| Toxicity | | Posted Monday, September 11, 2006 2:11:44 AM by BlogJeeves Team | | System of a Down's sophomore effort is a musically and lyrically ambitious 14-song collection that's even more left-of-center and powerful than their 1998 self-titled debut. Here the Los Angeles-bred foursome tackle everything from government ("Prison Song") to cocaine-crazed groupies ("Psycho") in a more pointed and aggressive manner than Rage Against the Machine. Serj Tankian's hardcore vocals and occasional Middle Eastern flourishes ("Science") contribute to the unique, ultra-intense, and quirky qualities of System circa 2001. Unexpected time changes and death-metal-like intensity give way to mellower moments, all of which make for demanding but irresistible listening. Toxicity is a masterful, unusual, and forceful opus. This release includes a bonus CD-ROM that includes behind-the-scenes footage, band commentary, and concert clips. --Katherine Turman ... | |
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| | | Alice in Chains - Greatest Hits | | Posted Sunday, September 03, 2006 4:12:24 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | From 1999's Music Bank box set and its one-CD compilation offshoot, Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box to a 1996 Unplugged CD, the Alice in Chains titles continue to arrive even while the band--and especially reclusive frontman Layne Staley--stagnates. The quartet's heavy, dirgelike music is aging well, but the 10 songs that comprise Greatest Hits are the basic radio hits. Greatest Hits features no new music, no liner notes, no lyrics, no new photos, and no elaborate packaging. Still, for the rock fan, every song on the disc (five of them penned solely by talented guitarist Jerry Cantrell) is a bona fide hit, from the band's earliest, their 1990 breakthrough "Man in the Box," to the lush orchestration of "I Stay Away" to 1995's dark pop gem "Heaven Beside You." Greatest Hits provides a quick fix for newer fans, but with The Best of the Box boasting 9 of Greatest Hits' 10 songs, plus an additional 5 selections. Skip Hits and go for The Best. --Katherine Turman... | |
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| | | Black Stone Cherry | | Posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 4:11:38 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | On this debut album from Kentucky born BLACK STONE CHERRY you can hear their influences including Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Black Sabbath, but also a heavy side touching more in a Black Label Society vein. The track "Lonely Train" is gaining traction at radio. The track is produced by Richard Young of the Kentucky Headhunters, who is also the father of drummer John Fred Young. With songs about moonshine smuggling, rain wizards and women, how can you go wrong?... | |
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| | | Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra | | Posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 4:11:37 AM by BlogJeeves Team | | This album marks the grand finale of the 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra--a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the members of Dream Theater meeting at Berklee School of Music. The recording was captured live at Radio City Music Hall on April 1st, 2006.... | |
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| | | Reign in Blood | | Posted Saturday, August 19, 2006 4:12:04 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | No one has bettered the ferocity, pace, and brutal power of this 28-minute 10-song set. Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King fire out of the gate with the infamous "Angel of Death" and don't take a respite until the fifth cut, "Jesus Saves." And that breather lasts all of 30 seconds. Winding like a mutant Paganini piece, "Postmortem"'s hook is so inescapable that even metal neophytes will find it irresistible. Superbly sequenced and wonderfully executed, this favorite of producer Rick Rubin stands as the most extreme album in thrash-metal history. --Steffan Chirazi... | |
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| | | Make Yourself | | Posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 2:12:18 AM by BlogJeeves Team | | Young, aggro, and from Los Angeles--it's tempting to put Incubus in the already crowded category populated by Korn, System of a Down, and their other loud and heavy brethren. But that would sell Incubus short, because Make Yourself, the quintet's sophomore album, is a strong progression beyond their 1997 debut, S.C.I.E.N.C.E.. More like Faith No More than Limp Bizkit, Incubus still have that teen-mosh appeal, though the songwriting and instrumentation on Make Yourself is diverse and thoughtful, both lyrically and musically. "Drive" is an easygoing, slightly trippy acoustic-based outing, while oddball scratching (courtesy of DJ Chris Kilmore) and trip-hop funkiness make "Battlestar Scralatchtica" aptly titled. "Nowhere Fast" is vaguely 311-ish with a reggae tinge and lovely melodic interludes, in contrast to the furious intensity of "Out from Under," which gives Make Yourself a surprisingly cohesive diversity that's hard to categorize. Ultimately, singer Brandon Boyd is not a vocal genius, but lyrically and in performance, he's sensitive, charismatic, and unique. Ditto for the 13 cuts that make up Make Yourself. --Katherine Turman ... | |
