Alice In Chains-Dirt-Review

  Released in 1992, AIC's second album is their most critically revered and most successful commercially speaking. The album is generally seen as a "metal" (they are not grunge, well not really) masterpiece.Let me tell you if I agree with these sentiments.

   First up is the massive radio staple "Them Bones". One of the band's most well-known songs,it's instantly recognizable with a very heavy riff and the dual vocals from the sadly late Layne Staley, and from Jerry Cantrell. A great song, it's a bit overplayed, but it endures. Very thick, it sounds like an engine firing, very aggressive. What else can I say about it? Next is "Dam That River". I can see that grunge vibe being applied to this song, but there is something different about AIC, more brutal and raw, their feet are firmly planted in the foundations laid by Priest and Hendrix, rather than a lot of the indie bands that influenced other Seattle grunge bands. Staley was a great vocalist, able to shift on the fly from guttural brutality to sweet sentimentality, vocally and lyrically speaking. In any case, a great song, very heavy riff-wise, and a great vocal from Staley, one of his heaviest. "Rain When I Die" perhaps shows us that Staley was possibly keenly aware of untimely death. A classic AIC song, and one of my favorites. Featuring the late Mike Starr on bass, he proves why he was one of the best rock bassists of his time, very deep and growling bass tone. Cantrell shows off his manipulation of guitar effects to create a very dark vibe, sonically speaking. Lyrically dense, it is not for those who want a poppy listen, like all of the band's material, it can be challenging. But, a great song.

    Down In A Hole is one of my favorite songs by the band. Although I prefer the acoustic version from "MTV Unplugged", the studio track is certainly no slouch.Also quite acoustic, it contains my favorite harmonies by Staley and Cantrell, very haunting. My problem with the studio track is that one you have heard the very raw and heart-wrenching acoustic version from MTV Unplugged, that is is the definitive version of the song for most people.But, a great song. Next is "Sickman". A fan favorite, it has never really done too much for me. It's the band's most metal song, traditionally speaking. The chorus just doesn't excite me. Also, the song is pretty dark and disturbing, even for AIC, hopelessly dark and dismal. While I don't hold this against the band, it just doesn't click for me, a little too depressing and dreary. "Rooster" is probably the song that the band are most remembered for. A tale of PTSD, it was written about Cantrell's father, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. A great song, I love the guitar work by Cantrell, very vocal, mimicking Staley's vocals by slightly trailing behind. The march-like drums by drummer Sean Kinney also add a great element of militaristic panic. Overplayed for sure, it nonetheless is a very good song, so who cares if the radio plays it 1000 times a day.
 
   "Junkhead" continues to tell the tale of Staley's addiction to drugs and the suppliers who provided him with his materials. Very heavy and dark (as everything on this album is), it is a fan favorite and easily one of the best songs every released by the band. Somehow catchy,like a drug itself, it's pretty hard to get out of your mind. I like the originality of Cantrell's solo, very unique and almost robotic sounding amid the raw emotion of the vocal performance, an interesting contrast. Excellent, AIC at their best. "Dirt", the title track comes next. Trippy, it features an eastern-style riff from Cantrell, somewhat reminiscent of Jane's Addiction. Very slow and plodding, it's a nice break from some of the faster material on the first half of the album. Also, the lyrics take a nice break away from the topic of substance abuse, at least somewhat. "God Smack" comes in next. Staley adopts a sick, twisted warble during the verse, very creepy. The verse is a bit more traditional sounding for Chains. The song goes back to the central theme of the album, heroin abuse. Not an easy listening experience, God Smack takes us further down Staley's metaphorical "rabbit hole", giving us a glimpse into the depths of his addiction, a very chilling song, but a greatest artistic and musical statement. "Hate To Feel" takes us even further down the hole, very self-loathing, Staley curses himself for being a junkie. A fractured solo reflects Staley's damaged psyche, very chilling. A great song.

   "Angry Chair" is a masterpiece, probably my favorite song written by the band. I love the verse riff, the acoustic riff works perfectly to set the feeling of loneliness and desolation. Composed by Staley himself, it shows that could certainly write music himself, increasingly by this point. Last up is the famous "Would?". I love this track, it has a great buildup between the quiet verses sung by Cantrell, and the heavy chorus sung by Staley. Fantastic,

      Dirt is a great album. Easily one of the best rock/metal albums of the 1990s, everyone who likes hard music needs to have heard this album, absolutely essential and easily AIC's magnum opus.


Rating-9.5/10
       

Nitro-O.F.R.-Review

 

    L.A.'s Nitro is a controversial band within the metal community. Often seen as representative of everything that went wrong with metal in the late 1980s, they are hated by many, laughed at by some, and praised by others. What do I think?  Let's find out....

  The polar opposite of the "lo-fi" movement in rock music of the 1980s and 1990s, Nitro is no holds barred rock. Opener "Freight Train" contains dizzying solos, operatic vocals, and pounding drumming. Honestly, it doesn't work for me. It sounds like a huge chaotic mess of sounds, everyone trying to be louder and meaner than each other. Vocalist Jim Gillette is a decent vocalist, but he puts on a falsetto that annoys. Guitar virtuoso Michael Angelo Batio is of course a very technically skilled guitarist as well, but likes to go off and solo like a madman in the middle of a song, it takes away from the structure of the song for me, no lead-up to the solo, just balls-out all the time. Not a good song, despite good playing. "Double Trouble" is horrible, one of the worst metal songs I've ever heard. The vocals are just insane, like King Diamond on speed. I have never really liked falsettos(other than King Diamond) , and if you don't either, stay far away from Nitro. Also, drummer Bobby Rock has trouble keeping up time at slower speeds, a decent rock drummer at high tempos, but limited at slower speeds. Batio's guitars are very good and he can certainly shred, but it can't save it, a terrible song.

   "Machine Gun" comes next.  I like Batio's riff, and at this point we realize that he is really the only saving grace of this awful band. Basically a speed metal song, it basically sounds like King Diamond/Mercyful Fate, but without the charisma and macabre panache of the King. A very odd fit with the rest of the album so far, it confuses and shows that the album is a stylistic hodgepodge of different metal styles.  Guitars aren't bad at all, but the verse vocals are barely audible. One of the better songs recorded by the band, but basically a rip-off of Mercyful Fate. "Long Way from Home" takes us back to America, after the European sojourn of Machine Gun. Sounding like "Home Sweet Home", Gillette adopts a Vince Neil-like twang. The vocals are covered in reverb and delay effects, rendering much of the lyrics unintelligible. Not a bad song structural speaking, the bad production, terrible falsetto vocals, and necessary guitar solos kill any chance it could have had. Bad, and far too long at over 5 minutes. "Bring It Down" brings us back into speed metal territory. Crushingly fast, it is almost impossible to follow the song, and the drumming begins to fall apart. Dave Lombardo, Bobby Rock is not. Batio's guitar work is of course very technically and occasionally elegant, but not enough to again save this very ridiculous song.

    "Nasty Reputation" is the most traditional metal song on the album. The backing vocals sound very "chipmunk" like, probably just speed up and digitally manipulated, awful. At least this song has some potential, and I like the break-down. A Vinnie Vincent-like solo comes seemingly out of nowhere and does kick ass, but it's not enough to keep my interest. Ugh. "Fighting Mad" is somewhat thrash metal, very heavy. The vocals are again impossible to hear, I can't make out a single word that Gillette is saying. The chorus has moments of inspiration, but they are held down by terrible production. Very bad. "Shot Heard Round' the World" is very 1980s hair metal, a song about rocking the world and staying free. It is easily the worst song on the album. The vocals are just horrible, I beg for this album to be over. Even Batio seems to be losing steam on this track. The grunting throughout the song made me laugh out loud, it sounds sooooo lame, and the lyrics are just totally cliche and vapid. "OFR" is the band's anthem. Another speed-like song, just try to understand any of the verse lyrics. Seas of terrible backing vocals make you wonder how this album was produced, it is like piles and piles of tracks were stacked on top of each other, a terrible racket. The chorus chant is so unbelievably stupid, I can't believe that this song was recorded, or that this band was signed at all. Awful...

 O.F.R. is not only the worst metal album I have ever heard, it may be the worst album by any musical artist I have ever heard. It needs to be heard to believe.

Rating-0/10

Kix-Blow My Fuse-Review

    Maryland's Kix have been around a long time. Lumped together with hair metal bands, I feel that this is a somewhat unfair categorization. Kix have usually done their own thing, and are often a more traditional rock band. Blow My Fuse is their most well-known album, let's take a look.

     Cheap Trick are obviously the main influence on Kix, and opener "Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT" is very Cheap Trick-esque. Vocalist Steve Whiteman sounds like a grittier "Robin Zander", more gravel in his voice. Guitars are more 1980s than anything by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, more distorted and driven. Whiteman's harmonica playing is a nice touch, but it's somewhat over-used, it starts to annoy after a couple minutes. In any case, a great opener, one of the best songs by the band. "Get It While It's Hot" could be defined as more traditional hair metal, pretty standard sounding. Somewhere between Twisted Sister and Ratt, it could easily be mistaken for countless other hair/glam acts of the 1980s. Nothing is especially bad about the song, there is just no real defining characteristic. Also, the processed vocals in the chorus are pretty lame, even for 1988 standards.

