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.

Aghast - Hexerei In Zweilicht Der Finsternis

A dark start to my Friday morning…nearly as dark as the coffee itself (I like my coffee black as homemade sin).
Dark and atmospheric, I once considered using this music to create ambience whilst playing Dungeons and Dragons. It’s that good. Enter The Hall of Ice, for example, is a very chilling track that (for me, anyway) conjures images of a run-down cemetery with thick tendrils of fog hugging the ground between the tombstones.

Swaying Smoke - Hidden Beneath the Soil

This is starting to get dangerous. First Aghast, then Swaying Smoke…this much ambient music first thing in the morning may just slide me into a nice, deep sleep. Then I’ll have weird dreams and a wicked case of qwertyitis.
But seriously… This album is quite soft and meditative - quite different from yesterday’s “The Heresiarch’s Order. Those who listen to ambient music will know what I mean when I say that this album reminds me of “Well of Souls” (If you don’t know that one, we’ll get to it in a few months). These subtle, almost minimalist compositions use layered drones and ephemeral sounds to draw the listener into a contemplative state…
See? This stuff is dangerous in the morning!

Megadeth - Hidden Treasures

This CD is a collection of non-album Megadeth tracks. These songs were originally released on various soundtracks and compilations. I a pre-digital music age, this CD was a must-have for Megadeth fans.
Notable tracks from this collection include Angry Again from the Last Action Hero soundtrack (Horrible movie, excellent soundtrack) and No More Mr. Nice Guy

Marilyn Manson - The High End of Low (Deluxe edition)

I acquired this album through a friend, and I don’t think I’ve listened to it in its entirety before now. Albums like this are one of the reasons I started this project.
There’s a fair amount of “new wave” sound to the music here, which provides an interesting counterpoint to the dark and often twisted lyrics (“Everyone will come to my funeral just to make sure that I stay dead,” for instance). Unfortunately, the songs also tend to be quite repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyability of the album. It’s. By the end of the album, it had started to drag quite a bit.
Disc 2 was a handful of remixes and alternate versions. It was still pretty dull. Sorry, Marilyn…

Collective Soul - Hints Allegations & Things Left Unsaid

Flashback time again…cue the ripple effect and the harp arpeggio…
It’s 1994 again. I’m at the Community College, one of the DJ’s on their radio station. Shine is in fairly heavy rotation (for us - we tried to avoid repetition), as is Sister Don’t Cry. Good times…
Yeah, this is one of those albums, just hearing it sends my brain back to another time where the music contained herein factored heavily. flashbacks aside, this is also a pretty damn good album - even at their peak, Collective Soul was underappreciated, overshadowed by lesser acts such as Bush and Smashing Pumpkins (Yeah, that’s right - I dissed the Pumpkins!).

Omnia - History

I know precious little about Omnia, and these five lovely tracks are all that I’ve been able to acquire of their work.
The little that I can tell you is that Omnia are an excellent, if rather dark, Celtic band.
I’m particularly fond of Wytches’ Brew, which starts with a recitation of what sounds like lines from Macbeth.

Michael Jackson - HIStory

Ah, the self-crowned King of Pop. Surreal lifestyle and bizarre antics aside, Michael Jackson did crank out a number of good songs, even to my unusual sensibilities. From this 2-disc greatest hits collection, I’ve chosen three songs: Black or white, Thriller (it’s got Vincent freaking Price in it!!!!), and Remember the Time (remember that kick-ass video?).
Ok, maybe I’m the only freak whose brain works this way, but the rap section a couple minutes into Black or white always reminds me of the rap section in Rush’s Roll the Bones.

Kool and the Gang - The Hits - Reloaded

Once again, we have selected greatest hits. The odd thing is, my favorite Kool and the Gang song isn’t here, but a song that I’m not very fond of is. Methinks I made a mistake in copying songs from the Wife’s PC.
Anyhoo, I’ve once again got three songs: Get Down On It, Cherish, and Too Hot. I’m really batting a thousand here. I think Cherish should have been Jungle Boogie, and this version of Get Down on it, I just don’t like. Seriously, Lil’ Kim? Seriously?.

