Promised Land PSA

If you read some of my other posts you'll notice I did not care for Queensryche's "Promised Land" album. When I first listened to the record I didn't really like it because it was nothing like "Operation: Mindcrime", it was more like a Pink Floyd-ish album. Upon listening to it with a more open mind I've come to really enjoy this album. Just about every song is a good tune and enjoyable to listen to. So please disregard my first opinion on this album for it is an album that gets better with each listen.

                                                                            

Additions to my collection 09-30-12 through 11-17-12

 I return once again to bring you the new cds I bought. It's a rather lengthy list so let's not beat around the bush.

09-30-12

 

Trivium - "The Crusade" This is the album that came before their master piece "Shogun". I heard this one was more thrashier so I thought I'd try it out. It is more of a hardcore/thrash style record. It an ok album but "Shogun is way better. The title track is an 8 minute instrumental and my favorite off the album.

                                                                              

Tool - "Laterus" It's about time I get a freakin tool album. This is an album you have to listen a few times before you understand what the heck is going on here. It's very progy and confusing listening to it the first time but after a few listens it gets better and I'm enjoying it now. 

10-15-12

For a graduation gift I received a $50 amazon gift card, so while I was searching for DT cds I saw a jewel I HAD to have. For $45 ($47.23 shipping included) I found the "Dark Clouds and Silver Linings" special edition deluxe box set. This originally came out in 2009 (and was $120 I think?) and it was still unopened! If you read my earlier posts you'll notice I already have this album, but I don't have the box set and all the goodies that come with it. It has:

 The album (DUH!)

 A covers cd with covers of Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Queen, Camel, King Crimson, Dixie Dreggs, and others.

 And all instrumental of the entire album

 The whole album on two records (Giant black cds in case you were wondering)

 Expanded art work

 A dvd of producer mixes of each instrument and vocals by themselves for every single track.

 A mouse pad with the album cover 

  And it all comes in a lovely felt box

 So, was it worth $45? (Actually none of my money because of my gift card) I think you know the answer to that.

                                        In the background is only part of my 250 plus collection

                                                                                       

10-27-12

Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath" Here it is, the album that helped start it all. There isn't much to say about it, I mean its Sabbath so its automatically good.

Black Sabbath - "Paranoid" Now this is a flawless album from the War Pigs to the Fairies Wear Boots. I absolutely love this album. No wonder everybody likes this album, it's so groovy and simple! Every metal head should own this album! I was wasting my time before I bought it. This IS metal!

                                                                            

Between the Buried and Me - "Colors" With a band name like that you'd expect another run of the mill crapcore bands but this is actually good! It's like good metalcore with lots of prog elements. I didn't think progressive metalcore existed but I have been proven wrong once again. This is said to be their best effort but I haven't heard any of their other albums so I can't confirm that speculation, but it is pretty entertaining to listen to.

Iced Earth - "Something Wicked Comes this Way" What can I say I'm loving Iced Earth more and more with every cd I buy of theirs. Awesome heavy metal, enough said.

Immolation - "Majesty and Decay" Some awesome melodic death metal band. They aren't super fast and technical which is a nice change from the other death metal bands I listen too (NILE!). The song "Glorious Epoch" off this album is frikin EPIC! I'm glad I finally picked this up.

Testament - "Souls of Black" Good thrash that sounds like it was recorded in a warehouse. However, the production value does not decide how instrumentation will sound and that is proven on this album. The riffs are pretty crushing, especial on the title track. I have come to appreciate the unique sound (horrid production) Testament has on this and other albums. It would be nice if they re-recorded this album so it sounded newer and beefier because beefier is always better when it comes to thrash! Just ask Gary Holt.

Testament - "First Strike is Still Deadly" The album title says it all. This collection of songs off their fist two cds ("Legacy" and "New World Order") re-recorded in 2001 really shows how good Testament is once you can hear all the instruments! I love this cd because of the sound, its so chunky and groovy.

11-11-12

Megadeth - "United Abominations" This album is pretty good except for the fact that Dave talks a lot. I agree with most of what he says but I don't want to hear him talk over the awesome fret work! Release a solo preaching album where you can speak your mind freely, I know I'd buy it. Other than that its a Megadeth album what more do you need me to say?

Iced Earth - "Horror Show" Here they did an album about horror story characters. It's pretty interesting. But the golden part was opening it and finding it had 2 discs! The second disc and a killer cover of Iron Maiden's "Transylvania" plus an interview with John Schaffer about Iced Earth. I heard that some copies of horror show came with the bonus disc but I didn't think I'd get as lucky to actually get one of the special ones! 

