Withering Dusk

Nickelback-Dark Horse

2009-12-16T04:39:00.000-08:00

Phew.....this is the crappiest piece of shit i've come across in my entire life. I never thought Nickelback would come up with something so pathetic. The album is filled with boring riffs and terrible arrangement. Even the slower one's are really boring. The only good songs in this album are 'Id come for you' and 'This afternoon'. The rest of it is one shit ass experience.To add to it some songs even have electronic loops that are seriously annoying. This album is definitely a tiring listen.

Band: Nickelback
Album: Dark Horse
Genre: Post-grunge,Hard rock
Year: 2008
Rating: 4.5/10

Saving Abel-Saving Abel

2009-04-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Saving Abel ,the self titled debut of the band Saving Abel is not such a bad album. The riffs are pretty good in many songs but what stands out is the lead part epecially in the songs "Running from you" and "Drowning(Face Down)". The biggest hit of the album "Addicted" has a really catchy tune and the vocals are also pretty good but the drums are really weak in this song and the lyrics especially could've been better. The songs "18 Days", "Beautiful Day" and "Sailed Away" are eally nice ballads. Songs "Beautiful You" , "New Tatoo" , "Out of My Face" and "She Got Over Me" are seriously no worth checking out. Inspite of the album losing its way in certain areas it's still worth a listen. My personal favourites in this would be "Running from You" and "Drowning". The album would have been much better off if the drums were a little stronger but overall the band has done a pretty good job.

Band: Saving Abel

Album: Saving Abel

Genre: Post-grunge,Hard rock

Year: 2008

Rating: 7.4/10

Metallica-Death Magnetic

2008-09-18T03:40:00.000-07:00

Metallica are finally back and they are better than ever.This is one headbanging experience you cant miss.Riffs,solos,percussions everything is so damn good in this album.

The opening song "That way just your life" starts of with a good riff and is a perfect metallic start to Death Magenetic."End of the Line" starts of with a killer riff.The vocals are mind blowing in this song."The Broken Beat and scarred" is also a very good track but the biggest highlight of the album comes in the form of "That day never comes".Man what a song that is.The verse and the chorus part of the song can win over even a hardcore metallica hater.The best part of the song is probably the solo which is lightning fast and will leave you gasping for breath."The Unforgiven iii",the song which all fans were patiently waiting for,just doesnt fail to dissapoint.It's probably the best of the 3 unforgivens released so far."Cyanide" and "The Judas Kiss" are also amazing tracks.

The whole album is filled with fast and amazing riffs.Its also got a solid rhythm section.In fact drums stand out in songs like "That Day Never comes".The whole album is actually woth a thousand listens.This is another Metallica classic.

Band:Metallica

Album:Death Magnetic

Genre:Trash metal

Year:2008

Ratimg:9/10

Def Leppard-Hysteria

2008-05-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

Where Pyromania had set the standard for polished, catchy pop-metal, Hysteria only upped the ante. Pyromania's slick, layered Mutt Lange production turned into a painstaking obsession with dense sonic detail on Hysteria, with the result that some critics dismissed the record as a stiff, mechanized pop sell-out (perhaps due in part to Rick Allen's new, partially electronic drum kit). But Def Leppard's music had always employed big, anthemic hooks, and few of the pop-metal bands who had hit the charts in the wake of Pyromania could compete with Leppard's sense of craft; certainly none had the pop songwriting savvy to produce seven chart singles from the same album, as the stunningly consistent Hysteria did. Joe Elliott's lyrics owe an obvious debt to his obsession with T. Rex, particularly on the playfully silly anthem "Pour Some Sugar on Me," and the British glam rock tribute "Rocket," while power ballads like "Love Bites" and the title track lack the histrionics or gooey sentimentality of many similar offerings. The strong pop hooks and "perfect"-sounding production of Hysteria may not appeal to die-hard heavy metal fans, but it isn't heavy metal -- it's pop-metal, and arguably the best pop-metal ever recorded. Its blockbuster success helped pave the way for a whole new second wave of hair metal bands, while proving that the late-'80s musical climate could also be very friendly to veteran hard rock acts, a lead many would follow in the next few years.

Band:Def Leppard
Album:Hysteria
Genre:Hard rock,Pop rock
Year:1987
Rating:8/10

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Second Helping

2008-05-19T02:37:00.000-07:00

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking. This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping.

Band:Lynyrd Skynyrd
Album:Second Helping
Genre:Southern rock
Year:1974
Rating:9/10

Def Leppard-Songs From the Sparkle Lounge

2008-05-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

Given that Def Leppard sounded so fun and revitalized on their 2006 covers album Yeah!, it was easy to hope that they would try to channel that same kinetic energy into their next set of original material, 2008's Songs from the Sparkle Lounge.They actually have succeded in kicking up the excitement.The song "Only the Good Die Young" shimmers with brilliant harmonies and "Nine Lives",a duet with country superstar Tim McGraw rides a riff that is very similar to "Pour Some Sugar on Me".The album has many big hooks like "C'mon,C'mon","Tomorrow","Nine Lives" and "Come Undone".This album is the perfect successor of Yeah.If you haven't heard songs by Def Leppard before,this album is the perfect one to start with.As for Def Leppard fans here is another classic to add to your collection.

