Today’s post will be particularly short. Not only was my day quite heavily punctuated by interruptions, I encountered a rather colossal set of music.
Despite the brevity of today’s post, the music was, in a word, fantastic.

Saigon Kick - The Lizard

If you were alive in the early 90s, you probably remember Saigon Kick as the one-hit-wonders who did Love is On the Way. While technically correct, this doesn’t properly represent the band that was Saigon Kick.
Saigon Kick was, despite the power ballad that everybody knew, a hard rock/heavy metal band with a bizarre sense of humor. Songs like My Dog and Peppermint Tribe will attest to that (as will the silly Peppermint Tribe dance that my friends and I came up with). In all seriousness, though - you truly do owe it to yourself to check this out - there’s probably a lot here that you’ve been missing out on.

Metallica - Load

I remember when this album came out - ie was surrounded by controversy. While some of it legitimately surrounded the band’s expanded musical direction and different sound, I was very surprised at the vitriol surrounding their new haircuts.
Seriously. People were pissed because they got haircuts.
Moving on to the actual music, “Load” did indeed represent a shift in Metallica’s sound. They experimented more with different styles of music and different sounds. For many people, this was high sacrilege. For me, it was just another good album from Metallica. It would be a few more albums before they’d make me say “WTF?”

Howard Shore- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

This beastie was extremely long. 53 tracks long. Not that I’m complaining, but this soundtrack bloody well dominated my day.
Howard Shore did an excellent job throughout the trilogy. This particular episode, being the denouement, features some of the most hugely dramatic music of them all, with particularly heavy use of horns and operatic vocals.
Well worth the time. Well worth it, indeed.

David Bowie and Trevor Jones - Labyrinth (soundtrack)

Ahh, sweet nostalgia…
I love Labyrinth, I have since the first time I saw it. Its mix of whimsy, grandeur, and a touch of Brothers Grimm style darkness is just…lovely. The music is one thing that really stood out for me - I’d find myself singing Magic Dance and Underground for days after every viewing. It still happens - my brain’s going to be singing “You remind me of the babe” for at least the rest of the day.
This movie was also my introduction to David Bowie. As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t start to take a serious interest in music until the early 90s, so my knowledge of music prior to that was largely a retroactive acquisition.
Interesting fact: the choreography for the song Chilly Down was done by none other than Gated McFadden (Beverly Crusher, from ST: TNG).

Lacuna Coil - Lacuna Coil

This album stands out among “first albums,” in that the songs are very well mixed and mastered. This album has none of the rough sound that one normally expects from a first album. Also, the songs themselves are very well-crafted. One gets the impression that Lacuna Coil spent a lot of time perfecting their craft prior to putting this album together.
As has always been the case, I love Lacuna Coil’s use of male/female counterpoint vocals. Christina Scabbia tends to be the centerpiece of Lacuna Coil (which makes sense, in the predominantly masculine world of heavy metal), but let’s not overlook the contributions of Andrea Ferro. Dude’s good.

Skinny Puppy - Last Rights

There’s nothing quite like Skinny Puppy. They’re not quite as insanely bizarre as Fantomas, but they’re definitely not your everyday band. Imagine the audio equivalent of a dark, slightly unsettling piece of performance art. That’s just about right. In fact, I’m led to understand that Skinny Puppy concerts are very akin to performance art. Something that I certainly need to experience if ever the opportunity presents itself.

Alice Cooper - The Last Temptation

I remember when this concept album first came out. I read in a magazine (Metal Edge, I think) that there was a special collector’s edition that included a comic book. Being into comics at the time, I of course had to have the special edition.
“The Last Temptation” tells the story of a boy named Steven, and a mysterious showman. The showman attempts, through a series of morality plays, to convince Steven to joins his show, where he will never grow up. The comic book that came with the album was part one of a three-part series that told the whole story of the album and was written by Neil Gaiman(!!!).
You know, I never did get parts two and three. I really should look into that.
. Musically, this album is 100% Alice Cooper. The rock music is rather upbeat throughout, belying the dark lyrics. I’ve loved this album from the day I first put it in my CD player.

