Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath's debut album is given over to lengthy songs and suite-like pieces where individual songs blur together and riffs pound away one after another, frequently under extended jams. There isn't much variety in tempo, mood, or the band's simple, blues-derived musical vocabulary, but that's not the point; Sabbath's slowed-down, murky guitar rock bludgeons the listener in an almost hallucinatory fashion, reveling in its own dazed, druggy state of consciousness. Songs like the apocalyptic title track, "N.I.B.," and "The Wizard" make their obsessions with evil and black magic seem like more than just stereotypical heavy metal posturing because of the dim, suffocating musical atmosphere the band frames them in. This blueprint would be refined and occasionally elaborated upon over the band's next few albums, but there are plenty of metal classics already here. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

1.
Black Sabbath
2.
The The Wizard
3.
Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.
4.
Wicked World
5.
A A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning

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Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Paranoid was not only Black Sabbath's most popular record (it was a number one smash in the U.K., and "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" both scraped the U.S. charts despite virtually nonexistent radio play), it also stands as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. Paranoid refined Black Sabbath's signature sound -- crushingly loud, minor-key dirges loosely based on heavy blues-rock -- and applied it to a newly consistent set of songs with utterly memorable riffs, most of which now rank as all-time metal classics. Where the extended, multi-sectioned songs on the debut sometimes felt like aimless jams, their counterparts on Paranoid have been given focus and direction, lending an epic drama to now-standards like "War Pigs" and "Iron Man" (which sports one of the most immediately identifiable riffs in metal history). The subject matter is unrelentingly, obsessively dark, covering both supernatural/sci-fi horrors and the real-life traumas of death, war, nuclear annihilation, mental illness, drug hallucinations, and narcotic abuse. Yet Sabbath makes it totally convincing, thanks to the crawling, muddled bleakness and bad-trip depression evoked so frighteningly well by their music. Even the qualities that made critics deplore the album (and the group) for years increase the overall effect -- the technical simplicity of Ozzy Osbourne's vocals and Tony Iommi's lead guitar vocabulary; the spots when the lyrics sink into melodrama or awkwardness; the lack of subtlety and the infrequent dynamic contrast. Everything adds up to more than the sum of its parts, as though the anxieties behind the music simply demanded that the band achieve catharsis by steamrolling everything in its path, including its own limitations. Monolithic and primally powerful, Paranoid defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

1.
War Pigs
2.
Paranoid
3.
Planet Caravan
4.
Iron Man
5.
Electric Funeral
6.
Hand of Doom
7.
Rat Salad
8.
Fairies Wear Boots

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Black Sabbath - Master of Reality

With Paranoid, Black Sabbath perfected the formula for their lumbering heavy metal. On its follow-up, Master of Reality, the group merely repeated the formula, setting the stage for a career of recycling the same sounds and riffs. But on Master of Reality Sabbath still were fresh and had a seemingly endless supply of crushingly heavy riffs to bludgeon their audiences into sweet, willing oblivion. If the album is a showcase for anyone, it is Tony Iommi, who keeps the album afloat with a series of slow, loud riffs, the best of which -- "Sweet Leaf" and "Children of the Grave" among them -- rank among his finest playing. Taken in tandem with the more consistent Paranoid, Master of Reality forms the core of Sabbath's canon. There are a few stray necessary tracks scattered throughout the group's other early-'70s albums, but Master of Reality is the last time they delivered a consistent album and its influence can be heard throughout the generations of heavy metal bands that followed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

1.
Sweet Leaf
2.
After Forever
3.
Embryo [Instrumental]
4.
Children of the Grave
5.
Orchid [Instrumental]
6.
Lord of This World
7.
Solitude
8.
Into the Void

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Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Vol. 4

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 is just a cut below its two indisputably classic predecessors, as it begins to run out of steam -- and memorable riffs -- toward the end. However, it finds Sabbath beginning to experiment successfully with their trademark sound on tracks like the ambitious, psychedelic-tinged, multi-part "Wheels of Confusion," the concise, textured "Tomorrow's Dream," and the orchestrated piano ballad "Changes" (even if the latter's lyrics cross the line into triteness). But the classic Sabbath sound is still very much in evidence; the crushing "Supernaut" is one of the heaviest tracks the band ever recorded. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

1.
Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener
2.
Tomorrow's Dream
3.
Changes
4.
FX
5.
Supernaut
6.
Snowblind
7.
Cornucopia
8.
Laguna Sunrise
9.
St. Vitus Dance
10.
Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes

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Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Years of constant touring, alcoholism, and drug abuse finally began to affect Black Sabbath around the time of their fifth release, 1975's Sabotage. While it's not a bad album (in fact, it's one of their most underrated), you can sense that the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Vol. 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate. But guitarist Tony Iommi again comes equipped with an arsenal of sturdy, ultra-heavy riffs, as evidenced by the raucous album opener, "Hole in the Sky," as well as the drug-induced anthem "Symptom of the Universe" -- both tracks coming as close to garage rock as Sabbath ever got. But the album's biggest surprise is the melodic, synth-laced "Am I Going Insane (Radio)," which is more akin to '70s power pop than to the band's patented doom metal (although the lyrics are what you'd expect -- detailing a person's downward spiral into dementia). Although often overlooked, Sabotage remains an interesting and challenging release. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

