May 07, 2024

Raw Breed - Lune Tunz (1993)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop
Label Number: 19305-2

© 1993 Nuff Nuff/Continuum Records
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tags: raw breed, lune tunz, 1993, flac,
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Showbiz & A.G. - Party Groove/Soul Clap: E.P. (1992)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 828 309-2

© 1992 London/Payday/Showbiz Records
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 tags: showbiz and ag, party groove, soul clap, ep, 1992, flac,
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Raw Breed - The Demo Deal 1992-1994: E.P. (2018)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: ZCD5H1T0FF36

© 2018 Chopped Herring Records 
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tags: raw breed, the demo deal 1992 1994, 2018, flac,
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The Creators - The Weight (2000)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: MAGICCD2

© 2000 Bad Magic
At the end of the 1990s, an interesting trend developed in underground hip-hop: the rise of British production teams working with MCs from America's east coast. The Creators, along with fellow Brits such as Unsung Heroes, Nextmen, and Herbaliser, gained international renown for their beat-making abilities but were not associated with any particular vocalists. Instead of joining forces with British rhymers, they decided to reach for more success by collaborating with Americans. This was perhaps the result of the relative lack of success for the great majority of British hip-hop groups, combined with the warm reception many little-known American artists found overseas. Many hip-hop artists such as the Roots launched their careers in Europe before finding success at home.

Whatever the reason, Simon Gilbert and Julian Baker assembled an impressive list of collaborators for their debut album, including underground heavyweights Lootpack, Dilated Peoples, and Black Star and old-school legend Craig G from the Juice Crew. These talented MCs obviously traveled abroad for a reason, and that reason is the promise shown by the Creators. The beats they produce are fresh and crisp with a melodic edge, and at their best rank with the cream of the New York underground, such as DJ Spinna. "Hard Margin," with Mos Def and Talib Kweli, has a rumbling reggae-tinged bassline, while "That's My Word" provides Craig G and Will Pack with a airy jazz guitar loop and simple drum kick to rhyme to.

Although it starts off with great promise and has a few very good songs ("The Music" featuring El da Sensai and "Heart Pound" with Evidence and DJ Babu from Dilated Peoples are two others), overall The Weight is disappointingly mediocre. Some of the guest stars, like Mike Zoot and Phil da Agony, do not deliver their best performances, while the choruses on other tracks border on laughable. Also problematic are the interludes between each song, which feature phone messages from various American rappers requesting a copy of the album, but are merely interruptive filler. This album suffers from problems that haunt many other collaborations between hip-hop artists who aren't familiar with one another. Songs become nothing more than beats and generic rhymes, with no theme or interesting territory covered. While fine for a single or two, when stretched out over an hour it becomes tiresome. The Creators would have been better off compiling their six best tracks and releasing an EP, because they are clearly talented producers.

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tags: the creators, the weight, 2000, flac,
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May 04, 2024

O.C.M. - Watch How You Slang (CD Single) (1994)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: 2-18080

© 1994 Qwest/Warner Bros. Records
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 tags: ocm, watch how you slang, single, 1994, flac,
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Kreator - Outcast (1997)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Groove Metal
Label Number: N0287-2ux

© 1997 F.A.D. Records
The unexpected arrival of former Coroner six-string genius Tommy Vetterli into the Kreator fold, there to spar with founding mastermind and resident blazing thrash guitar specialist Mille Petrozza, seemed like one of the oddest stylistic pairings in metal history. Needless to say, observers expected one of two options: absolute fireworks, or a complete and utter failure to communicate. Ironically, they didn't really get either one, for not only was 1997's Outcast conspicuously scarce on virtuoso guitar solos, but it also stuck with recent Kreator history in exploring sonic territories far beyond the legendary German group's once dependably strict diet of pure thrash metal. In fact, though it thankfully coalesced the chaotic ideas scattered all over 1995's Cause for Conflict into a more cohesive whole, the album resurrected some of the industrial elements first heard on 1992's Renewal with questionable results, and focused predominantly on mid-paced arrangements that hardly approached the hyper speed of yore. As a result, despite offering some quality songwriting via first-half highlights like "Leave This World Behind," the pounding "Phobia," and the claustrophobically slow "Black Sunrise," the bulk of Outcast is barely recognizable as a Kreator LP. And even if approached as a brand new entity, the material (particularly second half yawn-fests such as the title track) is nowhere near groundbreaking either, never mind -- God forbid -- exciting. In short, whatever artistic headway purportedly made here was rendered null and void by the commercial rejection that met its release, although Kreator would take one final stab at this direction before reverting to the band's trusty old ways.

