Mudvayne - Lost and Found

This was Mudvayne’s follow-up to their multi-platinum “The End of All Things to Come.” I really enjoyed the previous album, yet I find that I just can’t get into this one.
To me, this album feels like a re-hash of the more angry, visceral bits of their previous album. Certainly, there are slower, more intricate passages, but these islands of lucidity arll too quickly degenerate into rage-fueled nu-metal.
I did, however, quite enjoy the last song, All That You Are. This particular song starts as a slow, melodic piece that then builds to a more frantic pace. Though it flirts with the visceral feel that dominated the remainder of the album, it never gets stuck there. This song, more than any other on this album, shows the musical versatility that I love from Mudvayne.

Richard Cheese - Lounge Against the Machine

Rough day? Looking for something to put a smile on your face? Well, look no further than this collection of sixteen hits of the late 90s - swankified.
How about a smooth jazz version of Rage Against the Machine’s Guerilla Radio?
Maybe you’d enjoy Nine Inch Nails’ Closer performed as a children’s show theme, complete with classic Sesame Street riff?
This is probably Richard Cheese’s finest album to date - the music flows well, and it doesn’t really feel like he’s hamming it up. He toes the line very well on this album.

Twisted Sister - Love is For Suckers

Originally intended to be a Dee Snider solo album, “Love is For Suckers” would be Twisted Sister’s final album until 2006’s “Twisted Christmas.”
Musically, this album is a little bit “lighter” than previous Twisted Sister albums. It’s still Twisted Sister, but the attitude is a bit muted. Despite damping the attitude for a few rockin’ love songs, Twisted Sister still pull of a good album.
One thing that really stood out for me was the tile track. There are a couple sections where lyrics are spoken, rather than sung. At first, I though that they had hired Alice Cooper to do additional vocals. Then I realized that I was indeed listening to Dee Snider. The light dawned - Dee Snider sounds an awful lot like Alice Cooper!
I have no idea why I never noticed that before.

HIM - Love Metal

Speaking of love songs…
I honestly know very little about HIM. I know that I like their music. I know that they’re quite popular with “kids these days.” I know that I often see a proliferation if HIM merchandise when I visit Hot Topic.
I’ll bet that the “true metal” fans don’t take too kindly to HIM referring to themselves as a metal band. True, they don’t have the in-your-face attitude that characterizes a lot of metal…then again, they do have the darkness and the scattered satanic overtones. My opinion? HIM is…let’s see…a hard rock band with heavy goth influences and a strong sentimental streak.
Then again, I’m not one to quibble about genre - I figure genre is only necessary to help describe music without actually playing it.

Swaying Smoke - Lullabies

The beginning of this album is surprisingly energetic…for Swaying Smoke. An almost danceable beat greets the listener, but soon gives way to airy, very subtle drones. These softly flowing sounds are as soothing as the title implies, even when they are accented by, let’s say, the sound of an army marching in the distance (Lullaby). Well, that’s what I heard…
The song that really stood out for me on this album was Sultry. Before long, I decided that there must be some kind of joke behind the song title. To me, Sultry’s bright, cheeery chines evoke neither a sweltering summer day nor an “adventurous” night. Rather, this song takes my mind to a cool, breezy spring day. My wife and I are in the backyard, good books, and fresh iced tea close at hand…
I found out later that the title was indeed a joke, but not of the kind that I thought. It’s a pun - the song was played on a psaltry.

Poisonblack - Lust Stained Despair

So, how about a little goth metal to wake you up after a few nice lullabies?
I’ve stated before that I never would have recognized that Poisonblack is a gothic metal band if Wikipedial hadn’t pointed it out to me. I’ve finally figured out the reason for this - it’s all to do with Poisonblack’s particular approach.
Most gothic metal bands tend to incorporate elements of power, black or death metal - the epic nature of these styles lends itself particularly well to gothic music. Poisonblack, however, have taken a slightly different path, in that they’ve incorporated the sounds of late 1980s metal. Take a close listen and tell me that you don’t hear echoes of Skid Row.

Bad Acid Trip - Lynch the Wierdo

Thoughtful, sardonic, and poignant…is it any wonder that Bad Acid Trip caught the attention of System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian (this album was released by Serjical Strike records)?
In the world of experimental metal, Bad Acid Trip are definitely mad scientists. Their brief, furious bursts of manic energy hit your brain broadside, while the lyrics (“pop rock’s just a fashiuon rebellion”) burrow in and give you a little something to ponder.
It’s difficult to accurately describe this band, so…

Queen - Made in Heaven

This was Queen’s final album. Although released in 1995, this album makes use of vocal tracks recorded by Freddie Mercury prior to his death in 1991. Most of the vocals here were recorded by Freddie in the final months prior to his passing, although there are older bits (some unreleased, some familiar) as well.
Sad? Yes. Maudlin? Certainly. A fitting farewell to one of the greatest rock singers ever? There can be no doubt.

