Ace Frehley Review

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Ace Frehley ReviewI absolutely thought KISS was one of the best things in my life when I was 9 or 10 years old. I didn't think a thing about the sexual innuendoes, the drugs, the whatevers, I just loved KISS. Now that I'm an adult, some of those sexual innuendoes are just hysterical, make you want to cringe thinking you liked it at one time, and make it an embarassment to say you liked KISS.
Ace Frehley in my mind was always exempt from this. By far, Ace was always my favourite member of KISS, his lead guitar playing is vastly underrated,(his leads had hooks, they were part of the song like the melody), and he didn't dive the depths of immature sexual innuendo as much as grown men such as Gene or Paul. Honestly, Gene and Paul wrote kiddie stuff, embarassing for a 35 year old to be writing honestly, and strictly derived to accomodate a certain market. Young, 16 year old boys who can't drink, smoke or get girls yet. Ace didn't write songs like that, apart from Cold Gin on the first KISS album.
This album stands well to time. The songs do not sound dated, the lyrics are not stupid or banal or anything indicating a 70's attitude, and it just rocks. All the way through. There is not a weak track on it, and even though criticism is there on Wiped Out from other fans, I love that song for its time changes (Anton Fig's drumming on this song is the album's standout) and it is just a great song period. Its always been one of my top 3 songs on the album. Ace just really showed how talented he was. I've never read Simmons autobiography, and I have no interest in it, but Ace always lived up to his potential even if he was chemically enhanced sometimes. Its why Ace's solo album was the best received by a wider fan base than the KISS Army, the critics and musicians alike, it was THAT good an album. It has an element of STREET about it, slightly punk in attitude. This album is actually full of attitude, and it just says New York all over it.
Ace had pop sensibilities as well. 'What's On Your Mind' borderlines between hard rock and pop. No, Ace is not the greatest singer, but he has that Jimi Hendrix approach where in the end you can't hear anyone else singing the songs as well but Ace Frehley.
It has become a cliche this album. I imagine people who don't even own it now say Frehley's album was the best when giving their mock history of KISS. The fact of the matter was, it is and still is. You can play the whole thing through and not smirk because the lyrics are hokey or childish, the guitar solos are polished and gutsy at the same time, the drummer was great, the songs and arrangements were class, the production was just near perfect but just enough punk to have credibility. If not for Frehley, the next KISS album (Dynasty) would have been horrible and so dated in sound and sentiment that they might not have survived to GET to the 80's. Some say Simmons and Stanley are KISS, including themselves, but what a shame. Ace Frehley consistently came up with songs that even KISS fans say are the best songs in the KISS repertoire, Cold Gin, Parasite, Shock Me, Rocket Ride, Hard Times. The guy just had tons of talent and should have gotten out of KISS as soon as he released this album.
THAT would have been a success story. Maybe Simmons is right and Frehley never lived up to his potential. Maybe its because he had Simmons telling him he never would, you just never know.
Do you mean to tell me that Ace Frehley all messed up on booze and drugs working at half the potential, STILL came up with a better KISS album than KISS ever achieved? Even with Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, Hotter Than Hell, Ace Frehley's solo album was so together that no one could diss it. There's no Goin Blind's, no Great Expectations, no Love Theme From KISS, that just makes you say was this person serious when they wrote this? They are joking right??? Frehley's album you can listen to as a kid, and listen to as an adult and say, I knew I had good taste.Ace Frehley Overview

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World Painted Blood Review

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World Painted Blood ReviewI'm a huge Slayer fan. This album is great, even though it's pretty short, clocking in at under 40 minutes. All Slayer fans will enjoy the album, but no one should buy the "Deluxe Edition". The DVD contains a short, cheaply animated film called "Playing With Dolls" that is truly terrible. Incredibly amateur film making. For those who are buying the deluxe version to hear the non-album track "Atrocity Vendor", all you get is about a 30 second clip of the song, not the entire thing. The song was omitted from the album, and is simply not available yet. All the videos in the 20 minute film follow this structure, just 30-45 second clips of Slayer's new songs woven in with this horrible film. There are no complete videos or anything, nor any extra bonus features.
Like I said, I love Slayer, and I really like the new album, but you would be much better off buying the standard version for much less money (unless you just want the cool case). Trust me, the 20 minute film is not worth your extra dollars. I expected much more, which is why I gave this product 4 out 5.World Painted Blood Overview2009 release from one of the veteran Metal band. Nine studio albums, thousands of live shows and nearly three decades into a career that's made them one of the biggest and most important Metal bands in the world, the members of Slayer know exactly what kind of music they make: brutal but beautiful, punishing yet precise. A fresh Slayer record is a thing of terror but also one of trust: You can depend on what you're getting even if you're unprepared for it. As guitarist Jeff Hanneman says, ''At this point, I think a Slayer album pretty much speaks for itself.''