                                                                     

Rush - "Caress of Steel" The album that came before "2112". It's Rush so you should know it's good. I think it's definitely in my top three Rush albums (Other two being "2112" and "A Farewell to Kings"). "The Necromancer" has a nifty riff I enjoy immensely.

Lamb of god - "Resolution" I feel like Randy was turned up WAY too loud on this album. The instrumentation was buried underneath his vocals and I was disappointed. I wish they'd make another album like "Ashes of the Wake".

11-17-12  

Pink Floyd - "Dark Side of the Moon" I finally found this album for less than $30. Since I'm posting this on the day of these purchased these I have not listened to them in their entirety. In fact I haven't even listened to this at all yet, but everyone says its good so I hope they are right.

Between the Buried and Me - "The Parallax II: Future Sequence" Yes, I had to pick up their new one to see if it was worth the hype. I know your on the edge of your seat waiting for my opinion.......it .....is..........not as  good as "Colors". I know what you're thinking, "What?! You listened to this before Floyd? What is wrong with you, you, you musical barbarian!". Well, I just was in the mood for "The Parallax II" ( I seriously have know idea what that even means). While it's not as good as "Colors" is still a good album. I've only listened to it once so maybe it'll get better with another go around. Plus I listened to it on my pc (while I was typing this) without my noise canceling head phones ( I listened to "Colors" with my head phones) so you have to factor that in as well. While it's a better release of this year I still think Shadows Fall's new cd is better along with Fear Factory's and Nile's.

                                                         

Demons and Wizards - "Demons and Wizards" This is a collaboration of Iced Earth's John Schaffer and Blind Guardian's vocalist. I heard about it on the interview on the bonus disc of "Horror Show". It sounds like Iced Earth but with Blind Guardian vocals. Not much really to add.

Voivod - "Infini" I was interested in Voivod because I heard they were a pretty good thrash band in the 80s so I thought I'd try them out. Well, my first mistake was purchasing an album released in 2009. I was smacked in the face when I heard the first track and found out that this was NOT thrash at all! It's like stoner doom metal but really bad stoner doom metal. If you ever see this in the store run, run far away unlike me. I wasted my hard earned cash on this ugly lump of dung. I'm just glad it was only $7. I'm just gonna add a fun fact and let you think about it, Jason Newstead is in this band.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "Marching Out" Neo-classical goodness. I now have "I Am A Viking" stuck in my head. Amon Amarth should totally cover that song but death metal it up a bit. I got this for free because it was part of a buy three get the 4th  free deal (that's why I took a chance on Crapvod because I need one more used cd). 

Well that's it for this time. I'm thinking about doing a post about top albums of this year and one of all my metal shirts and magazines I recently purchased. Oh I also forgot to mention that I am now a reviewer for the sight www.metal-temple.com . I was lucky enough to review Death's "Spiritual Healing" reissue. Reviewing it was the first time I heard it and it is amazing like all Death material. I'm also planning on traveling to a giant FYE in a city far away and making a colossal purchase of cds and vinyl, sort of a last hoora before the new year and tax increases because of the wonderful obama care (I used HIGH levels of sarcasm on that last phrase.)   

Until next time....keep it METAL \m/ 

       

Purchases from 08-01-12 through 09-15-12

It's been too long so let's get on with this colossal list.

08-01-12

Epica- "Divine Conspiracy" (Didn't like Simmone Simmon's voice the first time I heard her sing but the second time something changed and I really like it now. Good symphonic/gothic metal. I think it's better than Nightwish, if you were to compare these two bands.)

Epica- "Design Your Universe"  (Another good epic album.)
                                                                         

Finally got Nile's new cd "At the Gates of Sethu". It's right up there with their previous releases but not better than my favorite "Annihilation of the Wicked"

Anthrax- "Among the Living" (Classic thrash that I'm glad to finally own. It's not my favorite but still pretty good.)

Anthrax- "Spreading the Disease" (Another good Anthrax cd. Most of the songs on here are pretty good.)

Grave Digger- "The Clans will Rise" (German power metal that sings about Irish highlands. They've been around forever and I thought I was about time I give them a listen. This cd has some memorable riffs that I like. Other than that it's so-so.)

Hammerfall- "Glory to the Brave" (More cheesy power metal. Give it a listen if you like fantasy inspired lyrics like me. A little fact for ya, the drummer was Jasper Stromblad before he left to form In Flames, a totally different sounding band.)

Hammerfall- "Legacy of Kings"

Testament- "Dark Roots of Earth"- (Well it's finally here. That's pretty much all I have to say about it I'm sad to put. It's not bad at all just mediocre. I really don't know why people keep saying this album could be album of the year. Nothing on this cd really hits me in the face as something amazing. I got the special edition with bonus cover tracks of a Queen, Scorpion, and Iron Maiden songs. The Maiden track, "Powerslave", was the best track on the disc.)