Band:Def Leppard
Album:Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Genre:Hard rock,Pop rock
Year:2008
Rating:8.1/10

Oasis-(What's the Story)Morning Glory?

2008-05-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

If Definitely Maybe was an unintentional concept album about wanting to be a rock & roll star, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is what happens after the dreams come true. Oasis turns in a relatively introspective second record, filled with big, gorgeous ballads instead of ripping rockers. Unlike Definitely Maybe, the production on Morning Glory is varied enough to handle the range in emotions; instead of drowning everything with amplifiers turned up to 12, there are strings, keyboards, and harmonicas. This expanded production helps give Noel Gallagher's sweeping melodies an emotional resonance that he occasionally can't convey lyrically. However, that is far from a fatal flaw; Gallagher's lyrics work best in fragments, where the images catch in your mind and grow, thanks to the music. Gallagher may be guilty of some borrowing, or even plagiarism, but he uses the familiar riffs as building blocks. This is where his genius lies: He's a thief and doesn't have many original thoughts, but as a pop/rock melodicist he's pretty much without peer. Likewise, as musicians, Oasis are hardly innovators, yet they have a majestic grandeur in their sound that makes ballads like "Wonderwall" or rockers like "Some Might Say" positively transcendent.Alan White does add authority to the rhythm section, but the most noticeable change is in Liam Gallagher. His voice sneered throughout Definitely Maybe, but on Morning Glory his singing has become more textured and skillful. He gives the lyric in the raging title track a hint of regret, is sympathetic on "Wonderwall," defiant on "Some Might Say," and humorous on "She's Electric," a bawdy rewrite of "Digsy's Diner." It might not have the immediate impact of Definitely Maybe, but Morning Glory is just as exciting and compulsively listenable.

Band:Oasis
Album:(What's the Story)Morning Glory?
Genre:Rock,Britpop
Year:1995
Rating:9/10

Live-Throwing Copper

2008-04-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

On Throwing Copper, Live tightened their sound, added crashing crescendos for dramatic effect, and injected some anger into their sound and songwriting. They also eased up a bit on the Eastern philosophy; the result is a more cohesive, memorable record overall, and quite an improvement from the sometimes overly precious Mental Jewelry. And for all of Mental Jewelry's ideologies, Throwing Copper is ultimately a more passionate and successful album, thanks to tracks like "I Alone," "Selling the Drama," and "All Over You," all of which received heavy radio play. The rebirth-themed "Lightning Crashes," the album's biggest hit, was written in memory of Barbara Lewis, a classmate who was killed by a drunk driver in 1993. Other standouts include the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love-inspired "Stage," the apocalyptic "White, Discussion," the bass-driven, obsessive "Iris," and the dark "Dam at Otter Creek." Of course, Ed Kowalczyk couldn't resist throwing in a song like "T.B.D." (for the Tibetan Book of the Dead), based on Aldous Huxley's slow descent into death, aided by heroin. Its melodrama is a bit much, even for Live, and is just a sign of things to come on their next album, Secret Samadhi. But Throwing Copper is still a huge improvement from Mental Jewelry, and is the least overtly preachy Live album to date.

Band:Live
Album:Throwing Copper
Genre:Alternative rock,Post Grunge
Year:1994
Rating:7/10

Wolfmother-Wolfmother

2008-04-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Just say the name Wolfmother.Go on.Do it slowly,let it roll around your mouth,savour it and then spit it out.Good.Now,didn't it feel menacing and somehow reassuring and comfortable and even spiritual?

From start to finish,Wolfmother's debut album is a perilous knapsack journey by three men over craggy mountains to rock Bethlehem.And the gifts they offer are of golden guitars,sonorous organs and lyrics which thankfully make no sense whatsoever.It is true that much of the band's sound and lyrical vision are rooted in the kind of stoner mysticism favoured by led zeppelin and their kin.

On the Grammy winning track "Woman",guitarist/vocalist Andrew Stockdale's voice recalls a young Robert Plant.There is also no doubting the flower child mentality beaming through tracks like the transcendent "Mind's Eye" and "Colossal" where Stockdale barks "She's talking to the trees again".The song "Witchcraft" features the best flute solo heard since Jethro Tull's last tour."Joker and the Thief" is all tumbling drums and louder than love guitar bites.

This band makes you want to pick an instrument and thrash yourself into a frenzy.Play it loud and howl.