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Rebel Meets Rebel Review

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Rebel Meets Rebel ReviewFor those who don't already know, Rebel Meets Rebel is a project composed of Pantera's trio of musicians ("Dimebag" Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott and Rex Brown) and country singer David Allan Coe doing the vocals. This self-titled debut C.D. was recorded over the course of four years, from 1999 to 2003. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell was said to have loved this C.D. very much, but, for reasons beyond my knowledge, his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, waited until now (a year and a half after Dimebag was killed) to release it.
Rebel Meets Rebel is just what it was supposed to be: a country/metal/rock/blues hybrid. Vinnie Paul describes it perfectly in the C.D. booklet: "It's not metal and it's not country, it's just a get together of country metal minds! Pure Hell raisin', boozin', jammin' fun!"
Mixing country music and heavy metal (which are two very different musical genres) has been done before. One example is when one of ex-Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo's side projects, Down, put sludge metal alongside country-style ballads for their second album, "Down II: A Bustle In The Hedgegrow." But I don't think country and metal has ever been fused together and had such successful results as Rebel Meets Rebel. If, for some odd reason, you can't give this album credit for anything else, at least give it credit for being very interesting.
The music on here is almost always quite heavy, since Dimebag still contributes Pantera-esque guitar crunch to nearly every song, and also includes a few solos. And there are a lot of deep, catchy grooves to be heard, here. There are only a couple of songs when the music sounds like it could have come off of a bluegrass record: as in the title track, when Dime makes his guitar sound like a fiddle, and the closer, "N.Y.C. Streets," which is an acoustic strummed ballad.
David Allan Coe's "Southern fried" vocals are supposed to make or break this record (if you don't like his voice, you won't this album.) That may be true because some fans will surely not get over the fact that he chooses to sing and not scream. But, if you give him a fair chance (or if you like a more melodic vocal style), his vocals are very enjoyable. They help to make Rebel Meets Rebel somewhat unique (if Coe chose to howl like Phil Anselmo, this disc would probably be just like any other Pantera release.) The music may still be heavy, but Coe's clean singing/crooning voice makes this disc sound like a less commanding, less dissonant, more gentle and docile Pantera. And it's not like D.A.C.'s vocals are at all annoying; in fact, they're actually rather catchy.
The album begins with the sound of David Allan Coe and Dimebag Darrell playing slot machines. This is followed by some wah-wah guitar sounds, Rex's grumbling bass notes, and a few R-rated women noises. Then the song (which is called"Nothin' To Lose") launches into an awesome, propulsive groove. The next song is the title track, and it's a highlight because it's a duet between Coe and Dimebag (!), with one singer trading off lines with the other.
Track three, "Cowboys Do More Dope," is probably my personal favorite on here. It begins (and ends) with a cool wall of Gershwin-esque piano, and the rest of the song is a grinding groove. A memorable sing along chorus ("Cowboys do more dope than rock `n' rollers"), and two guitar solos (one of which is wild) are also included, here.
"Panfilo" is a brief interlude. It's described by the band as an "acoustic jam," but the guitars on this song almost sound like they're flamenco.
The next highlight is "One Nite Stands," which is backed by a catchy, chug and churn rhythm and a sweet, wailing Dimebag solo. "Arizona Rivers" is a dreary ballad, but the proceeding song, ""Get Outta My Life" (which features a vocal cameo by Hank III), is maybe the record's heaviest track. It begins with a killer, stomping, blazing riff which wouldn't sound mismatched if it came off of Pantera's 2000 album, "Reinventing The Steel."
The last two songs worth mentioning are the very hooky "Time" and "No Compromise." On the former, Dimebag makes a grinding, lurching rhythm for David Alan Coe's staccato vocals to sing over and the latter song begins with wah-wah guitars which are vaguely reminiscent of the beginning of Pantera's six year old hit single, "Revolution Is My Name."
Unless Vinnie Paul releases the demos from Damageplan's second album, "Rebel Meets Rebel" is the last we'll ever hear from Dimebag Darrell. Thus, this album is recommended for all Dimebag collections. But this disc is a very good, catchy, entertaining, and interesting listen, so it's recommended to every other rock fan (even if you aren't a Dimebag diehard). And even if you're curious what country metal sounds like, you need to get it.Rebel Meets Rebel OverviewVince Paul, famed drummer from Pantera and Damageplan, debuts his self-owned label, Big Vin Records, with Rebel Meets Rebel! Rebel Meets Rebel is a collaboration of the Cowboys From Hell (the late Dimebag Darrell on guitar, Vinnie Paul and drums, and Rex Paul on bass) teamed with vocals by country outlaw legend and Grammy winning songwriter David Allan Coe. It is the final full-length recording to include Dimebag, and it is a record that he truly loved.

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Rock & Roll Over Review

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Rock & Roll Over ReviewTHE BAND: Gene Simmons (Gene Klein), Paul Stanley (Stanley Eisen), Ace Frehley (Paul Frehley), Peter Criss (Peter Crisscoula).
THE DISC: Released 11/11/76. Recorded at the Record Plant, NYC. 10 songs clocking in at approximately 34 minutes. A classic album cover - featuring the 4 painted faces in a colorful circle. Originally released on Casablanca Records in 1975; this remastered edition was released in 1997 on Mercury's label. Much improved sound in my book (deeper bass guitars and crisper highs). Liner notes are slim - a 2 page fold out with song titles, writing credits and times. Underneath the disc on the inside cover, there's an informative 5 paragraph history of what the band was going through at the time.
COMMENTS: Hot off the heels of the platinum "Alive!" and "Destroyer" comes "Rock And Roll Over"... Kiss' 6th album in 3 short years. In my opinion, this is the band's first studio album with absolutely no filler. Song writing credits include 5 from Paul, 4 from Gene, and 1 from Peter. The only thing missing is a song penned from Ace. There's no weird out-of-character tracks like "Great Expectations" (from "Destroyer") or the forthcoming "Then She Kissed Me" throwback (from soon to be released "Love Gun"). This is back to basics rock and roll. Great guitar solo's from Ace (see "Calling Dr. Love" and "I Want You"). Better than average drumming from Peter (not to mention a better than average Peter song in "Baby Driver"). High quality songwriting from Paul. And the typical comic relief and sleaze of scoring babes from Gene. This album, like so many of their releases in the 1970's was extremely short. The longest songs are "Calling Dr. Love" and "Love 'Em And Leave' Em" - both at 3:47 minutes each. Two songs ("Take Me" and "See You In Your Dreams") are under the 3-minute mark. Paul Stanley's "Hard Luck Woman" (sung by Peter) was originally written and to be given to Rod Stewart... it reached #11 on the billboard charts... giving KISS their biggest hit since Peter's ballad "Beth". Though not a big fan of Garth Brooks, the country singer did a good job on his remake of "Hard Luck Woman" on "Kiss My Ass - Classic Kiss Regrooved" (1994). "Rock And Roll Over" features 2 classic not-hit KISS tunes - "Take Me" and Mr. Speed". Kiss has a billion compilations out there, and these 2 songs have only made a few of them. Not to mention perhaps their finest album closer ever, "Makin' Love". Solid album. One of the early classic discs from KISS (4.5 stars).
Rock & Roll Over OverviewThe band reunited with producer Eddie Kramer for this raucous rocker from late 1976 (another #11 LP). The hits Hard Luck Woman and Calling Dr. Love join killer cuts like I Want You; Makin' Love , and Mr. Speed .