08-18-12

Iron Maiden- "Ed Hunter" (Here's a jewel for ya. Found this used and had to get it! It's two cds of Maiden's greatest hits up till 1998 plus a computer game called "Ed Hunter". Now because this game is so old my fancy computer can't run it but I'm just happy to have something like that in my collection.)  

Black Sabbath- "Heaven and Hell" (Ever since I got this cd I haven't been able to stop listening to it! The sound is so soft and smooth sounding. Dio's voice makes it sound even better. In my humble opinion I think this is the best Sabbath record. I cannot say enough good about this album. Just go buy it and you'll understand.)

                                                             

Exciter- "Violence and Force"- (Just some good old under produced thrash! This album has a very different sound to it and I think I'll leave it at that.)

Megadeth- "So Far, So Good...So What?" (The album before "Rust" and after "Peace". Whenever I think about the Megadeth discography I seem to skip over this one. It's got Dave's handiwork on it so of course it's good it just wasn't very memorable for me.)

Assaulter- "Salvation like Destruction" (F.Y.E. was running a special, buy 2 get the 3rd free. I couldn't find a used cd I wanted so I took a chance and picked this one. I thought I couldn't hurt because it's free. I get home to find out its black/thrash metal. As soon as I heard the opening I just knew that it was black metal. After 30 seconds into the first track I stopped ripping it to my pc and put it on my shelf. Haha I'll probably never get it out again. In case you're wondering, I can't stand black metal, the vocal style is what turns me off.)

08-31-12

Arch Enemy- "Rise of a Tyrant" (Holy crap this band has the manliest singer ever! Haha I really dig the dual Iron Maiden-esc guitars as they accompany Angela's viscous vocal assault. I still find it hard to believe that voice comes from her. It's so terrifying. I usually don't like it when girls scream/growl, but she knows how to pull it off and sound manly about it. Looking forward to picking up some of their other stuff.)

Anthrax- "We've Come for You All" (I purely picked this album up because it was $21 on amazon and $7 at F.Y.E. Luckily it's good! Nothing like their older stuff but still just as good.)

Epica- "Requiem for the Indifferent" (Just had to finish getting all the newest releases from this awesome band. This 2011 release is no disappointment, although at some spots the songs feel like they were just being made to fill in this record. If you really like this type of music of course you'll like it but if you're half heatedly into it I'd say pass.)

Rhapsody of Fire- "The Frozen Tears of Angels" ( Freaking epic fantasy inspired power metal. It's a conception album, I believe, complete with actors from Lord of the Rings lending their voices to add to the atmosphere. This album and "Nightfall in Middle Earth" really create a picture you can visualize and an experience that not very many other albums can replicate. To add this guitar work is incredible. I will be on the look out for more of this bands cds.)

                                                                              

Iced Earth- "Festivals of the Wicked" dvd (Just a nice collection of live performances with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals then Matt Barlow. It really would be interesting to have a poll and see which Iced Earth vocalist everybody thinks is the best. For me it's Stu Block their new vocalist but I haven't heard any singer before Owens so my view is limited.)

09-08-12

Necrophagist- "Onset of Putrefaction" (NO, I don't know when his new album is coming out. Sorry just had to say that. Anyways its Necrophagist, what more do I need to say? Brutal, technical, brutal, technical, I think you get the point. I'm just happy I found this. It's been awhile since I picked up a death metal cd and this day made up for that.)

Origin- "Antitheses" (Another cd I'm glad I finally found. Another extremely brutally technically technical band. I sure do love my technicality.)

Dream Theater- "Change of Seasons" (First DT I've bought in awhile. Its a collection  of covers besides the 23 min opening track. I like it but then again I'll buy anything Dream Theater puts out.)

Queensryche- "Operation: Mindcrime 1 and 2" dvd (I like Queensryche musically. That being said I disagree with their political standing which was made evident with the opening of this performance. After the first two songs I put the dvd away and got out my Iced Earth dvd and watched some more patriotic metal.)

Opeth- "Deliverance" (Nice amazing progressive death metal.)

Opeth- "Damnation" (Very different, almost like "Heritage". These songs have a more somber mood. This entire album lacks any rough vocals, but it's still very Opeth-y. I like to call these songs "rainy day songs" if you know what I mean. After I bought these cds I realized how much Opeth I have. 5 to be exact, these two, "Ghost Reveries", "Watershed", and "Heritage", GR being my favorite. I hit me that I must really like Opeth, and the more I thought about it the more I agreed with myself, Opeth is an amazing band. They create brutal music but in such a beautiful way. The amount of sophistication they put in their music is amazing. When you get an Opeth record you can put it on and let it play in the background or, as I prefer, sit down and listen to the music and think about what you just heard. Opeth is band that has so much to offer if you take the time to appreciate them and the art they create.)

