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New Comments
The following are the newest comments about discs in the Brutal Metal
database. Click on the album name to go to the page for that CD and
add comments of your own!
| CD:
Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2025 at 9:39 |
| ... the last couple albums. Even the aforementioned "Autumn Reflections," though another of Paul's songs for his daughter, is stuffed with boulder-sized power chords. "Swallowed By The Moon" is the lyrical obverse, a failed father's desperate plea for forgiveness. Paul has always been guilty of occasional over-the-top wallowing in self-pity (he even uses the word wallow on "The Dead Leaf Echo"), but there are no real lowlights on this record, musically.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2025 at 9:31 |
| One day about ten years ago, I was listening to Ian Christie's "Bloody Roots" show on satellite radio. That week, he was spotlighting what he described as "gothic doom." There were tracks from then-current albums by My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, as well as other stuff like Lake of Tears and Draconian and of course Type O Negative. That one hour really triggered my interest in doom metal generally. Though I'd been aware of many of the bands already, that style just wasn't a big part of my listening diet. And at the end of the show, he played "Autumn Reflection" by Novembers Doom, so I made a note to investigate them too. I'm glad I did, because Novembers Doom is one of my favorites in this style. The Pale Haunt Departure is one of the band's heavier albums; the opening title track just crushes, and "Dark World Burden" sports a killer, headbanging riff. These guys could really slam hard during this period, and it's a little disappointing to see songs like that grow less frequent on t
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Nephilim Grove |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2025 at 7:56 |
| ... how the vocal layers blend together and mix with the thick, down-tuned chords in the chorus that is instantly recognizable as Novembers Doom. There's an oddly comforting quality to the forlorn sound, like a heavy blanket in a cold, cold room.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Nephilim Grove |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2025 at 7:53 |
| As I recall, this album was released with very little fanfare back in late 2019; I don't think I even knew about it until the week it came out. Even though Novembers Doom aren't exactly a marquee act (somehow), that struck me as odd. Anyway, The Nephilim Grove is a better, heavier and more consistent album than its immediate predecessor, Hamartia, though it still seems a bit "small" compared with the likes of Bled White or Aphotic. "Petrichor" is a great opener with all the ND trademarks, and other highlights include the crawling "Adagio," as well as "The Witness Marks," "The Clearing Blind" and "The Obelus." The band themselves have dismissed "Black Light" as "just a typical Novembers Doom song," but I like it a lot as well—it's shorter and punchier than many others and comes at just the right time in the running order. "What We Become" is the ballad, most notable for those distinctive harmonies that Paul uses (influenced by Saturnus, according to him). There's just something about ho
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| CD:
Overkill - The Electric Age |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 10, 2025 at 12:07 |
| OVERKILL releasing an album every 2 or 3 years without losing their energy and always true to their sound!the Electric Age is no exception with the band seem in a good condition offering songs like "electric rattlesnake"or "21 st century man"!great band indeed
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| CD:
Overkill - RELIXIV |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 9, 2025 at 9:21 |
| very good release for OVERKILL offering a massive heavy thrash sound along with fine musicianship and remarkable songwriting!"bats in the belfry","play the ace" and "love" are the highlights!recommended
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 20:21 |
| Except for that, it's heaviosity all the way, even with the occasional splash of keys. That is, until we get to the closing depressive epic, "Leaving This." This is the kind of doom-ballad Novembers Doom excels at, more so than the daddy-daughter mush of "Twilight Innocence." Still, this is one of the band's best albums.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 20:17 |
| Though they hail from Chicago, there has always been a distinctly European flavor to their music - or maybe it's just that death-doom is a distinctly European concoction. I mean right down to Paul Kuhr's accent on some of the clean vocal parts, and especially some of the song titles - it's almost a Soilwork level of English-as-a-second-language. No idea what a "novella reservoir" is. This album comes in the middle of a run of albums that emphasized their deathly inclinations, with "Rain" crushing right out of the gate, and other highlights "Drown The Inland Mere" (again, no idea) and "The Voice Of Failure" sounding like heavy, heavy Nevermore circa Dead Heart, only with vocals that range from Paul Kuhr's monstrous roar to his deep, clean harmonies. The only stinker is the mawkish "Twilight Innocence," one of Paul's sleepy-time songs for his daughter (parenthood and its worries and sorrows are a surprisingly frequent theme for these guys).
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Hamartia |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 19:56 |
| Hamartia (look it up, every single review written about it explains the title in the first paragraph) was a little bit of a disappointment to me after discovering Novembers Doom with Bled White and falling under the spell of albums like Aphotic and The Novella Reservoir. The and's eath-metal tendencies have been minimized to a degree, with more songs that are at least half-ballads. "Devil's Light" is something of a misleading opener and one of the few blasts of pure death-doom on offer. "Plague Bird" is a standout, but then we have "Ghost," which veers into cheese territory with its lyrics and delivery; ditto the title track. I admit I groaned when I read that Paul Kuhr was going to have his teenage daughter singing on several songs, but she's fine, her voice floating in the background and adding a touch of lightness to songs like "Miasma" and "Zephyr." I dunno, Hamartia just isn't one of the discs I reach for first when the autumnal equinox rolls around.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Aphotic |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 19:44 |
| Another awesome album from these unsung heroes of American metal. The title means "without light" and also refers to the deepest zone of the ocean, where no light penetrates. A fitting descriptor for the music within, where even the occasional keys, piano and violin are ice-cold. The centerpiece of the disc is "What Could Have Been," a delicate acoustic ballad about the death of a child by illness (going by the video at least). Anneke van Giersbergen absolutely steals the show with her ethereal vocals. "Buried" is also sort of a ballad, but upends expectations by having Paul Kuhr use his death growls in the soft verses, sounding like he's suffocating on anger. Ending the song this way is particularly chilling. These two tracks really stand out, but the whole album is a deathly delight, with "The Dark Host" and "Harvest Scythe" making for a hard-hitting one-two punch to start. "Six Sides" is a menacing treat, and "Shadow Play" ends on a typically theatrical note.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Bled White |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 19:21 |
| Novembers Doom are all about grief and loss and regret, but they are also about anger and frustration, and Bled White leads off with Kuhr's enraged bellows in the monstrous title track, followed up by him crooning "Heartfelt"-ly about how often he's prayed for your death. "Just Breathe" may or may not be another one of his parental lullabies, but it's not as maudlin as something like "Twilight Innocence." "Unrest"sports a gorgeous guitar solo that's just another indication of how underrated these guys are. "The Memory Room" has almost an Alice In Chains flavor to it, but heavier. The only knock on this album is that it's too long, that maybe one or two songs in the late going could have been left off. "The Brave Pawn" is a short, sharp blow right when it's needed, and "Animus" is another blast of rage like the first two tracks, while "The Silent Dark" is maybe one epic too many, but sends us home in suitably grandiose fashion.
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| CD:
Novembers Doom - Bled White |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 15:30 |
| Admittedly, I am a latecomer to doom metal, and haven't spent tha tmuch time with Novembers Doom's earliest albums. But even if Bled White hadn't been my introduction to the band, I would still consider it one of their best albums. Just a fantastic collection of songs here, showcasing every facet of their sound with the exception of the female vocals on the first couple releases. You can make comparisons to other definitive death-doom bands like Paradise Lost or early Katatonia, and Paul Kuhr loves to cite Saturnus as a big influence that most don't know about, but I would also like to throw in the heaviest parts of Opeth, and maybe even more importantly, the gothic, progressive flavors of Nevermore. Even Kuhr's carefully enunciated, half-spoken clean vocals somehow remind me of something Warrel Dane would approve of. Dan Swano's mix whips all the death and doom and prog and goth together into the musical equivalent of a late autumn storm blowing in from Lake Michigan.
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| CD:
Overkill - Horrorscope |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 8, 2025 at 0:06 |
| very good release for OVERKILL back in 91 with a big production and a strong sound but unfortunately no big songs that could get into the competition that was particular high at the moment!Of course there is the OVERKILL trademark sound and quality but Horrorscope should be better i think
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| CD:
Overkill - Killbox 13 |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 3, 2025 at 9:07 |
| OVERKILL having stabilize their sound now release every 2 years strong albums in the same motive and of the highest quality but somehow they seem to repeat themselves somehow!Killbox 13 is another good one with good songs like Devil By The Tail and Crystal Clear and of course recommended if you dig that groovy thrashy metal music
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| CD:
Overkill - Bloodletting |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 31, 2025 at 6:22 |
| Very good release once again for OVERKILL with a solid heavy guitar sound and a fine groove.tne musicianship is remarkable and Bobby also delivers ."thunderhead","let it burn"and "can't kill a dead man" are the highlights
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| CD:
Candlemass - Nightfall |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 29, 2025 at 1:59 |
| A def milestone for doom metal music with great guitar and vocal work along with fine songwriting.The production is very strong and clear and CANDLEMASS seem to shape their sound ."bewitched" and "well of souls are absolute classics
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| CD:
Witherfall - Vintage |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 27, 2025 at 15:04 |
| Witherfall is a cool American power-prog band, heavy on the technical chops, but with strong songs as well. It's no surprise that singer Joseph Michael would be tapped to pay tribute to Warrel Dane in Sanctuary; their voices are similar, though there was truly only one Warrel Dane. Musically, they are heavy like Nevermore or Communic, but with a Dream Theater-like tendency toward over-the-top shredding that doesn't always serve the songs. I'll have to add their albums, as the lone release on this site at present is an EP, and an unnecessary one at that. About the most notable thing is track 7, which turns the Tom Petty tune into a very slow, very somber ballad. (They like to murder classic-rock chestnuts this way with some regularity, unfortunately.)