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The Blackening Review

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The Blackening ReviewIt's been a long uphill battle for Machine Head in the 14+ years they have spent in the music business. Sure, they got off on the right foot with the acclaimed Burn My Eyes, but after that, things seemed to get hazy for the group. In 1999, they teamed with Korn/Limp Bizkit producer Ross Robinson for Burning Red, which, despite being a great album in it's own right, set the stage for the next few years of the bands career. By 2001, Machine Head had slowly slipped into nu-metal territory, and of the worst kind, and thus, we got Supercharger, which is undeniably the band's worst effort. Thankfully, they got things right and in 2004, Through the Ashes of Empires saw the light of day and saw Machine Head turning once again to the sound that made them in the first place, while embracing all the musical experiments on the previous four albums.
So what's the point in the history lesson? To understand why Machine Head's return to form has been so triumphant. "The Blackening" is hands down, without a doubt, the best thing Machine Head have done since 1994. One listen to the opening epic, "Clenching The Fists Of Dissent," and you're opinion of Machine Head will be forever altered. I'd hate for this review to be just mindless hype, but everything you've been hearing so far is true. "The Blackening" is a masterpiece. Opening and closing with songs that push past the ten-minute mark each, "The Blackening" is a bold statement from a band who have finally stopped giving into label pressures, stopped trying to mimic everyone else's style, and generally, just stopped caring what anyone thinks. "Now I Lay Thee Down" is about the most conventional the album gets, but even that's a stretch. Even the shorter tracks, such as "Slanderous" push Machine Head over the edge as far as musicianship goes. Phil Demmel and frontman Rob Flynn play off each other almost as if their minds were one. Despite metal's tendency to show off, Machine Head's work on "The Blackening" is not. Every little sound they add to the stew just makes it all the more powerful, all the more memorable, and all the more musical.
It's only March, and yet I believe 2007 has it's best metal album already. It's going to be a long time until someone comes along and tops this -- and coming from a band like Machine Head, who have been so inconsistent in the past -- who would have expected it? Great for them, though. I don't think anyone will question them ever again. Machine Head have proven that there are second chances in this business and more importantly, have delivered a pure-metal album that is just about perfect.The Blackening Overview

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Sting in the Tail Review

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Sting in the Tail ReviewOriginally formed in Hanover, Germany in the late 60s, Scorpions have over 40 years of experience as a band with some incredible hits under their belts. With their first album dropping in 1972, Scorpions are now in their 38th year of recorded material and it is reported to be their last. As the first track, "Raised on Rock," opens, it is easy to point out similarities to one of their biggest hits, 1984's "Rock You Like a Hurricane." Don't think that's because Klaus Maine, Rudolph Schenker, Matthias Jabs, and company have run out of ideas; on the contrary.
They simply tip their hats to the sounds that made them rock royalty while pursuing a conclusion worthy of their storied career. With Sting in the Tail, Scorpions have released an album of classic rock that stands with some of their finest releases of the past.
Although hints of their hits can be heard throughout, Sting in the Tail does an excellent job of combining the old with the new. The production is crisp and clean with an emphasis clearly placed on modern compression techniques that maximize the volume potential of the band, but the music still has that classic vibe that made them famous to begin with.
Meine's vocals are shockingly present and don't appear to have lost any of their hard hitting ability. Singers typically show their age on ballads, but when Scorpions slow things down on "Lorelei" and "Sly," Meine's voice soars over the mix without ever sacrificing a high note. Both power ballads utilize the same gradual build in dynamic throughout that is so characteristic of their sound in the eighties. "Lorelei" even makes use of the classic call and response harmonization on the chorus fans of the classic rock genre adore.
Scorpions continue to be the masters of a decade that has long since passed. For that reason, it is unlikely Sting in the Tail will make much noise on the charts, but for longtime fans, this will be the goodbye they have always craved. For those new to Scorpions, I highly recommend giving Love at First Sting a play through first, but Sting in the Tail is a worthy competitor.
Similar Artists: Quiet Riot, Kiss
Track Suggestion: "Raised on Rock"Sting in the Tail Overview2010 release, the 17th studio album by the German Heavy Metal band, Unfortunately, It will be their last studio album before packing it in. The album features a duet with the Finnish Symphonic Metal singer Tarja Turunen, on the song 'The Good Die Young'.

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Last in Line Review

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Last in Line ReviewHoly Diver was an excellent debut from Dio, and this album, just a year later, continued to show
Dio at full glory. Still, I think most people would agree that it does fall a bit short of Holy Diver,
but still it ranks very high. The album kicks off with one of heavy metal's top ever openers - We Rock.
And indeed it rocks. This is the classic type of metal opener you'd imagine: fast, furious and it rocks!
Excellent. The title track is next, and is the highlight of the album. The Last In Line for me is one
of Dio's top-3 songs ever, along with Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark, both from the previous album.
Everything is perfect about this song, and I think it would be correct to categorize it as something
between Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark, great stuff! Breathless is next and is a good metal song,
quite fast, decent chorus, and strong solo's. I Speed At Night has some of metal's best solo's, and
has an extemely cool riff. One Night In The City is a mid-tempo song with some strong riffs, that would
best be compared to 'Shame On The Night' from the previous album (nothing to do with the 'night' though).
Evil Eyes is another short and fast rocker, sort of like Gypsy, with strong lines throughout, very good. Mystery is a ballad, with some good keyboard work by Ronnie himself. Its slow but manages to stay solid.
It reminds you a little of Rainbow In The Dark, but surely not of that caliber. Eat Your Heart Out
is a nice mid-tempo song, with nice solo's by Vivian Campbell, once again.
The closing song is Dio's best ballad - Egypt (The Chains Are On). Its a slow song, but has excellent
crunching riffs, great lyrics, and is a real classic. At the same year Iron Maiden released
'Powerslave' which also deals with the same subject, has roughly the same length, and is also an excellent
song, interesting. In conclusion this is a very solid metal album. Not as good as Holy Diver, because some of the tracks
are just missing that energy crunch that was vivid throughout almost all of Holy Diver.
But its still a must for all Dio fans for sure, and for all serious metallists as well.
Excellent musicanship, and Dio has never reached this level of music ever since.
Highly recommended.Last in Line Overview

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Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Review