    "No Ring Around Rosie" starts with huge guitars/keys intro, and then kicks into a muddy riff and terrible-sounding vocals. The singing is not bad, the vocals just lie buried beneath the guitars, a pretty bad mixing job. Besides the production, its not a terrible song, but I'm not a huge fan of the band's guitar playing, somewhat sloppy at times, at times too sloppy. Also, the keyboards are just horrible on this track, very out of the place and cheap-sounding. Skip it. "Don't Close Your Eyes" is the "ballad". Very Cheap Trick influenced, I actually like the song, but not the instrumentation. The digital piano makes "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue sound good, basically it sounds like a toy Casio piano that you bought at a yard sale, a horrible piano sound, even for the decade the album was made it. Despite that, there are moments of brilliance in the song, very good singing, a decent solo, and solid drumming from Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant. "She Dropped Me the Bomb" is a pure classic 1970s style rocker. I really like the rollicking riff, very infectious. The vocals are too processed again, but when Whiteman sounds this good, who cares, great vocals. A great song, one of the best by the band. Killer.

   "Cold Blood" is the most successful song by the band so far. Very bluesy, the song smokes. Like Cheap Trick before them, Kix could easily wrap a pop song in heavy "clothing". Cold Blood certainly rocks and swaggers, but there are some very pop elements in the tune, especially the chorus with its group chanting and backing vocals. A metal classic, Cold Blood is a great song, and often forgotten. "Piece of the Pie" is a terrible song. Kix are much better when looking to the past, rather than the moment. It seems forced and contrived compared to their 1970s style rockers. Whiteman struggles with the hair metal screeching voice, not a good fit. The vocals are so processed you swear it could be Def Leppard, and lyrics are just plain terrible, very cliche for a band that could write much better. Not a fan of this turd. "Boomerang" brings us back to Rockford (Cheap Trick's hometown), metaphorically speaking. Too many "dive-bombs" on guitar and again too much harmonica, but a very good song nevertheless. Good stuff. Next is "Blow My Fuse". The influence of AC/DC can be heard on this song, especially the early days of Bon Scott, right down to the electricity-influenced lyrics. Not a bad song, it has some very nice solos, and great drumming. Last up is "Dirty Boys". The fastest song on the album, very 1980s sounding. Guitar aerobics are laid down over a crunchy, almost punk-like riff. Contemporaries "Faster Pussycat" would be the reference point here, influenced by Aerosmith especially. The chorus is catchy, but very repetitive, and the backing vocals sound muddled and get lost in the mix, not a bad song, but not a stand-out track.

    "Blow My Fuse" is a decent album. If you like hair metal and you like Cheap Trick (likely if you are reading this blog), you could do worse than this album. Not an absolute classic, but leaps and bounds better than a lot of really terrible hair metal out there.

Rating-7/10
  

Dio-Holy Diver-Review

   Out of the ashes of Black Sabbath, the sadly late pint-sized metal god Ronnie James Dio released his first proper solo album 30 years ago today. An absolute metal classic, many consider it to be one of the best metal albums released. Certainly it is very monumental, but is it really one of the best albums of all time? Let's find out.
 
    Opener "Stand Up and Shout" is like a ballsier and thicker take on the Rainbow sound that Dio spent so much time honing with Ritchie Blackmore. Moving away from the chugging riffs Iommi usually provided Dio, Ronnie sounds in top form here, at his most comfortable at either very slow or very fast speeds. Amazing vocals. Northern Irish guitarist and then wunderkind "Vivian Campbell" provides some scorching guitars that even give Iommi and Blackmore a run for their money, excellent guitars. Great song. The title track "Holy Diver" is perhaps the most famous song ever recorded by the Dio solo band. An amazing riff, killer bass from Jimmy Bain, solid drumming from Sabbath stable-mate Vinny Appice, and of course soaring vocals and fantastical lyrics, a great f-ing song, any metal-head that does not like Dio and this song especially has something seriously wrong with them, and could only be described as a poseur.

   The albums rolls along with the very Rainbow-sounding "Gypsy", but Rainbow taken to "11". Dio's voice sounds like its about to give during this song, absolutely screeching and gritty, an amazing sound from him. The rest of the song is fairly standard, a solid riff and great drumming. A good song, but not a stronger song on the album for me. "Caught in the Middle" is the most contemporary sounding song on the album, very 1980s sounding. The song has inspired many metal fans, a tale of rising above the alienation and hardships that many attracted to our brand of music so often have to deal with. Very inspiring and uplifting, and very good singing from Dio, as usual. "Don't Talk to Strangers" is the most Sabbath-like song on the album. Featuring an acoustic intro a la "Children of the Sea", it starts off slow, then builds with a riff that clearly echoes the massive songwriting influence that Iommi and Geezer Butler had on Dio. A great song, but I somewhat miss the presence of the other members of Sabbath, and always wonder what the song would have sounded like with Tony and Geezer.  Still a very good song, but a look to the past for me, rather than ahead.

  "Straight Through the Heart" is the heaviest song on the album. The riff is stellar, very influential on generations of metal guitarists (Zakk Wylde?). Appice is a monster on the skins, beating them like a New York street-tough laying punches, very violent sounding drumming, tasty. Dio's lyrics are great, very theatrical and dramatic, as par for the Dio course. Excellent. "Invisible" is a lesser-known song on the album.Not a big fan of the intro, the effects aren't really necessary. But a sick riff kicks in, and saves the song. Campbell is a genius, somewhere between Iommi and Randy Rhoads, a perfect fit for Dio's very big voice. Appice struggles a bit during the breakdown, but his aggression and power have always made up for any timing limitations that he has. So who gives a s*** about timing. "Lighting Strikes Again" kicks your ass next. Besides the stupid and cheesy keyboards (but it was the 80s, give Dio some slack), the song is very heavy, powerful, and catchy. An obvious reference to problems with both Sabbath and Rainbow, the song reflects Dio's feelings of isolation after those break-ups. A classic Dio song. Last up is "Shame on the Night". The wolf samples are kind of silly, but Dio's snarl and howl is amazing here, great vocals. A good song, a nice creepy closer to a stellar album.

   Holy Diver is a great album, a true masterpiece of metal. Not as good as the Sabbath albums released with Dio, nonetheless, a great work on its own accord. If you haven't heard this album and you like metal, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Pick it up!

RIP RJD

Rating-9.5/10
    

  

Black Sabbath-Headless Cross-Review

  Black Sabbath released their fourteenth studio album in 1989. Released at a relatively low point in their long career in terms of mainstream appeal, the album was largely ignored outside the metal community, and to a certain extent, within the metal community. Even today, opinion of the album is divided, some calling it a gothic masterpiece, some calling it an attempt by the band to cash in on the growing pop sentiments within metal in the late 1980s. Whatever you think, I think its a monster of an album, and one of the best releases by the Sabbath in general, not just during the Tony Martin era. Let's jump in...

The album opens with a short and creepy horror-move like instrumental. "The Gates of Hell" acts as a prelude to the title track. Not much to say about this very short track, but it is very good at setting the very dark tone to the album. "Headless Cross" comes blasting in next amid a very heavy drumbeat from the late master "Cozy Powell". Anyone who knows metal and hard-rock knows that Cozy was a beast on the sticks,in my opinion,  second only to Jon Bonham in terms of sheer drumming power. Riffmaster Tony Iommi provides a solid riff, as par the course. Keyboards are very heavy on this song, and on the album in general, much to the ire of some Sabbath die-hards. I really don't mind the keyboards, and I actually think that they give this album a unique character, very full sounding, and truly a product of its time. Martin is top-notch as usual, hitting notes that most singers could only dream of hitting. A great voice and talent. Good song. Next is "Devil and Daughter". Very driving, I can see how some have applied the terms "AOR" to this song and album. Very European-sounding, the rising tide of power metal was clearly sweeping the Sabbath camp, almost a power metal song, musically speaking. Whatever tag you apply to the song, I really enjoy it. Martin is like a banshee in the night, singing his ass off, and proving to me personally, that he could sing circles around both Ozzy and Dio, at least technically speaking. Iommi's guitars are somewhat buried in effects, and the keyboards have too prominent a role, but Cozy's thundering beats give the song the heavy factor it needs. A metal classic, top stuff.

   "When Death Calls" is a very atmospheric and creepy song. I love the bass work of Laurence Cottle, providing very nice bass "harmonics" during the intro. Iommi then kicks in with a huge riff, very heavy and doom-like, classic Sabbath. A great song, very progressive and dark, a gloomy symphony telling of evil and death, it has all of the hallmarks of a great Sabbath song. "Kill in the Spirit World" is the most "pop" song on the album, very catchy. I love the verses, very infectious and longing. But, the "chorus" has never been a favorite of mine, Martin's vocals should never be covered in effects, that's simply a sin. I do like the sort of bridge section where Iommi comes in with a huge riff echoing Martin's vocals, and then provides an "epic" solo. A good song, but not a Sabbath classic. Many people don't like the next track, but I fail to understand why. "Call of the Wild" is very hummable and powerful. Actually quite similar to "Kill in the Spirit World" in terms of musical structure, it features a driving verse, and a somewhat static "chorus".  The bridge feels a bit tacked on, but doesn't ruin the song. Iommi's solo is more than adequate, but not one of his best. In any case, not an amazing song, but certainly enjoyable, especially the verse sections, Martin's vocals,and Cozy's amazing drumming.

