Category: Album Reviews

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Iowa – Slipknot

In terms of Slipknot canon I don’t know where this fits. I think it might be their second album. Just not sure. I’ve bought a few Slipknot albums but never really played any other than the first one. Having now listened to it I can say that some of the songs I recognise from the live album Antennas To Hell. They also play some of these songs live.

Highlights are:

  • People=Shit
  • Disasterpiece
  • My Plague
  • Everything Ends
  • The Heretic Anthem
  • Left Behind

I do like the Heretic Anthem and the chorus is something I have sung with my childerbeasts.

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Invasion Of Your Privacy – RATT

This is a teenage fantasy album. It’s pretty obviously a load of cock-rock and remarkably a product of its time. I’m pretty sure I own this on picture disk and the cover is likely the reason I bought it. All my vinyl disks are stored in decent boxes in a cupboard. I haven’t put them in the loft as I harbour secret desires to play them again one day. I don’t have the same response with my tapes, they are less tactile and less loved, tucked away in the loft somewhere getting heat cycled.

Look, if you want 80s LA rock then get this. It’s does exactly what it says on the cover.

RattInvasion.jpg
By Source, Fair use, Link

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If You Want Blood You’ve Got It [live] – AC/DC

Holy Shit!

This album has been with me throughout most of my life and I still rate it as one of the best albums I have ever heard. Blow Up Your Video came out in 1988 and the singles were released before then in the wonder-year of 1987. so, you love AC/DC and start looking up old albums. Then, the excitement that there are thirteen albums is palpable.

This is a best of the first few albums, and it fucking rocks. They hadn’t even released Highway To Hell yet and all the songs on here rock.

This album has healed me emotionally when I have felt broken. It has calmed me when I have been un-calm and it has restored me to who I am on many occasion. SR once told me to go and listen to “If You Want Blood”, it’ll make you happier. That was somewhere in the early 90s and I hadn’t realised its effect was so obvious.

I had to re-purchase this on music cassette because I had listened to my first version of this so many times the tape had stretched in places and it made the music sound wrong.

I’ve bought this on CD since. And then I ripped that to save onto an MP3 player. Then I used the CD to rip to a higher specification and it is now on the NAS Drive.

After you’ve listened to this a lot you can hear the smiles in the band, you recognise every note, you can imagine where they are on stage and what they are doing there.

For many years I had only seen the front of this album, the rear cover wasn’t part of the tape version I had. When I saw the back cover I wasn’t disappointed.

Front Cover
Front Cover
Back Cover
Back Cover

I dare you to find a song on this album that can be considered weak. I dare you.

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Hysteria – Def Leppard

Wow. This album was released in my summer of music awakening. 1987, when I was fifteen, was, in my mind, a year of Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet and Hyteria by Def Leppard. It was the year of my second summer camp and moving into the fifth year at school.

I think Armageddon It was released as a single and I loved it. So I bought the album. It’s great. Well, it was then. It’s a product of its time and I’m happy with that. It has consistently been in the top of album lists.

Then you hear that the drummer only has one arm. He lost the other one in a car accident and you think, wow. This is really impressive.

I was meant to see Def Leppard as my first concert. They were playing the Royal Albert Hall in the round in April 1988. I had a friend to go with and everything. But I got a cadet trip to Cyprus and so did that instead. I’m still glad I went to Cyprus, it was a brilliant, but frustrating experience. That left Iron Maiden to become my first concert on December 10 1988.

I finally did see Def Leppard play. They opened one of the NFL games at Wembley Stadium that I’ve been to. I had grown up then and they didn’t really bother me.

So, the album.

It’s full of hits and power ballads that knocks the 80’s out of 1987. It’s probably another great driving album.

The thing is, once you’ve listened to this, you seek out other Def Leppard and you get some excellent stuff like “On Through The Night”, “High n Dry” and “Pyromania”. Each of these is a better album, but not as popular.

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How To Do Battle – Senser

I remember trying to persuade my Events Manager at college to book Senser in 1995. I wanted to see them play but he refused, they would cost too much. I had owned the Stacked Up album for about a year and found it thrilling. This album is the classic mix of political lyrics, heavy bouncy guitar riffs and chilled out beats that made Senser an awesome band. I have seen them twice. Once in Southsea and once at the Underworld. If you want to hear Senser then buy Stacked Up. If you want more buy this.