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| CD:
Overkill - From the Underground and Below |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 27, 2025 at 13:07 |
| Another good one in OVERKILL s long catalogue with the heavy groove being the basic in their music.Not bad but not big either this one satisfies with songs like "it lives","rip n tear" and "long time dyin"
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| CD:
Overkill - The Killing Kind |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 25, 2025 at 1:26 |
| very good release for OVERKILL back in 96 always true to their sound offering thrashy heavy riffs ! not many fast ones but the power and the energy of the songs will get to you!"bold face pagan stomp","the battle" and "god like" are the stand out songs
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| CD:
Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 21, 2025 at 13:09 |
| I bashed one of Jag Panzer's albums from around this time, but credit where it's due: Mechanized Warfare is much better. The production/mix is heavy but clean, and the band sits somewhere between the icy despondency of Nevermore and the triumphant gallop of Iced Earth. Riffs aplenty, with nearly every song including a soaring chorus to keep things from getting too bleak. Highlights include "Take To The Sky," "Frozen In Fear," "Cold Is The Blade" and "Hidden In My Eyes" and "Power Surge." There is some of the cheese inherent in power-metal in songs like "The Scarlet Letter," and "All Things Renewed," but overall this is a pretty enjoyable album.
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| CD:
Overkill - I Hear Black |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 20, 2025 at 5:30 |
| Excellent release for OVERKILL with a fantastic production and a fine 90 s vibe all over the songs giving them a commercial edge i so much like.the songwriting is great and cant find any fillers and i must say that its my fav of their long catalogue.great band & album
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| CD:
Overkill - The Years Of Decay |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 17, 2025 at 14:45 |
| excellent thrash metal release for OVERKILL back in 89 with a perfect sound & production and of course their usual shred!all the songs are strong and especially "ellimination","time to kill" and "evil never dies"!classic album
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| CD:
Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tactics |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 16, 2025 at 15:39 |
| ... as a whole. Do we really need two tracks of Dax reading his poetry in a digitally-deepened voice? No, not really, but one of them's the hidden track, after what feels like four hours of silence at the end of "Dead Girl." But they feed into the whole tripping-in-the-graveyard atmosphere. There was just something rotten in the south back then. Sammy Duet went on to join Crowbar for a few albums, then formed the more extreme-minded Goatwhore, while Dax (and I think Mike Sanchez?) put out an album of reworked Acid Bath leftovers under the name Agents Of Oblivion. Dax then formed the indie-rock group Dead Boy and the Elephant Men, who were hailed by the likes of Rolling Stone. He showed little interest in even talking about Acid Bath, much less reuniting (almost like he was embarrassed as a grown-up), until earlier this year. Too bad—they were way cool, though now they seem a product of a bygone era.
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| CD:
Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tactics |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 16, 2025 at 15:19 |
| Acid Bath returned in late '96 with a slightly more refined version of their depraved southern sludge. All of the same ingredients are still in place from the debut: the lurching doom riffs sometimes pierced by feedback, the occasional hardcore sprints, and Dax's schizophrenic vocal performance. He screams like a madman sometimes, then sings like a smacked-out bluesman just as easily. The band's oh-so-'90's shock tactics ar still prominent as well: it's a Kevorkian painting on the cover this time, and Dax still writes bad goth poetry that would have got him kicked out of high school. This album is both heavier than the debut (songs like "13 Fingers" flirt with black-metal), and softer (particularly the acoustic lament of "Dead Girl"). But there are also a few songs that are almost radio-friendly, particularly the woozy, disorienting ballads "Graveflower" and especially "Venus Blue." Despite the more diverse sounds, I think the songwriting is tighter and the album hangs together better
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| CD:
Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 16, 2025 at 14:44 |
| When The Kite String Pops is the more extreme of the band's two records, though the two are like fraternal twins. Good tracks include "The Blue," "Tranquilized," "Cheap Vodka," the bad-trip balldry of "Scream of the Butterfly," and a few others. They actually made a video for "Touabo Koomi," but of course it was never aired on MTV, either because Rotten Records had no pull with the network or for the band's own penchant for being inflammatory in all areas.
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| CD:
Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 16, 2025 at 14:28 |
| Hailing from the swamps of Houma, Louisiana, Acid Bath gave us two albums of disturbing sludge, equally at home in the graveyard and the psych ward (check out those song titles!), before the untimely death of bassist Audie Pitre in a car accident. Dax Riggs delivers his southern-gothic lyrics in either a frantic scream or a lobotomized croon, the latter often filtered through a "Planet Caravan"-style effect, and all of it over thick, gluey riffs. Though sludge is the base, there are dashes of hardcore, goth, grunge, and even a bit of death and black-metal in this recipe, making for a very unique sound. It's all very nihilistic in a '90's kinda way, right down to the Jerry Springer samples and their use of a John Wayne Gacy painting for the artwork. It's easy to imagine both Marilyn Manson and Slipknot paying close attention. Acid Bath's music doesn't really sound like either band, but they seem like spiritual neighbors just as much as Crowbar or Eyehategod.
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| CD:
Jag Panzer - The Fourth Judgement |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 13, 2025 at 23:33 |
| Excellent heavy metal release for JAG PANZER in the mid 90 s with great guitars and of course a great vocal performance by Harry."black","call of the wild" and "ready to strike " are the highlights.great band
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| CD:
Overkill - Under the Influence |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 10, 2025 at 11:51 |
| very good release for OVERKILL finally shaping their sound getting thrashier !still the songwriting not of their best level but good enough with songs like "shred" ,"hello from the gutter" or "drunken wisdom"!good 80s thrash music
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| CD:
Cathedral - The VIIth Coming |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 6, 2025 at 6:01 |
| ... gravelly vocls and the grinding guitars of Garry Jennings leading the way, propelled by the rock-solid rhythm section. Grooves of various speeds abound, and riffs for days. Maybe because it came out on Spitfire, but I just think this is a sorely overlooked record. Favorite tracks are "Skullflower," "The Empty Mirror," "Nocturnal Fist," "Congregation Of Sorcerers" and "Halo Of Fire."
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| CD:
Cathedral - The VIIth Coming |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 6, 2025 at 5:57 |
| I had been dimly aware of Cathedral since the days of "Ride" and "Midnight Mountain," but this was the first album I actually owned from them. I got it as a promo when I was in college, doing a metal show on the campus station and writing reviews for some website. The VIIth Coming always seems to fall in the middle or lower part of most people's rankings of the Cathedral discography, but I think it's terrific. Very much in the vein of The Carnival Bizarre again, after the inconsistent Caravan and the return-to-doom-form of Endtyme. Again, we start off with several upbeat stoner-metal jams before we get a pair of doom epics in "Aphrodite Winter" and especially "The Empty Mirror." The pattern repeats itself to a degree on what would be Side Two, with "Nocturnal Fist" being one of the band's most aggressive tracks, followed later by the majestic "Congregation of Sorcerers" before ending with the glorious "Halo Of Fire." The Cathedral atmosphere is firmly in place, with Lee Dorrian's grave
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| CD:
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 4, 2025 at 13:23 |
| Lee, Gaz and company steer Cathedral further away from the Forest of Equilibrium sound on this third album, with more of a stoner-rock feel. This refinement of the sound of the previous album probably pissed a few people off, but The Carnival Bizarre might be my favorite Cathedral album. The production is clear and punchy, and that's rarely a bad thing in my book, though it does lack some of the low-end rumble from The Ethereal Mirror. The first three tracks are all groovy stoner-rock bangers before the swelling horror-movie synths and (of course) the tolling bell herald "Night Of The Seagulls," the first doom epic of the set. Here is where we get our allotment of gothic, crumbling-mansion-in-the-woods metal, along with the aptly named "Palce Of Fallen Majesty." This is just a terrific, well-rounded album from a band who rarely disappointed.
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| CD:
Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 4, 2025 at 10:46 |
| ... pretty much every other song, before the disc wraps up with a somber, acoustic half-song that ends abrumptly. Dorrian's vocals are still extremely gruff, but he manages to inject each song with just enough melody and hooks to keep things thumping along. There's a darkly festive vibe to the album, like a Halloween party in a decrepit English castle. It's too bad the world wasn't ready for this in 1993 after all, and Cathedral were only heroes to those in the know.
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| CD:
Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 4, 2025 at 10:37 |
| There was a bit of a misconception in 1993 that the metal mainstream was ready for more extreme sounds, now that Pantera were bona fide stars and Metallica's Black Album was supposedly serving as a gateway drug into heavier territory. Labels like Earache and Roadrunner were gaining wider distribution, and bands like Morbid Angel and Carcass were turning up on Headbangers' Ball. The optimism proved misplaced, alas, but one of the bands caught up in that wave was Cathedral. This second album is a much more lively affair than their soul-crushing debut, leading Lee Dorrian to describe the music as "doom-rock." And rock it definitely does, as the intro "Violet Vortex" gives way to would-be hit single "Ride," with a fantastic, lumbering rhythm that gets your head bobbing as soon as the drums kick in. "Midnight Mountain" is even more oddly upbeat, but there are still plenty of trudging doom riffs to be had in the likes of "Enter The Worms," "Fountain Of Innocence," "Phantasmagoria," and prett
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| CD:
Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 4, 2025 at 10:13 |
| Next to those towering slabs of doom, the comparatively brisk and brief "Soul Sacrifice" comes off as frantic and desperate. Cathedral would return to this style a couple times over the next twenty-plus years, but Forest Of Equilibrium is as pure a distillation of doom as you will ever find.