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Seventh Son of a Seventh Son ReviewSeventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988). Iron Maiden's seventh studio album.
From their debut all the way up to Powerslave(1984), Iron Maiden successfully showcased that they were on top of the NWOBHM scene, rocking hard and riding free, with few bands able to rival them. Come 1986, Maiden decided to experiment with guitar synthesizers and bass synths and managed to create the moody masterpiece progressive album, Somewhere In Time (IMHO, one of my two favorite Maiden albums). Now we arrive in 1988 when Maiden decided to take the progressiveness even further to an epic level. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son takes its style from Hemispheres and AFTTK era Rush (back in 77-78) and fuses it with Iron Maiden's early sound creating a masterful concept album. It follows the story of a cursed child who is born with special powers and it tempted by the side of both good and evil. Whether you understand the concept story or not, all fans must agree that SSOASS has excellent musicianship by the band, and the chemistry of the "perfect 5" Maiden lineup is completely intact. Unfortunately, this is the last time that they play this well for a good twelve years, as the classic lineup is shattered. But for the rest of the 80s, Iron Maiden managed to stay on top of the game and gave the fans an album to remember them by. Let's take a look at this album:
1) Moonchild- Starts off with an accoustic passage giving this album's theme and then it builds into a fast rocker. Great usage of keyboards in the background. Bruce's vocals are very aggressive here. 10/10
2) Infinite Dreams- This one may take time for fans to get used to as it alternates between a softer and harder section. Great song though. 9/10
3) Can I Play With Madness- A short commercial rocker similar to the previous album's Wasted Years. I understand that this track was played to death back in the day (though I'm much more inclined to believe that # Of The Beast and 2 Minutes To Midnight got overplayed if anything), but it's still an excellent song nonetheless. I like it. 9/10
4) The Evil That Men Do- Another phenomenal rocker. I didn't like it at first because the chorus got rather tedious to listen to, but it does grow on you. A noteworthy gem. 10/10
5) Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son- IRON MAIDEN TACKLES THE 10-MINUTE PROGRESSIVE EPIC CHALLENGE, and succeeds! They've done it before with Rhime Of The Ancient Mariner and Alexander The Great, but this is the first time in which they create the story themselves. Wonderful musicianship throughout. 10/10
6) The Prophecy- Some say that this track is the worst on the album, but I have to disagree. While it's certainly not one of the best Maiden songs, it does stand out quite a bit, as the band has never done anything that sounds quite like it up to this album, and for that the song deserves credit. Bruce's vocal ability shines here. 8/10
7) The Clairvoyant- A MASTERPIECE! Of the more commercial progressive styled rockers on the album, this track shines far above the rest. My favorite track on here. 10/10
8) Only The Good Die Young- This song would tie with The Prophecy as far as good songs on the album go, but unfortunately unlike The Prophecy, this one fails to really stand out at all. Still decent though. It ends with the same accoustic passage as the intro of Moonchild. 7/10
So how will fans judge SSOASS? It really depends on how much you enjoy progressive rock music. If you've got a short attention span and you're a fan who can't sit through any song longer than four minutes, then you may not like SSOASS much. Give it time and it should grow on you. I on the other hand have come to appreciate more complicated works in the past year, and I enjoy hearing the different guitar parts, time-change signatures, and concept story SSOASS has to offer. Therefore I give it five stars. Also, hardcore fans shouldn't be stringent on their usage of keyboards. They are used as a nice background texture, which has very little presence. Cripes people, if you think that the keyboards are dominating here then you need to actually LISTEN to the music. There are certainly no shortages of guitar parts here. Dave and Adrian are playing dual guitar solos as great as ever, but unfortunately Adrian departs after this album, which started a chain of progressively worse Maiden albums until the dawn of the new millenium arrived. Don't hesitate to pick this up if you are already a fan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The Evil That Men Do lives on and on, and so does Iron Maiden! They still have it in them as proven by their new album, Dance Of Death(2003). For that and their devotion to true heavy metal, I salute them. Keep on rocking forever guys.Seventh Son of a Seventh Son OverviewFull title, 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'. Canadiandigitally remastered reissue of 1988 album that'sout-of-print in the US. Pressed onto an enhanced discfeaturing full length videos, exclusive band biographies,photo galleries, internet links & more. PC/MAC compatible.1998.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Somewhere in Time Review

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Somewhere in Time ReviewIron Maiden's golden age started with "Killers" and pretty much ended with "Somewhere in Time". All of the songs on "Somewhere" are ambitious, adding new elements to Maiden's sound. The guitar synth's found on "Somewhere" are present, but not as overpowering as on the follow-up cd "Seventh Son". Everything Maiden fans enjoy about the band are present on "Somewhere". Steve Harris' bass lines crackle, and Dickinson's urgent vocals really carry the album along. The guitar riffs are catchy, and hook you right away. The thing that always impressed me with Iron Maiden, was that, during the 80's most metal bands like Ratt, Posion, Motley Crue etc, were busy playing and singing about rock n' roll, girls and partying. Maiden often based their music on literature; "Murders in the Rue Morgue", poetry: "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", history; "Aces High", "The Trooper" and "Run to the Hills"; religion; "Heaven Can Wait", "Number of the Beast" and mythology "Icarus" and "Poweslave". The great epic metal tunes on Iron Maiden disks defied the conventions of the time, where most bands stuck to radio-friendly, 5 minutes or less rock anthems. Iron Maiden was, and is more than just a standard metal band, and if you are a music fan, you are doing yourself a great dis-service if you don't pick up the disks from the heyday. "Somewhere in Time" features 8 great track, each better than the one before it. Listen to "Alexander the Great" and ask yourself if any other band at the height of their popularity would have been able to put that song on a cd. The guitar riff on "Wasted Years" will be running through your head all day, and you will be humming the chorus of "Heaven Can Wait" for a long time. This is a great album, from a band that always brought a little more to the table than just catchy rock anthems.Somewhere in Time Overview

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Korn Review

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Korn ReviewI'll be honest, I started with Korn with Issues. That was my first Korn album. I sorta worked my way backwards. After I purchased Issues which in my opinion is one of the best metal albums, I went to the local Waves Music store and bought all the other Korn CDs at once. No other music had as much impact on me as Korn's first album.
The self/titled debut is a truly amazing piece of music. It's pain, tragedy, depression, and all of our darker moments wrapped into a tight package sealed with a black ribbon. In my opinion what Korn represents is really hard to find in today's music. I'm sick and tired of people calling Korn and untalented band. Or saying that Jon Davis' anger is fake. Most of these criticizers have lived their life no longer than 13 years. Live the next 5 or 6 years and you will realize where Korn is coming from. Jon Davis comes from a life that has been filled with pain, suffering, and so much anger that there is enough in him to write 90 albums. I suggest taking a look ... and reading up on the band's history. You will surely be stunned and I would suggest reading the Korn Fiction on KornWeb which reveals some hidiously painful stories about Jon's life. Songs like Clown, Faget, and Need To are songs about everyday things that can affect our entire life forever. But the most true to the heart song has to be Daddy. This is in my opinion the most painful true story ever heard through music. It's a song about how Jon was molested as a child and it clearly shows his true aggression. The crying at the end of the song is real. Jon Davis was alone in the studio as he sang to pre recorded music. This is a slap in the face of all people that say that Korn is just stupid distorted noise. I don't think half the people that say Korn is ... have not even heard this song. I think that they are afraid to relate to something as hard to talk about as Jon's life. And he is a true inspiration to most teens everywhere (including myself). Korn's music made my life much better and helped me through tough times that I just didn't have a chance in. I think of Korn as a form of medication and it works oh-so well.
If Jon, Fieldy, Munky, Head, or David ever venture upon this review, this is what I have to say to them:
Your music has changed my life. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here right now and I honestly mean that. Keep putting out meaningful music and don't let all the critics out there deter your gift. I'm sure every single one of your fans feels the same way. Thank you...Korn OverviewGrammy winning rock band Korn has sold more than 30 million albums and received widespread critical acclaim for its music. Korn has redefined the parameters of heavy music, revolutionizing the genre be matching unsettling guitar textures and volcanic rhythms with jagged, introspective lyrics and intense vocals. Korn is known for its extensive live touring schedule and riveting live performances.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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We All Bleed Review