Tool - Lateralus

This album will always stand out for me. I’ve seen Tool perform twice, once at Ozzfest ‘98, and once on their own tour…behind this album. The Ozzfest concert was great, but seeing Tool doing their own thing, with full control…holy cow. I commented earlier that I’d heard that a Skinny Puppy concert was like performance art. This is certainly true of a Tool concert. If you ever have the opportunity, go. You will not be disappointed.
. I recently read the Wikipedia article about this album, and I was floored by the subtlety of Tool. I knew that I loved the album, but I had no idea how much was really going on in these songs. Lateralus, for example, makes heavy use of the Fibonacci sequence: during the time signature rotates between 9/8 8/8 7/8 time (987 is the 17th Fibonacci number), and the lyric “spiral out,” repeated frequently throughout the song, is a reference to the Fibonacci spiral.
Then there’s Mantra. For this one, Maynard James Keenan slowed down the sound of him gently squeezing one of his cats. A cat as a musical instrument.
‘Scuse me a minute…my head is spinning.

A Sankip Hummad - Le Sac De Sonido

I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t have an answer. I’ve never heard of this artist (group?) until just now. I verified that this is part of the “Netlabel invasion,” but I know nothing more. I’m going in blind.
Wow. This is…interesting. I’m hearing elements of glitch, chiptunes, ambient techno… It’s sonic chaos, barely restrained. Loops, samples, and effects are strung together into long segments that often repeat, but with subtle differences the second and third time.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

I know, I know - this album doesn’t technically have a title at all. There’s no title (not words at all, in fact) on the album cover, and the record just had four designs (fans call them runes) where the title would be. Well, I had to give it some kind of title, so I went with something simple and minimalist, in keeping with the album’s visual style.
This minimalist style stands in stark contrast to the music - I don’t think Led Zeppelin were even capable of minimalist music. Everything they do is layered and bombastic - just look at The Battle of Evermore (one of Led Zeppelin’s many Tolkien-inspired songs). Layered vocals over a mandolin and acoustic guitar…need I say more?
Yes, I neglected to mention the most infamous song on this album. This was intentional - what more could I possibly have to say about that particular song? It’s been hailed, decried, loved, loathed, and otherwise discussed ad nausaeum in the 30+ years since it was released. I think that the discussion is long done - it’s time to just sit back and enjoy it (or not, if you’re on the other side of the line).

Patrick Doyle - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (soundtrack)

John Williams - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (soundtrack)

What a difference a change in composer makes!
Right off the bat, I notice a distinct change in tone from last week. Goblet of Fire has a much more dramatic sound than Sorcerer’s Stone. To be fair, Goblet of Fire is also a much more dramatic story than the previous installments, which were a bit more whimsical. The whimsical side is still there - the story isn’t nearly as dark as it will become, but even these passages seem to be a bit more expressive.
Then there’s Dance Like a Hippogriff, This is the Night, and Magic Works. You remember - from the band that performed at the ball. I quite Dance Like a Hippogriff. It reminds me of the goth music that was coming out in the 90s. The other two songs, I just can’t get into. They’re not necessarily bad, but they’re also not very interesting.

William Shatner - Has Been

Here we have one of the crown jewels of my Guilty Pleasures collection. I say “one of” because I actually do own both of Mr. Shatner’s albums. We’ll get to the other one in a few months…today, we focus on the newer one.
The second thing that drew me to this album (the first being that it’s Shatner) was the fact that he did a duet with Henry Rollins. I’ve been a Fan of Henry’s for some time now, and the idea of him working with William Shatner was just way too strange for me to pass up. I would later discover that this is exactly why Henry did the song in the first place.
This album has an undeniable sense of style to it. Shatner’s delivery is still “spoken word,” but without the…melodramatic delivery…that…screams…Shatner! There’s also the fact that the backup music doesn’t sound like the soundtrack to an episode of Star Trek (Go on, listen to his first album - you’ll see what I mean). Imagine an independent (read: unrestricted by record company control) rock album with Shatner just…being Shatner over it. Yeah, it’s that cool.