                                                                                  

09-15-12

Queensryche- "Q2K" (You're probably thinking, "Why are you supporting this band if you don't agree with them?" Well if it's used my money doesn't go back to the band now does it? haha It's a grungier album for them, but still Queensryche. After I listen to it a few more times I'm sure I'll get into it.)

Opeth- "Live in Concert at Royal Albert Hall" (Yes to feed my Opeth addiction I got 3 live cds and 2 dvds. I'm listening to the live recordings now and I am blown away at how crisp they sound live. Such a broad sound they capture. I'm looking forward to watching the dvds to see what they look like jammin' out.)

Phew that was a lot, from Necrophagist to Epica. I really do love all types of metal, besides black metal. Until next next time.....keep it METAL \m/ 

Purchases from 06-07-12 through 07-14-12

It's been awhile, over a month but I'm still alive and head banging as always. I've just been busy with college. work and then I lost electricity for a few days but now I'm back and ready to bring you all up to date on the stack of cds I bought.

I have so many to record that I'm just going to list the titles and not go into much detail as I do on my other posts.

06-07-12
Iron Maiden- Iron Maiden (Well of course I had to pick up the first Maiden just to hear what Di'anno sounds like. I have to say that I like this record better than Killers. )

                                                                           
Iron Maiden- Killers (Pretty good album, after all it is a Maiden cd. For those of you who haven't heard these two albums pre-Bruce, the sound is way different. I'd say it's more punky but nothing like Green Day or Pennywise.)

Iron Maiden- The Final Frontier (Listening to the two Di'anno albums then this one, their latest, it's awesome to hear how far they have come and that decades later they are still fantastic.)

Fear Factory- The Industrialist (Pretty good but I still prefer "Mechanize" over this one. Funny thing is that I couldn't find the special edition of this cd the day it came out so I got the lame normal version. A month later I found the special edition with a short story and 3 bonus tracks and I had to buy it. So now I have two copies of this cd. haha)

06-22-12
Kreator- Pulse at the Kapitulation DVD (I enjoy Kreator and this two dvd set was only 12 bucks so I thought what the heck why not. Plus I don't think this is something you'll find everyday at the store. It has a neat documentary of the underground metal scene around the time of the fall of the Berlin wall. It was interesting to see how Communism affected the scene and how it exploded when it fell. Just goes to show that Communism is good for nothing!)

                                                                         
Testament- Practice What You Preach (YES! I finally have decent Testament! It's good all the way through! FYI I already pre-ordered their "Dark Roots of Earth" coming the end of July. And yes, I pre-ordered the special edtion that comes with a dvd.)

 06-25-12
Burn the Priest- Burn the Priest (Before Lamb of god was called Lamb of god they were called Burn the Priest. It was $5 so I wondered what it would sound like. Oh boy it's pretty bad. I'm glad it was only five bucks, but I like to collect weird stuff like that.)

07-09-12
Opeth- Heritage (Yes, I was fully aware that this cd was nothing like anything they ever created. I was still interested in hearing what it sounded like because I like all sorts of metal.....if you consider this metal. There are no screaming/growling vocals what-so-ever on this cd. It's very wierd and far out music if you know what I mean. I got the special edition with the making of dvd and the band talked about how they knew it was going to be something totally different but that's what they wanted to do. I have to give them thumbs up for not caring what people were going to think about this record. I guess you could consider this cd the "Black" album for Opeth in the aspect that they changed the way they sound. I enjoy it and the whole somber tone it creates. It's beautiful music I can sit down and close my eyes and get lost in.)

Opeth- Watershed (This came right before "Heritage" and it's what you'd expect from Opeth. Good clean death metal growls and heavy music.)

Transatlantic- More is Never Enough (This is Mike Portnoy's super prog group. It has a psychedelic 70 prog feel to it if you were to ask me. this 5 disc set is all live stuff from their 2010 world tour. It has 3 cd and 2 dvds. I'd say only get this if you really like progressive music. I enjoy like it but I like weird stuff like this.)

Exodus- Tempo of the Damned (So far my least favorite Exodus album. Listening to it just made me wanna take a shower if that makes any sense. The songs are not pleasant at all,  lyrical content that is. A song title is "Shroud of Urine". Mmmm boy, that sounds like a goodie for sure...not. I'd say skip it. I should have gotten Anthrax's "We've Come for You all Instead". Oh well I hope it's still there next time I go.)

Chimaria- Chimaria (Been looking for this cd for a while now, and it just so happened to be a 2 disc special limited edition. The second disc was live performances.)

For Today- Immortal (Haven't listened to this yet but I know it's going to be awesome!)