Band:Wolfmother
Album:Wolfmother
Genre:Hard rock,Psychedelic rock,Stoner rock
Year:2006
Rating:9/10

Stone Sour-Come What(ever) May

2008-04-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

What sets Stone Sour apart from others of their breed is the band's ability to create smooth, radio-friendly alternative metal songs while simultaneously not boring the people who have heard way too much from post-grunge groups. The secret to this lies in guitarist James Root's unique style and drummer Roy Mayorga's unyielding intensity. Root and singer Corey Taylor re-created Stone Sour after the success of Slipknot in the late '90s; the band was meant to serve as a more introspective, melodic, and creative outlet for them, while not disenfranchising the fans of Slipknot. Stone Sour are more fierce than most alternative metal groups, incorporating brash heavy metal into many of their songs. The band's aggressive self-titled debut was far more reminiscent of Slipknot, but Come What(ever) May is moving further and further away from the shock rock, rap-rock aspect that originally brought Slipknot into the mainstream.Taylor lets loose his nearly metal growl (which is nearly untouchable compared to most of his contemporaries) on occasion, but maybe not as often as he should. The album's better moments are felt when his relentless, vicious pipes -- coupled with distortion-heavy riffs and double bass drum -- forge their way through the immaculately produced sound. Come What(ever) May starts out strong with the bass drum-heavy "30/30-150." The song explodes out of the speakers; it's a solid metal start for an album that dips between alternative rock, heavy metal, and post-grunge. Unfortunately, the album isn't always interesting. Songs like "Through Glass" are your average run-of-the-mill alternative metal tunes, and after a certain point the album seems to have little new to offer. "Sillyworld" follows along the same lines, but still has more in common with Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed" than a Godsmack song. Still, Come What(ever) May has plenty of shining moments and it rocks hard, channeling heavy metal and blending it with alternative melodies. It's an unyielding effort from a promising talent -- one that might just help save alternative metal from becoming deeply generic.

Band:Stone Sour
Album:Come What(ever) May
Genre:Post-grunge,Alternative metal
Year:2006
Rating:9/10

Iron Maiden-Dance of Death

2008-04-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

Drummer Nicko McBrain kicks off Iron Maiden's 13th studio record with an uncharacteristic one-two-three-four before launching into the rousing opener, "Wildest Dreams." This bar-band sensibility permeates Dance of Death's first three refreshing yet unremarkable tracks before shifting into the more familiar fantasy rock of previous releases. That shift begins with the remarkable "Montsegur," a brutal, melodic assault that recalls the group's glory days and showcases lead singer Bruce Dickinson at his venom-spitting best. The anthemic "New Frontier" is a musical sibling to the band's 1982 classic "Number of the Beast" and eclipses any doubt about the band's ability to keep up with the phantom specter of age. Despite the dark imagery and the ferocity of the performances, there's a looseness to the record that conveys a surreal sense of fun. They enjoy playing together, and that more than anything shines through on old-fashioned rockers like "No More Lies" and "Gates of Tomorrow." No Iron Maiden album would be complete without a Dungeons and Dragons-style epic, and they deliver on the hammy title track and the lush closer, "Journeyman." The group's innate ability to consistently cater to its fans' stubborn tastes, while maintaining a level of integrity that other veteran bands displace with unintentional Spinal Tap zeal, is a testament to its talent and experience. While the keyboard-heavy sound of their previous release, the excellent Brave New World, creeps into some of the more indulgent tracks, Dance of Death is a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends.

Band:Iron Maiden
Album:Dance of Death
Genre:Hard rock,Heavy metal
Year:2003
Rating:9.6/10

Ashes Divide-Keep Telling Me It's Allright

2008-04-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Billy Howerdel is a name that most fans of Tool and A Perfect Circle have heard of. Howerdel famously worked as a guitar technician for Tool in 1996 after the release of Ænima before forming A Perfect Circle in 1999, which included Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan. The band would go on to record three successful albums and tour the world before they went on hiatus in 2006.

This hiatus allowed Howerdel to pursue a solo career, and with the help of Josh Freese, producer Danny Lohner, and a collaboration between a few fellow musicians, Ashes Divide came into fruition and Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright was the result. The album is similar to A Perfect Circle, but in a sense, is also radically different from what A Perfect Circle was doing in the early part of the 00’s.

Howerdel has always been praised for his guitar work, and Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright is no different. Howerdel is able to keep the music grounded, with his guitar adding to the dark and emotional lyrical content. His riffing can go from quick to steadfast to calm ambivalence all in the same song. The same is said about his bass work, which sounds up front and organic in the mix and drives many of the song’s melodies.

The keyboard/piano is a tool that Howerdel uses several times to his advantage to increase the tension. “Sword” is a perfect example of this, with a single piano playing a beautiful, yet repetitive, piece with Devo Keenan’s cello following along with the piano in the background. The song then builds steadily into some of the heaviest playing on the whole album. The piano ends the song the same way it began; depressing, repetitive, and magnificent.

Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright mixes a solid blend of alterative rock bordering on hard rock melodies with softer, acoustic driven songs that could almost count as ballads…just very depressing ones. “Stripped Away” hits you like a Shinkansen Bullet Train (yeah, I just used that reference), while impressing you with the way that he can use a guitar to create a moodful sonic landscape. “Enemies” is another fast one with Howerdel almost shouting the vocals and Freese pounding the shit out of the drums, leading to the fastest ending of any song on the album.

Most people have heard of the single “The Stone,” which is one of the best songs on the album. It is hard hitting and has a few great solos packed into its tight four minute running length. “The Prey,” which features Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, keeps the intensity at a high level and perfectly leads into the epic closer “Sword.”

There are a few songs that, like I said earlier, could be considered “ballads” in the loosest sense of the word. “Forever Can Be” starts off with an acoustic guitar before the whole band comes in, with the song showing off Howerdel’s vocal skills. “A Wish” is a short number that has a dreamy atmosphere boosted by keyboards and slowly-played electric guitar.