Yes, this is actually yesterday’s post, It’s a day late because, well, yesterday sucked, and I was in no mood to try and craft a cheerful music blog.
Of course, the upside to this is that you get a double dose today! First, we will finish the “Live” section of our trip, and then we’ll make a brief foray back into the more “standard” albums. Why brief? Read Day Seventy Two and find out!

Cradle of Filth - Live Bait for the Dead

This 2-disc set is actually more than just a live album. Disc 1 is the concert, while disc 2 is stuffed with extras: remixes, soundcheck recordings, and two entirely new songs, Deleted Scenes of a Snuff Princess and a cover of Twisted Sister’s The Fire Still Burns.
The concert itself is a blast to listen to. Cradle of Filth appears to have taken a “warts and all” approach here, as this is nowhere near the best performance that they’re capable of (I’ve seen them twice; they really are great live). Of sourse, with the myriad mistakes, failed jokes, etc, Dani Filt was inspired to utter some truly insane things between dongs. For example:
“Let me just re-ingest my vocal tract.” (after a song with a particularly harsh ending)
“Remember, drink bleach.” (after screwing up)
There were others, but they simply don’t work out of context.

Sumphony X - Live On The Edge Of Forever

I seem to have mis-labeled this album. My iPod thinks that its title is “Live in Europe.” I’ll have to fix that.
Symphony X is an excellent progressive rock band, and they really do live up to their name. Their songs have a very symphonic feel to them. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t come across on this live album.
The instruments all sound muted - only the vocals are really clear. The only time that the instruments have the opportunity to shine is during passages with no singing. Not to knock Russell Allen’s vocals, but I don’t think that the mix was handled very well.
If you really want to get a good Symphony X experience, your best bet is to pick up one of their many studio albums.

The Tiger Lillies - Live in Russia 2001-2002

I only have one track from this album, (it’s currently my only Tiger Lillies track, an oversight that I intend to correct post-haste). That song is Gin, and it’s the song that made me pay attention to the Tiger Lillies in the first place.
Rather than so on and on about how great the song is, I’ll just let it speak for itself.

Queen - Live Killers

Queen - Live Magic

I’m grouping these two albums together for two reasons. First, they happened to play back-to-back, and second, I’m rather disappointed with both.
Both of these albums are cobbled together from multiple concerts on the same tour, which leads to fade out/fade in pauses that take one out of the concert mindset. Combine this with the fact that some of the songs on “Live Magic” are actually truncated (Worst. Bohemian Rhapsody. Ever.), you can see why I’m disappointed with the overall quality of these albums. The performances themselves were good, don’t get me wrong. However, if you really want a good Queen live album, you need “Live at Wembely ‘86.” There is none better.

My goodness, I do seem to have quite a number of live albums. I checked ahead, and it looks like the next eleven albums are going to be live recordings.
In no way is this my entire live album collection, however. There are also the live albums that I’ve not yet ripped (Metallica comes to mind), and the ones whose titles do not begin with the word “live”.
Regardless, I do love a good live album. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Lycia - Live

The concert series starts with a rather unusual entry among live albums. The audience is nearly mute throughout this entire album - I only recall hearing them at the very beginning. Thus, the only thing to indicate that this is a live recording is the presence of “concert reverb” throughout.
Still, this is a good album - it shows Lycia at their best, and makes me wish that I’d been able to go to one of their chows back in the day. Alas, the opportunity is lost.

Faith No More - Live at Brixton Academy

This is a particularly fun live album. If you know Faith No More, than you know that they like to play around with music. Nowhere is this more clear than when they’re performing live. Their performance constantly feels like it’s on the verge of erupting into a spontaneous jam session. The band will occasionally go off on a brief musical tangent, and acouple times, Mike Patton would toss pop lyrics right into the middle of a song (during We Care a Lot, he briefly broke into The Right Stuff by New Kids on the Block).
Black Sabbath fans may be interested to know that the War Pigs recording included on the first “Nativity in Black” tribute compilation came from this album.