Dio - Holy Diver

All right, time to cleanse the palate. We’re still in the “I don’t have the whole album” section, and I’ll wager dollars to doughnuts (what the heck does that even mean?) that you can guess which song I have. Here’s a hint: It’s awesome.
I really need to get the rest of this album…

Marilyn Manson - Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)

Released in the wake of the Columbine school shootings, which led to Marilyn Manson being used as a scapegoat, this album sees him reply by pointing to a few other things that just might have played a part. Parental apathy, the exaltation of violence, “conservative values”…little is spared Manson’s bile on this album.
The music matches the lyrical tone - the sonic assault is fuelled by passion, spite, and more than a touch of contempt. The pounding drums, the grinding guitars…this is an album that makes you take notice.

They Might Be Giants - Here Come the ABCs!

Picking up where we left off yesterday, today begins with the first children’s album from They Might Be Giants. On this album, they seek to teach a basic understanding of the alphabet through rock.
TMBG have raised an interesting question - who says that children’s music, especially educational children’s music, has to be saccharine and dull? This album, for example, features 25 tracks that are good rock music that happens to be aimed at kids. That’s why I’m listening to it. I can’t use the “it’s my kid’s CD” excuse - I don’t have a kid. I just like TMBG.

Swaying Smoke - The Heresiarch’s Order

This is where it all began.
In the interest of accuracy, I should clarify that - this is where Swaying Smoke began - in no way is this the artist’s first experiment with sound and music.
The first track, Failure to Believe, starts with a soft electronic drone that sounds somehow menacing. Rain sticks and other softer sounds come and go throughout the 16 minute track that serve to mitigate this somewhat, creating a song that is both meditative and unsettling.
Another one that stood out for me was The Lintel Arabesque. Imagine church bells ringing, but in a bizarre dream world where sound is…stretched. After the bell is struck, it resonates for far longer than it has any right to. Eerie, yet intriguing.

Morbid Angel - Heretic

Heretic is Morbid Angel’s eighth (and most recent) album. This one goes back and forth between fast, brutal songs and slower, more atmospheric ones. This shifting is particularly clear between the songs Within Thy Enemy and Memories of the Past. The sudden change from brutally fast metal to a violin-backed acoustic instrumental is jarring…and fun.
Tracks 13 through 44 are where things really start to get strange. 13 and 14 are solos (drums and guitar, respectively), and 15-44 are a mixture of silent tracks (of seemingly random length) and various instrumental or ambient sounds. This, it would seem, is the playful side of Morbid Angel.
That is a phrase that has never passed through my brain before…

Daemonarch - Hermeticum

Daemonarch is a sort of side project, featuring four of the five members of Moonspell. I’ve been able to find very little information about this album - it’s the only one released by Daemonarch, and is based on poetry written by vocalist Fernando Ribiero when he was a teenager.
Musically, “Hermeticum” is reminiscent of early Moonspell, particularly “Wolfheart.” It’s very much a black metal album, which provides an interesting contract with the more atmospheric and experimental sound of Moonspell’s “Sin/Pecado” (both “Hermeticum” and “Sin/Pecado” were released in 1998).

Van Canto - Hero

Brace yourself - things are about to get interesting. VERY interesting.
Van Canto is an a capella metal band (I warned you). The only actual musical instrument being played is a drum kit. All of the guitar, bass and keyboard sounds are produced vocally. Yes, these people are singing phrases like “deedeelee deedeelee deedeele dum dum.” It sounds silly like this, I know. That doesn’t matter - they make it work.
Not only do they have their own original compositions, they cover songs from “established” metal bands. This album contains covers of songs by (among others) Nightwish and Blind Guardian. Impressively good covers of Nightwish and Blind Guardian. That’s saying something.
Their third album, “Tribe of Force” is set to come out on 3/1/10. It will be mine.
Once again, I need to say a huge “thanks” to MetalCast for continually bringing great metal to me.