  "Black Moon" was recorded for the sessions of "The Eternal Idol" album in 1987. This version is a bit more slickly produced. A great song whatever version you hear, very heavy in terms of guitars, and perhaps a bit too heavy in terms of drums (Cozy could be a bit heavy-handed). A great Martin-era Sabbath song, my only real complaint is that Cottle's rubbery bass is mostly lost amid the loud guitars and drums. Cottle seems restricted on this album, probably due to the fact that he was essentially a hired hand in the band. My favorite song on the album is "Nightwing", the closing track. Jazzy bass slides are amazing on the introduction, and Martin delivers in my opinion, the best vocal of his time in Sabbath. Iommi's guitars are amazing as usual, and Cozy provides very solid drumming. The classical guitar ending is very nice as well, a nice touch. A great song.

   "Headless Cross" is amazing. If you like metal, you need to own this album, Nonetheless, it can be hard to find in terms of physical copies, as it has been out of print for years.But if you do find it,you owe it to yourself to get a copy of in my opinion, the best Sabbath album of the 1980s.

Rating-9.5/10

AC/DC-High Voltage (U.S.)-Review

    AC/DC released their first international album in 1976. Basically a combination of their first two Australia-only albums, it nonetheless made a huge impact on the international rock scene. A great album, it contains some of my favorite tracks by the Aussie rockers. Let's take a look..........

   The album kicks off with "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock and Roll)". Very basic musically, but filled youthful bravado, energy, and sweat. My favorite AC/DC song, it really shows off the brilliance of the late Bon Scott, an amazing rock singer. The coolest part of the song is the bagpipes, played by Scott himself, an obvious nod to his Scottish birth. The song is a little long in the tooth, but who cares, it rocks. "Rock 'N' Roll Singer" sounds very similar to the first track, based around two simple chords. Angus shows off his six-string skills. Not the most technical guitarist, but he has the essence of rock and roll in his playing, and that's the great thing about AC/DC. They may not be the most technical band, but they sure can get people rocking and moving, and that's what rock should be about more than anything. A great song, filled with youthful optimism about the lifestyle that would ultimately bring about Scott's untimely death. "The Jack" brings in the band's blues influences. A very raunchy song about rock's classic "evil woman" story. A little too slow and simple for me, not a huge fan. Angus Young has never been as comfortable with straight blues as rock in my opinion, but he plays the song decently enough, but certainly not Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck. Not a bad tune, but one of the weaker songs on the album.

   "Live Wire" is one of the band's most recognizable early-era songs. Another classic riff is supplied by Angus, and like a steamroller, the band's rhythm section of Phil Rudd and Mark Evans come down the track with a solid beat and bass work. The solo may lack refinement, but Angus shows great ferocity with his playing, very fast and very energetic. Scott's vocals are simply excellent, one of the best rock singers of all time, and sadly missed. Again the song is a tad too long, but when rock is this good, it doesn't really matter. "T.N.T." needs no introduction, and is of course a classic rock radio staple.  After about 10,000 listens , the song still rocks, but has worn a little thin for me. The riff is of course filled with swagger and bravado, like Scott himself. The vocals really show his amazing range, as well as the great whiskey-like character to his voice, very gritty. Still a great song, there is not much more to say about it, I'm sure that you have heard it already many a time. "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" brings in the influence of early rockers such as Chuck Berry, but with heavier guitars. Different for the band, I like the song quite a bit. Angus smokes on the leads, but the song is somewhat contained by its traditional rock structure, but a very good song, especially the end section which amps up the heavy riffs."Little Lover" is another blues-based song. Another sweet and youthful song, it tells the tale of Scott's sexual interest with an adoring fan. Not a standout track for me, but certainly not bad. Just somewhat too long, and a tad too simple. Lyrically speaking, I do like the sexually-charged but innocent lyrics, very characteristic of Scott, sweet, but conquering at the same time.

    "She's Got Balls" is an ode to a sassy and stylish woman. A classic riff is supplied by Angus, and Scott's vocals are very very sexual, quite animal-like and primal. One of the best songs on the album, it keeps me coming back again and again, classic Scott-era AC/DC. The album closes with another huge song, the title track "High Voltage". Very similar musically to "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock and Roll)", but still a great song on its own accord. The verse riff is unmistakable, a true classic of hard rock. Followed by an anthem of a chorus, it's the perfect song for just simply rocking out, enjoying the greatness of hard rock. A great song.

     "High Voltage" is a very good album. I have always preferred Scott-era AC/DC to Brian Johnson-era. While I have nothing again the big guy from the North, Scott possesses more raw energy, grit, and bravado for me. One of the best by the band, if you like AC/DC at all, and especially early AC/DC, you need to hear this album.

Rating-8/10
  

  

Primus-Antipop-Review

  Released in 1999, Antipop Primus' sixth and final album during their original run. One of my favorite albums by the odd-duck of a band, I consider Antipop to be a very good album, and a rarely discussed gem of the late 1990s. Let's take a look at this very strange but rewarding album.

    The album beings with the fittingly titled "Intro". Tom Waits assists in providing a very creepy horror-movie like sound, setting up the pretty dark sound of this album. "Electric Uncle Sam" opens the album proper. Bassist/Singer/Evil Genius "Les Claypool" provides some of the tastiest bass you have ever heard. Layered in countless effects, his playing is immediately recognizable from any other bassist out there, very unique and the main highlight of this band for me.Next is "Natural Joe". Les' bass sound in incredible here, very funky and heavy, although a tad too distorted for me. I can understand why some have complaints with the sound of this album, it's quite thick with distortion and does sound a little too convoluted, less crisp than earlier albums. As par the course for Primus, the lyrics concern a story. "Natural Joe" is the story of a simple-minded, easygoing everyman. Natural Joe shows how Primus can write and incredibly poetic and hilarious song about even the most common subjects. A great song. "Lacquer Head" comes up next. Continuing the drug theme prevalent in many  Primus songs, this one concerns junkies who consume chemicals as narcotics. Very dark, but comedic at times despite the horrific stories. Bryan Mantia proves that he was a great fit with Primus on this track, keeping a very steady beat. Claypool and Larry LaLonde shine as usual, but I find the guitars a bit too "nu metal" sounding on this track, too distorted for Primus as they take away from the impact of Claypool's bass, but a very classic Primus song nonetheless. The title track is next. "The Antipop" is one of my favorite songs by the band, and one of their most immediately accessible. Featuring a fairly catchy chorus, "The Antipop" sings the praises of being unconventional and odd, something that Primus certainly is in the musical world. Elements of Rush can certainly be heard in the song, and it's easy to see how said band influenced Primus to a certain extent. Very progressive sounding song.

     "Eclectic Electric" is another quite progressive-sounding song. It features a very spaced-out, almost "Floyd-like" introduction, showing the band's obviously influence from Pink Floyd. The song drags on a bit for me, and I can find no real reason that it had to be over 8 minutes long.The song does pick up halfway through, and Claypool starts slapping his bass again, but again the very metallic guitars sound too loud and distorted, not a very good sounding album or song.  "Greet the Sacred Cow" brings in some Eastern influences into the Primus mix. After a sample intro, the band groove over some funky eastern-sounding scales. The song sounds a bit dated and digital, especially with its effects, but is pretty funky and unusual, even for Primus. "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool" features guest guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. Pretty conventional for Primus, its really just "nu metal" like riff with some popping and slapping from Claypool over top. This album is certainly more conventional than earlier work by Primus, and it's easy to see why they sometimes got lumped into the nu metal scene, despite being a much different sounding band, and a much earlier forming band. Not bad, but not crazy about this tune. "Dirty Drowning Man" brings back the breakneck playing of early Primus. Claypool is amazing, almost superhuman at times in terms of his speed and virtuosity. Featuring English vocalist of "Tricky" fame, Marina Topley Bird, it's interesting to hear Primus being backed by a female voice, an odd combination to say the least. My only real problem with the song is the very repetitive lyrics, and the fact that Claypool seems to be holding back somewhat. While the playing is still amazing, he seems to be slowing down a bit, less ferocious as before.

    One of the weirdest songs by the band is "Ballad of Bodacious".  Claypool adopts his hillbilly voice again, telling the tale of a giant riding bull, at times from the bull's perspective. Simply hilarious, it really shows that Claypool is the spiritual successor to the throne of Frank Zappa, extremely gifted musically, but also quite humorous and satirical lyrically. A great song, it's one of the best on the album, classic Primus. "Power Mad" is a rare example of Primus getting political. The lyrics are quite cryptic, but seem to concern those who are on "power trips". In any case, the bass is funky as hell, a classic Claypool bass-line. Very biting lyrics, like Zappa before him, rip apart those who seek to control their small and pathetic empires, but fail to succeed. "The Final Voyage of the Liquid Sky" is a terrific racket.  Not a big fan of the effects of Claypool's bass, the rest of the song mostly excels. Very trippy, it shows the direction that Claypool would take in some of his post-Primus work, more psychedelic. Not a bad song, but honestly not one of my favorites. A bit too long, too noisy (guitars and bass), it overstays its welcome quickly. The album ends with "Coattails of a Dead Man". Backed by fellow weirdo Tom Waits, it is very influenced by Wait's brand of warped vaudevillian pop, the style honestly does not really suit Claypool's goofy squeal. Waits comes in later, but too late to save the song. Not bad, but it would have been better as a Waits solo song. There is a bonus track. About six minutes into this song, there is the studio version of "The Heckler" from "Suck On This". A much slicker sounding version of the live track from "Suck On This", it really is mainly for the die-hards. A decent track, it is slightly less shocking than the 1989 original.