I, the Breather- Truth and Purpose (Their second release and I've only listened to it once so maybe that's why I like "These are My Sins" better.)

Get Thrashed DVD (Best $8 I've spent yet! It's a documentary on the how history of thrash Metal, from it's inception to where it is now. I love it and recommend it to every metal head out there! After Watching it I wanted to go out and buy all the thrash I could get my hands on.)

                                                                             
07-14-12
Slayer- Hell Awaits (I'm not a huge fan of them but how could I resist when it was half off. The booklet was just a piece of paper with the album cover copied on it. I guess that's what I get for always buying used. Luckily this doesn't happen often.)

Slayer- Still Reigning dvd (I know I said I'm not a big Slayer fan then I went out anf bought a Slayer cd and a dvd. I'm actually searching for a USED copy of "Reign in Blood". This dvd is the closest thing I've found so far. It's the band preforming the album from front to back.)

Testament- Live in London (This dvd has the original line up and they play all the classics)

Forbidden- Omega Wave (Spurred by the "Get Thrashed" dvd I searched for this bands first record "Forbidden Evil" because from what I heard on youtube it was pretty kickin thrash. Omega Wave however is not their first cd, nor is it their second. No, this is their 2010 release and it's pretty blah material.)

Destruction- Release from Agony (One of the German "Big 3", it's good to have some of their older stuff. Haven't really listened to it yet. I know, I'm slackin.)

Savatage- Hall of the Mountain King (Throw up the horns for this cd! It's classic 1987 HEAVY METAL all the way! Just awesome, chunky, rockin, stuff. Neat artwork too.)

                                                                                             

Death Angel- Act 3 (Another purchase inspired by that thrash dvd. It's ok stuff, although I need to listen to it more.)

Flotsam and Jetsam- Dooms Day for the Deceiver (I got this cd and the next one because of that dvd as well. It's good high pitched vocal thrash metal.)

Flotsam and Jetsam- No Place for Disgrace (Their second release. I haven't listened to it all yet but from what I've heard so far I like it)

Now you are up to speed on everything I've purchased over the last month. I have not gotten Nile's new cd but it's on the way to my mail box along with an Epica cd as well, so look forward to me talking about those when they come in and I get the time to listen to them. Until next time..... keep it METAL \m/
                                                                                                                                                 

Collection as of 06-07-12 part 3 K-N

I had a few extra minutes so I thought I might as well add some more of my collection.

K
Killswitch Engage- "End of Heartache" (First album with Howard and pretty sensational album all around)
                             "As Daylight Dies" (My favorite KsE album. I have the special edition and it has a nice cover of "Holy Diver". I highly recommend this cd)

        and I have "Killswitch Engage" the 2009 release with Howard on vocals. (Do not get this cd it's pretty stinky for KsE)

Kingdom of Sorrow- "Kingdom of Sorrow" (Talk about sorrow, this album really makes u feel full of sorrow and hopelessness. I don't listen to it that much because of the fact. If i had the choice I'd get my money back. I got the album because I liked the song "Buried in Black" so I took a chance on the whole thing. It's like doom metal but with hardcore vocals, not really my cup of tea.)

Krig- "Narcissistic Mechanism" (BRUTAL Christian Death Metal from Brazil. It seems anything that come from Brazil is good, take Sepultura for example. Krig hold up the Brazilian metal par. The bass (which is played by a girl) really stands out, more so than Steve Harris's. I also enjoy the guttural vocals on this record. If you're looking for a good underground death metal band Krig is for you.

                                                                           
Kreator- Coma of Souls (Great German Thrash)
              Hordes of Chaos (Great German Thrash)
L
Lamb of god- "Ashes of the Wake" (perfection! You must listen to this album before you die. I've listened to this album front to back well over 200 times and I've played the open track "Laid to Rest" over 300 times. This is real metal. The fret work is so groovy and the breakdowns are timed perfectly! Randy Blythe's vocals ARE metal, he has the metal voice. This cd even has a guest appearance from the the legendary Alex Skolnick. Everything Log puts out I measure it up to this album, and so far the ones I've heard are right on par with "Ashes of the Wake". It is one of my favorites. You must own this album!

                                                                        
and I own "Sacrament" (I haven't listened to it as much as "Ashes" because I can't stop listening to "Ashes" and I got that album  a few years ago, that's how good it is.)
                  "Wrath" (An equal to "Ashes" but it does not pass it. It would be wise to own all three of these albums)

Led Zeppelin- "II"
                       "III"
                       "IV" (probably my favorite and I'm 100% sure just about everyone will agree with me)

Living Color- "Vivid"

Living Sacrifice- "In Memoriam" (a good starter for someone who's interested in finding out what LS is all about. It's a best of kind of thing.)
                        "The Infinite Order" (Such a metal name! It's good, really good thrash/death metal. It's aggressive and in you're face which is always good!)