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| CD:
Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 4, 2025 at 10:10 |
| After being the vocalist for the first two Napalm Death albums, cornerstones of grindcore, Lee Dorrian went in the opposite direction in terms of speed and mood. Cathedral are one of the most important bands in the development of doom-metal. While they would soon begin incorporating more of a stoner-rock feel, this debut is profoundly morose. The production is like rough granite compared to the polished marble of someone like Candlemass, and Dorrian's vocals, while not too far from death-metal territory, are more like protracted groans of misery, barely rising above the craggy riffs. All this makes Forest Of Equilibrium a stone-cold doom classic, but those into the more swingin' sounds of songs like "Ride" and "Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)" are advised to proceed with extreme caution. Highlights include "Ebony Tears," "Serpent Eve," the icy keyboards complimenting the title track, and the equally chilling flute that opens "Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain."
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| CD:
Overkill - Taking Over |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 3, 2025 at 2:52 |
| very good release for OVERKILL back in 87 again between heavy and thrash metal with big riffs and much energy !thrash metal was shaping its sound at the moment and of course those guys were in the front of it!"wrecking cross","powersurge" and "overkill" are the stand out songs
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| CD:
Overkill - Feel the Fire |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: August 1, 2025 at 0:43 |
| very good speed thrash debut for OVERKILL in the mid 80 s with much energy and great riffs and their sound being somewhere between EXCITER,METALLICA and IRON MAIDEN!"rotten to the core","second son" and "hammerhead" are the highlights!good stuff
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| CD:
Helloween - Better Than Raw |
| From: CC |
Date: July 31, 2025 at 6:11 |
| I remember when this came out, I owned Pink bubbles and Chameleon but neither blew me away so never bothered with anything else by them, that is until a friend of mine recommended this. Holy shit what a transformation. Still my absolute favourite album by them. I didn't get into PC69 til several years later, which was mostly based on the Deris connection, so was not familiar with Andi at the time. While there was nothing wrong with Kiske, Deris to my untrained ears sounded much better, and from reading a lot of stuff around that time about the album, one of the biggest creative forces in their change was drummer Uli Kusch. While normally I am not a big fan of vocalist changes, I do think this is one of the few examples of better than the original, but as I say, I was never really a fan so that may be why.
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| CD:
King Diamond - The Spider's Lullabye |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 10, 2025 at 7:34 |
| excellent release for KING DIAMOND and imho this one is among his best ones as the songs are very good and the lines very catchy!all the trademark of his sound are present and The Spider s Lullabye is a must have for the fans
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| CD:
Machine Head - The Blackening |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 2, 2025 at 1:30 |
| another good album for MACHINE HEAD achieving a perfect heavy mix and sound offering their groovy thrash metal riffs and soaring vocal work along with good songs like "wolves","halo" and "aesthetics of hate"
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| CD:
Machine Head - Hellalive |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 24, 2025 at 3:32 |
| hey Doghouse i m gonna catch them live in Athens Greece in a couple of days and i m really lookin forward to
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| CD:
Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 24, 2025 at 3:27 |
| very good release for MACHINE HEAD as usual offering their thrash groove with an updated sound and always adding something modern !Rob s performance along with their massive heavy riffs create their sound and along with decent songwriting make Through The Ashes Of Empires a good album !"imperium","left unfinished","elegy" and "all falls down" are the highlights
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| CD:
Machine Head - Hellalive |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 17, 2025 at 17:53 |
| Wait till you get to Machine Fuckin' Head Live! To say nothing of the Blackening.
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| CD:
Machine Head - Hellalive |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 17, 2025 at 12:30 |
| superb live release for MACHINE HEAD and imho the best live one ive heard the recent years!massive sound ,big riffs and a great vocal performance by Rob make Hellalive a must have for the fans
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| CD:
Blind Guardian - The Forgotten Tales |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 13, 2025 at 10:10 |
| an album with covers and semi acoustic live performance for BLIND GUARDIAN back in 96 !i guess just for die hard fans , as i cant see why they did that album which is very very average
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| CD:
Machine Head - Supercharger |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 11, 2025 at 0:45 |
| pretty good release for MACHINE HEAD still trying to sound update without losing their trademark sound!somehow it works and the music flows nice with songs like "bulldozer","all in your head","trephination"!not their best ,but MH always offer a fine heavy groove
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| CD:
Metallica - Load |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 5, 2025 at 5:53 |
| Meant to wrap up yesterday by saying an occasional trip back to the late '90's can be enjoyable.
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| CD:
King Diamond - Abigail II: The Revenge |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 5, 2025 at 0:43 |
| excellent release for KING DIAMOND revisiting the Abigail story with his unique way of performing!the band delivers ,the songwriting is fine and overall this will satisfy all fans!"mommy","the wheelchair" and "mansion in sorrow" are great songs indeed
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| CD:
Metallica - Load |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 4, 2025 at 10:12 |
| ... Twisted Me," though it works better on "House That Jack Built" and "The Outlaw Torn." The other big flaw here is Hetfield's affected, drawling vocals. Apparently he'd been listening to a lot of country music, but his attempts to incorporate that style just make him sound like a bad Pepper Keenan, and it really hurts many of the songs. This is also where his oft-lampooned "ah!" at the end of every line really became annoying. So this is a mixed bag to say the least, and much like Use Your Illusion, it invites people to compile their own single-disc version with the best songs from Load and ReLoad. It's just hard to separate these albums, and Garage Inc. for that matter, from that period of time in my own life. I was just glad to be hearing new music from my favorite band, or hearing anything at all, truth be told. I listened to those discs a lot back then, and not at all for many years after. I still don't have much desire to hear any of these songs on a regular basis, but an occasi
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| CD:
Metallica - Load |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 4, 2025 at 9:59 |
| ... magic mushrooms) and their headlining Lollapalooza '96 than with the actual music contained. (For that matter, the new book about Lollapalooza makes it very clear that most of the people involved with the festival were not at all happy with Metallica's inclusion either—they weren't seen as alternative enough, or at all, and felt that Lollapalooza itself was the sellout.) So what about that music? If anything, they seem to be imitating what Corrosion of Conformity were doing on Deliverance, and which C.O.C. would in turn try to top with America's Volume Dealer. It's that whole "heavy like Alice In Chains, but kinda southern" thing. And that kind of music can be awesome, in the right hands. But Metallica's may not be the right hands. I remember when they were inducted into the Rock Hall, Joe Perry and Dave Davies both commented on Metallica's inability to play loose and groovy when it came time for the all-star jam or whatever. That's very evident here on songs like "2 x 4" and "Poor
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| CD:
Metallica - Load |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 4, 2025 at 9:38 |
| Today is the 29th anniversary of Load's release, with a super-deluxe box set coming out next week full of demos and other shit you won't listen to more than once. The rehabilitation of Load and ReLoad in the metal media has been well underway for several years now, as people my age and younger start to assert a different perspective on the music that doesn't depend as much on having witnessed the band's '80's triumphs. For lots of people, Load is the second, or even first, Metallica album they ever heard, and so they tend to view it more kindly. But make no mistake, a great many people fucking hated this when it came out. They felt personally betrayed, and Jason Newsted's smirking admission that "yeah, we have sold out—sold out arenas!" seemed like salt in the wound. In fact, "Selloutica" was one of the common insults launched at the band, along with "Alternica." That has as much to do with their look (for his part, Newsted cut his hair for a court appearance after being busted with ma
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| CD:
Dream Theater - Dream Theater |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 2, 2025 at 1:03 |
| superb release for DREAM THEATER and somehow they seem to find their self and leave behind their darker side!the melodies and the lines sound positive and create nice feelings again like their early days !the musicianship of course is outstanding and i really dig the slower parts!"the looking glass","the bigger picture" and "the enemy inside" are excellent songs indeed!a must have for DT fans and not only
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| CD:
Machine Head - The Burning Red |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: May 28, 2025 at 11:58 |
| pretty good release for MACHINE HEAD with a more updated sound that didnt really work for them as they lost part of their heavy groove which was their trademark!On the other hand you ll find some good riffs and songs like "desire to fire" or "the blood ,the sweat,the tears"!good stuff ,just not great
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| CD:
Paradise Lost - Gothic |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 23, 2025 at 8:38 |
| This is just my perspective as a relative latecomer to Paradise Lost. Maybe it's because I wasn't "there" when Gothic was released, but I don't find it as great as many others say. Highlights for me are "Shattered," "Rapture," "Silent" and especially "Eternal," which remains a live staple to this day.
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| CD:
Paradise Lost - Gothic |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 23, 2025 at 8:34 |
| I realize this is blasphemy, and I understand Gothic's importance in many metal subgenres, but it's not one of my favorites from Paradise Lost. The band were working on a limited budget and playing music that was very new, so the rough production and honestly kinda sloppy playing (particularly the drums) can be forgiven—but only partially, considering the strides the band would make in the very near future in both songwriting and production. However, Gothic is an improvement on the band's debut from just a year earlier, with a more diverse palette incorporating (synthesized) orchestration and female vocals at a time when these really hadn't been done before. Greg Mackintosh's weeping guitar leads are like neon shining through a heavy rain, definitely grabbing your ear. Nick Holmes's death-metal vocals are raw and unrefined, but there are a few moments where he tests out the "growling in key" technique and even a booming, clean baritone, both of which add some needed variety. Again, thi
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| CD:
Body Count - Manslaughter |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 23, 2025 at 7:45 |
| Body Count's return after many years away finds the original gangsta-thrash outfit at least better on their instruments than their amateurish early albums. I understand that virtuosity was never the point with BC, and it was all about Ice-T yelling over a lot of racket and scaring white people in a whole new way. That's still the basic M.O. over 20 years later, but the accompanying music isn't distractingly bad like on the debut. "Talk Shit, Get Shot" is one of the best songs they ever did, and got my hopes up for the rest of the album, but honestly I didn't hear many other highlights. The only other song of note for me is Ice's hilarious updating of "Institutionalized," replacing Mike Muir's adolescent mental-health crisis with middle-aged tantrums about pushy vegans, offshore tech-support and a wife who watches too much Oprah.