I do want to highlight one particular characteristic about the album that I have just briefly touched on; Howerdel’s vocals. In a recent interview with Matt Pinfield, Howerdel told Pinfield that doing vocals was a challenge and that he practiced in his studio by himself for a while to try to get them down pat. I think all the work that Howerdel put in definitely paid off, as he has a deep, airy quality to his vocals that allow him to hit everything from an angry shout to high notes. You can hardly tell that this is his first time doing lead vocals.

It took me a while to get into Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright, as the album has so much going on in it that it takes multiple listens to really grasp what Howerdel has put on display. Some people may find themselves disappointed that there aren’t more songs in the vein of “The Stone” and “Enemies.” The album is softer than expected, but that is where Howerdel seems to be the most comfortable. Whether Ashes Divide is a solo project or the beginning of a long term band, Howerdel has made an album that could make it as big as any of the albums from A Perfect Circle. While we were all sad that A Perfect Circle went on hiatus, at least it gave a talented musician like Howerdel a chance to spread his wings and show off his songwriting skills.

Band:Ashes Divide
Album:Keep Telling Myself It's Allright
Year:2008
Genre:Alternative rock
Rating:7/10

10 Years-The Autumn Effect

2008-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Autumn Effect opens with "Waking Up," a surgically perfect union of Tool and Incubus. 10 Years vocalist Jesse Hasek wails with the earnestness of Brandon Boyd, but also draws from the persistent tension in Maynard James Keenan's delivery. Musically, 10 Years' songs do much the same thing. They feature echoey, dripping-water guitar lines that splash into giant choruses, combining the arty darkness of Tool or Deftones with post-grunge's need for a big melodic payoff. "Cast It Out" is a great example of this, as is "Half Life." Staind and Static-X producer Josh Abraham gives Autumn Effect a serviceably crisp sound, and 10 years is enamored enough of their big payoff choruses to focus more on them than the mental darkness permeating the verses. "Through the Iris" is another highlight; the band also gets ambitious with the closing title track, which clocks in at nearly ten minutes and implodes into a primordial ooze of proto-Coil gloom.The best song in the album is probably "wasteland"(its got an amazing chorus).The lines are poetic in their torment and there's promise in 10 years playing.All in all its a decent effort.

Band:10 Years
Album:The Autumn Effect
Year:2005
Genre:Rock,Alternative metal,Post Grunge
Rating:8.3/10

Korn-See You On the Other Side

2008-04-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Korn first talked reinvention with 2003's Take a Look in the Mirror. Self-produced, it was a muscular, effectively brief record that nodded in some intriguing new directions. After that they talked celebration -- 2004's greatest-hits set looked back on a decade of influence and intensity. And yet, it's 2005's See You on the Other Side that's Korn's real reinvention celebration. It's their first album as a quartet after getting left behind by born-again guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. It's also their first venture for new label Virgin. But really Other Side is Korn's acknowledgement that their life isn't all that bad, and it's time to party. It's a heavy record that swings, an album that takes Korn's rap-metal template toward the red-light swagger of the Dirty South's rap revolution. Is it really surprising that Lil Jon plays Jonathan Davis in the video for "Twisted Transistor"? That song's one of eight on Other Side produced and co-written by the Matrix, and it shows. It's Korn all the way, cocky and funky. But it's slick too, concerned more with the shock value of groove than trying to be some poor kid's slap bass confidant, his surrogate therapy session. And it works. It's cool to hear the Matrix getting down with Korn; they keep each other honest, balancing the sheen with the sleaze. Davis, Munky, Fieldy, and David Silveria still bring it, but in a way that's aware of the manufacturing. And that's key, since after ten-plus years, their act was getting a little tired. Why not embrace the cash, embrace the slinkier side of Fieldy's vertical rhythms? The target of "Politics" is obvious, and "Hypocrites" rails against organized religion. But beneath the polemic is the Korn sound stripped, made truly economized and catchy. Diehards are going to gnash their teeth, and clog the message boards with dismissive comments. But isn't it about time for them to move on, too? Other Side is a little too processed at times -- "Love Song" says "Motherf*cker!" just to know it's alive. But then there's "Open Up," running a NIN influence through weird processing, and "Getting Off," which wavers and lurches like Korn chopped and screwed. If rap-metal were ever meant to evolve, See You on the Other Side is the record that does it.

Band:Korn
Album:See You On the Other Side
Year:2005
Genre:Alternative metal,Industrial metal
Rating:8/10

Jimmy Eat World-Chase This Light

2008-04-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

It’s a tough world out there for pop bands. In order to make the best of their lot, and appeal to the masses, they usually have to be billed as “guilty pleasures” or are forced to parade around under some genre hybridization for the sole sake of avoiding the dirty p-word. Yet somehow, through it all, Jimmy Eat World has managed to navigate through all of this fog and mudslinging to the point where they have transcended traditional criticisms. Perhaps it is because they are one of the few multi-platinum groups to still do club tours, or maybe just because they have so consistently upheld their own high standard for the past decade and a half. Either way, the band has attained a position of prominence in modern music and it is from this perch that they release their sixth studio album, Chase This Light.