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We All Bleed ReviewAfter listening to this album through and through multiple times, I have come to a conclusion.
The guys in Crossfade are total geniuses. Really, there's no other explanation for this incredible piece of work released right here. What they've done is managed to put an album together comprised only of fantastic songs. And the best part is that none of them sound alike. None of them run into eachother. There are some albums that one can just listen to over and over again, and still lose your place. There are some that you could reshuffle the track listing entirely, and no one would be able to tell it was changed around. Here, not just one or two tracks stand out from the rest. Every track can stand on its own and be a great song. Even though this album is on the darker end, there's still a message of hope in the album. It's not all doom and gloom.
The band begins the album with "Dead Memories", a heavy track filled with excellent drum work and not many lyrics; even though this is a dark album, the lyrics are confident and strong; "I'm not holding on to dead memories of what I used to be, I've found a way to make this life bow to me." It does a good job kicking off the album to a great start.
The following song "Killing Me Inside" is a depictive track about vivid dreams changing your life throughout the next day. It's a strong rock song with a fist pumping chorus, just what you've come to expect from Crossfade. It still sounds good, even a year after its release.
Afterwards is "Prove You Wrong", an excellent song that plays around in electronics. This song is probably the most accessible track on the album with its catchy chorus. This sounds most like "old Crossfade" than any other song on the album in my opinion, and I'm sure this song'll be a hit in the future.
Oh boy. "Lay Me Down" is where the album really starts to get good. This is one of the best tracks on the album, and even one of the best songs I've heard this year. It immediately opens up with an awesome drum beat, and only goes uphill from there with its great riffs and guitar work. The choruses are absolutely fantastic with guitarist Les Hall soloing in the background and in the bridge; all of the band members truly shine here. I'd highly recommend picking this song up.
"Dear Cocaine" is actually one of the most uplifting songs on the album. It's lyrics talk about getting rid of addictions and give a very positive outlook. "Dear cocaine, don't follow me, don't turn around, don't say a thing to me. Let me go because I know that I can do this on my own" Musically, it sounds like a cross somewhere between The Beatles and Alice in Chains. It's definitely a bright spot on the album and one of my favorites.
"Suffocate" is a haunting track and is one of the longest on the album, clocking in at around 6 minutes. The song gradually picks up in intensity, beginning with tribal drum beats and echoed vocals before Les Hall brings out some of his best guitar soloing near the end of the track. The musicianship is fantastic.
Up next is "I Think You Should Know", a strong ballad that once again talks about dreams. Les Hall never bursts out with any incredible solos in this song, but the real highlight here is Ed Sloan's vocals. He goes from rather soft singing in the verses to some of his best vocal registers in the choruses. Quite the impressive track.
"We All Bleed" is next, and it's the title track. It was the first song ever recorded for this album, but is not on the better end of the album. It's still a great tune with thick guitar work and fun drum beats. The beginning kind of gives off a "dark twisted freakshow" vibe.
"Open Up Your Eyes" is one of the more uplifiting tracks on the album; "So everybody just sing along and make the anthem known, know that none of us are alone, everyone of us should feel alive, so open up your eyes!" The song features some nice soloing from Les Hall and is a fantastic, solid rock track.
The final song on the album is "Make Me a Believer." Undoubtedly the best song on the album, this 10 minute epic focuses more on the music than anything else. Les Hall does his absolute best on the album, the drums are fantastic, and the vocals take a backseat on this one to let the musicianship shine through. Filled with tough riffs, awesome bridges and absolutely fantastic soloing, this track is one that needs to be heard at all costs.
What Crossfade have done here is create a real amazing piece of work. This album blows their other two out of the water, and while it may not be the most commercially accessible, I'm sure that they will gain respect more than they ever have before. I've been waiting for this album since around this time last year, and was it worth the wait? Absolutely.We All Bleed Overview

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Pyromania Review

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Pyromania ReviewReleased in 1983 "Pyromania" was the album that broke Def Leppard in America but primarily due to MTV's playing the videos of "Photograph", "Foolin'" and "Rock Of Ages". Again, with Robert John "Mutt" Lange doing the producing as well as co-writing most of the songs "Pyromania" had it's share of great songs starting with the hits "Photograph", "Foolin'", "Rock Of Ages", and "Rock Rock (Till You Drop)", etc. More polished than the band's 1981 album "High N' Dry" (but in my opinion not necessarily better) it was ex-Girl guitarist Phil Collen's debut replacing original guitarist and founder Pete Willis. "Pyromania" seems to have a more commercial sound than the previous albums and the band seems to be getting away from their NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) roots. The remastering on this Deluxe Edition is far superior when compared to the older non-remastered single disc. I hear a crispness and more midrange in this newly remastered version that the older version lacked. The bonus disc (running just over seventy minutes long) from a concert in 1983 at the L.A. Forum is extremely well recorded and is a treat for Def Leppard fans as it includes not only material from "Pyromania" but from "High N' Dry" and "All Through The Night". Songs such as "Rock Brigade", "Wasted", "High N' Dry (Saturday Night)", "Another Hit And Run" and "Let It Go" have never been recorded "live" on cd or dvd for commercial release as far as this reviewer remembers so this is a first. Queen's Brian May even makes an appearance joining the band in playing the Creedence Clearwater classic "Travelin' Band" (the ending mixed with Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll"). The packaging of this Deluxe Edition of "Pyromania" is excellent with both discs securely mounted and there's also a fairly lengthy booklet with colorful photos of the band. Highly recommended!Pyromania Overview

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No More Tears Review

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No More Tears ReviewThis is the best Ozzy album. Ever. Superb lyrics (some of which were co-wrote with Lemmy), and brilliant, chunky riffs, replete with squeals. I Don't Wanna Change The World, Mama I'm Comin Home, Desire, Time After Time, Road to Nowhere - these are songs that clearly exert real meaning, for both Ozzy and for the listener. Listen to this album when you're going through hard times, you'll see what I mean.
I don't like Black Label Society much, nor Wylde's love of biker gangs and beards. But this is the album that answers why he is considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.
Personally I find the production ok - it has dated quite a bit (but hasn't everything?) - You can hardly blame them for trying to make an album that catered to listeners tastes at the time.
(And to those people who say Ozzy went commercial here - what do you call 'The Osbournes'???).
In fact, this is not only Ozzy's best, but one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.No More Tears Overview