   "Antipop" is a very good album. Not quite as good as "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" and "Tales From the Punchbowl", it nonetheless is a very decent listen for fans of alternative rock.A little distorted, a tad bloated (too many guests), these things matter not. Primus closed out their first era with a very good album amid a sea of nu metal crap that dominated heavy music at the time.

Rating-9/10



  

Def Leppard-Pyromania-Review

   Def Leppard released their very successful third album in 1983. The album mostly set the tone for the popular hard rock/metal to come later in the 1980s and was one of the albums that truly blew metal open in 1983. However, many true "metal-heads" consider the album and the band to be nothing more than a poppy, glossy, shallow act of a band. What do I think of Pyromania? Read on to find out.....

      The album begins with "Rock Rock ('Til You Drop). The influence of Aerosmith on the band is immediately apparent, and it is easy to see why some lesser informed believe that the band is actually American rather than British. But this is pure 1980s, the rawness of 70s Aerosmith is gone in favor of very digital sounding drums, vocals, and instruments. And that is one of my major issues with this album, far too glossy and thin sounding. Not a bad song, but pretty repetitive and dull. Also the bridge seems to exist in isolation, not really going anywhere, just floating in between the verse and chorus. Snooze.......Next is the ultra-popular hit "Photograph". By any means a decent song, it is the epitome of the "pop metal" sound that would dominate the remainder of the decade. I don't think the song needed as many effects as it had applied to it, but it is easy to ignore the overdone production as the song is actually quite good, and one of my favorite Leppard songs. "Stagefright" comes next. A weird song, it balances between a very heavy, chugging verse, and a very pop-like chorus. Also, it tries to replicate the feel of a crowd by adding fake audience noises. Never a fan of Joe Elliott's "screaming" vocals, I prefer his voice cleaner. Like Tom Keifer from Cinderella, his voice can only be taken in small doses, and I start to feel my nerves grating after the third song. Not a bad song, but not really a stand-out track.

   "Too Late for Love" begins with some desolate, sweeping synths, and western-style guitars. Solid drumming from "one-arm bandit" "Rick Savage" is quite good, and its easy to see why Leppard kept him despite his disability, a very good drummer. But the song suffers especially from the over-production of Mutt Lange, too many things and effects going on in the song, almost distorted. Solos are also quite good, but a fairly average track. "Die Hard the Hunter" is my least favorite track on the album. Telling the tale of a shattered soldier, the song's lyrics don't seem to match the instrumentation, which is very bluesy and upbeat. Perplexing, like combining Metallica's "One" with Bon Jovi's "Livin on a Prayer", it just doesn't work for me. Also, the guitars are thickly layered with echo, chorus, and other effects, far too thin and digital. "Foolin'" was another big hit from this massive album. Elliott's verse vocals are quite nice and smooth, avoiding the grunting he is so prone to doing. The chorus far underwhelms however, and lacks the impact of songs such as "Photograph". Not for me, it lacks the grandiosity of most of the other hits on the album.

  "Rock of Ages"is one of the most famous songs by the band. I really don't mind it all that much, but is a huge, bloated mess of a song sonically speaking. Layers and layers of instruments and effects make it like a dense soup of digital crap. The synths are totally unnecessary, and take away from any edge the song may have had. Not a bad song, but terrible produced, even for the mechanical 1980s. "Comin' Under Fire" reminds of the band's earlier, heavier days.Easily the best song on the album, it's pretty heavy riff-wise, and features some killer guitar work from Phil Collen and the late Steve Clark. Very catchy, a perfect stadium rock song, very large sounding. "Action! Not Words" takes the music back to a bluesy direction. Clearly about sex, especially making a sex video, the song is fairly sleazy, but that's par for the course for 1980s "metal". The first solo is somewhat strange, being in a middle-eastern type key, but it doesn't detract as it's pretty fast. Pretty shallow lyrically, but it's not a bad song, just fairly standard sounding. "Lastly, "Billy's Got a Gun" comes on the wax (I use vinyl, mostly). Another macabre song with poppy instrumentation, it shows that almost ever song Leppard writes is basically a pop song wrapped in rock clothing. Again, not a bad song, but odd matched lyrics and music come to play again. Also, the keyboards are way too "upfront" in the mix, they overpower the rest of the instruments, the song sounds muddled. Not a bad song, but pretty disjointed sounding, the tracks were clearly recorded over a long amount of time, like a patchwork of sounds developed in band meetings throughout the long production of this album.

   I really don't know why this album became such a hit. Less than stellar songwriting and production really can't save this album for me. Leppard's first two albums are a far better choice for hard rock/metal fans, I would even argue that their 1990s output is mostly better. But, the album is a product of its vintage. Like the 1980s themselves, bigger was usually better. And this album is certainly big sounding. Meh....

Rating-5.5/10


    

  

Warrant-Cherry Pie-Review

     
     Warrant released their second album in 1990. Late to the hair metal game, the party was nearly over by 1990, and many consider this album the last real gasp of hair metal success. But the album certainly was a success, and many, including famed social observer "Chuck Klosterman" consider the album an essential listen. Let's see if the album has any real merit, and if it's a classic of late-period hair metal.

   First up is the smash single and titular track, "Cherry Pie". The song of course could been seen as stupid, sexist, and shallow, and I would not disagree. But the fact remains, this song is insanely catchy, and a staple of rock radio (especially satellite radio) even today. Not much else to say about this song, I'm sure you have heard it a thousand times and seen the much maligned MTV video. Not bad, but certainly played out.Next....."Uncle Tom's Cabin"  was another fairly successful song from this monster album. Featuring a banjo introduction, the song can at least be appreciated for its lyrically uniqueness. Fairly horrific lyrically, this song is quite a surprise hit, concerning a murderous uncle. I like this song, the riffs are heavy, and the late Jani Lane was certainly a capable singer and songwriter. "I Saw Red" shows that Warrant could certainly write a cheesy ballad. The spiritual successor to "Heaven", I actually like this song better than the more popular "Heaven", and the lyrics actually reflect heartbreak rather than falling in love, one of the better hair metal "ballads". Not as lame as you'd expect, and it shows that even at their sappiest, Warrant had an uncanny ability to write a ballad that can be burned into your brain forever.

   "Bed Of Roses" bears no relation to the Bon Jovi song, and I actually like this one better. Sappy, but very sweet and very nostalgic. A classic example of Bon Jovi-inspired post "New Jersey" hair metal, it nonetheless has its own unique sound, slickly produced, but somehow raw and gritty, never feeling contrived or forced. Warrant did their own thing, and are often seen as cheap imitators of Bon Jovi and Poison, but I can't totally agree. "Sure Feels Good to Me" is more traditional hair metal. Very bombastic and hedonistic, Motley Crue and Ratt could be seen as the main reference point for this song. The guitars are overstretching musically, but the notes are mostly there, and rock hard enough to satisfy. My only real complaint is that the song is quite short, and seems to be over before it even begins. "Love In Stereo" is about a threesome, fairly brain-dead. However, if you bought a Warrant album to hear about sociopolitical issues, you need your head checked. The lyrics are fairly repetitive, and music is a simple blues-based progression, but its catchy enough, despite the vapidness of the lyrical content.

   "Blind Faith" slows down the album again with another Bon Jovi-esque tearjerker. Not a big fan of this one, the lyrics are pretty cliche and vague, and the vocals seem to copy Jovi down to the tone of Lane's voice and backing vocals. Seems like record company pressure forced this song, looking for a hit along the lines of Jovi. "Song and Dance Man" is a fairly uplifting and somewhat poetic (its Warrant, c'mon, I'm stretching). Singing of the joys of bringing music to the masses, I like that Warrant on occasion steps away from singing the praises and cheap and easy women and gets philosophical. My only caveat is the solo, it seems somewhat out of place with the lyrics, more of a sexually-charged solo, a little too aggressive for a very reflective and contemplative sounding song. By far one of the longest titles in hair metal,  "You're the Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised" comes next. Reflecting Lane's religious upbringing, it deals with reconciling the rock and roll lifestyle with strict morals and expectations.  This song again shows that Warrant were not simply about sex and excess, they proved themselves many times, with occasionally deep, often lyrically heavy songs about life and loss, among many other topics. "Mr. Rainmaker" brings the album back into metal territory. The song reminds me of contemporaries Winger, heavy, but accessible and based in pop. Warrant proves that they chops on this tune, certainly not as musically skilled as "Winger", but the song contains a fairly progressive guitar solo, and nice bass work from bassist Jerry Dixon. I have no idea what the song is about lyrically, but a very good tune. The album closes with "Train, Train". Very bluesy, its somewhat out of character for Warrant, with its harmonica and "cowboy metal" influence. Bon Jovi again comes to mind as the main influence here, but hints of Aerosmith and GNR can be heard all over the track. Not bad, but the harmonica begins to distract, and takes away from heavy and nasty guitars. Not a classic, but enjoyable, if fairly cliche.

  "Cherry Pie" is a very good album. Fans of hard rock and metal should own this album. Warrant are a very underrated band and this is a somewhat underrated album, and it and they really deserve more attention and recognition for their contribution to rock music.Like pie itself, the album will "fill you easily", but it sure tastes sweet going down.