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The Fifth - We Are One |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 23, 2025 at 7:35 |
| Haven't heard this yet, so I can't comment on it. I'll just point out the singer is Rory Cathey, former lead vocalist (last-minute replacement for Oni Logan) in late-stage hair-metal never-wuzzes Cold Sweat. It's funny, I was just looking at the comments on Cold Sweat's debut on HH just the other day, and saw someone posting about The Fifth over 20 years ago.
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| CD:
Machine Head - The More Things Change... |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: May 19, 2025 at 3:22 |
| very good release for MACHINE HEAD in the same sound and style offering groovy thrash metal with well written and performed songs!"ten ton hammer","take my scars" and "bay of pigs" are fine songs indeed and The More Things Change a recommended release for fans of that sound
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| CD:
Paradise Lost - Gothic |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: May 15, 2025 at 0:54 |
| very good release for PARADISE LOST being brutal still very atmospheric and offering those unique dark guitar lines that are their trademark sound!"rapture" and "gothic" are the stand out songs
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Isle Of Q - Isle Of Q |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 13, 2025 at 8:19 |
| … ear at the time, enough to remember the band's odd name at least, but when "Bag Of Tricks" came out as the follow-up, I thought, "Nah," and moved on. If early-2000's radio-rock is your thing (and it's not mine except for occasional nostalgia trips), then this is a decent, forgotten disc from that time.
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| CD:
Isle Of Q - Isle Of Q |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 13, 2025 at 8:00 |
| It's ironic that Philadelphia's Isle Of Q's lone album begins with singer David Ringler declaring, "I'm not part of your little scene!" This disc was released in the summer of 2000, when nu-metal still held sway, and these guys didn't really fit that label, with no hip-hop pretensions, only lightly down-tuned guitars, and no fear of solos. But theirs is absolutely the sound that came to dominate American rock radio for, oh, the next two decades or so. This is before Nickelback really took off and became the hair-metal of the 21st century, and we hadn't yet heard bands like Breaking Benjamin or Shinedown. Maybe this is more of a Heavy Harmonies "modern hard rock" record, but back then HH was violently opposed to music like this, and so here it is. It's like Godsmack Lite, with lots of Alice In Chains-like grooves (check out "The Clone"), with churning bass and wailing leads. There's a little Buckcherry sprinkled on top, but not much. "Little Scene" was the first single, and it caught my
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| CD:
Down - Nola |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 5, 2025 at 7:04 |
| ... back in Pantera posthaste, and so they didn't tour much either. (I hate the way they play "Stone The Crow" live though, with full distortion all the way through.)
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| CD:
Down - Nola |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 5, 2025 at 6:59 |
| These and other bits of trivia can be found in Decibel magazine's retrospective on the album when it was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Anyway, this is a real lightning-in-a-bottle album; not even Down themselves were able to capture this magic again (though they've never released a bad record), and certainly none of the other New Orleans bands have either. The only album to come close is Acid Bath's second album. But while the lyrics on Paegan Terrorism Tactics come off as bad teenage goth poetry, Down's songs come from lessons learned (and re-learned) the hard way. When Phil sings of "a bout of deep depression, can't seem to move it forward," it's real. "Stone The Crow" should have been a hit in an alternate-universe 1995, but here on Planet Earth, it just barely made it into Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. A video was filmed, heavy on local color, but who knows how many times it actually aired? The label was not interested in promoting this disc, wanting Phil to get his ass ba
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| CD:
Down - Nola |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 5, 2025 at 6:25 |
| Look, I love Pantera as much as anyone. But if we're doing "desert island discs," I would probably choose NOLA over any Pantera album, to say nothing of the other big-brother bands. NOLA just hits me harder, and speaks to me in a different way. Gone isPhil Anselmo's chest-beating stronger-than-all persona, replaced by weary ruminations on drugs and depression, both of which are reflected in the band's name. The production is bone-dry, almost like a demo, but absolutely clear. I remember seeing where Jimmy Bowers was selling the drum kit he used on this album—it was a three-piece, and he mostly ignores the one tom. The kick-drum is not very present, nor is the bass guitar, which was actually played by Kirk Windstein. And what you think are bongos on "Jail" are actually plastic pumpkins, played by Joey LaCaze from Eyehategod, who happened to be hanging out that day.
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| CD:
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: April 27, 2025 at 4:22 |
| excellent debut for MACHINE HEAD back in 94 offering a perfect groovy thrash metal sound along with great vocal work !fans of SACRED REICH,PANTERA and PRONG def found it very pleasant and i believe that this one was one of the best metal release of the 90s !a must have for sure
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| CD:
Alice In Chains - Unplugged |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: April 10, 2025 at 10:10 |
| ... end, and Layne slurs noticeably, though this may have been an affectation since he doesn't do it on every song. On the other hand, "Frogs" is aired in full, and its dragged-out ending section still manages to sound woozy and disorienting even in this stripped-down setting. Layne's rising desperation on "Why does it have to be this way?" is even more powerful than the original version. Elsewhere, we get competent renditions of "No Excuses," "Rooster," "Got Me Wrong," and "Would?" and a new song called "Killer Is Me," which one of them introduces with a silly hillbilly voice. The other great moment is "Down In A Hole," though I still prefer the version on Dirt. This is a rare unplugged album that is an essential addition to a band's discography.
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| CD:
Alice In Chains - Unplugged |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: April 10, 2025 at 10:01 |
| At one point during Alice In Chains' entry in the MTV Unplugged franchise, Layne Staley thanks the crowd and says something about everybody having a good time, though "a good time" is not exactly how I would characterize the proceedings. This is a dark, somber affair, as can only be expected from AIC. The mood is set with the opening track, a slowed-down and mournful "Nutshell," with second guitarist Scott Olson adding some shivery chords. "Brother" is also played slower than its original version, and the band drops out for the third verse to let the words and vocal harmonies sink in. The troubled self-titled album was just a few months old, and so four of its tracks are aired, including the Jerry-sung "Heaven Beside You" and "Over Now," the latter of which exceeds its somewhat leaden studio version. More of a surprise are the heavy "Sludge Factory," which they had to play several times because Layne kept fucking up. This version omits the whole "Your weapon is guilt!" section at the e
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| CD:
Paradise Lost - Draconian Times |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: April 4, 2025 at 9:43 |
| very good release once again for PARADISE LOST with Holmes and Mc Intosh still writing down catchy songs in their own unique way being dark and heavy but mainstream at the same time!"hallowed land" ,"forever failure" abd "once solemm" are great songs indeed ,but the rest are also remarkable!great band
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| CD:
Alice In Chains - Sap |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: April 4, 2025 at 8:46 |
| ... more even with some hometown buddies brought in to yell over the fade on "Right Turn." Then they have to go and fuck it all up with an idiotic hidden track they didn't hide nearly well enough. But the other four songs are some of the best the band ever made.
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| CD:
Alice In Chains - Sap |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: April 4, 2025 at 8:40 |
| Alice In Chains really did themselves no favors by releasing this four-song EP with no fanfare or promotion, but it went gold anyway. Sap may be the platonic ideal of acoustic heavy rock; nobody does this sound better, though countless others have tried in the decades since, everyone from Black Label Society to Slipknot and a million faceless postgrunge bands in between. Jerry Cantrell sings lead on two songs here, with Layne Staley joining in on the choruses, these being the gentle "Brother" and the more typical "Got Me Wrong." Even when he takes the lead, Layne employs a lighter touch, his voice not having sunk into the low, narcotized whine he would employ on Jar Of Flies and the self-titled album (when he was able to sing at all). "Got Me Wrong" became a belated hit in the early months of 1995 after its appearance on the soundtrack to the oh-so-'90's movie Clerks, which gave the EP a second life. Considering just the four proper songs, this is very nearly a perfect release, even wi
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| CD:
Paradise Lost - One Second |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: March 18, 2025 at 2:21 |
| very good release once again for PARADISE LOST in the late 90 s choosing to turn their sound towards more gothic forms and bring the keys more to the front!the result is fine ,as they keep on having that vibe they create and the songs still catchy !"say just words","another day" and "mercy" are the highlights!recommended
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Demon - Better The Devil You Know |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: March 9, 2025 at 14:47 |
| Excellent release for DEMON and probably their best ever as all the songs have a hard edge that fits very well and the songs are very catchy!"standing on the edge","obsession" and "change" are great songs indeed!great band
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| CD:
Demon - Spaced Out Monkey |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: March 5, 2025 at 10:43 |
| great come back for DEMON and imho this one is among their best ever with a fine hard rock sound ,improved musicianship and a polish production among with remarkable songwriting!"dreamtime","spaced out monkey","where are you coming from" are great songs indeed!good stuff
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Obsession - Scarred For Life |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: March 4, 2025 at 0:35 |
| excellent 80 s metal release for OBSESSION with razor sharp riffs and howling vocals that will please all fans!def an under rated one as the quality is top notch!"scarred for life","in the end" and "taking your chances" are great songs indeed!a must have for sure much better than many well known ones
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Demon - Blow-Out |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: February 28, 2025 at 11:13 |
| pretty good release for DEMON back in 92 giving a harder edge to their sound as most of bands did at the moment and as always with some good songs but never great ones!"still worth fighting for","crazy town" and "wargames" are the standout ones!good band ,always faithful to its sound but never something really great
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| CD:
Shadows Fall - The War Within |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 26, 2025 at 6:43 |
| ... just two songs earlier. Out of all the metalcore/New Wave of American Heavy Metal bands that were really taking off in the first half of the aughts, Shadows Fall were the ones that would appeal most to fans of old-school thrash who were still skeptical of the likes of Lamb Of God or Mastodon. Unfortunately, their next album Redemption (after the odds-and-ends collection Fallout From The War) was a definite step down in intensity and inspiration, and I began to lose interest.