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G N R Lies Review

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G N R Lies ReviewComprised of a previously released EP and 4 new acoustic tracks, Lies succeeded in recasting GN'R into a band with more depth (and, unfortunately, venom) than any other L.A. group. The first half, the "live" tracks, (actually studio with overdubbed crowd noises) is a nice snapshot of the band's embryonic period but nothing more-they hadn't yet developed their memorable style. The 4 acoustic songs are the heart of the record-the lovely, generous "Patience" sets a gentle mood, but the rest of the record is unremittingly dark. "Used to Love Her" is simply a cruel (and old) joke set to a countryfied shuffle. A smouldering "You're Crazy" is superior to the version on "Appetite", displaying the paranoia and selfishness of the song more successfully. But it's the scabrous "One In a Million" that defines this album. Murky and ominous, it presents a picture of a character (who may or may not be Axl) as he came to the big city and confronted his hatred of others and, ultimately, himself. Even more disturbingly, the song ends without a resolution-the hate remains, the demons fought to a draw, no winners. Like the rest of the album, it's an exorcism of raw emotion. Not easy to listen to, but extraordinarily powerful. It showed no other band could have shaped such ugly dramas into such compelling music.G N R Lies Overview

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Slash Review

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Slash ReviewEver since I read in Slash's book that he planned to do a "Slash and Friends" record I looked forward to the day it happened. Well that day is here, albeit under a different title. "Slash and Friends" was kind of a corny name anyway; the self-titled Slash is much cooler. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see this record's name ultimately default to the little inscription on the cover that reads "R&FNR". In fact that's exactly how I will refer to it for the rest of this review.
And R&FNR is certainly an apt title, because this is a great Rock and FN Roll record. You get a nice array of rock musicians combined with a nice array of rock vocalists to lift Slash to what I hope will be a big selling record for the guy. It goes without saying that Slash rips it up on every song. I dare say that R&FNR may be Slash's best recording since Appetite for Destruction...okay, at least Contraband.
Slash is joined by many different players across the 14 tracks included on the Amazon MP3 release, including to name a few: most of his former GNR members (except Axl), Dave Grohl & supposedly Travis Barker (but darned if I can figure out or find info on exactly which song(s) it is that Barker is playing on). And on vocals, the guest appearances and songs sound like this:
1. "Ghost" featuring Ian Astbury of The Cult. Great hard rocker to start the record.
2. "Crucify the Dead" with Ozzy. 'Slow & go' rocker with Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters banging the drums.
3. "Beautiful Dangerous" featuring Fergie of Black Eyed Peas. That's right...Fergie!...and she rocks. Hey, I don't know if you had a chance to see her blow the doors off Madison Square Garden singing Gimme Shelter with Mick Jagger in the HBO televised 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert in October 2009, but this pop singer can rock.
4. "Back from Cali" has Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge. Good rock song. Myles has some pipes. Rumor is that Myles will be will be Slash's touring singer to promote R&FNR.
5. "Promise" with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, but you get more of the Audioslave Cornell on R&FNR...a slowish rock groover.
6. "By the Sword" has Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother howling out a slow and heavy Zeppelinesque rocker.
7. "Gotten" Adam Levine of Maroon 5 croons through this somewhat of a ballad that picks up for a bit in the middle when Slash solos.
8. "Doctor Alibi" Lemmy Kilmister deliverers what you'd expect from the Moterhead vet...a punk influenced rocker.
9. "Watch This" features Dave Grohl back behind the drum kit & Duff McKagan on bass for a heavy instrumental worthy of the title that I'd really love to see the three of these guys do live. Slash lights up the album with some serious shredding.
10. "I Hold On" with Kid Rock doin' his country rock thing.
11. "Nothing to Say" M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold joins Slash for perhaps the heaviest track on the recording. A good hard rock tune, and the A7X influence is loud and clear.
12. "Starlight" Myles Kennedy is back for another track with a bluesy rock vibe. Kennedy can really sing.
13. "Saint is a Sinner Too" On this one a guy named Rocco DeLuca (who?) lays down the vocals for a ballady kinda tune with a slow marching beat in the background.
14. "We're All Gonna Die" Iggy Pop joins Slash on the last track for a foot stompin' party anthem that suggests, "We're all gonna die, so let's get high!"
There are even more tracks available depending on what retailer or what country you buy the disk or download from (including guest appearances by Steven Adler, Flea, Cypress Hill & Alice Cooper). But the above is what you get from Amazon.
R&FNR should, but probably won't, get enough airplay on the radio. Too many Rock radio stations these days (like Octane on Sirius) play cookie-cutter rock that for whatever reason have decided that songs with guitar solos aren't cool. This record defies that stupid theory and will hopefully help set an example for modern rock.
So all in all is R&FNR a masterpiece? No, but it is a very good Rock record. Buy it now.
Slash Overview

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Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Review