Rating-8/10
  

Dokken-Under Lock and Key-Review

   In the 1980s, Dokken ruled the airwaves and were a major force in heavy music. And this album is one of the primary reasons for the band's success. Although some people consider "Tooth and Nail" a better album, I would flat out disagree. "Under Lock and Key" is a stellar album, and one of the best 1980s hard rock releases, let's take a look at what makes it great.

   The album begins with the very sultry "Unchain the Night". Like a  much heavier Bon Jovi, the song is poppy, but contains a killer riff from George "Lynchmob" Lynch. Lynch is a great guitarist, and his long absence from Dokken partially explains their lack of commercial success as of recent years. The song is simply infectious, 80s metal at its best. "The Hunter" is another killer track. Bassist Jeff Pilson is especially of note here, the bass is simply amazing, a very underrated rock bassist. Again, the song is very pop, but contains enough crunchy guitars and harmonics to satisfy metal heads. Dokken somehow reached the perfect balance between pop and metal, heavy but melodic, crushing riffs, but not alienating. Don Dokken's vocals are quite good, his range a bit limited, but the high production and backing vocals hid any limitations, very good song. "In My Dreams" completes a trio of great songs. The Def Leppard-like harmonies are great, classic 1980s production. I beg you not to pound your fists to this song, pop-metal pefection. I could have used a bit heavier guitars on the chorus, but the song-writing and production are very strong. Lynch kills on the solo, unleashing guitar tapping majesty on the masses. Great stuff, a relic of yesteryear.

   "Slippin Away"is too sappy and syrupy for me. Pilson still shows great bass skills, but this ballad plods and seems to go on forever. Mick Brown is a very capable rock drummer, but at low speeds he seems to lose the beat, and the timing feels all wrong in this song. The song feels forced, like a record company request for a prom song, an unnecessary and cheesy ballad with fairly lame production and lyrics.  "Lightnin Strikes Again" (why do Dokken hate the letter G)? picks up the pace again. A Judas Priest-esque riff provides a driving beat. Dokken delivers a very good vocal here, almost reminding of Badlands/Sabbath singer "Ray Gillan", very melodic. The solos may lack some technical complexity, but many can George Lynch smoke on the six-string, one of the best shredders from the 80s. The drums sound a bit flat and Dokken stretches his voice to its upper limits, but who cares, a great song.  "It's Not Love" reminds of "Unchain the Night" structural. Not one of my favorites, my problem lies with the grunting group vocals, fairly cliche and standard. Not a big fan of the "jazz-metal" main riff either. There is nothing especially wrong with this song, it just fails to stand out in a sea of so many classic tracks. "Jaded Heart" has another slightly jazzy riff, this time, one that works very well. The Beatles-like bass part from Pilson is the highlight of the song, great stuff. The thundering chorus helps too, very heavy. The balance between a soft verse and hard chorus on this song shows that Dokken were very skilled at the "loud/soft" balance that many artists strive to achieve. Pretty good song.

   "Don't Lie To Me" reminds of "Scorpions" and their hit "Rock You Like A Hurricane". I have no idea if this was intentional or not, but very European-sounding. This is of course not a bad thing, but the growing influence of power metal can be heard hitting the American metal bands as evidenced by this track. Dokken bridged the gap between "glam metal" and early  "power metal". Not really completely either genre, the stood out from the crowd of poseurs that plagued the 80s metal scene. In any case, a pretty good song. A little bare on production (for this album), but fairly catchy and different sounding for the band. "Will The Sun Rise" is somewhat corny track on an otherwise great album. The lyrics are fairly vague and I really have no idea what the song is about after multiple listens. The chorus repeats again and again, and begins to grate your nerves. The most puzzling production choice is a very strange keyboard sound near the end of the song, it sounds like a flock of birds flying close to your head, very strange and scared the pants off me. Not a classic for me, even the solo is somewhat anti-climatic, deflated and dull from the stellar Lynch. The album heats up again with "Til The Livin End". Clearly influenced by horror and the macabre, the band would contribute this theme by providing the main theme to Nightmare on Elm Street 4 in 1986. Not a bad song, the highlights being the very good drumming from Mick Brown and guitar aerobics from Lynch.

  "Under Lock and Key" is a very good album, a near masterpiece. A few songs could be categorized as filler, but this is true with most albums. Dokken would never better themselves, and would go on to release a steady stream of fairly mediocre and sometimes awful albums in the 1990s and 2000s after the departure of George Lynch in 1989. For casual fans, there is no better start to get into Dokken than this album. Great songs, great vocals, smokin guitars, complex bass, and nice, hard rock drumming. Dream warriors indeed.

Rating-8.5/10
   

Van Halen-1984-Review

            

       
         Van Halen's sixth album was released in 1984. Widely considered a classic of not only hard rock, but of popular music in general, it is one of the best selling albums of all time. But, is the album actually any good? Let's find out.   

   The album begins with the title track (1984). A short synthesizer instrumental, the song sets the tone for this synth-heavy album. I really like the richness of Eddie Van Halen's synthesizers on this album. The "Oberheim" synthesizer sound is now legendary, and these keyboards command thousands of dollars on ebay today. Next is the legendary sports anthem "Jump". Driven by the same rich synthesizers, the song was a smash hit among the general public, but divided hardcore fans of the band. I like the song still today, but after hearing it thousands of times, it gets a bit stale. Another sports hit comes next, the classic "Panama". Again, I have heard the song thousands of times, and it has started to wear a bit thin. Eddie's guitar is awesome as usual, and singer David Lee Roth is in top form here. A great song, but very overplayed. "Top Jimmy" features mind blowing guitar "harmonics" from Eddie. The song itself is decent enough. A fairly standard sounding Van Halen song, it could easily be mistaken for countless other songs by the band. Kind of goofy, and a little musically "undercooked", I always found the song to sound a little demoish, unfinished compared to the slick polish of the rest of the album.

   "Drop Dead Legs" contrasts nicely to the slickly produced hits on the album. The song really shows the genius of Eddie Van Halen; the ability to intertwine complex guitar parts inside a fairly basic and simple rock song. Another Halen song about a sexy woman, the lyrics are fairly simplistic and shallow, but the complex guitars and great harmonies provided by "Michael Anthony" keep interest locked in. A good, but not great song. "Hot For Teacher" is another massive hit off this very big album. A teenage fantasy in song, it epitomizes the excesses of 1980s hard rock. Music was grounded in the fantastic, an escape from the mundane and boring life a pubescent male student. Larger than life like Van Halen themselves, the song is of course a classic.  Smoking guitars, a great music video, and of course "Diamond" Dave on the vox singing about a sexy teacher, it really was surely  a great time to be a teenage music fan with music as fun as this. Great song. My favorite Van Halen song from the Roth era comes next. "I'll Wait" is a absolute classic. Disproving Roth's concerns about synthesizers ruining Halen, I cannot picture this song without the dramatic synths. Of course guitars are largely absent, but the song really shows that Eddie is a great keyboard player, just as capable as he with guitars. Classic.

   "Girl Gone Bad" is a tale of lost female innocence of the sexual kind. The music is very interesting, featuring numerous scales, chord changes, and guitar aerobics, showing why Eddie always has and always will be a true virtuoso of the six-string. A bit too long and jammy, the song is really just a showcase for Eddie's guitar skills, it feels incomplete as a song. The lyrics are pretty minimal, and Roth mainly grunts over the chorus. Not bad, but it feels incomplete. "House of Pain" is about S and M. Roth's vocals lie buried under Eddie's guitar, and I have never liked the mix on this song. Anthony's bass and Alex Van Halen's drums shine, but Eddie seems to be jamming again, showing that he of course has skill on guitar, but that does not mean that this is necessarily a good song.

"1984" is a good album, but it has quite a bit of filler. I prefer earlier efforts such as "I", "II", and even "Fair Warning". Some of the songs are insanely well-produced and extremely slick and tight, while others feel neglected and not fleshed out enough.  Still, 1984 showed the original incarnation of the band going out on top, and proved massively successful. But, somewhat overrated.

Rating-7.5/10
   

Blue Oyster Cult-Fire Of Unknow Origin-Review

   By 1981, Blue Oyster Cult had certainly become a little "long in the tooth". Overtaken by insanely heavier and younger bands, the early vanguard of American hard rock had begun to sink. Blue Oyster Cult needed a big album, and "Fire" is definitely that album. The album has grown on many critics, and now regarded as not only a commercial, but critical success.

     First up is the title track. "Fire Of Unknown Origin" shows the influence of the declining "genre" of disco. Queen-like bass from "Joe Bouchard" is definitely funky. Synths provide the main riff in the song, and sound surprisingly modern and bright. A little too new wave for me, I have never really been crazy about this song. But I do enjoy the solo, quite spooky, setting the tone for this very occult-themed album. Next is "Burnin' For You". A pretty big hit for the band, it shows the influence of new wave bands such as The Police. A little too pop for me, but certainly not a bad song, and quite catchy. Also, producer Martin Birch shows that he is a top "knob turner", a genius of hard rock and metal production.

   "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" is very new wave. Synth washes cover thundering drums, very precise. The influence of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" can be heard all over the song. The lyrics are quite fantastical, and very introspective. The numerous chord changes in the chorus remind also of contemporaries Rush, both bands heading in similar new wave-like directions in the early 1980s. The backwards effect on the solo is very innovative, and has been replicated by many other bands. A great song. "Sole Survivor" is totally new wave, the most new wave on the album. Very mechanical-sounding, the cryptic lyrics tie the sci-fi, apocalyptic theme of the album.  Not a big fan of the fade-out-fade-in 80s vocal effects, its certainly not bad, but somewhat typical of the age and fairly repetitive, especially the chorus. "Heavy Metal" brings back Blue Oyster "riffage". The heaviest song on the album, it lives up to the very bold title. My only real bone of contention with the song is that the vocals are covered in effects, I could do without them. Otherwise a fairly classic anthem of hard rock, and a classic riff.