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| CD:
Shadows Fall - The War Within |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 26, 2025 at 6:33 |
| My friends and I went nuts over the previous album, The Art Of Balance (not on this site yet for some reason). We thought it was going to be the next Master Of Puppets. So I was primed and ready for this follow-up. Shadows Fall delivered another slammin' set of ten tracks, riffs and leads galore, topped by Brian Fair's alternating bellow and ... I was going to say croon, but that word seems more appropriate for the high-pitched I'm-so-vulnerable routine of a Killswitch Engage. Fair's clean vocals are less cloying, but also a bit less distinctive, though they provided a nice contrast. Jason Bittner's drumming had a real push and pull underneath the technical prowess that really drove songs like "Contrition" and first single "The Power Of I And I." Other favorites include "The Light That Blinds," "Enlightened By The Cold," "What Drives The Weak" and "Ghost Of Past Failures." "Inspiration On Demand" was the other single, but to me it's a lesser copy of "What Drives The Weak" just two song
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| CD:
Demon - The Unexpected Guest |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: February 25, 2025 at 8:58 |
| very good release for DEMON back in 82 ,similar to their debut with a classic hard rock sound and some good songs like "dont break the circle",'deliver us from evil","the spell" and "have we been here before"!nothing blominding with DEMON but always there faithful to their music
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| CD:
Dirkschneider - Balls to the Wall - Reloaded |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 25, 2025 at 6:08 |
| If the title track is any indication, there's nothing whatsoever "reimagined" about this release. It's a rote runthrough of an evergreen classic that already sounds great in its original form. If anything was due for an update, it's the spoken section in the middle, but even that is left unchanged, including the goofy "plug a bomb in everyone's ass" line. Udo may sound fine live, with some adrenaline and a couple beers running through you, but on this version, he sounds hoarse and old. I guess the other (only?) big selling point is the guest vocalists—so what? So far the only other song officially released is "Winterdreams," not a favorite of mine and not really improved by Doro Pesch warbling along.
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| CD:
Heir Apparent - One Small Voice |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: February 21, 2025 at 9:20 |
| One Small Voice was a fine album for HEIR APPARENT changing their sound adding big keys ,new singer and providing a much more polished production !the result is remarkable not as their outstanding debut though ,as i d prefer the guitars much more on the front!anyway HEIR APPARENT is a great band and their first 2 albums are essential
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| CD:
Crowbar - Crowbar |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 21, 2025 at 8:27 |
| Elsewhere, they render Zeppelin's "No Quarter" all but unrecognizable, but cool in an entirely new way. Other favorites include "Will That Never Dies" and the closing slog of "I Have Failed." Somehow, the whole thing clocks in at around 35 minutes even in spite of the sluggish tempos, because the band eschews solos and sometimes even a final chorus.
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| CD:
Crowbar - Crowbar |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 21, 2025 at 8:22 |
| To me, this self-titled sophomore album is the true beginning of Crowbar, with the debut seeming like more of a glorified demo. With hometown buddy Phil Anselmo producing (and shepherding this phase of their career, taking them on tour with Pantera), the band achieve a massively heavy sound that was quite new at the time, like a hardcoreband passed out in the swamp after listening to Black Sabbath and drinking a bottle of cough syrup, waking up with heatstroke, a hangover, and a few hundred mosquito bites, pissed off and depressed about it. In actuality, the guys aren't tuning as low or playing as slow as they will later in their career, but it sure seemed very low and very slow back then. Kirk Windstein delivers his tortured, often heavy-handed but honest lyrics in an agonized, gut-busting bellow that often trailsoff in a melodic wail. "all I Had (I Gave)" and "Existence Is Punishment" were the two videos (Beavis and Butthead ultimately approved, but took note of the guys' weight). El
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| CD:
Overkill - Ironbound |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: February 18, 2025 at 8:25 |
| After a couple of underwhelming (by their standards) albums in ReliXIV and Immortalis, Overkill came roaring back for a new decade with 2010's Ironbound, one of their strongest releases this or any other era of their career. "The Green And Black" and the title track make for one of the most slammin' one-two opening combos you'll find anywhere—love the breakdown in the former especially. Other vicious delights include "Bring Me The Night," "Give A Little," "In Vain" and "Killing For A Living." Thingsget a little bit nondescript in parts of the second half, as often happens with Overkill, but try putting the record on shuffle, and you may just discover some new favorites that had previously whizzed right by.
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| CD:
Heir Apparent - Graceful Inheritance |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: January 28, 2025 at 0:56 |
| explosive debut for HEIR APPARENT back in 86 and imho this is one of the milestones of the heavy metal genre !great guitar work and exceptional songwriting make the music flawless from start to finish keeping the interest high in every tune!all the songs stand out and revisiting it after so many years bring back great memories!essential
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| CD:
Jaguar - Power Games |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: January 26, 2025 at 1:37 |
| excellent NWOBHM debut for JAGUAR with much energy ,a fine street feel and remarkable songwriting!"raw deal","master game","run for your life" and "prisoner" are great songs indeed!classic of the NWOBHM movement
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Hero, Hero |
| From: Evil Rick |
Date: January 22, 2025 at 17:32 |
| For those who are (apparently) unaware, The Rocka Rolla tracks found here have all been remixed, and the version of Diamonds and Rust on this release is an alternate version from that found on Sin After Sin, so this "might" be worth picking up for those completists out there.
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| CD:
Metallica - Kill Em All |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: January 20, 2025 at 12:21 |
| ... all-time classics hail from within, including "The Four Horsemen," "Whiplash" and "Seek and Destroy." But there are also some pretty forgettable tracks like "Phantom Lord" and "Metal Militia" that demonstrate, in hindsight, how far and how quickly the band's songwriting would progress, even by the very next album a year later.
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| CD:
Metallica - Kill Em All |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: January 20, 2025 at 12:17 |
| I got seriously into old Metallica in about 1992 or '93, thanks to the nightly "Mandatory Metallica" segment on the metal station out of Annapolis, MD. This was before every rock station did it, and it seemed unique and a bit extreme. The point is, I was more familiar with the Black Album and And Justice For All. I think Kill 'Em All may have been the last one I bought, and I was convinced they must have had a different singer, because he sure didn't sound much like the James Hetfield I knew. Here, the reluctant frontman's voice is a feral, high-pitched shout, with his signature bark just beginning to peek through in places. Metallica beat their peers in releasing the first thrash-metal album, and while it must have sounded revolutionary in 1983, it sounds a little quaint to my ears, much of it coming of as just sped-up NWOBHM riffs. Production is fine, and certainly better than a whole lot of other underground releases of the time. You can even hear Cliff's bass. Some of the band's al
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| CD:
Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: December 17, 2024 at 10:30 |
| very good debut for CRIMSON GLORY back in 86 with Midnight s voice being the main attraction along with excellent musicianship and remarkable songwriting!their image,artwork and lyrics created a certain vibe and somehow CRIMSON GLORY became a unique ,cult act!"lost reflection " and "heart of steel" are the standout songs!
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| CD:
Anthrax - Return of the Killer As - The Best of Anthrax |
| From: CC |
Date: December 12, 2024 at 6:10 |
| A bit of a weird collection this one, considering it's title. When their previous record lable released the Moshers compilation, Anthrax had long since departed and changed singers, and Moshers concentrated on the Belladonna years. This was basically Anthrax's answer to the fact Bush material was not on it, and they had more control on this release. That said, the choice of "killer A's" is a bit weird. Excluding more successful songs like Black Lodge and Nothing, and including songs that failed to chart in their place. Nearly 50% is Bush era songs from the three albums with him on, which leaves a lot of classic Thrax songs off. The big selling point though is Ball of confusion which features Bush and the brief at the time, returns of Belladonna and Lilker. Overall would have been better as a two disc set. One with Belladonna and one with Bush. Also, on some versions Metal thrashing mad is the final cut.
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| CD:
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: December 8, 2024 at 1:41 |
| pretty good album for GAMMA RAY in the mid 90 s keep on in the same sound & style with excellent musicianship and remarkable songwriting!"salvation s calling","rebellion in dreamland" and "gods of deliverance" are the standout songs!recommended
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| CD:
Symphony X - The Odyssey |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: December 6, 2024 at 10:43 |
| Power-prog is not my favorite subgenre, but somehow, despite exemplifying that style in all its excess and nerdiness, I like Symphony X. They're among the very best at this style. Michael Romeo's riffs never forget to be heavy, and Russell Allen has one of the best voices for this type of music (or any other he tries, for that matter). I got this as a promo when it came out, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it right away. (Incidentally, in the same envelope I got Kamelot's Epica, which I absolutely hated.) My favorite tracks are "Inferno," "Incantations Of The Apprentice," "King Of Terrors," "The Turning," and especially the would-be single "Wicked." However" as good as the first seven songs are, the title track epitomizes everything I hate about power-prog: 24 minutes of terminal dorkiness, complete with cheesy orchestration and not a hook in sight.