Twisted Sister - Live at Wacken: The Reunion

As the title, implies, this concert recording marked the end of the Twisted Sister breakup. They’d broken up after they rel;eased “Love is for Suckers,” but their record label had been releasing a pile of live alums in the meantime.
The concert is excellent - it really shows why Twisted Sister gained the level of popularity that they had in their prime. They give off a high level of energy at all times, and Dee Snider is constantly talking to the audience, trying to keep them noisy and involved.
As a bit of a side note, this is my favorite kind of live album. Rather than simply being a compilation of live recordings from several different shows, this is one single live performance, presented from beginning to end. That’s not to say that the other kind is bad, but I really prefer hearing the flow of a full concert.

Queen - Live at Wembley ‘86

Epic. Simply Epic.
At this point, it should come as no surprose that I’m very fond of this album. It’s Queen, for chrissakes, and it would appear that the true epic power of Queen can only be fully appreciated in a concert setting.
Apparently this concert was a beast. Queen played all of their own best songs, as well as a handful of “golden oldies.” It was a relentless onslaught of great music, and I’m sure that those who were fortunate enough to have attended the show still look back on it fondly. I certainly would.
One particularly amusing (if slightly morbid) moment came when Freddie Mercury, addressing rumors that Queen was planning to break up, “Forget those rumors; we’re gonna stay together till we f***ing well die, I’m sure of it.”
Clearly, he was right.

Corvus Corax - Live auf dem Waescherschloss

This was a particularly interesting live album. First, there’s the fact that I have no idea what’s being said between songs - to say that my German vocabulary is rather small is like saying that water is rather moist.
Second, there’s the audience. It was odd (and awesome) to hear an audience reacting to medieval peasant music in the same way that one expecte to hear an audience reacting to rock n’ roll. Then again, this was the “rock n’ roll” of the middle ages: fast-paced, popular, and demonized by the church.

Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus

If, perchance, your entire Amorphis experience to date has been through this blog, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. All of the Amorphis that I’ve listened to so far has been music of a distinctly goth/progressive variety. That’s about to change.
“The Karelian Isthmus” was the first album released by Amorphis…back when they were a death metal band. This ain’t your daddy’s death metal, though - Never satisfied with simply filling a genre, Amorphis took death metal in a different direction. Although not as obvious as they would be on later albums, you can still hear progressive elements in the music on this album.

Metallica - Kill ‘Em All

Looking at the liner notes on this album, it’s hard to believe that those four kids in the picture are the same four people who would go on to become one of the most important metal bands in history, defining thrash in the process. It’s funny how life works.
The music on “Kill ‘Em All” is interesting - doubly so when looked at through the lens of the two and a half decades that have passed since its release. As with many first albums, especially those released on “minor” labels (Kill “Em All was released on Megaforce records), the sound is a bit rough. Metallica managed to make that work for them. Probably because of their roots as a garage band, they took that raw sound and used it.
The staccato riffs, blistering solos (take a close listen to Seek and Destroy), and vocals that ride the fine line between “wail” and “scream”…Metallica’s early New Wave Of British Heavy Metal influences are quite apparent. Some of the songs may have been fairly silly in the lyric department (Phantom Lord? Really?), but they more than made up for that with their delivery. There’s a reason Seek and Destroy is a concert staple to this day, and it’s not the deep, insightful lyrics.
I could go on at some length about this album (there was a time when I studied Metallica history in detail), but that would soon become needlessly pedantic.

Megadeth - Killing is My Business…and Business is Good

This is an interesting yin/yang we have here - right after Metallica’s debut we get Megadeth’s debut. The fact that these albums sound similar should come as no surprise; both pull from the same pool of inspiration, and Dave Mustaine was involved in the songwriting process for most of the songs on “Kill ‘Em All.”
Megadeth’s debut, however, has a much harder, angrier edge to its sound. This is largely due to Dave Mustaine’s anger over being fired from Metallica. He was out for blood, and it shows.
Particularly notable on this album is The Mechanix. Written when Mustaine was still a member of Metallica, this is the original version of the song that would be released on “Kill ‘Em All” As The Four Horsemen. The Mechanix is faster and shorter, and its lyrics considerably less occult (and more adolescent). The first time I bought this album, it was specifically for The Mechanix, as the only other way to hear it was to track down a copy of Metallica’s demo (which I have since done - more on that later).
This particular edition of “Killing is My Business” also includes Megadeth’s three-track demo, featuring raw, (and blindingly fast) versions of Last Rites/Loved To Deth, Mechanix and Skull Beneath the Skin.