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Houses Of The Mole – Ministry

In the mid(ish) 90s I was travelling around London and occasionally looking in record shops, as we still called them. I was minded to find some Ministry when Smiff told me about a son called Jesus Build My Hotrod. It was a great song, fast and heavy but not metal. I found it interesting. I’d not yet really got into industrial music, that was to come about ten years later.

Houses Of The Mole is not that stuff. It’s a later album I bought, just because it’s Ministry. It’s a political album about the horrifying aspects of George W Bush’s presidency. It’s worth listening to but it’s not a classic.

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Hot Rocks 1964-1971 – Rolling Stones

This is just a quick one really. You grow up knowing that certain bands are very influential. You hear about them and then you listen to them. For me The Doors were meant to be really good but I just don’t like their material, I mean I understand how and why they were such an influence but I just don’t like their stuff. The Beatles are another band who pretty much leave me cold!

The Rolling Stones are a little bit different. I like their music. But then, I don’t have all their albums, just this. And, this is meant to be the best of all their stuff covering seven years. So it’s not really surprising that it is full of very good music.

All of the songs on this album are very good. It should really be in every collection, much like the White album, which I don’t have.

A particular favourite here is Sympathy For The Devil. It builds brilliantly and is crafted so very well [unlike the Guns N Roses version which is shit in comparison]. Whenever I hear this song it reminds me of a couple of overnight parties we had next to the river Stort in Pishiobury Park in Hertfordshire. We pretty much stayed up all night drinking, playing cricket and generally having a laugh and I remember putting this song on the music player just as the sun was rising and a mist was settling over the river. It’s a very atmospheric song and this was the perfect use for it.

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Holy Diver – Dio

I bought this on vinyl originally. The cover of the Devil chaining a priest and drowning him was probably quite shocking for the time. I probably bought it because of the cover and it was in the heavy metal section of the record shop. Back in those days we couldn’t pre-listen or try a song, only the posh shops did that. I bought records on the cover and recommendations of friends.

Ronnie James Dio’s voice is strange, I wasn’t aware of his history with Black Sabbath and I still haven’t listened to any of his stuff with them, but I can see how he could follow Ozzy. I’ve just looked up that the guitarist was Vivian Campbell which explains a lot. I first heard of him when he worked for Whitesnake and the 1987 album.

Holy Diver has lyrics, but I don’t really pay attention to the lyrics. For me music is the riff, rhythm and tune of the vocals. This is an excellent 80s rock album with a perfect combination of sound and feel. It’s great. I can imagine a crowd of 80,000 all jumping in time to the heavy crunching riffs.

I can remember once being on Imperial College Radio and commenting that I thought Rainbow In The Dark sounded a lot like Living On Video. I had phone calls objecting but I maintain I was correct, or at least correct about the keyboard riff.

Rainbow In The Dark

Living On Video

Do you know what? I was right! Yes, for some reason I have both. I think I bought Living On Video as a single before I developed my love for screaming loud guitars.

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Highway To Hell – ACDC

Wow.

Just wow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t seem fair to leave this to three words but seriously, that’s all that is necessary. This album contains my favourite AC/DC song – If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It), the heavy metal clashing of the opening riff makes my spine shiver. That and Night Prowler, the creepiest song ever, and this is just . . .

 

 

wow!

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High Voltage – ACDC

1976.

AC/DC.

Debut international album.

This album. Is. Awesome.

I’m not sure if I’ve gone into my relationship with AC/DC before. My attention to them was first awakened by the song “That’s The Way I Wanna Rock n Roll” off the Blow Up Your Video album. When I found out there was a back catalogue of about 12 albums I was so excited. All that music to be consumed.

This album is their first major release. I believe that the track listing is different in Australia along with the cover. I have owned this on cassette tape, CD and now digitally. I didn’t buy much AC/DC on vinyl because I couldn’t carry around a record with me to listen as I moved.

AC/DC are masters of riff driven rock with a dirty guitar sound, perfectly crafted rude lyrics and brilliant accompaniment to balance out the sound.