                                                                   
Lucid- "Lucid" (think of it as Pantera but it was recorded in a garage.)                                      

                                                               
M
Machine Head- Burn My Eyes (Good for a debut)
                         "The Blackening" (I love all the long songs on this cd. It's a shame I just got this record when I could have been headbanging to it long ago. The riffs are nice to listen to and fun to play on the guitar. The only down side is that half this album is explicit. Other than that it's a pure metal ride from start to finish.)

                                                                             
                         "Unto the Locust" (It tires to measure up to the Blackening but it just falls short. Not that this is a bad album but It could have been better I think.)

Megadeth- "Peace Sells....but Who's Buying" (aw yes, the record that put Megadeth on the map. It's a good classic thrash album with a few good songs on it but I prefer my next Megadeth cd)
                  "Rust in Peace" (THE BEST! This was my first real metal album I ever listened to. From start to finish its a thrash onslaught with plenty of technicality thanks to mr. Friedman. I only listen to this cd all the way through. I've listened to it over and over and over again and I cannot get tired of listeing to it. Oh it's so good! When you see this cd in the store you should automatically pick it up and buy it. I love it so much I even got a "Rust in Peace" shirt. I cannot say enough good things about this cd. It is certainly in my top five albums of all time. Stop reading this and go buy it!

                                                                       
                            "Count Down to Extinction" (A worthy follow up to "Rust" but not as good. It is a must for any metal fan.)

Meshuggah- "obZen" (very progressive and lots of time changes which is good. the vocals can get annoying after awhile though.)

                    "Koloss" (its a so-so album for me. It has some good songs but thats about it.)

Metal Church- "Metal Church" (These guys deserve way more credit than they get. This is an excellent thrash album, a classic. The cover of "Highway Star" is pretty sweet as well.)

                                                       
Here we go, Metallica- "Kill 'em All" (good)
                                   "Ride the Lighting" (great)
                                    "Master of the Puppets" (Awesome)
                                    "Garage Inc." (good cover album)
                                   "...And Justice for All" (My favorite. There is just about zero bass on this record. It was a kind of a way to stick it to the new guy Jason. That being said I love the sound of "Justice". This album is right up there with "Rust". This was the last real album Metallica put out.)

                                                                 
                                   "Black" (Now they are no longer thrash but main stream. Its good but not what real Metallica fans wanted.)
                                    "Load" (what?)
                                    "Reload" (What, again?)
                                    "Garage Days Revisited" (Great cover album)
                                    "Death Magnetic" (Somewhat good. It looks like they are trying to go back to thrash.)
                                 
Mortification- "Live Planetarium" (An awesome live album. The production is really good and I might go as far to say Mortification is better live than on cd.)
                      "Best of Five Years" (The title says it all.)

Motley Crue- "Moltey Crue" (If they would have kept the down turned guitars and dark atmosphere for the rest of their albums I probably would have really gotten into them. But they had to go back to pop metal.)

Mystic Prophecy- "Never Ending" (If you like Iron Maiden but you wish they had some more chunky riffs then this band is for you.)
                            "Satanic Curses" (Now I'm not sure if they are satanic or if they just sing about Satan. I can't really tell for sure. I find it hard to believe that a Swedish power metal band would be satanic, it just wouldn't make sense.)

                                                                 
N
 Narnia- "Course of a Generation" (Great Christian Power Metal. Too bad these guys broke up. If you can find this album get it, its really good.)

                                                                                       
Nile- "Annihilation of the Wicked" (Extreme crushing technical death! The drummer, George Kollias, is a freakin' master on the set. He has the fastest double bass ever! I watched some of his videos on youtube and  when it sounds like he's using both pedals he's actually only using one. It's only on the blinding fast, face melting, gut busting, double bass sections that he actually use two. Everybody knows how much I love Mike Portnoy's drumming and I'm sure you're wonder who I like more. I think George is the only drummer that can match Mike's drumming. Nile has some pretty long songs so I'm sure George could handle Dream Theater no problem. Anyways, "Annihilation" is my favorite Nile cd so far. The fact that they are a death metal band and that they sing about Egyptian mythology makes them even better!)

                                                           
          "Ithyphallic" (Right on par with "Annihilation")
          "Those Whom the Gods Detest" (This is where they start writing about religion and crap like that. I like this album and it's another furious record but they strayed from the Egyptian mythology path a little. Im anxious to see what their new cd will be like.)

I think that's a pretty good size post and I got through a lot of good bands. I hope you enjoy. Until next time....keep it METAL \m/

New Purchases 06-01-12

I've picked up a few more cds and haven't had time to write about them because I've been on vacation. Without further delay let's get into it.