   "Vengeance (The Pact)" starts out a fairly standard-sounding and repetitive new wave song. But, the middle section of the song crashes with an "Iron Maiden" like gallop, and countless chord changes. The song is incredibly tight sounding musically, showing the often underrated musical "chops" of the band, they are certainly very talented musicians. A pretty interesting and unique song, musically speaking. "After Dark" is the cheesiest song on the album. Although played quite well, the keys remind of retro acts such as the B-52s. In my opinion, not a great sound for BOC. Angular-sounding guitars and punchy bass also reinforce the new wave/ retro sound of the song. Not a huge fan, and didn't even touch on the fairly laughable lyrics.

   My favorite track on the album comes next. "Joan Crawford" is fairly well-known song by the band.  Very creepy, the haunting piano solo at the beginning sets the macabre tone of this song about the famous vamp of an actress. The chorus in very catchy, yet morbid and horrific at the same time. It shows the band's ability to take all things dark, and make them slightly comical. I like the use of samples in the song, however they of course sound quite dated and lame in the digital age. A great song. "Don't Turn Your Back" closes out the album. The song could be mistaken for Rush during their "Grace Under Pressure" album. Very synth-heavy and metallic sounding, I find the song lacks any real low-end, sadly lacking the throbbing bass of most songs, also guitars just sound brittle and processed. Not a great song.

  "Fire Of Unknown Origin" is a very good album. There are a few average songs, but the majority of the album is played flawlessly with a tight-sounding band full of very interesting sounds, and lyrical content. Their last classic album, the band would being a descent into mostly mediocre albums after this near-genius effort. 

Rating-8/10
   

  

Iron Butterfly-Iron Butterfly-Review

    Released in 1968, "Heavy" is the debut album by American rockers Iron Butterfly. Certainly not a metal band proper, the band was still very influential on hard rock and metal music in general, despite being obviously more akin to psychedelic bands of the era. Is "Heavy" a classic of early hard-rock? Or should you stay away? Let's take a trip....

   Iron Butterfly were always a very keyboard-heavy band, and Heavy is no exception. Opener "Possession" contains a very cheap "Farfisa" sounding organ, up in the front of the mix, dominating the song. Recently-deceased bassist "Jerry Penrod" provides the true highlight of the song. Penrod's bass sound is very full and throbbing, rock bass at its best. Unlike many other psychedelic bands, Iron Butterfly kept their instrumental sections fairly short as well, avoiding bloated songs full of inflated egos. Nice, simple, and to the point. The slightly rockabilly "Unconscious Power" contains infectious guitar and keyboards for the verse, and the bass sound is simply flooring, fantastic bass playing. Cryptic psychedelic lyrics are totally goofy and vague, but the song seems to be about transcending the regular (probably using some kind of chemical agent). Next up is the bluesy "Get Out Of My Life, Woman". Piggy-backing off the success of "Cream" many bands began to play "Psychedelic Blues" during the middle of the psychedelic era. Not a bad song, but fairly sleep-inducing, really just a standard-sounding blues rocker.

   "Gentle As May Seem" reminds of other psychedelic bands such as The Electric Prunes. Tambourines are in full effect here, along with gyrating bass, organs, and near-constant guitar leads. Quite a racket, it is somewhat unrefined, raw but sloppy-sounding. "You Can't Win" is the most metal-like song on the album. Very Cream-like again, a heavy blues riff dominates the song. The chorus reminds more of the Doors, with Doug Ingle adopting a very deep and bluesy voice atop gentle jangly guitars and tight and precise bass. A simple, but effective song. The oddly titled "So-Lo" is the most poppy song on the album. Like The Zombies, it features baroque-like keyboards, rubbery bass, and harmonies. I prefer the band to rock harder than this, as they never really made a great pop band, slightly forced. Certainly not "Heavy". "Look For The Sun" shows the massive impact of the Doors on the American musical landscape. Very San Franciso-sounding, it instantly reminds of both the Doors (in terms of organs) and Joe Cocker as well. I like the gruff chorus vocals, but organs become a distraction as this point, taking away from the heaviness of the album. "Fields Of Sun" is a hippie classic. Darryl DeLoach and Doug Ingle sound great together, very heavy vocally, somewhat reminiscent of Steppenwolf.  Bass playing is as always top-notch, but guitars get lost in the mix. Keyboards are largely quiet during this song, aside from some piano. Very raw and garage-like, it is a fairly valuable artifact from a lost era.

   "Stamped Ideas" is the oddest song on the album. It reminds me of The Grateful Dead the most, with a slice of Blood Sweat and Tears. Horns detract my attention, but the chorus is fairly catchy, and the country-psych guitar leads are interesting and unique. Not bad, but easily the worst song on the album. The heaviest song on the album, and the first signs of metal from Iron Butterfly comes next. "Iron Butterfly Theme" contains very distorted guitars, trippy vocals and keys, and jazzy drumming. I really like this song, and it proves that this band certainly did have an influence on heavier music to come.

   "Heavy" is largely ignored by hard-rockers in favor of their second album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. I can understand why. The songs really don't showcase the heavy psychedelic music that the band would later adopt. But there are brilliant moments on this album, and fans of psychedelic music could do worse than this album. For metal-heads, you can get your kicks probably somewhere much heavier than Heavy. 

Rating-7/10
   

   

Ozzy Osbourne-Bark At The Moon-Review

    "Bark At The Moon" is Ozzy's third solo album. The first without hot-shot guitarist "Randy Rhoads", the album is largely seen as a much weaker effort than the two Rhoads albums "Blizzard of Ozz and "Diary of a Madman". I disagree, and I feel that this album is as good as those albums, and in someways is even better.

      The title track shows off the skills of new guitarist "Jake E. Lee". Not that musically different from Crazy Train, the song is based around a Rhoads-like riff, but somewhat less punchy, more subdued than Randy.  Ozzy's vocals are quite good, and this is one of my favorite performances of his solo career. I could do without the lame synthesizer interjections and samples, but the song is easily one of the best of Ozzy's early career, a classic. "You're No Different" shows Ozzy begging for fans to understand that he is indeed human: not some insane, devil worshiping monster, just a regular guy and father from the backstreets of Birmingham. Pretty poppy, but I like the cheesy 1980s horror movie strings, and bassist "Bob Daisley" lays down some very nice work. The solo lacks Randy's manic virtuosity, but suffices.  "Now You See It (Now You Don't)" is cited to be about Ozzy's divorce from his first wife. I'm not a huge fan of this song. The keyboards are very lame, even for the 1980s. The verses are decently heavy and catchy, but the chorus feels tacked on, lacking any real oomph.

  "Rock 'N' Roll Rebel" is easily the best song on the album, and one of Ozzy's best. Much speculation has been said of who actually wrote this album, and it's clear that most of the music and lyrics were not written by Osbourne. Most sources state the bassist Bob Daisley wrote the lion's share of the lyrics, and this song really proves it, especially the references to the novel "1984". Whoever wrote it, it is a very good song. Heavy riffs, excellent bass, and solid drumming from legend "Tommy Aldrige" round out a great tune. 80s metal at its best. "Centre Of Eternity" has never really been a personal favorite of mine. I like the monk-like group vocals, and church organ intro, but can't get into the lame synths on the chorus. What the song is about is beyond me, I am guessing space travel. The processed vocal "ahhh" sounds are also a little tacky. The solo kicks, and Lee almost fills Randy's very "big" boots. Not bad, but not a favorite of mine.

     "So Tired" shows Ozzy's love of the Beatles. A very slow ballad about a breakup, the strings sound nice and full, real strings sounding better than the lame synths that are over this album. The song lacks a noticeable guitar presence, except for a short solo. I have never really loved Ozzy ballads, and this song is not exception, ZZZzzzZ.  "Slow Down" is next. More stupid keyboards are thrown on this song, and somewhat detract from its value. But the chorus is pretty catchy, very sports match-like, you can imagine a large crowd singing along. Guitars could be louder. On this album, Lee seems somewhat "muzzled" by Ozzy, not playing at the high volumes that Randy Rhoads played at. Despite a somewhat uneven mix, the song is enjoyable. "Waiting For Darkness" is a killer tune. Lee's arpeggio-like riff is very recognizable, and instantly stands out among other guitarists. One of my favorite Ozzy guitar riffs. The chorus is just as good, I promise you will have this song stuck in your head multiple times, a great song. The solo is red-hot, and Lee shows off some very nice chops. Not a big fan of the bridge, but doesn't matter.

   "Bark At The Moon" is one of Ozzy's best albums. If you like Ozzy and heavy metal in general, you need to hear this album. The keyboards are pretty lame, and Lee needs to be louder in the mix. But in 1983, Ozzy ruled the metal world, and life was certainly good.

Rating-8.5/10
 

Golden Earring-Moontan-Review

        Dutch rockers "Golden Earring" released their ninth album in 1973. A transatlantic hit, The album is their most well-known outside of Holland. I was surprised how much I like this album, as I had spent years largely passing it by in the record bins of my life.