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| CD:
Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: December 4, 2024 at 4:15 |
| Very good release for GAMMA RAY in their own diverse style offering songs with many hooks ,change of lines always keeping the interest of the listener high!excellent musicianship and vocal performance as always and good songs like "heal me","no return","last before the storm" and "your torn is over"!great band
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| CD:
Evergrey - From Dark Discoveries to Heartless Portraits |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: December 2, 2024 at 1:11 |
| very good release for EVERGREY with a mix of live recordings,demo versions and a fine piano version of some songs!a celebration of their music for the fans from a very good band!"call out the dark" piano version is the highlight
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| CD:
Asphyx - Deathhammer |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: November 25, 2024 at 20:50 |
| Judas Priest would be proud of a metal-is-the-message fist-pumper like the title track. So I do enjoy this album quite a lot nowadays, but I also appreciate the (slightly) increased dynamics of the following Incoming Death just a little bit more.
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| CD:
Asphyx - Deathhammer |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: November 25, 2024 at 20:47 |
| Okay, so yes: I was a bit hard on this in my initial review. I WANTED it to be more like Paradise Lost and the other bands I named, because that's more what I was into. Also, I was listening at the wrong volume. This needs to be played loud, or else the guitars and bass just blur into a trebly, Euro-death buzzsaw. Cranked up, you can appreciate the boulder-size riffs as Martin van Drunen spins his tales of woe. His voice is on the higher side of a death growl, more John Tardy than Chris Barnes (though he's singing actual words). "Minefields" is a grueling, literal crawl through a battlefield, punctuated by a mournful lead of impossibly sustained notes. "Der Landser" features an even more evocative solo (it's the one I was trying to recall in my first comment). And shit, they have a song called "We Doom You To Death"—'nuff said. In among all the muddy misery are some almost jaunty, hardcore-infused anthems extolling the virtues of death-metal. Judas Priest would be proud of a metal-is-t
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| CD:
Evergrey - Glorious Collision |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: November 24, 2024 at 6:52 |
| very good release for EVERGREY getting a more updated approach ,somehow modern i d say!the songwriting and the musicianship are remarkable with many melodic lines and memorable choruses!"frozen","leave it behind us","you " and "wrong" are the highlights
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| CD:
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: November 13, 2024 at 6:15 |
| Bolt Thrower took some shit from fans for adopting the then-current groove-metal sound on albums like Mercenary—of maybe trying to sound like Pantera—but here, those elements are incorporated so well into the band's trademark dank, doomy atmosphere, that only the most curmudgeonly old-school fan could resist. The band decided this would be their final release, though they continued touring for a few years before finally calling it a day.
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| CD:
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: November 13, 2024 at 6:06 |
| Longtime fans of Bolt Thrower, and death metal generally, will probably skew toward the band's early albums (The IVth Crusade and before), but this is one punishing farewell. Nearly every song boasts a handful of catchy but crushing riffs, overlaid by Karl Willets's morose vocals narrating tales of (mostly futile) battlefield heroics. "The Kill Chain" packs a massively infectious groove, the closest thing to a death-metal single you'll find anywhere and yet without feeling dumbed down. Other highlights include "At First Light," "Granite Wall," "Last Stand of Humanity" and "When Cannons Fade." Production is clear and punchy, which can't always be said for early death metal, with thick slabs of guitars, locked-in bass you can feel, and drums that are just right.
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| CD:
Virgin Steele - Noble Savage |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: November 11, 2024 at 0:17 |
| superb heavy metal release for VIRGIN STEELE with an amazing De Feis vocal,lyric ^attitude performance that imho sets Noble Savage a milestone of the genre .flawless energetic music with great riffs ,solos many hooks and passionate vocals along with fine and unique songwriting creating a unique vibe!masterpiece and a classic of 80 s metal
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| CD:
Nevermore - The Politics Of Ecstasy |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 7, 2024 at 16:25 |
| Nevermore were unusual in bands of this style and time, because they were just so ... fucking ... heavy! You take away Warrel Dane's vocals, and this could almost pass for death metal in songs like "The Seven Tongues Of God" or the title track. There are twisty, Meshuggah-like parts in "Lost" and "The Tiananmen Man," and a slow, doomy trudge on "Passenger." Some versions add in their crushing cover of Priest's "Love Bites," which was how more than a few folks first heard Nevermore back in the day, on some tribute album.
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| CD:
Nevermore - Nevermore |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 7, 2024 at 16:15 |
| Dane was always outspoken in his belief in the benefits of psychedelics, but somehow that song just sounds a bit like a hippie preaching on a street corner.
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| CD:
Nevermore - Nevermore |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 7, 2024 at 16:11 |
| Nevermore's debut feels a bit like an odd child in the catalog. It's not as nimble as Sanctuary's second album, and not as crushingly heavy as the band would become. Still, most of the trademark elements are there, including Warrel Dane's histrionic vocals. His shriek now has a ragged, desperate tone to it rather than the cryml-clear Halfordisms of Refuge Denied, and he usually saves it to add extra emphasis, or for high harmonies. Jeff Loomis is already a shredder, and "C.B.F. (Chrome Black Future)" lurches into that shuddering gallop the band would make one of their signature sounds. My favorites are "What Tomorrow Knows," "The Garden Of Grey," the near-thrashfest of "Sea Of Possibilities" and "God Money." On the other hand, "Timothy Leary" just seems like a bad idea somehow.
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| CD:
Rage - Strings To A Web |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: October 4, 2024 at 8:11 |
| excellent album for RAGE and imho among their best ever ,as the songwriting is truly very fine with Victor and Peavey offering great riffs and choruses keeping the interest high in almost every tune!"hunter and prey","the beggar s last dime","empty hollow" and "connected" are superb songs!really great stuff here
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| CD:
Sanctuary - Into The Mirror Black |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 1, 2024 at 21:41 |
| ... "Taste Revenge," "Long Since Dark," the almost-title track, "Seasons Of Destruction" and "Communion." "One More Murder" is perhaps the thrashiest thing here, but also feels a little silly and the most like a holdover from Refuge Denied.
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| CD:
Sanctuary - Into The Mirror Black |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 1, 2024 at 21:39 |
| Man oh man, this disc was ahead of its time! Closest comparisons from around the turn of the decade would include the likes of Crimson Glory, Lethal, the heaviest Savatage, maybe Metal Church. So much of prog-leaning metal up to this point sacrificed heaviness in favor of technicality and finesse. Into The Mirror Black crushes them all. Even over a decade later, a great many bands playing in this style still struggled to match the power and weight of this second Sanctuary disc. This is a clear precursor to the mighty Nevermore, and on some days, I like it better than the latter band's debut, and even The Politics Of Ecstasy. The production is vastly improved over debut, sounding crystal-clear and diamond-hard, and asshole-tight. Jim Shepard's bass popping underneath the slicing riffs. Warrel Dane has tamed the over-the-top shrieks, possibly by necessity, putting the focus more on his baleful wail. Highlights abound, from the raging to the somber, including "Future Tense," "taste Reveng
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| CD:
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: October 1, 2024 at 11:35 |
| Sanctuary's first album is largely a showcase for Warrel Dane's Halford-like shrieks. Underneath, it's near-thrashy power-metal, sorta like fellow Seattlers Metal Church on their first album. This one is really hampered by its production. Almost sounds like you're listening to it on a cheap, old clock-radio, and increasing the volume doesn't really help. That and Warrel's over-reliance on the piercing screams keep Refuge Denied from greatness, but there are good songs like "Battle Angels," "Terminal Force," "Die For My Sins," and "The Third War." The cover of "White Rabbit" sounds like a terrible idea on paper, but Sanctuary accentuates the creepiness and offer up some embryonic Nevermore vibes, which they also do on the closing "Veil Of Disguise."
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| CD:
Rage - Soundchaser |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 30, 2024 at 7:29 |
| excellent release for RAGE and imho among their best ,as the songwriting and the musicianship are truly outstanding!the music is flawless without losing any interest and all the songs standout as the choruses are catchy and the production pretty strong!a must have from a great band
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| CD:
Jag Panzer - The Age of Mastery |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 25, 2024 at 8:55 |
| Poverty-metal from Colorado Springs here, little more than a regional act in the '80's. By 1998, there was a whole scene of this stuff, particularly in Europe, bands like Hammerfall and Primal Fear, and Iced Earth here in the States (with whom they toured a few years after this album). Jag Panzer isn't as good as any of those, however. The Age Of Mastery, and really every other album of theirs that I've heard, just sounds very small-time—maybe it's the mix? Chris Broderick rips on guitar, and went on to Arch Enemy and Megadeth (of course, Mustaine bashed him after he left). But Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin's yodeling power-metal vocals are so hammy, yet I doubt that was his intention. I just don't care for this, but I guess the leather-and-studs crowd in Germany who take their metal deadly serious eat it up. Oh yeah, the album after this one is a concept album based on Macbeth. Ah, no thanks.
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| CD:
Rage - End Of All Days |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 20, 2024 at 2:26 |
| very good release for RAGE as usual with that unique Peavey s songwriting ability always there offering many heavy catchy tunes !this time we have a guitar duo but not in the same level with their previous works!"under control","voice from the vault","talking to the dead" and "face behind the mask" are the highlights
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| CD:
Metallica - Kill Em All |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 17, 2024 at 4:01 |
| explosive debut for METALLICA back in 83 defining the thrash metal scene with those superb riffs ,howling vocals and raw energy!flawless music from those youngsters with a strong NWOBHM influence that became one of the classics of the heavy metal genre!superb!
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| CD:
Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare |
| From: CC |
Date: September 16, 2024 at 15:43 |
| Lol, Doghouse reilly still thinking his is the only opinion that matters and coming out with childish shit like 2is your pussy still sore". Grow up you arrogant fuck bag! You essay reviews stink of arrogance and ignorance at the same time. It's amazing that one person could achieve the levels of douche baggery as you have. Have a gold star.