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| | | The Poison | | Posted Monday, August 14, 2006 2:11:44 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | The Poison' is an album rooted in classic British metal, with brutal riffs and colossal, pounding drums all lovingly and respectfully thrown into the mix along with the band's own blend of powerhouse aggression and youthful anarchy and energy. With `The Poison', Bullet for my Valentine are set to firmly establish themselves as the front runners of UK Metal, and give all the US bands a run for their money. From the stunning opening introduction track, guest staring classical metal titans Apocalyptica, the million miles an hour heavy as hell `Her Voice Resides', the acoustic metal classic in the making `All these things I hate (revolve around me)', through to the top anthem `4 Words (To choke upon)', this is a debut album to savour in all its epic, metal glory. Working once again with uber producer Colin Richardson (Machine Head, Cradle of Filth), the album successfully manages to capture the blinding raw energy and power of a band with the world at its feet, a band about to explode! In the last year, Bullet for my Valentine have toured with Atreyu, It Dies Today, Funeral For A Friend, and just finished their headlining "Kerrang Tour" with special guests Hawthorne Heights.... | |
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| | | Evil Empire | | Posted Saturday, August 12, 2006 2:12:35 AM by BlogJeeves Team | | As the vitriol spewed from Evil Empire, Rage Against the Machine's long-awaited follow up to their 1993 debut owes much to Chuck D.'s polemic fury and rapid-fire urgency--though as always the band rages without hip-hop machinery in favor of the heavy-duty power tools of rock. But no matter if Rage against the Machine amounts to revolutionary rap, protest metal, or a combination of the two, the band's command of sonic rage makes Evil Empire a powerful assault in any musical language. But wait, there's more to the name. Raging against the machine, like yelling at the TV, is woefully misdirected. Lyricist Zack de la Rocha is clearly someone with strong political views--particularly when it comes to the plight of fellow Mexicans on both sides of the border. He vents his indignation sharply at times ("Vietnow," "Without a Face"), rather clumsily and artlessly most others. Music this angry should be aimed at something more specific than an entire race or nation or government, or else it risks sounding like the empty rants of confused postpubescent rebellion. If only Rage against the Machine's raw musical muscles were grinding over a focused message, lord knows how potent they could be. --Roni Sarig ... | |
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| | | Korn - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 | | Posted Wednesday, August 09, 2006 2:12:00 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | First installment of the track-suited inventors of nu-metal's greatest hits. It draws on their back catalogue, from the1994 self titled debut; right through to 2003's 'Take A Look In The Mirror'. 'Greatest Hits Vol.1' displays the originsof the downtuned early 90's metal sound that went on to influence countless acts. It also includes covers of material by Pink Floyd and Cameo.... | |
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| | | Use Your Illusion II | | Posted Friday, August 04, 2006 12:12:20 PM by BlogJeeves Team | | Had Use Your Illusion II been combined with Use Your Illusion I, keeping only the best material while dropping the filler, it would have been one of the best rock albums ever recorded. Instead, great songs like "Civil War," "14 Years," "Estranged," and "So Fine" compete with the inexcusable "Get in the Ring" and the well-intentioned but off-target cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." There's no point to the second version of "Don't Cry," either. On the other hand, when Guns N' Roses were good, they were very, very good, and some of the material on this album is unsurpassable. --Genevieve Williams... | |
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