   "Candy's Going Bad" rocks with Stones-like swagger and sway.  The riff rolls over everything like a steamroller, bluesy but almost punk-like (I know this was long before punk)  in its simplicity. The chorus is awesome, very catchy and full-sounding, beautiful bass and keyboards from Rinus Gerritsen really bolster the sound.  A very underrated musician and of course, band. My only caveat is that the song is somewhat too long, and I find the instrumental outro somewhat anti-climatic.But, a very good song. "Are You Receiving Me" is my favorite song on the album. The sound is very similar to fellow Dutch rockers "Shocking Blue" in my opinion. Singer/Guitarist "George Kooymans" has a great voice, very smokey and ragged. The chorus is very pop, reminding me of both Shocking Blue and even to a certain extent, ABBA. I am not a big fan of rock horns in general, but they really work on the chorus of this song, adding pomp to the already bombastic chorus.The song again features a very long instrumental outro, which I don't usually listen to, fairly useless and boring, but the guitars solos are pretty good, and the chorus does come in a few last times before the song fades out. "Suzy Lunacy" closes out Side 1. Very Stones-sounding, it reminds of something off "Sticky Fingers" or "Exile on Main Street". A bluesy acoustic guitar is backed by a drunken piano and wobbly bass. Not bad, but it fails to stick out in my opinion.

   Side 2 begins with "Radar Love" A classic rock radio staple, the influence of American bands such as "Steppenwolf" and certainly the Doors. The song is even confused often for Steppenwolf by those less informed. After hundreds of listens, the song has begun to wear a bit thin. However, it's an enjoyable, if somewhat repetitive and again "too long" song. Golden Earring loved to test the limits of song length, and made sure to include a solo from each member of the band on most occasions. Despite a few faults, it's still quite a good song. "Just Like Vince Taylor" reflects Taylor's popularity in continental Europe. Slightly cliche, it's a very European interpretation of early R and B. British R and B being already "second-generation, English", "third generation, Dutch" R and B sounds somewhat inauthentic, but it has its own European flair. "The Vanilla Queen" is the most "prog-rock" of all the songs on the album. Drenched in synths, fantasy-based lyrics, and gentle acoustics. But for those who don't find the word "prog-rock" a bad name, it's a classic of an era where grandiosity in music was accepted and revered. Great song.

  "Moontan" is a very good album. You can easily find it on vinyl for less than 5$, and I would recommend picking it up. A great starting point to the discography of a very underrated and somewhat forgotten band.

Rating-7.5/10

  

  

    

Limp Bizkit-Gold Cobra-Review

    Limp Bizkit is often the source of countless jokes, mockery, disdain, anger, and total hostility. The most successful line-up of the band recently reunited to release this monster, and I say monster because it is one of the worst things ever released upon music. "Gold Cobra" was ignored by the press and public, and for good reason: it is awful, even by Limp Bizkit standards. Why?

   "Introbra" is a short instrumental that acts as a prelude to the album. Really nothing to say, just Fred "Douce-master" Durst moaning and screaming over some alarm-like sounds. Next is "Bring It Back". Over a sloppy and cheap hip-hop beat, Durst raps about the glory days of the 1990s. Showing that he really has no talent, the lyrics are abysmal. The song is very sad, Bizkit begging for someone to recognize that they exist. Musically speaking, it's not even really a song. The verse and chorus are loosely stitched together without adequate chord changes, just an abrupt stop and start. Ughh. Awful. Next is the "hit" from the album. "Gold Cobra" even had a music video made for it. Easily the "best" song on the album, it is at least as "good" as "classic" Bizkit. Bad, but not atrocious, the song at least has a catchy chorus and some nice guitars from Wes Borland. "Shark Attack" is a rehash of "Break Stuff". I felt like I was listening to said song, totally unoriginal, and there is no reason to revisit "Break Stuff". It was bad enough the first time. I beg to be killed at this point, and I start to wonder how I will get through this album. Laughable.

    "Get A Life" shows Durst referring to himself as "Polar Bear". Very disturbing, it shows the nihilistic and hedonistic nature of the band in full effect. The chorus is quite visceral, very much like label-mates "Korn". Not as bad as some other songs on the album, it's quite aggressive and raw. Next is "Shotgun". Somewhat progressive musically speaking, I do like the bass work of Sam Rivers on this song, and Wes does prove that he is a capable guitarist. But Durst's lyrics and "singing" are impossible to get over, singing about shotguns in his neighborhoods and going to jail, it just sounds insanely forced and contrived at this point. Bad. "Douche Bag" comes next. An ode to fighting and assault, I'm sure that this song will satisfy Bizkit's remaining  fan-base, which probably consists mostly of rapists and convicts. Durst raps are a bit better on this song, but still lack any real flow or staying power, and the chorus is insanely shallow and repetitive.

   "Walking Away" is a nice change from the aggressive and just plain stupid rap-metal that has dominated the album so far. However, it really shows the limitations of Durst's voice. He can barely carry a tune. Nice attempt at sensitivity and maturity, but mediocre vocals and a very nasty-sounding mix prevent success. Next. "Loser" is another attempt at a slow song. I like the synth-like bass sound, and Borland's guitars are not terrible. However, Durst's vocals still suck, and the raps are ultra-lame here, a lame attempt at the classic "boy-girl vs. the world" story. The horribly titled "Autotunage" is easily the worst song on the album. The band makes use of the much-maligned digital effect, to terrifying results. Somehow, autotune makes Durst sound even worse, and even worse than Lil Wayne. Basically one of the worst songs of all time, I cannot imagine the decision that led to the creation of this song. Musical vitriol. As bad as you can imagine and even worse, try not to break out laughing.

   "90.2.10." continues this very long album. Another song telling of how Limp Bizkit brings the party, I can only imagine how sad a Limp Bizkit party is in 2013. I felt disgusting after listening to this song about screwing girls. It borders on misogynistic, and certainly has no musical merit, Borland and company repeating the same tired riffs, and Durst rhyming "party" countless times.  "Why Try" is Durst begging rappers to challenge him. He sounds defensive and sad at this point, realizing that he is a total hack, and that he is merely a topic of discussion when the words "bad music" comes up. "Killer In You" shows that Limp Bizkit have always been a poor imitation of Insane Clown Posse. The murderous lyrics don't compare to ICP's brand of horror rap. The chorus is one of the worst in musical history, Borland barely seeming interested in this brand of music, but realizing that for now, Bizkit is his meal ticket. Mind-numbing, so bad it has to be heard.

   "Back Porch" drags the album on (why are there 19 songs?). Another "party anthem". Very druggy, it seems to be the manifestation of a shattered psyche, it is actual a better song on this album. Durst's lyrics are awful as usual, but seem genuine here, telling of rock and roll excess: drugs and alcohol, women, and the trappings of fame. The most "genuine" song on the album, it has some merit, albeit limited at best. Durst compares himself to Kurt Cobain (he would have hated this band) on "My Own Cobain". The verse guitars are horrible, sounding like a crashing wind-chime, very atonal. The chorus is not as horrible, and I actual like Borland's guitars, very Edge-like, clear and shinning. But, of course the song is ruined by a second chorus of grunting and distorted guitars, terrible. "Angels" is a guitar riff that was probably lying around for years. Durst's lyrics are so cliche and lame, it's hard not to laugh. Durst trying to be sensitive and sweet is like a convict decided to give up a life of crime, I just don't believe him after the horrors he has committed upon music. It's at least listenable, barely. Bad, bad , bad.

   "Middle Finger" features fellow white-rapper Paul Wall. The production sucks, the beat is barely listenable. Walls rhymes aren't terrible, and he schools Durst, despite being an average MC as best. Durst sounds even worse with other rappers beside him, I can't wait until this album is over. Borland and Sam Rivers don't even play on this track, just a cheap beat. Wu-Tang "Chef" Raekwon shows us what a real rapper can do. I don't know why he guested on this piece of garbage, sullying his name in the dirt. The beat is actually not bad and Raekwon is on his B-game, but Durst ruins the track. Terrible. Borland and Rivers are again absent, and it starts to feel like a Durst solo album that was abandoned. "Los Angeles" finally closes the album. By this point, I have been through the audio equivalent of water torture. An ode to cheap and easy women, I start to wonder if Durst is a sex-maniac at this point, as it seems to be the recurring theme. The song is extremely misogynistic, devaluing women to useless objects and "sluts". Awful.

    "Gold Cobra" is your worst nightmare. The return of the worst band of all time, it is pure torture to listen to. I have never heard anything worse, more misogynistic, brain-dead, or musically unskilled. Thankfully, the album was ignored and countless Limp Bizkit shows have been cancelled. Hopefully, nostalgia does not win out, I hope Limp Bizkit stays down, we do not need to ever hear anything from this band of rap-metal morons. The worst.

Rating-0/10
  
  

  

Metal Church-Metal Church-Review

       Aberdeen Washington's Metal Church are usually recognized for being a major early influence on one Kurt Cobain. However, the band are more than just a name in a Nirvana biography. Their 1984 self-titled album is a masterpiece of American metal. Let's find out why...