KMFDM - Hau Ruck

Any song with the lyrics “The beatings will continue…Until morale improves” is OK in my book. The song in question is Free Your Hate, the lead track from “Hau Ruck.”
As I’ve come to expect, KMFDM have produced a very energetic, techno-industrial slab of awesome. One thing that stands out on this album is the female vocals - they’re delivered in the same manner as Sascha’s vocals. This is very interesting - I like it.
Hmm…this is interesting. Two days in a row, I find myself listening to songs with electric chair-related samples in them. Today, it’s Professional Killer; Lat time, it was Vond’s My Dying Day. Creepy…

Slayer - Haunting the Chapel

I’d like to say right away that Tom Araya belting out a Neil Turbin-esque (Anthrax) wail in the middle of Chemical Warfare is nuts. 99% of the time, Tom’s just bellowing into the mike…that wail makes you go “wha?!?!” Well done, sir!
Being Slayer’s second release, this EP sounds pretty raw. Despite (perhaps because of) its unpolished sound, “Haunting the Chapel” delivers an excellent thrash metal experience. The speed and complexity of heavy metal…the raw, naked rage of punk rock…you can clearly see the roots of thrash coming together here.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Have Another Ball

Um…I didn’t realize that this was still on here. I grabbed this album from the Wife’s collection ages ago. I thought I’d removed it after listening to it. Guess not.
Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s are a punk rock cover band - they take distinctly non-punk songs and cover them in a punk-rock style. Unfortunately, these songs lack any kind of character - one sounds the same as the next - completely uninteresting.

Dark Tranquillity - Haven

This was my first Dark Tranquillity album. I remember seeing the CD at the store and thinking “Hmm…I seem to remember really liking one of their songs from one of those ‘Identity’ compilations.” I thought about it for a few minutes, then decided to take a chance and buy it.
This little excursion took place during a lunch break. By the time I was done working for the day, I was very glad that I’d made this purchase - I LOVE this album! My favorite thing about Dark Tranquillity is the way they use the harsh vocal style normally found in death or black metal while eschewing the frenetic pacing that is found in the same genres (replacing it with a much more melodic flow). The end product is…unusual, to say the least.

Carcass - Heartwork

I bought this album in the strength of a single song (something I just don’t do these days). I saw the video for Heartwork on the Headbanger’s Ball, and something about it just grabbed my attention. It wasn’t long after that I picked up a copy of “Heartwork” on cassette (I didn’t have a CD player at the time).
I like this album - Carcass defy the various subgenres under the “heavy metal” umbrella - black metal style vocals, instrumental passages that fluctuate between death and thrash metal…there’s a lot going on here. This is, of course, why I still listen to this album.

R.E.M. - Green

Only two of the songs from this album are present in my collection: Orange Crush and Stand. I’ve never really paid a lot of attention to R.E.M., so the only songs of theirs that I enjoy are the “greatest hits.” Does that qualify R.E.M. as a Guilty Pleasure?
I used to think so. I used to define a guilty pleasure as an artist who has only produced a handful of songs that appeal. Having given that concept come thought throughout this blog, I’ve had a change of heart - Guilty Pleasure indicates that there is a certain stigma attached to the artist in question.
Which puts my William Shatner collection right back in the GP vault.

Vond - Green Eyed Demon

This is the first Vond album that I ever got my hands on (they are NOT easy to find). I also think that it’s the most experimental. Personally, I love this one.
It starts with a low, droning sound accompanied by what sounds like a very muffled voice. It almost sounds like you’re listening through a wall, past the thrumming pipes, to a speech being delivered in the next room. After nearly two minutes, you start hearing what sounds like the audio track from an old documentary about the electric chair.
Sound eerie? It is, as is the rest of the album. The “muffled conversation and drone” motif continues throughout, accompanied by various disturbing samples, like speech from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Mortiis - The Grudge

As of this writing, “The Grudge” is the most recent album from Mortiis. If you’ve been following along with this blog and you don’t know Mortiis, then this will be quite a departure from what you’ve encountered so far. His first five albums were dark symphonic keyboard performances. “The Grudge,” on the other hand, is very industrial. There was an intermediary step - “The Smell of Rain” was an electronic rock album, but we’ll get there later.
If you like industrial music, then this is an album that you absolutely need to hear. No excuses, go get a copy. Don’t believe me? Maybe you’ll believe an entire country. In 2005, The Norwegian government declared this album to be a Norwegian Cultural Artifact.
Grammy, you have officially been trumped.