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| CD:
Immolation - Failures For Gods |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2024 at 15:24 |
| "No Jesus, No Beast" is one of Immolation's all-time classics, and the title track is another top highlight. The production on Failures For Gods is a little disconcerting, with very loud bass drums—almost sounds like one pedal is miked up more than the other, or one of Alex Hernandez's feet is just stronger. This could be read as sloppiness or that much-vaunted "organic" quality, depending on your preference. People like to describe the band's overall sound and style by using references to sewers and sludgea and that's apt—a song like "God Made Filth" or "Stench Of High Heaven" really gives you the feeling of frantically crawling through thick muck to escape a dark, dripping underground world. But when you get topside, you find only a blighted, bombed-out urban landscape. Immolation may not be the most brutal or technically advanced death-metal bands out there, but they are certainly one of the most evocative.
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| CD:
Immolation - Failures For Gods |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 11, 2024 at 15:10 |
| I'll need to add the rest of Immolation's discography when I find the time. They've become one of my favorite death-metal bands. I think the thing that appeals to me is that palpable sense of dread and foreboding in their riffs, the frequent descent into grueling doom riffs, and the somber, mournful and even despairing quality to Ross Dolan's vocals. Who says you can't be expressive within the context of a death-growl? Other signature elements include Bob Vigna's hand-contorting riffs and the lost-soul harmonics that punctuate them, plus those off-kilter, juddering rhythms. Failures For Gods is one of their best early albums. At this point in their career, their lyrics were mostly anti-Christian screeds; beginning with Harnessing Ruin in 2005, they broadened their approach to take in the entirety of man's folly and imminent downfall (of which religion is still a big part, but only a part). They've always struck me as a bit more thoughtful than someone like, say, Deicide. "No Jesus, No
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| CD:
Drowning Pool - Sinner |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: September 10, 2024 at 11:44 |
| Are Drowning Pool the Sisyphus of nu-metal, forever rolling their one hit up the hill in an act of futile perseverance? That one hit, of course, is "Bodies," the song that taught wrestling fans how to count to four. Sesame Street rock for knuckleheads. Okay, it's a guilty pleasure, a stupid but catchy jam from the last months of the old world (summer 2001), even as it borrows heavily from Coal Chamber's "Sway." "Tear Away" and the title track were also singles, but let's not kid ourselves. Nu-metal was already on the wane by this point. The death of singer Dave Williams the following summer (of a heart condition made worse by hard, hard partying) should have ended this band, but noooooo. They soldiered on with a rogue's gallery of singers, including the guy from Soil, but it's all about "Bodies," always has been, always will be.
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| CD:
Rage - Trapped |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: September 6, 2024 at 4:26 |
| very good release for RAGE back in 92 always offering catchy speed metal music with many hooks and good songs like "shame on you","solitary man" and "enough is enough"!great band
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| CD:
Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 12, 2024 at 15:49 |
| Other highlights include "The Great Unknown," "The Man Of Sorrows" (not to be confused with Bruce's similarly-titled solo track from Accident Of Birth), the title track and especially "If Eterity Should Fail," a rare instance when the run-time is fully justified.
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| CD:
Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 12, 2024 at 15:46 |
| Another strong album from postmillennial Iron Maiden. The biggest flaw here is the length of the songs. "The Red And The Black" is a good example of a perfectly fine song padded beyond reason with long instrumental passages and a repeating "Whoa-whoa" section that serves only to remind us of "The Wiaker Man." Thirteen fucking minutes of this! All the reviews around the time of release were unfailingly positive, and seemed to imply (or sometimes state explicitly) that if you had a problem with the run-time, you weren't a true fan. Sorry—almost none of these songs need to be as long as they are, and it causes a fair amount of the record to drone past in a blur of noise that is instantly recognizable as Maiden, but no less generic for it. It's no accident that two of the best songs are its most direct, "Speed Of Light" and "Death Or Glory." (Ah, but the metal press rushed to characterize both as cheap appeals for hit singles—as if!)
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| CD:
Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 12, 2024 at 14:32 |
| I've been pretty vocal in my preference Maiden's 1980-84 golden era of shorter, sharper songs with a few scattered epics, rather than the 21st-century inversion in which overlong compositions dominate. That's why I didn't give A Matter Of Life And Death a fair listen when it came out. Turns out it's one of their best latter-day releases. Yes, the songs are long, but they're also catchy without being repetitive and simplistic like some of the songs on the previous two albums were. This is also the baand's heaviest album, though heaviness is a relative thing anymore. And the 72-minute runtime feels almost reasonable compared to The Book Of Souls and Senjutsu. Highlights include pretty much all of the first half, plus "For The greater Good Of God." "Benjamin Breeg" maybe wasn't the best choice for a first single, though, which may have been another reason I wasn't into the album at the time.
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Jugulator |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 8, 2024 at 15:22 |
| I used to hear some of these songs (both these versions and the ones from the then-brand-new '98 Live Meltdown) on a late-night metal show out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during my first year of college. Stuff like "Blood Stained," "Dead Meat," "Death Row," "Decapitate" and "BrainDead"—they just had this cold, gray, grimy atmosphere. It was almost industrial, but not in the danceable, Trent Reznor way that Halford was messing around with at the same time. Just so fucking heavy, and with none of Halford's themes of empowerment and affirmation.
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Jugulator |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 8, 2024 at 15:09 |
| I agree with CC for the most part. Jugulator is a good album taken on its own merits, but was always a little hard to take as a Judas Priest album. Ripper sounds like what he is, a Priest tribute-band singer—albeit a good one—and here, his tendency toward heavy-handednessis matched by some brutal music. This is Priest's heaviest, angriest album, and there's none of the fist-pumping, communal-singalong vibes of the '80's. This was an album that was unfairly judged in its time, despite being very much a product of that time, and seems to have relatively few champions among fans.
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| CD:
Evergrey - Solitude - Dominance - Tragedy |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 8, 2024 at 14:57 |
| ... as important an ingredient as either of the above, and that haunted, melancholy atmosphere, all-bine to make this one of Evergrey's very best albums. Highlights include "Solitude Within," "Nosferatu," "The Shocking Truth" (which foreshadows the next album with its alien-abduction theme), one of their best-ever ballads in "Words Mean Nothing," the almost-thrashy "Damnation," and the closing epic "The Corey Curse."
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| CD:
Evergrey - Solitude - Dominance - Tragedy |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: August 8, 2024 at 14:53 |
| Look, I love latter-day Evergrey, and I even enjoy the mid-period albums so many others hate. But there's something special about the early incarnation of the band that's been lost in the ensuing 20-plus years. As with the debut album, there are just some jackhammer riffs here that would have been right at home on Cowboys From Hell in style and especially tone, and which elevate these songs into absolute bangers. And that's somewhat unusual for European power-prog. Henrik Dangage has yet to join the band, and this is before he and Tom started tuning down before switching to seven-strings, and as a result, Tom's vocals are in a higher pitch. Which leads to a whole chicken-and-egg discussion: is he singing lower nowadays because they're writing songs in lower keys, or are they tuning down to accommodate his changing voice? Either way, SDT is a strong, strong album that I really wish I would have heard when it came out. Those crushing riffs, Tom's emotional vocals, the keys that are just
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Jugulator |
| From: CC |
Date: August 8, 2024 at 12:29 |
| I have nothing against Ripper, but for me Priest was always about Robs vocals as much as it was about the rest of the band, and taking that element out of the band was taking away the most critical piece of the jigsaw. I always say you can replace pretty much anyone in a band, but the vocalist is the toughest one to replace. I absolutely loved Painkiller and Ram it down, so when Rob left I followed Rob and pretty much dropped Priest until he returned. But over time I even lost interest in Robs output. So here we are with me filling gaps in my Priest collection and finally got around to hearing the two Ripper fronted albums. Nothing inherently wrong with them but they really are not Priest and don't do much for me. As I say though, they are not bad albums if you are into that kinda thing. The last couple of Priest albums are actually some of their best, so thank god this era only lasted two albums.
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| CD:
Testament - The Legacy |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 29, 2024 at 12:24 |
| strong thrash debut for TESTAMENT back in 87 with great riffs and a solid performance that set em among the best of the genre!i prefer their 90 s ones but Legacy was def a good start
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| CD:
Testament - Low |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 27, 2024 at 5:17 |
| very good release for TESTAMENT back in 94 getting a bit rougher in their sound ,still offering great big riffs and a fine heavy groove!"hail mary","trail of tears","low" are the standout songs!great band
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| CD:
Testament - Souls of Black |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 24, 2024 at 6:20 |
| very good album for TESTAMENT with great guitar work in riffs and solos ,lowering the speed and writing down fine songs that are quite catchy!"souls of black","legacy","malpractice" and "face in the sky" are the highlights!great band
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: July 20, 2024 at 11:16 |
| excellent new release for JUDAS PRIEST with much depth that after a few spins you ll totally get into!great riffs,amazing vocal performance ,no big songs but all of them equal ,make Invincible Shield stands proud among the rest of their long catalogue!well done
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield |
| From: CC |
Date: July 13, 2024 at 20:38 |
| I have always liked Priest but they have never been an essential band for me to buy all their albums. That said Painkiller is still one of my all time favourite songs. Now I had not bought a Priest album since Nostradamus, and even that was only picked up a little while after release as I saw it cheap. I actually preordered Invincible shield due to there being a deluxe edition and there were signed copies available. I really was not expecting much as had not heard any of the pre release singles, so put it on totally blind. Holy fuck, what an album. This is easily my favourite Priest album and I have not stopped playing it since it came out. It does everything that I loved about the song Painkiller, but expands on that. I can hand on heart say that this is my album of the year so far, and I have a feeling it will stay that way.