Rammstein - Herzeleid

“Herzeleid” was Rammstein’s first album…Is it just me, or am I saying that a lot lately? Are there a lot of “first albums” that happen to fall into this part of the alphabet?
Enough digressing, back to Rammstein. As I said, this was the first album from Rammstein. As I understand it, Rammstein’s sound was created by first making a list of all the things that they did NOT want to sound like. Judging from this album (and those that would come after), that list steered them toward a forceful, industrial-style heavy metal sound. I’d kind of like to know what was on that list - what was anathema during the conception of Rammstein?

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).

Voltaire - The Devil’s Bris

There I was, listening to the latest sampler from Projekt records. I’m hearing new songs from some of my favorite artists, enjoying new artists, and generally having a good time. Wait, what’s this? It sounds like some kind of strange gypsy music…and he’s singing about the joys of being evil. Wait…no, he’s not actually happy at all! Then again, maybe he is. Wow, that was interesting - I’ve got to share it with the guys.
That was over ten years ago, and the song was When You’re Evil. I’ve been a huge Voltaire fan ever since.
There is no “official” music video for When You’re Evil, but there are loads of fan vids. This one is particularly amazing.

Cintecele Diavolui - The Devil’s song

Here we have yet another project from Havard Ellefsen (best known as Mortiis). This album reminds me of Mortiis’ “Crypt of the Wizard” - the songs have a sort of folk influenced sound to them. The last song, One Soul Less for the Devil has echoes of Vond’s “Green Eyed Demon,” with the muted vocal sections
Sorry, no link for this one. Apparently, it’s fantastically rare, and therefore unreasonably expensive.

Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause

There was a time when I really liked Kid Rock’s music. These days, however, I’ve pared it down to just four songs that I actually like: Bawitdaba, Cowboy, Devil Without a Cause, and I am the Bullgod. These four songs effectively encapsulate all that I enjoy about Kid Rock, while eliminating all that I don’t.

Devo - Devo

Egad - I’ve only got a single Devo song on my iPod. This situation needs to be corrected. Whip It is certainly an excellent song, but it’s far from being the only good one.

Slayer - Diabolous in Musica

Much like Fear Factory’s “Demanufacture” from yesterday, This is a great album to listen to when you’re in a really bad mood. I’d like to thank Henry Rollins for pointing out the therapeutic value of a good Slayer album.

Richard Cheese - Dick at Nite

Ol’ Dick here is best known for his “Swankified” covers of modern pop music. If you’ve ever seen the cheesy lounge singer character that Bill Murray played on SNL, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
On this album, Mr. Cheese tackles the theme songs from your favorite TV shows. Yes, your favorites - he asked all your friends what your favorite shows are, then made this album just for you. Any song here that you don’t like is therefore your friends’ fault. Go yell at them. It’ll make you feel better.

Fear Factory - Digimortal

After a brief digression, I am once again immersed in heavy metal. this time, it’s the semi-electronic thrash of Fear Factory. The band that my Wife says sounds like they have Cookie Monster singing.
Interestingly, the song Back the F*** Up features guest vocalist B-Real (of Cypress Hill). Industrial groove metal meets stoner hip-hop. Gotta love it when things like that happen.

Swaying Smoke - Digressions

More meditative ambient soundscapes, courtesy of Swaying Smoke…or so I thought. Sir, you have fooled me.
The song that really caught my ear was One. A soft drone brings you in. A string orchestra is playing down the hall, softly. Just over two and a half minutes in, the track begins to stutter. A moment of quiet, and a pianist starts playing.
I have no idea what just happened, but I liked it.
Unfortunately, it would seem that “Digressions” is no longer available on Swaying Smoke’s website.

Fantomas - The Director’s Cut

Here we have another appearance by the avan-garde supergroup Fantomas. This is a rather strange concept album. Each song on this album is based on the theme song from a movie. The songs are generally recognizable, assuming that you’d recognize them in the first place (I’ve never even heard of some of these movies), but they all bear the distinctive Fantomas mark. In other words, it makes you go “huh?”

Alice in Chains - Dirt

Suddenly, I’m back in high school again. That shouldn’t be any kind of surprise, though…at the time, the only bands more ubiquitous were Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Remember? The Seattle Grunge years.
With its incessantly dark sound and even darker lyrics, is it any wonder that teenagers nationwide latched onto this album? Just listen to Rooster…