   "Beyond the Black" is insanely noisy and heavy. De-tuned guitars crush skulls metaphorically,  and cryptic vocals are very atmospheric. Vocalist David Wayne sounds like no other, melodic at times, yet capable of very horrific and brutal vocals. "Kirk Arrington" is an amazing drummer, and this was some of the heaviest double-bass drumming released in metal up until this point. The influence of punk can be heard all over the song. Lacking the refined production of mainstream 80s metal, it sounds really raw, and the Nirvana influence is very clear. A la Black Sabbath, Metal Church decided to release a self-titled song. Very heavy riffs slash through a solid drum beat. Wayne's vocals sound sick and demented, very creepy and unsettling. Metal Church's signature twin leads round out a very good song. "Merciless Onslaught" reveals the growing influence of thrash and speed metal. While not a thrash band themselves, this song could certainly fit into that category. Instrumental, I would have preferred vocals on this track, as you can imagine how amazing the vocals would have sounded. Fairly intricate, the musicianship is very high on this song, great stuff.

    "God of Wrath" slows things down a bit, at least initially. A nice slow and "chorus-filled" verse sets a very atmospheric and desolate tone. The chorus sound is amazing. Metal Church's guitar sound was and always has been very influential for future generations of metal-heads, it's hard to believe that this album was recorded in 1984, it's very crisp and super heavy. "Hitman" comes next. Very Motorhead-esque, the song is fast and pounding. Heavier than Motorhead, it also brings in elements of thrash such as a white-hot solo from ace guitarist and band leader "Kurdt Vanderhoof". An amazing song, this is what heavy metal is all about, soaring vocals, pounding drums, and killer guitar solos and riffs. F-ing fantastic.

   "In The Blood" reflects the growing influence of "King Diamond" on the metal scene. With its falsetto chorus, the range of David Wayne is tested to its limits, but his vocals are much better than the King himself, more elastic and consistent. The drums are a bit too busy for me, I would have preferred a simpler beat, but they still sound great. The denseness of Metal Church's sound is really apparent in this song, incredibly thick musically speaking. Good song. Next is "(My Favorite) Nightmare". Somewhat Alice Cooper-like, it takes Cooper's horror/shock metal concept to the next level, with pretty macabre lyrics about a killer seemingly having his way with victims.  The chorus vocals sound a bit silly with their falsetto (never been a big falsetto fan), but otherwise the song really rips. "Battalions" is another pretty fast song. The most Metallica-like song on the album, it could have easily been recorded by San Francisco's metal masters. Not a bad song, but somewhat out of character for Metal Church, too thrash. Wayne's verse vocals sound a bit off with this style, showing that he excels more at performing higher "vocal gymnastics" that can be found on the chorus. A good song, but an odd duck on this album.

   Metal Church decides next to cover Deep Purple's hit "Highway Star". Honestly, I don't really have a use for this song. Amazing vocals from Wayne, but that's all I can really say. Not necessary, and really no reason to listen to this, as the original is leaps and bounds better. Last up is "Big Guns". The most traditional metal song on the album, it heads into Judas Priest and Dio territory. Very power metal, it even shows some influence from the burgeoning Iron Maiden. I like the song, but not really a classic, again outside the bands bread and butter sound of crushing riffs and horrific vocals. But, a nice attempt at power metal.

   "Metal Church" are criminally underrated. The fact that they are not as big as Metallica of Iron Maiden is shocking to me. They are a great band, and this is a great album. If you like heavy music, you owe it to yourself to listen to this masterpiece of American metal.

Rating-9.5/10
 
  

Goddo-Goodo-Review

   Toronto (Scarborough, in 1977) rockers Goddo released their self-titled debut album in 1977. A moderately successful album in the Canadian market and a cult classic overseas, the album endears as one of the best hard-rock Canadian albums in this author's opinion. Let's find out why my hometown heroes are such a classic, yet underrated band.

   First up is "The Bus Driver Blues". Telling the tale of a stressed out and ego-tripping bus driver, the song is a Canadian classic. Extremely witty and biting, it really shows Goddo's flair for all things sardonic. I love Greg Godovitz's bass sound, very rubbery and Beatles-esque. "Drive Me Crazy" is like an insane version of Bad Company, a rolling blues-rocker about sex, but driven by a wacky drum beat, slightly off-kilter. A quirky song, not bad. "Let That Lizard Loose" is one of the band's most famous songs. Showing the growing influence of punk music, the song is based around three simple guitar power chords, very basic, yet highly catchy. The solos are quite weak musically speaking, but this is fun music and should not be taken too seriously, after all the song is a fun ode to the male appendage, Goddo bridged the gap between punk and hard-rock, straddling the line between each genre.

   "I'm Losing You" is the most pop-like song on the album. It starts very slow with gentle acoustics, before crashing into a very heavy transition, before returning to a washy chorus. Very Beatles-like, I like the ambitious nature of the song. However, the drumming is very distracting. Very out of sync with the guitars, I can't seem to find the musical "anchor" of the song, the timing is very off. Knowing Goddo, this could have been on purpose, but distracting nonetheless. Also, the song is over seven-minutes long, and really starts to grind the nerves, given the repetitive structure and odd beat. Skip this one. "Let It Slide" kicks up the energy level. Very punk, it's loud, snotty, and crunchy. However, the song is basically a pop song at heart. The song reminds me of Cheap Trick, with the pop-punk-Beatles, think "Hello There" by said band, and you have a starting point. Good song. "Twelve Days" is a retro rocker (at that point). Harkening to the early days of Chuck Berry, it's a blues-rocker with some odd and complicated progressive(for Goddo anyways) chord changes. Godovitz's voice sounds awful, but I feel that the producer was going for a somewhat lo-fidelity approach. "Who-like" guitar strums add bombast, but fail to save the song. I just can't really get past the terrible production on this song, it's far too loud and everything sounds distorted and nasty. Not a bad song, but sounds terrible.

   "Under My Hat" is mellow and jazzy. Electric piano dominates the song. A nice change from the very brash songs on Side 2, Godovitz shows that he is actually has a very nice pop-music voice, something that the band would increasingly explore on later albums. Guitar solos are a little too busy for my taste, but a great song, with especially excellent bass work by Godovitz. Last up is my favorite Goddo song, "Hard Years" is punk-metal perfection. A swaggering riff is on fire, the song is like a powder keg exploding in your face. Slightly sloppy in terms of playing, I actual like the fact that bass and guitar are slightly out of sync with each other.  An absolute classic, listen to it now.

    "Goddo" is a very good album. It and the band have gone largely unrecognized outside Canada, shamefully so. This is by far their best album in my opinion, despite some very sloppy playing and questionable production.

Rating-7.5/10
  
 

Rainbow-Rising-Review

  Released in 1976, "Rising" is the second studio album released by Rainbow. Considered one of the best metal albums of all time, and a blueprint for "power metal", Rising is a very influential album. But, is it as good as people say it is?

   "Tarot Woman" is first. A very cool Minimoog synthesizer solo provides the introduction. Drummer "Cozy" Powell then kicks in with a monster drum beat. The dearly departed Cozy was an absolute revelation behind the kit, easily one of the best rock drummers of his era. Very Deep Purple-sounding, the song stands out from Purple by the massive presence of Ronnie Dio on vocals. Dio's vocals are superb, and it's hard to imagine a better fit for Richie Blackmore's rollicking classical-metal riffs. The lyrics are a nice change from the somewhat vapid lyrics of Ian Gillan and even David Coverdale, very poetic and heartfelt. Next is "Run with the Wolf". Blackmore explores familiar blues-metal riffage, but again Dio's vocals prove that this is not your mother's rock band. This song, more than any other by Rainbow, shows the sound that Dio would adopt for his solo career. A heavy amount of organ fattens the sound, but I could live with or without keyboards on this song. With sounds as big as Blackmore and Dio, "beefing up" of sounds in hardly needed.

   "Starstruck" provides the basic foundation for Iron Maiden.  A classical/Celtic-esque intro shows Blackmore exploring the more ancient forms of music, blending them seamlessly in 1970s hard rock.  The chorus is very catchy and makes you sing-along. However, the song is somewhat swollen and long for me. Rainbow frequently made songs that were too long in my opinion, by the 3-minute mark, the song starts to lose some of its appeal. "Do You Close Your Eyes" is one of my favorite Rainbow songs. Despite a somewhat pop-like chorus, the verses are very masculine and lean, heavy with sexual intent. Not as bad as some say, the choruses do take away something from the song. The lyrics just seem out of place with Dio's schtick at that point, more romantic than cautionary. "Stargazer" is a metal/hard-rock staple. Covered by countless bands, this song is the stuff of legend. Cozy's drums are phenomenal, Dio soars vocally, and Blackmore smokes. Backed up by an orchestra, I hate to use this cliche word, but the song is truly epic-sounding. Stargazer does overstay its welcome somewhat at over eight-minutes long, but with musicianship this good, who really cares.

   Last up is "A Light in the Black". Later Dio bassist "Jimmy Bain" really shows off his chops here. Amazing bass playing. Approaching new limits of his technicality, Blackmore really comes into his own here. A very versatile and influential guitarist, I believe that this album was the highlight of his playing, at least in the rock context. The keyboard solos are also quite enjoyable, and American keyboardist "Tony Carey" does his best Jon Lord imitation, albeit with a more synthesized flavor, before heading into a classical keyboard solo that blows away almost anything done by Lord by 1976. Blackmore's solo comes next, and is positively electric atop a machine-like beat from Cozy. Amazing stuff.

   Rising is an amazing album. Is it the best hard-rock/metal album of all time, certainly not, But is it f-ing amazing, it certainly is. Rainbow in 1976 had all the aces, and were at the top of their game.

Rating-9/10