It is fair to say that most everyone to visit Jimmy Eat World’s latest offering has a solid frame of expectations. From the universally adored Clarity to the breakout success of Bleed American, and onto the more ominous Futures, the boys have been distributing catchy, thoughtful, and enjoyable tunes of the same brand for a long while. As such, it is easier to anticipate reactions to the tracks on Chase This Light. To be brief, fans of the band will be extremely satisfied.

After the darker undertones of Futures and Stay On My Side Tonight, it is almost jarring to be greeted by the upbeat, frantic pace of the Bleed American-ish “Big Casino.” With its huge hook and exuberant energy, it is a great opening track. But as the tracks that follow reveal, it is a questionable choice for a single – not because the song is weak at all, but because there are tunes on Chase This Light that handily surpass its appeal. Case in point – see its follower, “Let It Happen.” A slightly less sunny cut from the outset, the song is more in the vein of its Futures brethren, but flexes its dynamic muscle when the explosive chorus hits, ending with the triumphant line, “Say whatever you want, ‘cause I can laugh it off.” Such snippets offer up some of the most telling insights into the nature of Jim Adkins’ lyrics – they are never terribly involved, or dressed up in flowery syntax, but they resonate in their simplicity and tendency to be so endearingly empowering. Jimmy Eat World is the master of the underdog anthem, and Chase This Light only cements that trophy.

The rest of Jimmy’s studio cache hands out a refreshing bit of diversity. There are cotton-candy sugary pop tunes in the snappy-intro’d “Always Be” and the chanting gang vocal hook of “Electable (Give It Up)” (think a slightly smarter, sharper-edged version of “Sweetness”). But we don’t get overdosed on rainbows and butterflies, as the middle of the record exposes a darker tint to the group’s trademark pop sound. “Carry You” is a more subdued acoustically-centered number that yields enough to let Adkins’ lyrics and vocals shine – fitting since the tune was originally slated for use in his side project. When Jim belts out, “I could never be the one that you want/ Don’t ask/ So here’s to living in the moment/ Cause it passed” his angst and emotion are palpable in a perfectly inflected voice – ingredients that let a small-time pop number become so much more than it otherwise might have been. “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues” could have been stripped right from the cutting room floor of Stay On My Side Tonight, with its pensive string accents and brooding vocals. The song is ultimately less likeable as a result, but is still a fair respite from the bubble-gum tone otherwise set by the record.

Thankfully doom and gloom is not the name of the game for the Arizona crew, and they seem to know it. They kick it into peppy gear once more thereafter, with the bouncy straight-forwardness of “Feeling Lucky” and “Chase This Light” – which bookend perhaps the catchiest song Jimmy Eat World has ever written with “Here It Goes.” An unexpectedly dancy number, the tune is just one of those sublime pieces that is an unquestionable hit from first listen – the type that brightens up your mood and makes you sing along, no matter how pissed off you are at the world. In fact, it is the most addicting song I have heard since All American Rejects’ “Move Along”, and quite possibly the song that will drive Chase This Light into platinum territory.

It is unfortunate that Chase This Light loses its momentum in the final tracks, as “Firefight” is really rather boring, but “Dizzy” picks up the pieces to some extent for a grandiose album exit. The abundance of string tracks might put off minimalists who are looking for clutter-free assertions, but Chase This Light is a big record, and it is fitting that it gets a big closer. The album ends triumphantly for a band that is itself a triumph – the type of troupe that reminds us it is okay to love pop music and not be embarrassed by it. It is tough to rank Chase This Light among a largely adored catalog, and really, it serves little purpose. All that anyone needs to know is that this record will make you feel good about music and life, and if the staying power of the bands’ past records is any indication, it will continue to do so for quite a while.

Band:Jimmy Eat World
Album:Chase This Light
Year:2007
Genre:Alternative rock,Pop rock
Rating:7.5/10

Van Halen-1984

2008-03-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

At the time of its release, much of the fuss surrounding 1984 involved Van Halen's adoption of synthesizers on this, their sixth album,a hoopla that was a bit of a red herring since the band had been layering in synths since their third album, Women and Children First. Those synths were either buried beneath guitars or used as texture, even on instrumentals where they were the main instrument, but here they were pushed to the forefront on "Jump," the album's first single and one of the chief reasons this became a blockbuster, crossing over to pop audiences Van Halen had flirted with before but had never quite won over. Of course, the mere addition of a synth wasn't enough to rope in fair-weather fans -- they needed pop hooks and pop songs, which 1984 had, most gloriously on the exuberant, timeless "Jump." There, the synths played a circular riff that wouldn't have sounded as overpowering on guitar, but the band didn't dispense with their signature monolithic, pulsating rock.Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony grounded the song, keeping it from floating to pop, and David Lee Roth simply exploded with boundless energy, making this seem rock & roll no matter how close it got to pop. And "Jump" was about as close as 1984 got to pop, as the other seven songs -- with the exception of "I'll Wait," which rides along on a synth riff as chilly as "Jump" is warm -- are heavy rock, capturing the same fiery band that's been performing with a brutal intensity since Women and Children First. But where those albums placed an emphasis on the band's attack, this places an emphasis on the songs, and they're uniformly terrific, the best set of original tunes Van Halen ever had. Surely, the anthems "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" grab center stage -- how could they not, when the former is the band's signature sound elevated to performance art, with the latter being as lean and giddy, their one anthem that could be credibly covered by garage rockers? -- but "Top Jimmy," "Drop Dead Legs," and the dense yet funky closer, "House of Pain," are full-fledged songs, with great riffs and hooks in the guitars and vocals. It's the best showcase of Van Halen's instrumental prowess as a band,the best showcase for their songwriting, just their flat-out best album overall. It's a shame that Roth left after this album.