1.
Hole in the Sky
2.
Don't Start (Too Late)
3.
Symptom of the Universe
4.
Megalomania
5.
Thrill of It All
6.
Supertzar
7.
The The Writ
8.
Am I Going Insane (Radio)
9.
Sweet Leaf [Live]

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Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

With 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (their fifth masterpiece in four years), Black Sabbath made a concerted effort to raise their creative stakes and dispensed unprecedented attention to the album's production, arrangements, and even the cover artwork. While faithful to the band's signature compositional style and sound, brilliant songs such as the title track, "A National Acrobat," and "Killing Yourself to Live" also displayed a newfound sense of finesse and maturity. The introduction of keyboards and synthesizers, on the other hand, meets with mixed results. Erstwhile Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman makes a positive contribution to "Sabbra Cadabra," but "Who Are You" definitely suffers from synth overkill. Still, "Spiral Architect" benefits from its tasteful background orchestration, and the gentle "Fluff" is the first truly memorable solo instrumental from guitarist Tony Iommi, whose previous attempts often seemed pointless and haphazard. Simply put, this album is essential to any heavy metal collection. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide

1.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
2.
A A National Acrobat
3.
Fluff
4.
Sabbra Cadabra
5.
Killing Yourself to Live
6.
Who Are You?
7.
Spiral Architect
8.
Looking for Today

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Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy

Black Sabbath was unraveling at an alarming rate around the time of their second to last album with original singer Ozzy Osbourne, 1976's Technical Ecstasy. The band was getting further and further from their original musical path, as they began experimenting with their trademark sludge-metal sound. While it was not as off-the-mark as their final album with Osbourne, 1978's Never Say Die, it was not on par with Sabbath's exceptional first five releases. The most popular song remains the album closer, "Dirty Women," which was revived during the band's highly successful reunion tour of the late '90s. Other standouts include the funky "All Moving Parts (Stand Still)" and the raging opener, "Back Street Kids." The melodic "It's Alright" turns out to be the album's biggest surprise -- it's one of drummer Bill Ward's few lead vocal spots with the band (Guns N' Roses covered the unlikely track on their 1999 live set, Live Era 1987-1993). ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

1.
Back Street Kids
2.
You Won't Change Me
3.
It's Alright
4.
Gypsy
5.
All Moving Parts (Stand Still)
6.
Rock 'N' Roll Doctor
7.
She's Gone
8.
Dirty Women

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Black Sabbath - Never Say Die!

After quitting briefly following the band's previous tour, singer Ozzy Osbourne returned to Black Sabbath for 1978's Never Say Die! The title track kicks things off with a promising bang but ultimately lacks enthusiasm; a pleasant surprise arrives in the very original and experimental "Air Dance," featuring tasteful piano flourishes from leading session keyboardist Don Airey. Never Say Die! is best suited for Sabbath completists. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide

1.
Never Say Die
2.
Johnny Blade
3.
Junior's Eyes
4.
Hard Road
5.
Shock Wave
6.
Air Dance
7.
Over to You
8.
Break Out
9.
Swinging the Chain

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RORY GALLAGHER-LIVE IN EUROPE

1 Messin' With the Kid London 6:25

2 Laundromat Gallagher 5:08

3 I Could've Had Religion Traditional 8:39

4 Pistol Slapper Blues Allen 2:47

5 Going to My Home Town Gallagher 5:53

6 In Your Town Gallagher 9:46

7 What in the World Traditional 7:57

8 Hoodoo Man Traditional 5:56

9 Bullfrog Blues Gallagher, Traditional 6:53

Review by Hal Horowitz After two critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing solo studio albums, Rory Gallagher unleashed this raging live disc in 1972 at the age of 23. It not established him in the States, where he had toured only once previously (with his first band Taste, opening for Blind Faith on their brief tour), and was a worldwide hit. Gallagher blasts through rearranged versions of three Junior Wells songs ("Messin' With the Kid," "I Could've Had Religion," and "Hoodoo Man") and Muddy Waters' "Bullfrog Blues," a holdover from his Taste days, like his fingers are exploding. Even on acoustic tracks like "Going to My Home Town" where Gallagher strums his mandolin with such ferocity it sounds like the strings are going to pop, he attacks with the intensity of a talented young man with something to prove. The songs average about six minutes, but Gallagher and his two-piece never let the energy flag. More crackling than even his best studio work, you can hear the electricity in the air as the Irishman shoots solos scorching with vitality and precision. The 2000 reissue includes two slow blues cuts, "What in the World" and "Hoodoo Man" where the guitarist pulls out his slide tricks, both are worthwhile additions. The liner notes feature a 1972 interview with the guitarist, but this is the only album of Buddha's 2000 reissued Gallagher catalog that doesn't include brother Donal's track-by-track synopsis. The crisp, clear remastered sound makes this one of the best live blues-rock albums ever, and one of the finest discs in Rory Gallagher's catalog. It's not quite like seeing him live, sweating through a vigorous, non-stop set, but it's the next best thing.