Gravity Kills - Guilty (single)

Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about singles. If you’re interested in an artist, chances are that you’ve already got the album that the song featured on a single came from. Such is the case for me with Guilty - look back at yesterday’s post.
The artists (and more to the point, the record companie$) are aware of this. This is why most singles contain one or more “B-sides,” tracks that are not available on the album. These, my friends, are the reason for a fan to buy singles. This is particularly true with industrial music. Songs like Guilty can really get the royal treatment on a single. This CD contains the original song alongside eleven distinct remixes.
Think about that. This single, which cost about 1/4 to 1/3 as much as the album, contains enough tracks to be considered am album in and of itself.
Of course, in the age of digital downloads, this is all moot.

“Weird Al Yankovic” - Gump (single)

As I said just a minute ago, the reason to buy a single (if you already own the album) is for the B-sides. Thus, the only song from this single that’s actually on my iPod is the theme from Spy Hard. With his trademark silliness, Al deftly lampoons the entire James Bond concept.
It’s just too bad that the movie itself was so bad.

Black Tape for a Blue Girl - Halo star

This is a particularly good album from Black Tape for a Blue Girl. “Halo Star” sees the band expand their musical style, encompassing an Arabian theme on Glow and Tarnished, while remaining centered on their “traditional” darkwave/cabaret sound.
Speaking of cabaret, this album also features the song Knock Three Times, which was featured in a slightly remixed version on the compilation “A Dark Cabaret.”

Bowling For Soup - A Hangover You Don’t Deserve

This one definitely qualifies as a Guilty Pleasure. I only have the song 1985 from this album. Generally speaking, I thoroughly dislike this kind of bubblegum pseudo-punk. The only reason that I like this particular song is the humorous theme: a woman who just can’t let go of her youth. We’ve all been there from time to time.

Troll Gnet El - Hangoverlainen Juhlat

If heavy metal existed in tenth century Russia, this is what it would have sounded like. Troll Gnet El takes the “folk metal” concept to a whole new level - this is medieval metal at its finest.
Unfortunately, I don’t speak Russian at all, so the lyrics are completely lost on me (although I understand that they’re quite clever and often humorous).
The only downside to Troll Gnet El is the scarcity of their music, at least in the United States. I won’t go into great detail regarding how I acquired their music, suffice it to say that I used an irrational particle accelerator, a pair of rubber bands and a cup of ramen noodles.
+25 Geek Points if you got that one.

Hans Zimmer - Hannibal (soundtrack)

I feel the need to say, right off the bat, that I love it when a film score includes clips from the movie. Certainly, a good score will take you back to the movie when you listen to it…but clips really seal the deal.
Hans Zimmer did an amazing job with this score. The music is a perfect match for the subject character: Refined, urbane…and subtly menacing. I especially liked Gourmet Valse Tartare. A variation on the themes in Strauss’s Blue Danube, it effectively recalls 2001: A Space Odyssey (Anthony Hopkins based Hannibal’s calm, measured speech pattern on that of HAL 9000).

King Missile - Happy Hour

About fifteen years ago, I was watching Beavis and Butt-head (back when the show was new) and I saw a very strange music video. The song, by a band called King Missile, was titled Detachable Penis. I had no idea what the hell I was watching, but it stuck in my brain. Eventually, the name of the band, the album title, and the song title all became indelibly etched in my brain (MTV was good a re-running the same episodes ad nausaeum). These days, I find the song to be quite funny, in a “How the heck did they even come up with this idea” way.

John Williams - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (soundtrack)

I have the soundtracks from the first, second and fourth films - we’re starting with the second because it comes first alphabetically.
One of the first things that I noticed were echoes of ET and Star Wars in the first track. Am I picking up elements of the composer’s style, or are these just recycled phrases? Let’s see if anything else stands out… No, it was just that one bit that really stood out as familiar. The rest of the album is more original. It didn’t really bring the movie to mind, but then again, I’ve only seen this one twice and it is my least favorite of the series.
Perhaps I’ll look more favorably on the other two. We’ll find out next week.