It’s A Long Way To The Top If You Wanna (rock and roll) – fucking bagpipes.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer – includes the lyric “yes I are”, which I maintain is lyrical genius.
The Jack – better live as the lyrics are truer.
Live Wire – AC/DC Live video opens with this song. It’s a great sing along tune.
T.N.T. – riff-tastic.
Can I Sit Next To You Girl – pace change in the rhythm guitars is great.
Little Lover – “Killed me when I saw, The wet patch on your seat, Was it Coca Cola?”
She’s Got Balls – Opening riff just floors me. Lovely bass work. Beautiful.
High Voltage – Still played. Still loved. Like every song here.

This is an album to horrify the elders. To rip fear into grown ups. The lyrics are rude without being offensive [kind of] and the sound is pure dirt. Put it on. Play It Loud. Really Loud.

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High ‘N’ Dry – Def Leppard

This is the second album released by Def Leppard and the first by them to be reviewed in these communications. Of the four albums by Def Leppard that I know this is probably the weakest. It does have a lot of reasonable songs and the sound of the guitars is a decent 1980s sound which I like. I’m not quite sure what’s missing.

All the songs have good energy [apart form the ballads]. The beat is up tempo. It is well produced. But it lacks. Especially when comparing to the albums either side in release order. It’s probably the Def leppard last album I would choose to play unless I really want some quality 80s rock. You’ll have to wait for my review of On Through The Night but given how anthemic it is this album leaves me wanting.

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Herzeleid – Rammstein

This is the first Rammstein album I have reviewed in these communications and I will tell you that it leaves me feeling quite excited. I was first given this album and another in the early 2000s. Listening to the heavy German sound was so different, so exciting and refreshing. The clear crispness and utter heaviness was astounding. I didn’t care that I couldn’t understand what was being said, I’ve listened to English speaking singers and not had a clue!

Rammstein are a band where you can start right at the beginning and just keep working through their albums. There isn’t a bad album.

Herzeleid came out in 1995. It doesn’t show. Buy this, give the band some of your money and enjoy.

This band a is dangerous and great fun.

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Heading For Tomorrow – Gamma Ray

I originally had this album on vinyl. I can remember looking at it in the shop and wondering if it will be any good. It had an odd double jacket which I think was just because the branding of the band had changed over time. That was all I knew when I got it.

I think this is a great album. It’s very operatic hardcore German metal. If you like Helloween then you’ll love this. Largely because one of the Helloween members went on to create this band. The whole album has operatic themes and great riffs and remember-able hooks to the choruses.

Heading For Tomorrow
Heading For Tomorrow

Lust For Life, Heaven Can Wait, Space Eater, Money, Freetime and Heading For Tomorrow are all great songs. Just bloody brilliant.

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Grind Ya Down – Motörhead

Every now and then I buy a Motörhead album and pretty often I am disappointed. There is a good reason for this. “No Sleep ‘Till Hammersmith” is a live album that will [eventually] be reviewed here. I will let you know now it’s the dog’s bollocks, an absolutely brilliant album. And that’s where the problem lies. All other Motörhead albums are going to pale in significance.

As far as I can make out this is a compilation album, probably to make a quick profit for those liking the whole “Ace Of Spades” thing. The track listing has some very good songs, but when you have already heard them on the aforementioned live album these songs seem a little bit tame.

I suggest you just get No Sleep ‘Till Hammersmith.

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Gorillaz – Gorillaz

I actually bought this on CD. I remember liking the song being played on TV and the radio and thought I’d get the whole album. I did like the characters in the videos and how they looked quite anime.

I think if I played this album I would recognise a couple of songs but I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever used it as background music, it’s not something I’ve listened to actively.

Isn’t some Blur member in the band?

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Ghosts – Nine Inch Nails

These two albums are instrumental calming albums from the beast that is Nine Inch Nails. I listen to these when I’m writing reports at work or marking stuff. It makes a very good background noise to block out other distractions. I would recommend these albums to anyone. It’s just good stuff.

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Girls, Girls, Girls – Mötley Crüe

I grew up in the 80s. I remember the 70s but from the age of 8 to 18 the primary decade was the 1980s. Those formative years when music tastes settle in and I was living through the 80s! You know when you get a “Greatest Hits Of The 80s” album or CD or stream that stuff now and you think, “Wow, what a decade to live through music”. Well, I’d like to remind you that you have 30 of the very best songs and maybe a couple that are a bit shit. If that’s the best a compilation compiler can come up with then it really is evidence that the rest of it was shit. As an example, Vienna by Ultravox didn’t make number one in the once relevant charts. It was held off by John Lennon (which I guess is fair enough) and then Joe Dolce’s song “Shaddup You Face”. You see, it was shit.