Band:Van Halen
Album:1984
Year:1984
Genre:Hard rock
Rating:8/10

Trivium-Ember to Inferno

2008-03-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

Be prepared for the most unpredictable Thrash CD of the year. This is a unique 3 piece that will have your jaws on the floor guaranteed. When you hear the music within, you will think that they are a five piece. At any rate, these three young and up and coming Thrashers will see to it that you are assaulted and punished for the duration of the CD.

"Pillars Of Serpents" has all the elements of Thrash: fast riffs with quick double drumming that is tight and Metalcore vokills. The guys lets loose here with the complex time changes and also, lead vokillist and guitarist Matt Heafy throws in some clean vocals toward the end. To be honest, this is just a warm up. You haven't heard anything yet. What you hear here is nothing new. "If I Could…" starts making you take notice. You still get the intensity of rapid fire drumming and fierce guitar work, but Matt's vocals get very clean as well as gritty and let me tell you, this boy can sing. He pours his heart out and you can hear it. He can carry a note and you will take a second listen to make sure that you are listening to the same CD. You are also treated to sweet solos in each of their songs that just rip.

These "Fugue" adds more catchy riffs and hooks to sink your into, but they still keep it heavy and it shows. There is no wimping out here at any point. The clean and dirty vokills continue here. Thick bass lines also crush your speakers. So, you can tell that the mixing and mastering was done just right. There is nothing worse than when you have a good musician whose work is buried because of a bad mix. Each track just gets catchier and better to the point where you can't decide which is your favourite or you just want to listen to it again and again. I haven't had the heart to take this out of my CD player yet because it's just that damn good. This is a new generation of Thrash music where these three men have upped the ante here and it will hard to over throw.

You can have your Destruction, Bodom, Slayer and so forth, but these guys bury them in a cloud of smoke and they stand head and shoulders above anyone in this genre. You get the total package here that makes for a killer CD worth every penny: great musicianship, killer solos, jaw dropping compositions with pin point accuracy, catchy hooks, riffs and rhythms and a take no prisoner attitude. This is new band that will make you take notice and show you what can be done in a genre.

Band:Trivium
Album:Ember to Inferno
Year:2003
Genre:Trash metal,Metalcore
Rating:8.5/10

Queens of the Stone Age-Songs For the Deaf

2008-03-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Certain people would have you believe that Queens of the Stone Age's third album, Songs for the Deaf, is the return of real rock -- a bonecrushing work of boundless imagination, the cornerstone in a new era of great rock, much like was a decade beforehand. These people, coincidentally, happen to be in the same group that criticizes the Strokes and the White Stripes, claiming that those two bands are nothing but hype, while shamelessly indulging in breathless hyperbole whenever they speak a single word about Queens Of The Stone Age. Anybody who heard Songs prior to its release claimed it was the greatest rock album in years, at least the greatest since Rated R, setting up expectations impossibly high for this very good album. To begin with, this ain't accessible -- not because the music is out-there or unfamiliar (lots of Cream filtered through garage rock, prog-metal, album rock, and punk does not make one a Borbetomagus, nor does it make it "imaginative," either), but because it is so insular, so concerned with pleasing themselves with what they play that they don't give a damn for the audience. This extends to the production, which sounds like a stoned joke gone awry as it compresses and flattens every instrument as if it were coming out of a cheap AM car radio. Sure, that might be the point -- the album begins with radio chatter, and there are lots of jokey asides by a fake DJ -- but Deaf winds up being entirely too evenhanded and samey, since every guitar has the same beefy, mid-range, no-treble tone and Dave Grohl(aka the Most Powerful Drummer in the Universe) is pushed to the background, never sounding loud, never giving this music the muscle it needs. As such, it becomes tiring to listen to -- too much at the same frequency, all hitting the ear in a way that doesn't result in blissful submission, just numbness undercut with a desire to have some texture in this album. Once you get around this -- which is an effort; unlike, say,"The Strokes"Is This It?, whose thin production worked aesthetically and enhanced the songs, this sound cuts QOTSA off at the knees -- there indeed is plenty to enjoy here since the band is very good. They're exceptional players, especially augmented here by Grohl on drums, Mark Lanegan on vocals, and Dean Ween on guitar, plus they're very good songwriters, whether they're writing technically intricate riff-rockers or throwbacks to Nuggets. All of this is sorely missing from most guitar rock these days, whether it's indie rock or insipid alt-metal, so it's little wonder that so many fans of great guitar rock flock to this, regardless of its flaws. But that doesn't erase the fact that, above all, QOTSA is a muso band -- a band for musicians and those who have listened to too much music. Why else did the greatest drummer and greatest guitarist in '90s alt-rock (Dave Grohl and Dean Ween, respectively) anxiously join this ever-shifting collective? They wanted to play with the prodigiously talented Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, two musicians who share their taste and willingness to jam. It results in interesting music and an album that, for all of its flaws, is still easily one of the best rock records of 2002.