Half Priced Books has got to be the best place to pick up cheap cds. They have rarities you won't find anywhere else. I highly recommend it if you're looking for different albums.

First off I got Extol's "The Blue Print Dives". I heard the song "Pearl" before I bought it and that's why I got this cd. Other than that one song I haven't really listened to the rest of it.

                                                                       
I couldn't pass up Judas Priest's "British Steel" especial for only $6. I'm not a huge Priest fan but I can stand to listen to it. I can finally say I own a classic Priest album. I went home to see how much the cd was worth and it's well over $20! I'll probably never sell it but it's nice to know I have something that's actually worth something.

                                       
I then found a must for me, Machine Head's "Burn My Eyes". It's there first and besides the vocals (which aren't terrible) it's a pretty good album. Lot's of Pantera influence which I LOVE! Really good for a debut album. Defiantly get it if you're a fan of anything else they've done.

                                                                                 
 Queensryche was next and I got one of the many cds they had. I picked the cheapest one being "Promised Land" and it really left something to be desired. I loved "Mindmcrime" and this is nothing like it. I don't mean that it's not a concept album but I mean that it's not good. "Mindcrime" rocked, story aside. Half of the songs were slow and boring. I like slow songs but these were so lack luster. Maybe it'll grow on me if I listen to it more but I have no want to listen to it again. I wasn't expecting this to be "Operation: Mindcrime 2" (They made that one already and I would have picked it up instead but it wasn't there.) but I was expecting the song writing to be on the same level as "Mindcrime". I'm glad it was only $5.

                                                                                     

A couple days later I went to a different F.Y.E. and marveled at all the cds they had in stock. More than the one I usually visit. Of course they had just about every cd I wanted but I'm trying to cut back my spending so I had to control myself.  I did get a few gems which I'm enjoying. The first being Believe's "Gabriel". Very technical thrash, and I love technicality in my thrash! Plus, I think they're Christian so that makes it even better. This cd has a bunch of 6 minute and plus songs so that makes it even better! If you can find it get it.

                                                                       
I couldn't pass up Fear Factory's first cd "Soul of a New Machine" since it was only $8. I got it primarily for that you can only find it on ebay or amazon and for a lot more than 8 bucks. It's okay but I prefer newer FF and yes I will be getting their newest cd "The Industrialist" as soon as I make a trip to the store. "Mechanize" was a crushingly brutal album that I listen to often. I really like the low sounding guitar and blinding double bass pedal and I only hope "The Industrialist" lives up to the previous release.

                                                                         
Me being just exposed to Iced Earth with "Dystopia" I was anxious to get some more IE. When I saw the Box of Wick for $40 I had to get it. If I was willing to drop $40 on a band I didn't know much about the offer had to be good. Let me explain what the Box of Wicked it. It contains 5 cds, a poster and a booklet with notes about the band and it comes in a nice box which looks good in my collection. The 5 cds were "Framing Armageddon"(awesome), "The Crucible of Man"(awesome), "Overture of the Wicked" (a collection of 5 b-side songs I'm guessing, although I'm not sure), "I Walk Among You" (more b-sides?), and a bonus cd of unreleased material. I can say that this was defiantly worth the $40. The music and the art work are awesome! The only bad thing is that every album has a different singer. The vocalists aren't bad but, maybe it's just me, I like hearing the same vocalists from album to album. I identify the bands with their vocalists and when the front man changes from album to album it makes it nearly impossible to do that. But at least the musicianship doesn't suffer. All the vocalists are good I just wish one would stay with IE

                                                                    
Turns out the store was running a special deal where if you buy 2 used you get the third free! Since Believer and Fear Factory's albums were used I got Sepultura's newest "Kairos" It good thrash, what more can I say? We all know Max left the Brazilian thrash along time ago and Derek took over the vocals. I haven't heard much of what Max did but I can say I'm liking what Derek has done. His voice has the same roughness as Max's and I think that's why he fits so well. The musicianship is right on par with the Sepultura I heard so far. It still has the low 7 string guitar which I adore so much. It's really good for a free cd.

                                                         
That's it for now until next time..... keep it METAL \m/

New Purchases 05-22-12 part 1

I took a trip into town and got a few new cds and the website www.divinemetaldistro.com had a nice sale so I got a few from there as well.

First off from Bestbuy I got the new Shadows Fall record "Fire from the Sky". It came with a bonus making of dvd and anyone who's read my other posts know how I love bonus dvds. The cd is pretty good. I think it's better than "Retribution" which was their last release. Even though I've given it one play through I can tell it's an all around dark record. Just look at the cover. For $10 it's not bad at all and if you get it at Bestbuy you get two bonus tracks and that dvd. I picked it up because I've always been a Shads fan. Their "War Within" was my first album I ever bought and it is a near perfect record, one of my all time favorites. I'll forever compare anything they put out to that cd and compared to "War Within", "Fire from the Sky" isn't as good. Keep in mind I've only given it one play through so I'm sure with time it will grow on me.