Queen - A Kind of Magic

This isn’t your ordinary Queen album. No sir, this is more than that - it’s also the soundtrack from the movie Highlander. In other words, this album has more refined awesome than a single album should be able to hold. I imagine that Queen had to invent some kind of groundbreaking awesomeness compression technology to fit it all in. Take a good look at the tracklist for this album - half of it is in the Greatest Hits collection, and for good reason. Wait…did I start this review by using “ordinary” and “queen” in the same sentence? Oh dear, oh dear… I’m going to have to do penance for that…

Faith No More - King For a Day, Fool For a Lifetime

It’s funny, I was just going to say that this album sounded “more rock and less funk,” when Evidence came on, with the funky wah pedal thing happening…
Still, this album (Faith No More’s last, as I recall) is more rock/metal that their previous releases. It does, however, dip its feet into the strange, avant-garde world of Fantomas - just listen to Cuckoo for Caca. Wow, that’s a gross song title.

Cordell Klier - Kingdom

Technically, this is part of the “Netlabel Invasion.” However, I’m not considering it to be an actual part of said invasion, as I was already aware of Cordell Klier as an artist prior to receiving the Netlabel DVD.
Kingdom is a one-track album - 18:22 of ambient sound. It starts out with a few quiet sounds, then POW! About half a minute in, a loud drone kicks in, filling your head with a slightly electronic sound. Personally, I think it has a bit of a science fiction feel to it - as I listen to it, my mind’s eye sees a black hole, with a research station just beyond the event horizon…or maybe there’s some kind of anomaly, like V’ger…
Ok, I really like this one.

Emperor - IX Equilibrium

Wow…what a way to start the morning. Furiously fast yet melodic, Emperor really stands apart.
To the uninitiated, Emperor will sound like nothing more than fast black metal. Once you’ve listened a couple times, however, you start to see what makes the music so great. You’re not meant to listen to the individual notes, but to the musical progression that they follow. Heavy as it is, Emperor’s music is actually very classical in nature. Eschewing the simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus patterns found in most rock and metal music, Emperor opted for the use of the more complex thematic structure of classical music.

Queen - Jazz

I’ve been singing the praises of Queen’s greatness every time they’ve come up. Hell, I even praised their “funk” album, once I figured out what was going on. Given the size of Queen’s catalog, I’m starting to wonder just how many different ways I can say, “Queen is frakking awesome” before I run dry. Not that I have all of their albums, but I do have quite a collection.
I’ve seen that Queen is now Queen+, a name that’s appended with the name of whoever they happen to have singing at a given time. This is an interesting development. I think this is their way of acknowledging that Freddie Mercury was a very…very important part of what made Queen as awesome as it was. The addition of “+” says that, while nobody could ever replace Freddie, “The Show Must Go On.” I haven’t heard any of the Queen+ CD’s myself, but I must say, I like the way they’ve handled the post-Freddie life of the band.
What does all this have to do with “Jazz”? Nothing, I just wanted to mention it. “Jazz” is a good album, though - very good. Do you still need a reason to look into it? I’ll give you two: Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race.
Yeah. That’s what I thought.

Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage

So far, this is the only Frank Zappa album that I own. I really need to correct that oversight; Frank was awesome!
This is a very interesting double concept album. It was originally released as two separate albums, both of which were eventually repackaged together. Joe’s Garage is a story about a fellow named Joe, who forms a garage band that eventually rises to fame. Joe’s rock n’ roll is portrayed as an evil, corrupting force by the story’s narrator.
The story of Joe’s Garage is narrated by a character called the “Central Scrutinizer,” who spouts McCarthy-esque conformist jargon while decrying music as anything more than a sign of corruption. The Central Scrutinizer is narrating this tale from a dystopian future in which music has been outlawed.
There’s an interesting twist to this story: in the final song, the Central Scrutinizer shuts off his voice distortion effect and sings the song “in his real voice,” which is Frank Zappa’s voice. This cleverly implies that Frank’s role as the Central Scrutinizer is his punishment for making rock music.
“Joe’s Garage” is more than just a dystopian rock opera - it’s chock full of satire. Even the most casual of observers will catch Frank’s satirization of groupie culture, wet t-shirt contests, and the Church of Scientology…among other things. Told in a way that only Frank Zappa could even have imagined, this is one hell of an album - you really need to hear it.

They Might Be Giants - John Henry

This album, TMBG’s fifth (by my count), is particularly noteworthy because it’s the first TMBG album recorded as a full band. Previous TMBG releases were recorded by John Flansburgh and John Linnell, with various guest musicians throughout. John Henry, however, features the same core band on all of the songs. This change shows in the music, which sounds a little more…cohesive isn’t the right word, but it’s close. The music is somewhat less diverse than on previous albums, but it’s still great stuff.

Tiamat - Judas Christ

I love this album. This is one of the albums where Tiamat really starts to shine. Released as they were emerging from their “goth period,” this album sees Tiamat begin to re-incorporate hard rock and heavy metal elements into their music while retaining the darkness they had been experimenting with.