Band:Queens of the Stone Age
Album:Songs for the Deaf
Year:2002
Genre:Rock,Hard-rock
Rating:8/10

Ozzy Ozbourne-Black Rain

2008-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Black Rain was released just a year and half before Ozzy's 60th birthday, and he does sound like a veteran -- he can't wail like he used to, opting for a lower-register growl, but perhaps the biggest indication that he's getting on in years is that he doesn't rock as hard as he once did. Sure, longtime axeman Zakk Wylde is here playing some mean guitar, but this isn't as heavy as he was even a decade ago, lacking both the gut-level punch and monster riffs of even his post-Randy Rhoads work. Certainly, this level of heaviosity is missed, but it's also true that if Ozzy really strived for a brutal attack he might wind up sounding older than he already does here, so hearing him ease into a hazily dark, vaguely psychedelic heavy rock as reminiscent of Lennon as it is of Sabbath is oddly appropriate. Nothing on Black Rain could really qualify as an Osbourne classic, but there's something curiously comforting about Ozzy relaxing a little bit and singing songs that are strangely age-appropriate -- something that's not respectable, necessarily, something that is still metal, but something that isn't quite as heavy as before, yet retaining that swirling, circular melodies and murky grind that has been his stock and trade for nearly 40 years. If the music feels a bit older, so do Ozzy's lyrics. He spends a startling amount of time addressing the ills of the world, ranging from terrorism to consumerism, and for once his fondness for gloomy doomsday imagery jibes with the conventional-held opinion of the state of the world (although he never gets as apocalyptic as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or the Left Behind series, for that matter, which frankly is a relief). This unintentional zeitgeist piggybacking helps Black Rain feel timely and appropriate, which is a mildly shocking turn of events, and helps the album feel something closer to a work of art than a piece of product for the Ozz machine. It's hardly a perfect record -- producer Kevin Churko, who engineered Osbourne's Under Cover and also produced Cheap Trick's 2006 Rockford, has a long history of pop editing and engineering, including credits on Britney's Oops!...I Did It Again, Shania Twain's Up!, and Celine Dion's New Day Has Come, and all that history is evident in the album's slightly too punchy and precise sound. But even if Black Rain is a bit clean, a bit soft in the center, it's far from an embarrassment, and it's surprisingly likeable -- kind of like Ozzy himself in the new millennium, really, so it's nice that he finally has an album that lives up to his well-scrubbed, reputable persona.

Artist:Ozzy Osbourne
Album:Black Rain
Year:2007
Genre:Hard Rock,Metal
Rating:7.8/10

Nirvana-Nevermind

2008-03-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nirvana's album Nevermind seems to be the place where alternative rock crashed into the mainstream.And, yes, Nevermind is probably a little shinier than it should be, positively glistening with echo and fuzzbox distortion, especially when compared with Bleach.Cobain's lyrics maybe dark and filled with his personal problems but Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl help turn this into music that is gripping,powerful,and even fun.No other rock song sounds as alive as "Smells Like Teen Spirit",the album's first single."In Bloom" and "Lithium" are also very good songs.The chorus of "Lithium" was just amazing.The biggest surprise of the album is probably the fact that Cobain has included a love song "Come As You Are" in the album.This song is perhaps their second biggest commercial hit.Nevermind showcases Nirvana trying to make music outside of the restrictive confines of the Seattle grunge scene drawing influence from groups such as "Pixies","Smithereens" and "R.E.M".Nevermind has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide and is one of the best rock albums of all time.

Band:Nirvana
Album:Nevermind
Year:1991
Genre:Rock,Grunge
Rating:9/10

AC/DC-Back In Black

2008-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

The first sound on Back in Black is the deep, ominous drone of church bells or "Hell's Bells" as it were, opening the album and AC/DC's next era with a fanfare while ringing a fond farewell to Bon Scott,their late lead singer who partied himself straight to hell. But this implies that Back in Black is some kind of tribute to Scott, which may be true on a superficial level.Hell's bells certainly signifies death,but the album isn't filled with mournful songs about the departed. It's a more fitting tribute, actually, since AC/DC not only carried on without him, but they delivered a record that to the casual ear sounds like a seamless successor to Highway to Hell, right down to how Brian Johnson's screech is a dead ringer for Scott's growl. Most listeners could be forgiven for thinking that Johnson was Scott, but Johnson's music is different from Bon's. He's driven by the same obsessions sex,drink and rock and roll,but there isn't nearly as much malevolence in his words or attitude as there was with Scott.Bon sounded like a criminal,Brian sounds like a rowdy scamp throughout Back in Black, which helps give it a real party atmosphere. Of course,Johnson shouldn't be given all the credit for Back in Black, since Angus and Malcolm carry on with the song-oriented riffing that made Highway to Hell close to divine. Song for song, they deliver not just mammoth riffs but songs that are anthems, from the greasy "Shoot to Thrill" to the pummeling "Back in Black," which pales only next to "You Shook Me All Night Long," the greatest one-night-stand anthem in rock history. That tawdry celebration of sex is what made AC/DC different from all other rock bands.There was no sword,no sorcery, no darkness, just a rowdy party, and they never held a bigger, better party than they did on Back in Black.

