Review by Mark Deming

The creative and interpersonal dynamics of a rock band are notoriously tricky, and when a band hasn't worked together for a few decades, simply getting the same people together in a recording studio doesn't guarantee lightning is going to strike again. In 2003, more than 30 years after the original lineup of the Stooges collapsed after the commercial failure of Fun House, Iggy Pop finally buried the hatchet with his former bandmates Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton, and they hit the road for a series of heroic reunion shows (with Mike Watt standing in on bass for the late Dave Alexander) in which they miraculously re-created the dinosaur-stomp sound and feel of their first two albums. After the riotous reception of the Stooges' reunion shows, Iggy and the Ashetons took the next logical step and recorded a new Stooges album, but while the reconstituted band sounded stunning on-stage (check out the Telluric Chaos CD or the Live in Detroit 2003 DVD for evidence), in the studio the Stooges reunion went horribly awry with 2007's The Weirdness. It would have been foolish to expect The Weirdness to sound just like The Stooges or Fun House, given how much water has flowed under the bridge, but what's startling is how little this album recalls the primal groove of their previous work (or the sound they recently delivered on-stage). While Ron Asheton's guitar howls as loud as ever, the pulsating wah-wah and ripsaw fuzz that were his aural trademarks are all but missing, and while his solos step back into the noisy id, they lack the coherence and internal logic of his brilliant work on Fun House. Similarly, Scott Asheton's drumming is muscular and his timing is superb, but while he created an unexpectedly sensuous groove out of stuff like "Down in the Street," "1969," and "Real Cool Time," here he stomps away with lots of gravity but little nuance, and like his brother, he's traded soul for jackhammer force (emphasized by Steve Albini's hard-edged recording). But surprisingly, the guy who really drops the ball on this set is Iggy. Pop's been in fine voice on his last few solo albums, but much of The Weirdness finds him singing a bit flat or sharp, and while he belts out these songs with commendable passion, this ranks with Beat Em Up as the dumbest set of lyrics the man has ever committed to tape. Instead of reaching into the Real O Mind for the cosmic simplicity of stuff like "TV Eye," "1970," or "I Wanna Be Your Dog," Iggy goes into inane blather mode from the jump-start, and if titles like "Greedy Awful People," "Free and Freaky," and "I'm Fried" don't tip off listeners that he's off his game, lines like "England and France, these cultures are old/The cheese is stinky and the beer isn't cold," "They drive those f*ckin' awful cars/And roll their lips in titty bars," and the deathless "My dick is turning into a tree" tell the rest of the story.

1

Trollin

2

You Can't Have Friends

3

ATM

4

My Idea of Fun

5

The Weirdness

6

Free & Freaky

7

Greedy Awful People

8

She Took My Money

9

The End of Christianity

10

Mexican Guy

11

Passing Cloud

12

I'm Fried

http://rapidshare.com/files/201138263/Iggy_Pop_and_The_Stooges_2007_The_Weirdness.rar