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Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow ReviewRainbow was formed in 1975 by lead guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore immediately after leaving Deep Purple. He met and struck up a friendship with Ronnie James Dio, who was fronting the bluesy hard rock band Elf. Ritchie was so impressed with Ronnie and the band that he formed Rainbow out of Elf. In other words, when they first began, Rainbow was basically Elf (minus their own lead guitarist, of course) plus Ritchie Blackmore.
Although Elf was basically a bar-room boogie band, both Ritchie and Ronnie envisioned Rainbow to be more of a progressive metal outfit with lyrics concentrating on mystical, medieval, and occult themes. This is why Rainbow's first record has both of these styles represented on it.
It begins with what might be the greatest Rainbow song ever (certainly one of their greatest anyway, as well as one of THE best songs from 1975), a 4 1/2-minute song called "Man On The Silver Mountain." This is the original song that defined Rainbow's music: it starts with a good basic electric guitar riff, then the bass, drums and keyboards join in for support, and when Ronnie James Dio starts to sing, it quickly begins to take shape as the progressive heavy metal song it is. And it has one amazing guitar solo by Ritchie Blackmore!
"Self Portrait" is also a dynamic prog-metal tune, but "Black Sheep Of The Family" is a straight-ahead, slightly bluesy hard rock tune with some great slide guitar work by Blackmore, and is obviously one of the Elf-penned contributions to this record. It is also quite infectious; once you hear it, you can't get it out of your mind for hours.
"Catch The Rainbow," at six and a half minutes long, is the only long song on this album, and is also the most progressive-sounding. It's the one that really paved the way for their next album "Rising," as it sounds more similar to the songs on that record than anything on this one. It's a nice, introspective tune. "Snake Charmer" is almost the opposite; it is a short, loud, brash song that contains a lot of Dio-screaming on it. "The Temple Of The King" gets Rainbow back into fine progressive form, with lyrics conjuring up the medieval. The, they do a sudden roots-rock-about-face with the VERY Elf-sounding, piano-and-bass-driven, ultra-infectious "If You Don't Like Rock 'N' Roll," which some reviewers have dismissed on here, but I think it provides a neat departure for Rainbow on this album. Besides, it shows all of us where Ronnie James Dio really came from (no, not Hell): He came from rock's early days. That's right, he formed his very first band all the way back in 1958, called Ronnie and The Rumblers, so you can tell that he still had some of that influence left in him by the time this album was made. I think it's pretty cool. :)
The CD winds down with "Sixteenth-Century Greensleeves" and "Still I'm Sad." The former is probably the most medieval-sounding track on here, about a revolt against a tyrant, with some evil-sounding singing by Dio. The latter is simply one of the greatest heavy metal instumentals ever, with fast time-changes on bass and drums, and absolutely amazing guitar fretwork by The Man In Black.
If you know only a couple of their later hit songs, then give early Rainbow a try, especially if you already like Deep Purple. Some of these songs are very Deep Purple-ish. If you also like Ronnie James Dio's 80's stuff, then this CD is for you! And...If you don't like rock 'n' roll, THEN YOU'RE TOO LATE NOW! :)Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Overview

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Holy Diver Review

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Holy Diver ReviewMore than any other singer in rock and roll and/or heavy metal, Ronnie James Dio has had the longest, most prolific career. His career has lasted for more than 40 years and has gone through more ups and downs than anyone can imagine. It's a shame that Dio doesn't get enough acclaim, because he was around before bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple forged the heavy hard rock revolution, so that alone makes him the true pioneer. Anyway, enough of me ranting.
HOLY DIVER is an all-time heavy metal classic. It was the debut of Dio's self-moniker band, featuring Jimmy Bain on bass, Vinny Appice on drums, and a talented young guitarist named Vivian Campbell. This was also Dio's comeback release. After a stint with Elf in the early '70s, he joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow later in the decade. Soon he left, and became the new lead singer of Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy. After a fallout with Tony Iommi during the making of Sabbath's first live album (LIVE EVIL), Dio had a lot to prove. Thus, he embarked on his solo career and made a searing impression with HOLY DIVER.
With his own band, Dio basically combined the epic, medevial imagery of Rainbow with the blistering heaviness of Sabbath to forge his own sound. Needless to say, this combo works extremely well. Every song on here is a winner. "Stand Up and Shout" is a fiery opener with great energy and speedy riffs. The mini-epic title track is a masterpiece, starting out slowly with an extended, lush keyboard intro and never letting up once the heaviness kicks in. Great drumming from Vinny on this song. "Don't Talk to Strangers" starts out as a power ballad-type track with some nice acoustic work, but it segues into becoming another hard rocker. Dio's vocals and lyrics are especially great in this track.
Both "Gypsy" and "Straight Through the Heart" are crunchy, melodic rockers with more great riffs and catchy choruses. My absolute favorite song on the album is the powerful "Invisible." This song has a spacey, atmospheric guitar intro from Vivian (very similar to Iron Maiden's "Strange World"), but stops suddenly and turns into an explosive metal feast. And let's not forget "Rainbow in the Dark," one of the best metal singles ever released in the '80s, with an awesome guitar solo from Campbell. Vivian is such a good player. What happened to him? Have you heard his stuff with Def Leppard? He sounds horrendous with them. Oh, well. That's what he gets for leaving Dio.
I have nothing else to say. HOLY DIVER is an unforgettable metal masterpiece, and it won't be leaving my CD player (or yours for that matter) anytime soon.Holy Diver Overview

