Πέμπτη 14 Μαΐου 2009
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
Κυριακή 22 Μαρτίου 2009
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
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.
1
Be Quick or Be Dead
2
From Here to Eternity
3
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
4
Fear Is the Key
5
Childhood's End
6
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
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.)
Τρίτη 10 Μαρτίου 2009
Κυριακή 22 Φεβρουαρίου 2009
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
THE ANIMALS-BEFORE WE WERE INTERUPTED
1
Brother Bill (The Last Clean Shirt)
2
It's All Over Now
3
Fire on the Sun
4
As the Crow Flies
5
Please Send Me Someone to Love
6
Many Rivers to Cross
7
Just Want a Little Bit Bass
8
Riverside County
9
Lonely Avenue Pomus
10
The Fool Clark
Κυριακή 25 Ιανουαρίου 2009
THE ANIMALS-ANIMAL
Review by Bruce Eder
The Animals' second British album, recorded just before Alan Price exited the lineup, displays far more energy and confidence than its predecessor, and it's fascinating to speculate where they might've gone had the original lineup held together. There are a few lightweight tunes here, such as "Let the Good Times Roll" and the rollicking opener, "Mess Around," that capture the Animals loosening up and having fun, but much of Animal Tracks is pretty intense R&B-based rock. "How You've Changed" is a reflective, downbeat Chuck Berry number that Eric Burdon turns into a dark romantic confessional/inquisition, matched by Hilton Valentine's chopped out, crunchy lead work over the break, while Alan Price does his best to impersonate Johnnie Johnson. The group doesn't do as well with their cover of Billy Boy Arnold's "I Ain't Got You" as the Yardbirds did with the same number, treating it in a little too upbeat a fashion, and Hilton Valentine and Alan Price failing to add very much that's interesting to the break (especially in comparison to Eric Clapton's solo on the Yardbirds' version). "Roberta," by contrast, is a great rock & roll number, and their version of "Bright Lights, Big City," sparked by Burdon's surging, angry performance and Price's hard-driving organ solo. Price's playing opens what is easily the best blues cut on the album, "Worried Life Blues," where Hilton Valentine steps out in front for his most prominent guitar solo in the early history of the band, backed by Price's surging organ. Burdon and company also excel on a pair of Ray Charles covers, turning in a jauntily cheerful, euphoric performance of "Hallelujah I Love Her So," his jubilation matched by Price's ebullient organ work; and a slow, pain-racked performance by Burdon and company on the slow blues "I Believe to My Soul," arguably -- along with "Worried Life Blues" -- the singer's best performance on either of the group's EMI long-players, and matched by Price's quick-fingered yet equally ominous piano playing.
1
Mess Around
2
How You've Changed
3
Hallelujah, I Love Her So
4
I Believe to My Soul
5
Worried Life Blues
6
Roberta Smith
7
I Ain't Got You
8
Bright Lights, Big City
9
Let the Good Times Roll
10
For Miss Caulker
11
Roadrunner
Κυριακή 11 Ιανουαρίου 2009
WHITESNAKE-SNAKEBITE
Review by Ed Rivadavia
Snakebite barely qualifies as a Whitesnake album. Vocalist David Coverdale had just assembled the band, and in fact, half of the songs contained here had been recorded by the singer nearly a year before for an abandoned solo outing. With this in mind, one can understand why most of the cuts either suffer from a lack of creative direction, the players' limited musical interaction, or both. Of the tracks credited to Whitesnake the band, the best results are achieved on the rollicking "Come On" and the bluesy "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," the latter eventually being their first hit. And while more cohesive amongst themselves, the Coverdale solo tracks will hardly interest any but the most die-hard fanatics.
1
Come On
2
Bloody Mary
3
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
4
Steal Away
5
Keep on Giving Me Love
6
Queen of Hearts
7
Only My Soul
8
Breakdown
http://rapidshare.com/files/182054938/Whitesnake-1978_-_Snakebite.rar
WHITESNAKE-LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH
1
Come On
2
Might Just Take Your Life
3
Lie Down
4
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
5
Trouble
6
Mistreated
Κυριακή 30 Νοεμβρίου 2008
IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES-RAW POWER
Review by Mark Deming
In 1972, the Stooges were near the point of collapse when David Bowie's management team, MainMan, took a chance on the band at Bowie's behest. By this point, guitarist Ron Asheton and bassist Dave Alexander had been edged out of the picture, and James Williamson had signed on as Iggy's new guitar mangler; Asheton rejoined the band shortly before recording commenced on Raw Power, but was forced to play second fiddle to Williamson as bassist. By most accounts, tensions were high during the recording of Raw Power, and the album sounds like the work of a band on its last legs -- though rather than grinding to a halt, Iggy & the Stooges appeared ready to explode like an ammunition dump. From a technical standpoint, Williamson was a more gifted guitar player than Asheton (not that that was ever the point), but his sheets of metallic fuzz were still more basic (and punishing) than what anyone was used to in 1973, while Ron Asheton played his bass like a weapon of revenge, and his brother Scott Asheton remained a powerhouse behind the drums. But the most remarkable change came from the singer; Raw Power revealed Iggy as a howling, smirking, lunatic genius. Whether quietly brooding ("Gimme Danger") or inviting the apocalypse ("Search and Destroy"), Iggy had never sounded quite so focused as he did here, and his lyrics displayed an intensity that was more than a bit disquieting. In many ways, almost all Raw Power has in common with the two Stooges albums that preceded it is its primal sound, but while the Stooges once sounded like the wildest (and weirdest) gang in town, Raw Power found them heavily armed and ready to destroy the world -- that is, if they didn't destroy themselves first.