Mortiis - Keiser av en Dimensjon Ukjent

I think this is Mortiis’s third album. It’s definitely one of the early albums under Era One. Synthesizer driven dark neo-classical music on an epic scale, this album contains a mere two songs. On the LP and Cassette releases, each song was on a different side - they’re that long.
The first time I tried to acquire this album, something rather amusing occurred. I ordered the vinyl picture disc from Projekt records (it was only $10!), because picture discs are awesome. Apparently, they were out of stock by the time my order arrived. They could have refunded my money. They could have given me a coupon for $10 credit toward a future purchase. Instead, they did something awesome. They send me a CD of Mortiis’s just-released “Crypt of the Wizard.” A brand new import CD for $10. Freakin’ awesome!

Steve Roach & Vidna Obmana - InnerZone

This is a little dangerous, ambient music first thing on a Friday morning. Hopefully, coffee is up to the challenge.
Of course, it’s also awesome. Steve Roach and Vidna Obmana are two of my favorite ambient/ethereal composers and when they collaborate, magic happens. “InnerZone” is no exception. Unfortunately, being early on a Friday morning, my brain is not nearly awake enough to give my usual ambient music narrative. I’m just going to have to revisit this one another time, when I’m in an appropriate frame of mind.
Until then, let me just say this: If an album has either one of these two names on it, BUY IT. Trust me, it’ll be worth every penny.

Queen - Innuendo

Despite the title, there is surprisingly little innuendo on this album. If you were hoping for cheeky, even saucy lyrics, you’d bestmove along.
This may very well be the archetypical Queen album. I know that Queen have experimented with any number of styles over the years, but there’s still a certain sound, a certain feel that just says “Queen.” This album pretty much embodies that feel. Epic, classical, and very, very rockin’.
Also, this album contians my absolute favorite queen song ever:

Apocalyptica - Inquisition Symphony

This is Apocalyptica’s second album, and their first with original songs on it. In terms of covers, these cellists have extended their repertoire to include more than just Metallica. “Inquisition Symphony” sees them covering Faith No More and Sepultura in addition to a handful of Metallica songs.
The originals are excellent; imagine good, instrumental heavy metal. Now, alter it a bit so that it’s performed entirely on cellos. Got it? Good, now you understand what makes Apocalyptica so great.

Green Day - Insomniac

The follow-up to Green Day’s breakout album “Dookie,” “Insomniac” continues with the straightforward punk rock concept. I remember there being fairly significant controversy at the time this album came out. The controversy wasn’t about the album itself as much as it was about Green Day. Simply put, the fact that Green Day had signed a contract with a major record label led to them being branded as “sellouts.”
This has never made sense to me. When one forms a band, one of the implicit goals is to be able to make a living by making music. Why is it considered “selling out” to sign a contract that will allow this to happen? I could understand if the signing of the contract also involved abandoning one’s own style on favor of one dictated by “the boss,” but I don’t see that that’s what happened here.
Ok, I’ll get down off of my soapbox and just say that this is a very enjoyable punk album.

Ka-Baalim & Bunk Data - The Insomniati: One ‘The Light That Burns Twice as Bright Can’t Sleep at Night’

Ka-Baalim & Bunk Data - the Insomniati: Two ‘When You Forget You’re Dreaming and Never Wake Up’

I have no idea what I’m getting into here - this is one of the netlabel artists that I received last week from a friend. The album titles appear to indicate that I’m in for another ambient and/or ethereal experience. Let’s see what happens…
Yes, this is definitely ethereal, but with a twist. The music is nicely subtle, but it does hide an occasional surprise. Distant, indistinct voices are paired with very soft drones amid sparse electronic effects to create an atmosphere that feels vast, almost like you’re floating in deep space.
I mentioned that there are surprises. One of these is the song One Thousand Miles From the Door. Just when you think you know what’s going on here, a robotic-sounding voice starts talking to you, as though an android has decided to read you some of its poetry (Thank goodness it wasn’t a Vogon). The robot returns, briefly, on Undifferentiated Oneness. Then things really start to get…interesting.
This is very interesting stuff, and it’s free. Go on, check it out for yourself.