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| CD:
Judas Priest - Sin After Sin |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 28, 2024 at 7:08 |
| pretty good release for JUDAS PRIEST back in 77 with some good riffs ,a fine performance by Rob as always but the songs werent that strong and memorable and the whole result sounds confused!"sinner" and "last rose of summer" are the standout songs...Sin After Sin isnt among their best ,still a release that helped them get into heavier forms later on
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| CD:
Crease - Vindication |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 25, 2024 at 11:15 |
| First off, absolutely awful band name—what possessed them? But it suits this nondescript music perfectly: a band name that doesn't jump out at all at you, to go along with music that was like a B-grade Godsmack or Soil, rather than the Metallica, Pantera and Skid Row these South Florida guys cited as influences. Thirteen cheap cuts of late-nineties stew-meat metal, lots of half-whispered verses and yelled choruses. No rapping or scratching to speak of, and a punk influence that's really just below-average musicianship. Oh yeah, and a bad, no-fun cover of an '80's pop hit—these were all the rage at the time. "Frustration" was the single, and didn't make it out of light, late-night rotation on the radio.
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| CD:
Kerry King - From Hell I Rise |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: June 19, 2024 at 18:41 |
| From the beginning, when he first put it out there that he was working on new music, Kerry told us not to expect anything too different from him. And the man told it true: if you liked Slayer's last three albums, you'll like this. Mark Osegueda uses a voice that's kind of a combination of a generic, harsh metalcore tone with a bit of an Araya-esque yell—his more melodic Death Angel voice is nowhere to be found. The songs are good, but not great, with standouts being "Residue," "Idle Hands," "Tension," the very Seasons In The Abyss-like riffing on "Toxic," and "Shrapnal," which is slower and incorporates a repeating, wailing harmonic that actually reminds me of Immolation.
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| CD:
Megadeth - Endgame |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 15, 2024 at 17:13 |
| one more for MEGADETH and in the same level delivering some fine riffs and songs !Dave seems capable of writing down and performing heavy metal music in his unique way after so many years in the same energy!"the hardest part of letting go ...sealed with a kiss","head crusher"and "bodies " are the highlights
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| CD:
Megadeth - United Abominations |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 13, 2024 at 15:48 |
| ok release for MEGADETH offering some good riffs and songs but United Abominations i m afraid is among their worst ones !the production isnt clear and the songs nothing blowminding while the lyrics are too much about war and politics!"gears of war","sleepwalker" and "never walk alone...a call to arms" are the better moments
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| CD:
Megadeth - The System Has Failed |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 12, 2024 at 8:08 |
| very good release for MEGADETH with Dave Mustaine seems to be capable to provide a solid heavy metal release anytime with his songwriting and performing ability!Poland fits well and the result is satisfying with songs like "the scorpion",'tears in a vial" and "of mice and men"!recommended
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| CD:
Megadeth - Rude Awakening |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 10, 2024 at 14:33 |
| very good live release for MEGADETH capturing the band in their The World Needs A Hero tour !double cd edition ,many songs performed very well by Dave and his gang,surely satisfying for the fans
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| CD:
Megadeth - The World Needs A Hero |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 10, 2024 at 9:26 |
| very good release once again for MEGADETH this time with Al Pitrelli on board showing his skill !the result is great with the band sounding fresh and Dave showing again his songwriting ability with songs like "promises","recipe for hate...warhorse","1000 goodbyes" and "return to hangar"!great band
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| CD:
Megadeth - Cryptic Writings |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 9, 2024 at 5:40 |
| very good release for MEGADETH once again this time getting a more 90 s sound but still heavy !the songwriting is excellent and Dave seems to enjoy that slow down offering great songs like "a secret place","sin","she wolf" or "trust"!caught them live on that tour and they were also great on stage
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| CD:
Megadeth - Youthanasia |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 6, 2024 at 14:04 |
| excellent release for MEGADETH back in 94 with Max Norman again achieving a fine commercial heavy metal sound and writing down catching tunes with great choruses and riffs!"a tout le monde","reckoning day",'train of consequenses" and "family tree" are great songs indeed!youthanasia is surely among their best
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| CD:
Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 5, 2024 at 6:54 |
| excellent release for MEGADETH with Max Norman in production and the band getting an updated 90 s approach offering a mix of more commercial songs like "symphony of destruction","foreclosure of a dream"or "sweating bullets" and some more in their trademark sound like "architecture of aggression","this was my life" or "ashes in your mouth"!highly recommended stuff here
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| CD:
Scanner - Scantropolis |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: June 3, 2024 at 6:45 |
| SCANTROPOLIS was a quite experimental for SCANNER altering many things in their sound trying to go with the flow with those cold female vocals thing that were on at the moment in the metal scene...many keys ,not so strong guitars i guess this is easily their worst one
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| CD:
Megadeth - Rust in Peace |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: May 31, 2024 at 5:48 |
| a def masterpiece for MEGADETH and their best ever moment !this was the time many heavy metal bands were saved by the hair metal explosion that was happening at the moment as the companies pressed them to make their sound more commercial ,they gave them a bigger budget to have better productions,videos etc and as a result they improved!in MEGADETH s case we have Mike Clink and Max Norman putting the pieces together and Marty Friedman s shredding gave them a new prospect !every tune of Rust In Peace is pure magic and i consider it one of the best of the heavy metal genre!essential and classic of the great 90s
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| CD:
Rage - Unity |
| From: hair metal again |
Date: May 30, 2024 at 6:55 |
| one more good release for RAGE ,always capable of writing down fine power heavy metal music in their own way!Peavey is the mastermind with his unique way of singing keeping the trademark RAGE sound through the decades!"insanity","all i want" and "dies irae" are the highlights
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| CD:
Black Label Society - Grimmest Hits |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 29, 2024 at 11:24 |
| I listened to this again yesterday, and it is indeed better than I remember. Best tracks are "Seasons of Falter" (more of Zakk's word-salad, a la "Fields of Unforgiving"), "All That Once Shined," "Room Of Nightmares," "Disbelief," "The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away" (despite his grating pronunciation of "hev-awn") and especially "The Betrayal," one of Zakk's best and most lively songs in a while. There are two main issues with Grimmest Hits though, and they ar related, and both only get worse on 2021's Doom Crew, Inc. It's too long, at nearly an hour. And the reason why it's too long is often because Zakk's solos go on forever. He seems to have forgotten how to "play for the song." Maybe comes from producing the record himself, without anybody to say, "Let's cut that solo in half. You noodled for 32 bars, let's take the best parts of that and make it 16. And let's turn it down in the mix a little bit too—we get it, you can shred."
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| CD:
Obituary - Frozen in Time |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 28, 2024 at 15:41 |
| ... off with an instrumental that is little more than the band's live intro? Highlights include "On The Floor," "Insane," "Back Inside," "Lockjaw," and my favorite of the bunch, "Slow Death."
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| CD:
Obituary - Frozen in Time |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 28, 2024 at 15:39 |
| Obituary, and old-school death-metal in general were sounding pretty tired and played-out by 1997, as the Gothenburg crowd were now doing the innovating. Obituary called it quits after the lackluster Back From The Dead, notable for all the wrong reasons—chief among them a horrendous collaboration with some rappers. Donald Tardy spent the ensuing years as the drummer for party-boy Andrew W.K. Perhaps ironically, it was Andrew who encouraged Donald to get back with his brother and put Obituary in gear again. Frozen In Time is their appropriately-titled comeback album, and continues the sound set ford on The End Complete and World Demise, injecting their original swamp-monster sound with a bit of rock 'n' roll accessibility. Six Feet Under gets crucified for the bone-simple nature of their riffs and songwriting, but Obituary seems right at home in similar territory. You can learn to play "Redneck Stomp" in minutes from a YouTube video, and speaking of which, is there really a need to lead
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| CD:
Obituary - World Demise |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 28, 2024 at 15:22 |
| ... for pounding beers in the sweltering summertime.
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| CD:
Obituary - World Demise |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 28, 2024 at 15:20 |
| Obituary shed much of the grotesque, swamp-dwelling atmosphere by 1994, and their fourth album features a lot more of a hardcore influence, plus their approximation of the groove-metal sound popularized at the time by the likes of Pantera and labelmates Sepultura. John Tardy is barfing up actual words now, and the tracks have more of a "typical rock song" structure. But despite the moshable rhythms and mostly intelligible lyrics, this is still Obituary, and the worldview is unrelentingly bleak, though now concerned with more real-world matters, as the between-song samples attest. A lot of people checked out at this point, but I enjoy World Demise quite a bit; my only real criticism is that it's a bit too long. This album would set the template for pretty much all future Obituary releases, as the band became sort of the "good-time death-metal band," for better or worse. Best songs for me are "Don't Care," "Solid State," and the parallel-universe single "Final Thought." Another fun album
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| CD:
Obituary - The End Complete |
| From: Doghouse Reilly |
Date: May 28, 2024 at 14:59 |
| The End Complete was, and may still be, Obituary's best-selling album (and Roadrunner's top-selling T-shirt), as it was released near the peak of death metal's early-'90's boom. Allen West returns with his wild soloing, but the band starts to explore their slower side a bit more, and the songs even start to have more distinguishable verses and choruses. In this way, it's a bit more accessible than the first two albums, but John Tardy still sounds like he's blowing chunks all over the vocal booth, and the guitar sound is just disgusting: fuzzy and thick and soupy, with feedback bubbling up like noxious swamp gas. "I'm In Pain" is a top highlight, but nearly every song as a simple, memorable riff or two. It's a great disc to blast during a heat wave while you're drinking beer outside, to scare your neighbors.
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