Music tastes change bit by bit but the stuff that still affects us is the stuff we obsessed over as teenagers. People ten years older than me at work love Pink Floyd and easy 70s rock. People ten years younger than me look back in fondness at the utter shit that was Oasis. And so it’s clear I can’t help liking 80s rock. I’ve written about my descent into metal. It started with Bon Jovi, headed through Mötley Crüe into Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.

I have change recently and it’s weird. I’ve headed to industrial. Electronic stuff with a nasty edge. I wouldn’t be too fussed about attending a metal festival although I’d go if the right bands were playing.

Looking back at the 80s rock scene now and thinking about what they were actually saying about women and I am horrified. You could argue that it was just the scene and in reality they were nice people but the misogyny was rife and that enters culture and then behaviour. Perhaps the world was more misogynistic then anyway, I don’t know, whatever it was it shouldn’t have been. I don’t think I ever really thought I was sexist, or that I could be like that but I endorsed a culture of that behaviour by buying the music and playing the songs and liking the music.

I really like this album. I can’t help it. I’m programmed to like it. It’s such a part of my youth. I saw the Crüe once at Wembley Arena and it was a great concert. See this page for the concert list. I love the sound of the guitar, I love the galloping bass, the drums and even Vince Neil’s voice. It’s just a fucking shame it’s all sexist. I still like it. Damn [exasperation].

Wild Side – fantastic, upbeat, riff-tastic.
Girls, girls, girls – so good and so bad. In the video they had a hot tub in the back of a limousine.
Dancing on glass – good.
Bad Boy Boogie – good “rocky” song, but AC/DC already have a song called this and it’s better.
Nona – There is ALWAYS an incredibly shit song on every Crüe album. This is the one here. Perhaps they let the butler write a song?
The rest are all pretty good songs although the ballad they wrote for the charts is pretty poor “You’re All I Need”, bleaugh.

So, when I saw them at Wembley Billy Idol came on at the end, clearly off his face, and they sang Jailhouse Rock. There’s a live version of it on this album and it seriously starts with Vince saying:

We’re recording live right here tonight. And I think you’ve got to fucking jive. ‘Cos we’ve got some bad beat boogie woogie for you boys”

They actually kept that on the album! Metal it isn’t. 80s rock it is. I wish forgiveness for the decade in which I matured and the shit I like listening to now.

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Gentle Death – Excessive Force

This band was a side project of KMFDM. Excessive Force is a electronic industrial album with undertones of heavy guitar work. It’s actually quite a calming album and a good listen. I recommend this as a starter into the heavier stuff.

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Gardens Of Seth – Reaper

After getting into aggrotech I was searching for music. Reaper was an artist I really liked, the album The Devil Is Female is pretty awesome. So, I found some more albums by Reaper. But, it turns out there are three artists called Reaper. I’d downloaded all of them. The Gardens Of Seth is labelled as “METAL” on my phone to remind me that it is an album of metal and not hellectro.

Do I like the album? I haven’t listened enough. It’s pretty hard and heavy with large themes overall. It’s an occasional listen.

AFAIK the band are Italian.

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Garage Inc – Metallica

I do own both CDs of this double album, but I have no idea what is on the first one. I didn’t want to listen to it. I was more interested in having a digital version of Garage Days Re-Revisited. I used to listen to a tape of these songs when I was younger and I was always impressed by the songs and the sound. The songs are cover versions, played to introduce Jason Newsted to the band.

Garage Days Re-revisited:

  • Helpless (Diamond Head)
  • The Small Hours (Holocaust)
  • The Wait (Killing Joke)
  • Crash Course In Brain Surgery (Budgie)
  • Last Caress / Green Hell (Misfits)

All of these are great songs and I am happy to have seen Diamond Head play and also Killing Joke.

Other songs of note on this CD are:

  • Am I Evil?
  • Blitzkrieg
  • Breadfan
  • The Prince
  • So What

The rest are boring.

All of these written in this communication are worth listening and playing over and over obnoxiously loud.

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