OK, I’m stopping right here for today. The next album is a 2-disc set that really needs to be taken as a whole, and it’s just too close to the end of the day. I feel that this one will most certainly bring out my loquacious side…

The Gathering - Home

Once again, we have two albums of the same title, from very different groups. Though I’ll be alternating between the two on a track-by-track basis, I’ll keep them separate here. This little bit of insanity is all mine.
The Gathering is a very interesting band. When they first same on the scene, they were very much a gothic death metal band. They weren’t all that good, either - I once got my hands on a copy of their second album. I sold it not long after.
It was with the addition of vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen that The Gathering shed their death metal sound and embarked upon a more progressive and atmospheric musical journey.
“Home” is their most recent, and the final album with Anneke singing. Less atmospheric than some of their previous work, this album still showcases the progressive creativity that has become a hallmark of The Gathering. When I say “progressive,” I’m not referring to the mind-numbingly complex orchestrations that characterize most progressive music (not that that’s a bad thing). The progressiveness of The Gathering is less technical and more boundary related - a little shift here, a muted sound there, and voila! Something interesting just slipped under your radar.

Sevendust - Home

I think that this is quite possibly Sevendust’s best album (although “Animosity” ranks a close second). This is Sevendust in their prime - hard-hitting, bass-heavy metal.
One thing that I really like about Sevendust is frontman Lajon Witherspoon’s ability to shift from melodic singing to thrash style wailing, seemingly at will. This opens up some very interesting sonic possibilities when combined with the “punch in the guts” instrumentation and the (also thrashy) backing vocals.

Bolt Thrower - Honour-Valour-Pride

Combat themed death metal - nobody does it better. Actually, as far as I know, nobody else does it period. Bah - that doesn’t matter. Bolt Thrower, simply put, rocks.
This album is the sonic equivalent of a colossal battle. The overall sound of this album is akin to that of a large battle. The beginning is like the enemy phalanx marching upon your position. Inexorable, intimidating, and inevitable…and closing in. As the album progresses, the music becomes faster and more chaotic - battle is joined. At the last, things become desperate. The music becomes dark, almost melancholy as the defenses have been breached. A warning klaxon sounds. The battle is lost, but a failsafe device has been activated. A final explosion draws the album to a close.
At least, that’s the story that plays out in my head when I listen to this album.

Cathedral - Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)

I’m not sure whether this is considered a single or an EP. Hopkins (The Witchfinder General) is a track from Cathedral’s “The Carnival Bizarre” album (heard here with an extended intro), but the four other songs (not taken from any album) make this feel more like an EP.
Tomato, Tomahto…it’s more Cathedral, and that’s nearly always a good thing.
This EP has a very amusing little switcheroo. Just as you’re getting into the “Cathedral groove,” BAM! Purple Wonderland hits you with some very Faith No More style funk rock, followed by The Devil’s Summit, a really strange jazz fusion number.
It’s enough to leave your head spinning…

Iced Earth - Horror Show

This is one of my absolute favorite Iced Earth albums. It’s a concept album; every track (except one) is about a classic horror story. The Omen, Dracula, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein…all are given the power thrash treatment that Iced Earth is known for.
My personal favorite song from this album is Damien. What I really like about it is its use of the prophetic poem from the movie:

When the Jews return to Zion
And a comet fills the sky
The Holy Roman Empire Rises And you and I must die
From the eternal sea he rises
Creating armies on either shore
Turning man against his brother
‘Till man exists no more

There’s not a bad song here - each song them captures the mood of its subject, from the madness of Jack the Ripper to the melancholy rage of Dracula.

Queen - Hot Space

This album definitely falls under the “lesser known” category. The only song from this album that most people are likely to recognize is Under Pressure.
The average listener, upon putting this album on, would probably be taken aback. “Hot Space” is not what one normally thinks of when one think of Queen. With a hefty dose of funk/disco thrown into the mix, this is a far cry from the rock and roll that one normally expects from Queen.
For all that, this is a pretty good funk-rock album. Not every song is a winner, bit there are a few good ones here that aren’t Under Pressure. Action This Day, for example, is an excellent combination of the funk and the rock, and Freddie Mercury’s falsetto in Put out the Fire is…well…you just have to hear it for yourself.
I did notice something interesting - this album starts out funky as anything, and slowly progresses to a more “rock and roll” sound. Well played, Queen…well played indeed.

House of Pain - House of Pain

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “He’s only got Jump Around…maybe Shamrocks and Shenanigans.”
You’re wrong. Very wrong.
I own the whole album. Every last song. I have no excuse for any of it other than Jump Around. Lyrically, this album is hilariously simple every song is about Everlast’s Irish-ness, his “intimate prowess,” his love of “fat blunts,” and his amazing skills on the mic. Maybe it’s that very ridiculous simplicity that I enjoy…it’s so over the top…
As for Jump Around, there is no way my music collection can NOT have this song. I’ve even achieved a certain infamy relating to this song. If I’ve had a few drinks and this song comes on, i will proceed to dance, rap, and generally make a fool of myself in an entertaining manner. Apparently, my antics are entertaining enough that at a recent wedding reception, this song was requested by the bride.
Clearly, I have no shame.