Hammerfall - Glory to the Brave

As I recall, we’ve discussed Hammerfall once or twice before. I remember scrambling to find just the right way to describe why I like listening to Hammerfall. Yes, they’re an epic power metal band, but there are hundreds of bands like that scattered across Europe (where metal lives!). I think I’ve figured it out.
Have you ever seen Rock Star? You know, the movie that (somewhat ironically) featured Mark Wahlberg as the singer for a heavy metal cover band who ends up singing for the band that he idolizes? Well, I’ve come to realize that Hammerfall reminds me of Steel Dragon, the band from Rock Star. This, in turn, means that Hammerfall really represents the NWOBHM bands from the 1980s that are (apparently) their inspiration.
By the by…if you didn’t know, NWOBHM was the “New Wave Of British Heavy Metal” that took place in the 70s and 80s; bands like Iron Maiden, Judas priest, Diamond Head…you get the idea.

Guns N’ Roses - GN’R Lies

You know, I’m not entirely sure why this album is on my iPod. As I listen to it, I’m remembering that I never really cared for it. “Chinese Democracy” aside, this is easily GN’R’s weakest album. Particularly ludicrous is Patience. Think about that for a moment - Axl Rose…singing that “all we need is just a little patience.” To quote Robin Williams, “That’s like Idi Amin looking at Gandhi and going, ‘You are too intense.’”
Wow, this one is just…bad. I’ll be removing it from iTunes tonight. Ugh.

Go Simpsonic With The Simpsons (Soundtrack)

What better way to rinse the foul taste of “GN’R Lies” from my mouth than The Simpsons? Ahhhhhhh….. From the moment Danny Elfman’s theme starts playing, I feel better.
This is actually the second Simpson’s soundtrack album, the first being “Songs in the Key of Springfield.” The Simpsons soundtracks always make me chuckle, and the songs get themselves stuck in my brain all the time. Whimsical satire, thy master be Alf Clausen.
Notable tracks on this CD (there are a total of 53 tracks) include:

Slayer - God Hates Us All

From whimsical satire, we progress directly to in-your-face spite. Slayer was the group that really brought the rage into thrash metal, and on “God Hates Us All,” they continue to do so.
The title of this album isn’t an anti-religious statement (I was as surprised as you are), it’s more an expression of frustration. Watch the news for an hour, and the true meaning of “God Hates Us All” will reveal itself.
Interesting fact: the original cover for this album was deemed “too graphic” for mere mortals, so a slip cover was created for in-store display. The slip cover featured a pattern of crosses, the band’s name, and the album title in gold on a plain white background. The “actual” cover featured a bible with nails driven into it, blood spattered on it, and “Slayer” burned into the cover.

God Lives Underwater - God Lives Underwater

This is the debut EP from God Lives Underwater. It features the song No More Love, which was also featured on their first full-length album, “Empty.”
God Lives Underwater’s music is interesting. It sounds like a combination of the synth-pop of the 80s (think Depeche Mode) and the grunge rock of the 90s. The combination produces something that sounds like an oddball cousin to industrial. Future albums would better incorporate the electronics - on most of these songs, it sounds like the band was still struggling to pull it all together.

Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet

At last, we get to the Crash Test Dummies album that most people are at least aware of. This is the album that gave the world Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, the song that reached #2 on the American charts in its time.
After hearing the song a few times, I decided that I liked it enough to buy the album…see what these Dummies were all about. I was impressed. This is a very good album, and directly responsible for my acquisition of the remainder of the Dummies’ catalog. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm is, in my opinion, one of the weakest tracks on this album. It’s good, but the rest of the album is even better. The overall tone of this album is rather playful, even a bit whimsical on songs like How Does a Duck Know.
My favorite song on this album is When I Go Out With Artists. Why? Well, let’s just let the lyrics speak for themselves:

If I could see
If I could see
If I could see all the symbols, unlock what they mean
Maybe I could
Maybe I could
Maybe I could meet the artists, get to know them personally

Godsmack - Godsmack

I remember getting this one for Xmas. It was good then, and it remains good now.
There are a few moments on this album that really stand out for me, even a decade later. The “radio” intro on Moon Baby reminds me of White Zombie - it created a fun “Orson Welles” feeling to get the ball rolling. There’s also the intro to Keep Away. Every time I hear it, I’m reminded of Filter’s Hey Man, Nice Shot. The main riff in Time Bomb reminds me of Nine Inch Nails’ Last…except the bass line, which echoes White Zombie’s More human Than Human.
Hm. I never thought of all these things all together like that…maybe Godsmack was wearing their inspiration on their sleeve on this one. Regardless, I like this album. It helped to resurrect interest in metal after the grunge era (you may have noticed that I’m something of a metalhead).

Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder

When light no longer rose to kiss me
I swore to tear Heaven asunder
As flights of fallen angels wished me
Godspeed on the Devil’s thunder

With this verse, Doug Bradley (You know him as Pinhead from Hellraiser) introduces us to Cradle of Filth’s newest (as of this writing) album.
“Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder” is a concept album, telling (in Cradle’s inimitable style) a story of Gilles de Rais, a 15th century Breton knight, companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, and alleged serial killer. Fertile ground for a Cradle album, no?
Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine about excellence in drumming (I pay a lot of attention to drumming, because I’m so horrible at it), and he suggested that I pay close attention to the drummer on this record. Funny how soon the opportunity presented itself. Remember the name Martin Skaroupka. This man really knows his way around a drum kit, and he doesn’t settle for just being a timekeeper. This makes him an excellent addition to Cradle of Filth’s ever-evolving take on heavy metal.

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).

Is it Two Thousand Ten or Twenty Ten? Happy new year, however you say it.

On a side note, I noticed a marked lack of responses to my pathetic plea for comments on Day Forty Two. I know that several people read the post, so this leads me to conclude that nearly all of my readers must be ninjas. Cool!

Dark Tranquillity - Fiction

After four days off, this album makes for an excellent return. It has the visceral extreme metal to really wake you up, combined with the complexity to please your ear.
You may remember that I recently pointed out Dark Tranquillity’s use of piano sounds to counterpoint their extreme metal. This album continues that tradition, using the keyboard to even greater effect. There are keyboard passages on this album that almost sound like something from a techno/industrial song.

The Dust Brothers - Fight club (soundtrack)

Just like the movie that it was written for, this music is (to quote a completely unrelated movie) “strange and unusual.” I’m not entirely certain how to describe it. The backbeats are fairly techno, but the melodies aren’t as hard - they’re more mellow, even trippy at times. Let’s go with…”energetic soundscapes.”
Whatever you call it, this soundtrack is a lot of fun to listen to. The Dust Brothers seem to throw different styles together willy-nilly, yet it all works out. That, my friends, is talent.

Ayreon - The Final Experiment

Ayreon is an interesting musical project. Simply put, Ayreon is an ever-changing progressive supergroup. The brainchild of Arjen Anthony Lucassen, the Ayreon concept seems to be that Lucassen will write an epic musical story and recruit a bunch of musicians (including up to a dozen singers) to record it. Think progressive rock opera.
“The Final Experiment” was the first Ayreon release. The story revolves around a message sent back in time from the year 2084, using a technique known as “time telepathy.” This message, sent in the hope of allowing humanity to preemptively avert its disastrous future, is received by a blind medieval minstrel named Ayreon. Singing of his visions, Ayreon eventually comes into conflict with a jealous Merlin, who curses Ayreon, stealing his ability to communicate.
How can you not love an album like this?

Nobou Uematsu - Final Fantasy I & II (soundtrack)

Nobou Uematsu - Final Fantasy VI (soundtrack)

Nobou Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII (soundtrack)

It’s time to let my Geek Flag fly in a big way. I do love me some video game music.
The soundtrack for FF I & II is more than just the music that you heard when playing the game. Rather than the 8-bit “chiptunes” that we all remember, this is the better orchestrated version of the music that was used in the PlayStation re-release of these games. The melodies are all there, they just sound different from their “original” version.
Final Fantasy VI, however, sounds just like you remember it from your SNES (when they inexplicably called it Final Fantasy III). This is still the soundtrack from the PlayStation re-release, but there were no real changes made here. FF I & II were updated with a 16 bit look and sound - FF VI already was a 16 bit game.
Quick digression: Is it just me, or was FF VII the greatest Final Fantasy game ever?
From what I can remember of the game, FF VII sounds just like the original game as well. I never really got into that game, though so I’m not the best judge.
I will say this - the music from these games has become so ingrained into my psyche that I can almost feel the controller in my hands as I listen.