http://rapidshare.com/files/112435509/Rory_Gallagher.Live_in_Europe.rar

RORYGALLAGHER-THE SHANDOW PLAY

http://rapidshare.com/files/112427140/Rory_Gallagher.The_shadow_play_ep.rar

CANDLEMASS-NIGHTFALL

Gothic Stone Edlin 1:00

2 The Well of Souls Edlin 7:16

3 Codex Gigas Edlin 2:20

4 At the Gallows End Edlin 5:48

5 Samarithan Edlin 5:31

6 Marche Funebre Chopin, Traditional 2:22

7 Dark Are the Veils of Death Edlin 7:08

8 Mourners Lament Edlin 6:10

9 Bewitched Edlin 6:38

10 Black Candles Wead 2:18

by Ed Rivadavia Swedish doom originators Candlemass gave birth to an instant classic with their debut, Epicus Doomicus Metalicus. But their 1987 follow-up Nightfall managed to break even more new ground by introducing the operatic bellowing of new vocalist Messiah Marcolin, whose religious lyrics found the perfect match in the slow, grinding power chords written by bassist Leif Edling. Perfect examples of this formula like "The Well of Souls," "Samarithan," and "Bewitched" would become live standards for years to come and are nicely held together by short instrumentals, including a rendition of Chopin's "Marche Funebre." And while the band can't resist thrashing out just a tad on parts of "At the Gallow's End" and "Dark Are the Veils of Death," this is still a cohesive work, and a must for Black Sabbath fans

http://rapidshare.com/files/112309841/Candlemass.rar

IRON MAIDEN-NUMBERS FROM THE BEASTS

http://rapidshare.com/files/112107680/IRON-MAIDEN.2006_Numbers_From_The_Beast.rar

MEGADETH-KILLING IS MY BUSINESS.......

1 Last Rites/Loved to Death 4:38
2 Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good 3:05
3 Skull Beneath the Skin Mustaine 3:46
4 Rattlehead Mustaine 3:42
5 Chosen Ones Mustaine 2:54
6 Looking Down the Cross Mustaine 5:01
7 Mechanix Hetfield, Mustaine 4:21


Review by Steve Huey After his exit from Metallica, Dave Mustaine regrouped with his own band on this debut album, accentuating his own chaotic, driving rhythm guitar work and careening, lightning-fast solos. The music here is as raw as Megadeth gets, and that can be both good and bad — Megadeth's later precise, complex riffing and composition aren't completely developed, but the music is performed with a great deal of energy, while Mustaine's vocals (never his strong point) are amateurish at best. Highlights include a retooled version of Nancy Sinatra's "Boots" and "Mechanix," a Mustaine composition written with Metallica, which turned into the latter's "The Four Horsemen."

http://rapidshare.com/files/112271629/Killing_Is_My_Business..._and_Business_Is_Good_.rar

IRON MAIDEN-VIRTUAL XI

1 Futureal Bayley, Harris 2:55
2 The Angel and the Gambler Harris 9:52
3 Lightning Strikes Twice Harris, Murray 4:50
4 The Clansman Harris 8:59
5 When Two Worlds Collide Bayley, Harris, Murray 6:17
6 The Educated Fool Harris 6:44
7 Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger Harris 8:03
8 Como Estais Amigos Bayley, Gers 5:30

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine CMC International did provide a needed service by allowing metal bands past their prime an opportunity to release records. Most of these bands sold records, but in considerably smaller numbers than they did at the height of their career. For fans and the bands alike, CMC International's very presence was welcome, since it was likely that these bands — including Iron Maiden — wouldn't have had a chance to record otherwise. Unfortunately, that didn't necessarily mean that the bands needed to be recorded at this time. Take, for instance, Iron Maiden. After touring for over 20 years, the band had perfected their style, but all the surprise had been stripped from their sound. Furthermore, charismatic lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson had been replaced by Blaze Bayley, a competent but faceless vocalist, which only emphasized the fact that a band that defined a genre had become generic themselves. Nowhere is that more apparent than on Virtual XI, their second album for CMC. On the surface, there's nothing terribly wrong with the record, as it delivers all the crunching riffs and demonic horror of their best records. The problem is that there's nothing memorable about the hooks, riffs, or songs, and there's little visceral energy to the music or production. As a result, it sounds lifeless to all but the most devoted fan. And even those fans, pleased as they may be to have a new Maiden album, will admit that the group sounds tired.

http://rapidshare.com/files/111336314/Iron-Maiden.Virtual_XI.rar