Gaelic Storm - How are We Getting Home?

Ahhh… some real Irish music. This is a nice counterpoint to the “Yo, I’m Irish, mother f***er” that I was just listening to.
As usual, Gaelic Storm have served up a bunch of songs that are best accompanied by a pint, be it stout, amber, or whiskey. That’s right, a pint o’ whiskey. Are ye goin’ tae drink like an Irishman or like a sissy?

The FuMP (compilation - sorta)

This isn’t really a compilation as much as it is a handful of songs that I’ve “captured” from the FuMP (Funny Music podcast). I’ve only grabbed a few songs so far, most notably Blow Me Down (a pirate themed parody of the Thompson Twins’ Hold Me Now) and New Song (a parody of the fact that all Nickelback songs sound the same).
“Blow me down!
Avast ye swabs!
Arr matey!
Wench fetch me grog, wench fetch me grog…”

Bobby Gaylor - Fuzzatonic Scream

There’s only one downside to this album: the fact that Bobby Gaylor has never released another.
You may remember hearing his song suicide back a the turn of the century. The “spoken word plus really cool music” concept continues throughout the remainder of this album, with songs that range from the disturbing (Tommy the Frog Killer) to the wonderfully nostalgic (Smelt).
Really, there’s not a lot to say here that I haven’t already said on The Geek’s Grimoire.

Gaelic Storm - Gaelic Storm

This album, Gaelic Storm’s first, is comprised almost entirely of “traditional” Irish music. Right from the start, this is a very upbeat album that makes it very difficult for the listener to sit still.
Filled with energetic Irish standards like Hills of Connemara and (my personal favorite)Johnny Jump Up, this album is sure to make you thirsty for a pint o’ Guinness. Of course, merely being awake makes me thirsty for a good pint…

Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery

This is an older Dark Tranquillity album, apparently recorded before they recruited a keyboard player. As a result, this album is less melodic than the others that I’ve listened to so far, with more of an extreme thrash/black metal sound.
This is a good album, and if you listen carefully, you can hear Dark Tranquillity’s progression toward a more melodic sound The title track is a particularly good illustration of this movement, with flowing, melodic guitar solos and female vocal passages providing an excellent counterpoint to the overall heaviness of the song.

Queen - The Game

Maybe this album title doesn’t really mean anything to you. If that’s the case, I think I can enlighten you regarding the album’s awesomeness in five words. Another. One. Bites. The. Dust. Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Of course, the mere fact that this is a Queen album should have screamed “AWESOMENESS!!” directly at your brain. Seriously - it’s Queen! Only one of the greatest rock bands ever…
I just had a thought.
An awesome thought.
A thought of truly epic proportions.
Queen Rock Band.

Coolio - Gangsta’s Paradise

One of these albums is not like the others…
I remember when I bought this album. I’d heard Gangsta’s Paradise (who hadn’t?), and I liked it. I don’t often run out and buy an album on the strength of a single track (I learned that lesson from the Gin Blossoms), but I’d also heard and enjoyed Fantastic Voyage. Two good songs indicates a good probability of consistently enjoyable music, so I bought this album.
This is definitely a ballsy album. In a genre that’s known for glorifying gang violence, “Gangsta’s Paradise” delivers a much different message. The title track, for example, criticizes the “gangsta” life rather than glorifying it.

Beatallica - A Garage Dayz Nite

This is the first album from the Beatles/Metallica hybrid. These songs are bloody hilarious - I have no idea what possessed them to combine these two bands, but it was clearly an ingenious decision.
This album has my personal favorite Beatallica track - The Thing That Should Not Let it Be. I love the combination of Metallica’s creeping horror and The Beatles’ laid back song.

Metallica - Garage, Inc.

The compleat Metallica covers collection. Yeah, that about sums this up. Disc one is full of new covers, while disc two features older covers. The music covered here is an interesting cross section of groups that inspired members of Metallica, from the obvious (Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Queen) to the ones that make you go “Hmm…really!” (Nick Cave, Thin Lizzy, Budgie).
OK, now it’s story time. If you already know the significance of the word “Garage” in the title (or if you don’t care), thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week. Otherwise, read on…
The “Garage” title is a sort of Metallica tradition when they record covers. It all started in 1984 when Metallica released their Creeping Death single. The b-side of this single was two covers (Diamond Head’s Am I Evil? and Blitzkrieg’s Blitzkrieg), on which little post-recording production work was done. The resulting tracks were referred to as “Garage Days Revisited” because of their raw, garage band feel.
Fast forward to 1987, when Metallica released a 5-track EP to “break in” their new bassist. Titled “The $5.98 EP Garage Days Re-Revisited,” this EP was as sparsely produced as the Creeping Death B-sides. Thus was born a Metallica Tradition.