1
Search and Destroy
2
Gimme Danger
3
3
Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell
4
Penetration
5
5
Raw Power
6
I Need Somebody
7
Shake Appeal
8
8
Death Trip
Κυριακή 9 Νοεμβρίου 2008
GUNS n ROSES-USE YOUR ILLUSION II
1
Civil War
2
14 Years
3
Yesterdays
4
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
5
Get in the Ring
6
Shotgun Blues
7
Breakdown
8
Pretty Tied Up
9
Locomotive
10
So Fine
11
Estranged
12
You Could Be Mine
13
Don't Cry [Alternate Lyrics]
14
My World
Σάββατο 4 Οκτωβρίου 2008
DANZIN-DANZIN
Review by Steve Huey
Danzig debuts with a record of simple, pounding, bluesy metal featuring lead singer Glenn Danzig's trademark Elvis-meets-Jim Morrison bellow and outlandishly dark, evil lyrics. There isn't a great deal of musical variety or complexity here, but the band powers its way through such signature tunes as "Twist of Cain," "Am I Demon," and the (future) hit "Mother" with a primal energy. Plus, Danzig's tongue-in-cheek posturing as the ultimate unholier-than-thou heavy metal frontman gives the record a definite appeal, even if one is not inclined to view his theatrics as dangerous or threatening.
1
Twist of Cain
2
ot of This World
3
She Rides
4
Soul on Fire
5
Am I Demon
6
Mother
7
Possession
8
End of Time
9
The Hunter
10
Evil Thing
Σάββατο 27 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008
MEGADEATH-SO FAR SO GOOD SO WHAT
1 Into the Lungs of Hell [instrumental]
2
Set the World Afire
3
Anarchy in the U.K.
4
Mary Jane
5
502
6
In My Darkest Hour
7
Liar
8
Hook in Mouth
Σάββατο 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008
IRON MAIDEN-SEVENTH SON OF THE SEVENTH SON
Review by Greg Prato
In 1988, harsh thrash metal and radio-friendly glam rock were the two chief heavy metal styles. Instead of aligning themselves to either camp, Iron Maiden stuck to their guns and issued a concept album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Concept albums had spelled disaster for other metal bands in the past, but this proved not to be the case with Maiden, resulting in what many fans consider their last true classic album (and the last with guitarist Adrian Smith, until their late-'90s reunion). Although the songs are all lyrically tied together by the story of a prophet who tries (unsuccessfully) to warn a village of an impending holocaust, they don't have to be listened to in succession to be enjoyed — one of the main reasons the album worked so well. A total of four singles were issued in the U.K. (all Top Tens) — "Can I Play with Madness?," "The Evil That Men Do," "The Clairvoyant," and "Infinite Dreams" — which all prove to be the album's best cuts. But like earlier Maiden albums, this is a complete album — while "Moonchild," "The Prophecy," "Only the Good Die Young," and the epic title track are not as well-known as the singles, they are just as noteworthy. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son marked the end of a golden era for one of metal's all-time best bands.
1
Moonchild
2
Infinite Dreams
3
Can I Play with Madness
4
The Evil That Men Do
5
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
6
The Prophecy
7
The Clairvoyant
8
Only the Good Die Young
http://rapidshare.com/files/144914108/IRON-MAIDEN.1988_Seventh_Son_of_a_Seventh_Son.rar
Παρασκευή 12 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008
IRON MAIDEN-PIECE OF MIND
1
Where Eagles Dare
2
Revelations
3
Flight of Icarus
4
Die With Your Boots On
5
The Trooper
6
Still Life
7
Quest for Fire
8
Sun and Steel
9
To Tame a Land
http://rapidshare.com/files/144710567/Iron-MAIDEN._Piece_of_mind.rar
Σάββατο 23 Αυγούστου 2008
OZZY OZBOURNE- BARK AT THE MOON
Review by Steve Huey
Ozzy Osbourne finds a permanent replacement for Randy Rhoads in Jake E. Lee, a more standard metal guitarist without Rhoads' neo-classical compositional ability or stylistic flair. Still, Osbourne and his band turn in a competent, workmanlike set of heavy metal featuring the crunching title track, whose video (featuring Osbourne dressed as a werewolf) became popular on MTV. Unfortunately, substance abuse problems would prevent Osbourne from releasing another record up to the standards of Bark at the Moon for nearly the rest of the decade.
1
Bark at the Moon
2
You're No Different
3
Now You See It (Now You Don't)
4
Rock 'N' Roll Rebel
5
Centre of Eternity
6
So Tired
7
Slow Down
8
Waiting for Darkness
9
Spiders in the Night [*]
http://rapidshare.com/files/139519823/Ozzy_-_Bark_at_the_moon.rar
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