Band:AC/DC
Album:Back In Black
Year:1980
Genre:Rock
Rating:9.5/10

Three Days Grace-One X

2008-03-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

Three Days Grace continue their accessible alternative metal attack of blunt lyrics and crunching rhythms with their sophomore effort, One-X. Thematically based around dealing with the disconnect felt while Three Days Grace were on the road in support of their 2003 album, the music remains catchy despite its lyrical darkness. Not surprisingly, the songs mostly revolve around feelings of isolation, tumultuous relationships, and anguished loneliness -- but through all their misery and confusion, Three Days Grace ultimately embrace the difficulties as merely a part of being human ("I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all" from "Pain"). The band's simple and direct approach owns a certain charm that makes One-X an enjoyable listen.This album is highly innovative.The band members still have no desire to mask sentiments behind perverse metaphors; just as their 2003 smash single "I Hate Everything About You" addressed a problematic relationship in powerfully straight terms, so do tracks on One-X. For instance "Let It Die" frankly states "I swear I never meant to let it die/I just don't care about you anymore." And the forthright "Riot" ("Let's start a riot!") is one of a few riled-up outsider anthems on hand. But, there are also a number of tracks present that find Three Days Grace adding a few interesting twists to their hard-hitting formula that not only show a gentler side to the guys, but also work out rather nicely. Calming things down a bit, fluid instrumentation and vocalist Adam Gontier's steady delivery make the ominous "Get Out Alive" one of their strongest (though softer) songs, while "Over and Over" employs impassioned strings for an exploration of, yes, dysfunctional relationships. "Pain" finds the band channeling its inner Soundgarden and "Animal I Have Become" has a slight singsongy chorus to complement the track's thick riffing. There is no reason that fans of the band shouldn't embrace this album as the satisfying listen that it is. Some further distinctive qualities could be useful in helping separate Three Days Grace more from their alt-metal peers, but One-X certainly plays as a proficient step in the right direction.

Band:Three Days Grace
Album:One-X
Year:2006
Genre:Rock,alternative metal
Rating:8/10

Bush-Sixteen Stone

2008-03-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

The quartet from Britain,mimic the grunge sound of the 80's amazingly well in this release.Lead singer Gavin Rossdale has a really captivating voice but but writing lyrics are not his forte I guess,as the splintered ramblings of "Everything's Zen"indicates.But in "Everything's Zen" Bush produce a competent approximation of their heroes Nirvana."Little things" is a brilliant rewrite of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".The song is just too good.The next great song in the album is "Machinehead".This one's my favourite in the album.The song opens with an amazing riff."Glycerine" is also a breath taking song.This song crunches just like a "Pearl Jam" or "Soundgarden" song.Even though Bush have derived their sounds from various locations,the album is really catchy and its worth a listen.

Band:Bush
Album:Sixteen Stone
Year:1994
Genre:Post grunge
Rating:7.3/10

Scorpions-Love At First Sting

2008-03-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Although Scorpions had already achieved fame after 1982's Blackout,Love At First Sting brought them their biggest single of the decade,the slick anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane".The album opens with the hair raising opener "Bad Boys Running Wild".This song's got a wicked riff which makes the just too good to listen to.The album continues with songs such as the memorable "Big City Nights" and the half ballad,half powerhouse rocker "Coming Home".The record also contains what just might be the band's best power ballad ever,the tear jerking "Still Loving You".Considering the fact that it has some of their best-ever singles,Love At First Sting" is a must for all the rock lovers and the Scorpions fans.

Band:Scorpions
Album:Love At First Sting
Year:1984
Genre:Rock
Rating:9/10

Stereophonics-Just Enough Education to Perform

2008-03-13T03:20:00.000-07:00

Just Enough Education Perform illustrates a more mature Stereophonics.Its an album containing 11 different narratives,each playing with areas of soul,aggro rock and moody pop/rock.The debut single "Mr.Writer" scowls at music reviewers for their quick witted opinions.The riffs in the song carry Jones' heartfelt aggression."Vegas Two Times" is one of the album's more ruffled tracks,but it's the old fashioned "Step On My Old Size Nines" that makes for the transition from rock to a ballad."Hurry Up and Wait" and "Traffic" are a little old fashioned but they are really charming songs.Changes from their personal lives probably shaped the sounds on this record,most notably "Maybe" and "Watch Them Fly Sundays".Crafted around blues-rock guitars and some nice percussions,the songs reflect the demise of Jones' relationship with his long time girlfriend.They are gorgeously haunting with emotions.A charming side is visible even though Jones had his row with the press.This album has a few elements of country in it.This can be noted in the song "Handbags and Gladrags".

Stereophonics have changed their style a bit but they can laugh off all the harsh comments whole heartedly.This album just shows off the amount potential Stereophonics have.

Band:Stereophonics
Album:Just Enough Education To Perform
Year:2001
Genre:Rock,Indie rock
Rating:7.5/10