                                                                                     
Then I saw Megadeth's "Rust in Peace live"! It was the 20th anniversary of "Rust in Peace" and Megadeth did a tour preforming it in its entirety. They played it from front to back! That's the only way I listen to it.) Being that "Rust" is in my top five albums of all time I had to pick up the dvd, plus it was only $11. I got home and watched it right away. The sound for a live recording was amazing and so was the picture quality. I can say I'm pleased with it and I'll probably watch it again sometime. The only thing that would make it a perfect performance is if Marty Friedman and Nick Menza were back in the band. Then it would be the 1990 line up all over again.

                                                                           
Next I stopped by F.Y.E. Whenever I go there I have a bad habit of buying anything metal out of the used bin. But this time I controlled myself and bought only 1 new cd. Yea, I actually found Exodus' "Let there be Blood". I had been searching for it and I saw it and didn't hesitate picking the cd up. I've already listened to it 4 times, it's just so riffolisious haha. And Gary Holt's guitar is extremely beefy! I really like it. It's actually a re-recording of their classic album "Bonded by Blood" (I'd like to pick that up as well.). So if you like classic thrash but would like to hear it with a modern flavor to it get this album.

                                                                         
I left F.Y.E. and then found a record store(if it can be called that). It's more like a little hole in the wall. It's a small store tucked away almost out of sight. The store, Threshold Audio, sells sound equipment, used cds and vinyl and a cheap price. I picked up 6 things for under $30 so I was happy. I walked in there and I saw Rush's "2112" on vinyl sitting out so I snatched that right away. I also found "A Farewell to Kings" and got that as well. I already had these on cd but I had been wanting to get some vinyl so I could look at the art work and so I could just say, "I own vinyl." haha. Yep these are my first records and it's not a bad way to start a collection if I say so myself.
                                       Look at that, I didn't know that star was a light on water

                                                             
                                  You can't really see it here but the "king" is actually a puppet            

                                                                             
As I moved away from the extensive vinyl section and towards the limited shelf of cds I found a few good ones. First I found a Deceased cd. Let it be known I know nothing about this band. It was only $5 and unopened. The sticker on the wrapper said it was "rare out of print cd" so I figured it might be worth some more moo-la someday. It's the "Fearless Undead Machines" album. I got home and checked out a little bit about the band and found out they are a death/thrash metal band. It sounds like it would be right up my alley but I still held off on opening it. I jump on ebay and Amazon to see how much that cds going for and found used copied selling for about $7. I was a little disappointed but I still haven't opened it and I probably won't....for now at least.

                                                             
Continuing down the shelf I found Dream Theater's "Falling into Infinity"! It's their 97 release, the one before their hit "Scenes from a Memory". I adore DT so I had to get it plus it was only $4. How could I not pick it up? It's okay but not my favorite.

                                                                         
Then I saw "Rosenrot" from Rammstein. I thought I might as well get it because I liked "Sehnsucht" and I wanted to hear some more from the German industrial metal artist. I've only skimmed though it so far and I think I really have to be in the mood for that type of metal. All I'm gonna say is that it's Rammstein. I'm sure once I listen to it I'll appreciate it.
                                                                             

                                                                           
Last I got an odd ball item. Yes' 3 disc "35th Anniversary". I only knew a few songs by Yes and I primarily got it because the Dream Theater guys say that Yes influenced them in their style of playing. I wasn't expecting something like Dream Theater and I was right. It's more of a groovy prog rock band. I enjoy it for when I need some easy listening. I sure got plenty of it, 3 whole discs! I also like the name...Yes.

                                                                         
Now on to what I got at Divine Metal Distro. I don't use this sight that much unless I'm looking for a specific cd that you can't find in you're Bestbuy or F.Y.E. So the guy that runs it sent me an email notifying me that theirs this big sale going on a bunch of cds for $1.99 each. My eye lit up as I clicked on the link and scrolled down through the list of cds. They have just about any genre of metal you could want and I think the majority of it is Christian. I quickly selected a couple I had been thinking about and a few others I wanted to try out. I got Deliverance's "What a Joke". It has that nice old school feel to it. The production is low but on this cd I like it. Their are tracks ranging from 07 seconds to 7 minutes, I guess the it's true to the album name. The open track starts off with the band talking and someone says, "Alright, the label wants us to record another album let's get on it." I just find that stuff funny. Even the cover is amusing.