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Octavarium Review

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Octavarium ReviewSince 1994, Dream Theater has followed an uncanny pattern in album excellence. "Awake" was unbelievable - "Falling Into Infinity" was pretty good - "Scenes From a Memory" is the best album of all time - "Six Degrees ..." has its creative merits - "Train of Thought" is an unstoppable beast. So, by this logic, their next album will be good, but not a towering sonic monolith.
So, is this a self-fulfilling prophecy? It's hard to tell.
"Octavarium", Dream Theater's ninth studio album, is definitely a change in direction from "Train of Thought", which was a guitar-heavy album. Dream Theater's newest release is an atmospheric composition that focuses more on symphonic keyboard textures than it does on meaty guitar riffs. This particular ambience (along with the addition of a symphony) has taken over the spotlight, making each song more structured, accessible and consistently catchy, which was not the case with their last release. Petrucci and Rudess' virtuoso deliveries (more commonly known as "shredding") are kept down to an absolute minimum on this album. One may suppose that the band realized that the songs on "Train of Thought" were following a decipherable pattern: intro, verse, chorus, long instrumental fireworks, chorus, finish.
So what do we have, exactly? We have an album that explores various areas of the progressive world. We have "The Root of All Evil", a continuation of Portnoy's multi-album suite (beginning with "The Glass Prison" and continued by "This Dying Soul"), which starts the album on a relatively heavy note. In it's 8-minute run, it re-visits riffs, rhythms and even lyrics from its predecessors (namely "I can feel my body breaking - shaking") and a shaky, unimpressive chorus that borrows from James LaBrie's forgettable experience with Tim Donahue. "Panic Attack" is a look back to Liquid Tension Experiment's rapid fire guitar riffs and blitzkrieg drums, never slowing down in its spectacular 8-minute duration. It is the fastest Dream Theater song to date and an explosive standout track.
Aside from those songs, the rest of the album is considerably slower and softer than anything we have heard from Dream Theater since the collection of ballads found on 1997's "Falling into Infinity". The serene "The Answer Lies Within" begins with the sounds of crickets and a lonely piano, leading into a soothing song where Rudess' delicate melodies journey alongside a quiet troupe of strings, which have a brief "solo" where Petrucci would normally show off. The song is very (and I mean *very*) reminiscent of "The Spirit Carries On" in its folksy, feel-good song construction and melodies. But it is nowhere near as poppy or infectious as the upbeat, radio-ready "I Walk Beside You", which is the closest Dream Theater has come to sounding like Hoobastank or the Goo Goo Dolls. It's still a great song, despite the predictable and sugarcoated rock riffs.
Speaking of predictability, Dream Theater have yet another politically interested song, following in the footsteps of 2001's "The Great Debate" and 2003's "In the Name of God". In fact, this album's 10-minute "Sacrificed Sons" is, most accurately described, "In the Name of God Part 2" with the same lyrical theme (religious fanaticism) and similar threatening atmospheres as its predecessor.
Then there's the surprise. The 24-minute prog-rock title track. I didn't know what to make of "Octavarium" at first as it was a complete surprise. It is a total departure from "A Change of Seasons" (the band's other 20+ minute epic). It seems that Portnoy's prog-rock experiences with Transatlantic have leaked out into Dream Theater. The metal is gone, replaced by a softer rock that sounds a lot like IQ and Spock's Beard with synchronized guitars and keyboards, and a myriad of different sounds (like juxtaposing a solitary acoustic guitar for a few seconds and stomping on it with a catchy prog melody). After the first painfully long four minutes, the guitars kick in, paving the way for a truly memorable experience, headlined by acoustic guitars, soothing vocals, lots of piano, a curious flute (a surprise) and later a full symphony (a shock).
The symphony is difficult to digest. Dream Theater have always proved to be masters of their craft by working wonders with their instruments - and their instruments only. Now we have a symphony adding a supporting fill to their already organic songs. Fortunately, it isn't ubiquitous (à la Nightwish's "Once") or thinly spread out (à la Pain of Salvation's "BE"). Instead, it's prominent and heavy at select times like an active volcano. The strings punch out in short bursts at the majestic end of "These Walls", subtly guide the keyboards of "The Answer Lies Within" and, with the help of some horns, bring "Octavarium" to a stunning finish.
Every song on the album is unique one way or another (except "Never Enough", which doesn't take off until its instrumental delivery 2/3 of the way into the song) and form the parts of yet another great Dream Theater release. Although the album may not survive the test of time like "Images and Words" or "Scenes From a Memory" have, it is still a delightful listen and an impressive creative output.
Sure, they *are* my all-time favorite band, so my standards are extremely high. Despite the surprises and occasionally awkward moments, "Octavarium" passes my intense scrutiny.
See also: Dream Theater - "Falling into Infinity", Dream Theater - "Images and Words", Transatlantic - "SMPT:e", Spock's Beard - "V"Octavarium OverviewDream Theater has maintained a rare combination of stellar musicianship and unwavering passion for over a decade, selling millions of albums and filling concert venues worldwide. The band once again confirms its status as progressive hard rock's standard-bearers on their latest studio epic, Octavarium.

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Reign in Blood Review

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Reign in Blood ReviewTo imagine the metal scene today if "Reign In Blood" had never been released, is impossible for me. This album is beyond any of my compliments. Every credible metal band today has cited this epic album as a major influence; and if they said otherwise, they'd just be lying. To be a metalhead and NOT own this album is a sin in itself. This album not only demolished and rebuilt new metal standards, "Reign in Blood" combined those Metallica-esque chugging riffs and completely off the wall, unorthodox guitar solos, and exposed them to a huge crowd that didn't know what to think at first (they obviously caught on in no time). Althought Kerry King's and Jeff Hanneman's guitar solos aren't the most musical and intelligible ones in the world, they are ALL about aggression, which is certainly what classic Slayer is all about. Even with so many excellent guitar players surfacing in modern metal, King and Hanneman's unmatched rhythm chops on this album continue to turn heads today. And although Tom Araya does no real "singing" on the CD, his screaming fits the music perfectly. From that legendary first scream of the infamous "Angel of Death", to the last growls of the epic, "Raining Blood", Tom's vocals are one of the most aggressive things about this album. But of course, what would Slayer be without that madman behind the drum set? Even today, in a world of black metal and death metal perfectionist drummers, Dave Lombardo is a thrash drumming god. Throughout the entire album, the drums are fast and pounding, never giving your ears a chance to "take a break" or "rest"; there's no such thing. Slayer never tries to mix it up with a soft breakdown or interlude either. The consistent brutality of this album is what makes it so epic, even today. If you're a relatively old Slayer fan, you probably shouldn't be reading this, because chances are, you already own it, and have owned for a long time. But if you're new to Slayer, starting with this album is a must. This is not one of those albums that is just a "good for it's era" recording. This epic blaze of an album would thrash just as much if it was released today.Reign in Blood OverviewAfter being offered a recording deal by Rick Rubin's Def Jam Recordings, Slayer signed and quickly began working on its third album with Rubin as co-producer. The result, 1986's Reign in Blood, has been called a "thrash metal masterpiece" and even credited with almost single-handedly inspiring the entire death metal genre, at least in North America.

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Number of the Beast Review

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Number of the Beast ReviewI love this album so much. This to me is a true five star album. This is the album that drew me into heavy metal music and made me a life long Iron Maiden fan.
"Run to the Hills" is what initially drew me in. I hadn't heard anything else by the band, but this was 1982, and radio was still in top 40 mode. But I knew I loved "Run to the Hills," so I thought I'd buy a whole album rather than just the single. And am I glad I did. I remember putting the lp on the turntable and being spellbound for the better part of an hour while I played the album twice, back to back. To my twelve year old ears, this was heaven.
After a thorough listen, I found most of the songs to be even better than "Run to the Hills" -- especially side two's "Number of the Beast." That song to me was pure high octane power, the perfect combination of bass, guitar, drums, and vocals. And the album closed perfectly with "Hallowed Be Thy Name."
After this, I became a true Iron Maiden maniac. I knew that "Up the Irons" meant, I knew all about "Eddie," I learned this was Bruce Dickinson's first album... stuff that wouldn't help me academically, but essential in heavy metal discussion during class time.
While my mom wasn't initially pleased with the album art (I explained it was all a dream sequence), she was pleased I was increasing my workload around the house in order to buy the band's other albums -- "Iron Maiden," "Killers," and "Maiden Japan." And with each album, I fell deeper under the band's spell. I've picked up every album since then. Some great, some not so great, but you take the good with the bad.
Are you convinced that music is dull, drap, unappealing, and commercial? Never heard this album? Now's your chance to listen to one of the cornerstone bands of the 80's and 90's. Creativity, personality, and originality all describe this great band -- a band still on the road touring and making albums. And as for this album, it sounds as good today as it did over twenty years ago.Number of the Beast OverviewEnhanced CD-Rom version of the original. Includes full-length videos, band biographies, photo galleries, and internet links, all encased in a slip-sleeve. -1998

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