Finger Eleven - Finger Eleven

This album is part of the “stuff I swiped from my Wife’s PC” collection. I seem to remember liking a Finger Eleven song back when this first came out. I don’t remember the song (I think it was One Thing), but I’m pretty sure it was the surreal video that I actually liked.
Listening to this album now, I can’t say that it’s all that interesting. It just sounds…generic.

Swaying Smoke - The Firmament

This one is a rather surreal trip. It’s the audio equivalent of a very strange dream, subtle and unpredictable.
In the beginning, it’s soft, meditative. This soft passage draws the listener into the dream, which then begins to change. Discordance rises from the serene flow, only to be submerged again. A menacing passage creates a nervous tension, which then fades out…only to be replaced by a sudden, jarring noise, which becomes the foundation of the next passage.
A quick side note - it’s amusing to me that this album would happen to come up today. It’s the artist’s birthday.

Anthrax - Fistful of Metal

This is the first album from Anthrax, and it shows. I’m not saying that this is a bad album. Rather, the music on this album is clearly that of a nascent Anthrax. Very raw, clearly showing their NWOBHM roots, “Fistful of Metal” is, like many debut albums, a very interesting listen at this point. The roots of what Anthrax would become are all here, planted deep in the soaring (occasionally screechy) vocals and basic instrumentation (a concept borrowed, no doubt, from punk rock).
Also interesting is the cover of Alice Cooper’s I’m Eighteen. The song sounds good with a sharp edge on it.

Queen - Flash Gordon (soundtrack)

This. Is. Epic.
Flash Gordon is the story of a pro football player who saves the Earth from the dastardly Ming the Merciless (using his mad football skillz, of course).
Only Queen could take something this cheesy and make it awesome. If you’ve ever doubted the sheer epic power that was Queen, you need only listen to this soundtrack. After this one, Highlander must have been a cinch.

Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer - Flattery Not Included

I only have three songs from the superlative Mr. B. This is not, as is often the case, because they belong in the “Guilty Pleasures” file. On the contrary, I’m actually quite fond of the Gentleman Rhymer. His genteel approach to hip-hop (known to the cognoscente as chap-hop) is actually quite refreshing.
The reason for this paltry selection is that “Flattery Not Included” is not actually available in the United States (believe me, I have searched high and low). These three tracks were the only ones that I could acquire via the clever use of YouTube. If only I could have simply purchased the album. Alas…

They Might Be Giants - Flood

Did you ever watch a TV program called “Tiny Toon Adventures”? If you did, you may remember an episode that spoofed MTV (the MTV that played music videos and had VJ’s, not the MTV that plays fifth-rate reality shows). Two of the videos that were featured on this particular episode were from a band called They Might Be Giants. I still remember the first time I saw that episode. I didn’t know it then, but my life had just changed.
At the time, I thought They Might Be Giants was just a kind of joke, not an actual band. It wasn’t long before I noticed somebody wearing a They Might Be Giants t-shirt at school. I asked him about it, and he enlightened me.
Thank you, Tiny Toons.

Blind Guardian - Fly

This is only a 3-track single, and there’s a full album from Blind Guardian coming shortly, so I’ll save my usual heap of praise for the time being. I will, however, say that the best part of this single is the third track - a cover if Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

Mortiis - Fodt Til A Herske

This was Mortiis’s first solo album after leaving Emperor. Dark and brooding yet still epic in scope, “Fodt Til A Herske” (Born to Rule) is actually a single 53 minute song, split into two tracks (it was originally released on vinyl). The song itself experiments with variations on several themes. I’m not a music expert (although I play one on the internet), but this may actually qualify as a fugue.

Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind

“Pie Jesu domine…dona eis requiem.” It’s not often that a metal album starts with what sounds like a sample from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
This is Blind Guardian’s second album. When this album was recorded, blind Guardian were still very much a speed/thrash metal band. The songs here are rough, fast and aggressive, although there are a few fairly complex passages (notably in the title track) that hint at the direction that the band would eventually take.
Blind Guardian’s penchant for literary references, however, is all over this album. Subject matter here ranges from Stephen King (Follow the Blind) to Michael Moorcock’s Elric saga (Damned for all Time and Fast to Madness).