 tags: kreator, outcast, 1997, flac,
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Kreator - Endorama (1999)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 12 track total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Gothic Metal
Label Number: 76962-32331-2

© 1999 Pavement Music
Not content with his Kreator's already-established reputation as perhaps Germany's top thrash metal band of the 1980s, group mastermind Mille Petrozza spent much of the 1990s attempting to reinvent and diversify their sound, most obviously by pushing the industrial metal envelope. Alas, all to no avail, as the majority of fans were not impressed with the mostly mediocre results heard on confused albums like Renewal and Cause for Conflict. Even the welcome addition of guitar ace Tommy Vetterli (ex-Coroner) lent more consistency than actual sparks to 1997's Outcast, and 1999's similarly dependable but hardly impressive Endorama eventually followed suit. Initial highlights such as "Golden Age," the title track, and "Chosen Few" are heavy on mid-paced grooves and gothic atmospherics, but still offer little songwriting redemption. For all their studiously constructed lyrics and supposed compositional maturity, they absolutely scream for some sign, any sign, of deeper emotion to snap them out of their glazed state of performed automation. Not even the keyboards that pervade the highly unorthodox "Passage to Babylon," nor the more energetic riffing contained in "Willing Sprit" can ultimately jolt the album into a higher plane of achievement, but then, Endorama still qualifies among Kreator's most cohesive statements from this under-achieving decade. And for what it's worth, Endorama would also become the final chapter of the group's experimental phase, which was emphatically obliterated two years later by Kreator's gloriously thrashing rebirth via their magnificent tenth album, Violent Revolution.

tags: kreator, endorama, 1999, flac,
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Various Artists - Empire - Two Worlds Collide (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2002)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin
Label Number: 440 066 953-2

© 2002 Motown
Serving as the musical background for this tale of a drug dealer from the South Bronx trying to go legit before getting double-crossed by an investment banker, EMPIRE is a melange of musical styles that leans heavily on elements of hip-hop, R&B, and Latin music. Although cast members Fat Joe and Naughty By Nature's Treach don't contribute any music, there's more than enough hard-core rap to go around. Representing the thuggish elements of this film are the gruff-voiced DMX ("Fame") and Mobb Deep, who crib the Liquid Liquid bass riff best known for its use in a Grandmaster Flash classic and turn it into a semi-sequel to the landmark rap song, called "Beyond White Lines." Lending a softer edge are female vocal trio 702 (the string-laden "I Still Love You"), new-jill vocalist Rachel (a soulful "Best Thing"), and India.Arie (the flamenco-kissed "Slow Down"). Otherwise, Latin artists run the table, whether its Puerto Rican crooner Luis Fonsi warbling a bilingual "Amante," Cuban '90s pop sensation Jon Secada delivering a soaring "My Life (Through The Spirit In Your Eyes"), or salsa queen La India serving up English and Spanish versions of the theme "Welcome To My Empire."

 tags: various artists, empire, tow worlds collide, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2002, flac,
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May 01, 2024

Esthero - Breath From Another (1998)

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*U.S. pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: Canada
Language: English
Genre: Trip-Hop
Label Number: OK 68698

© 1998 Work
The first release from the Toronto duo Esthero, Breath from Another blends a number of musical styles into a hypnotic, and a bit unfocused, potpourri of sound and texture. Consisting of lead singer Esthero and multi-instrumentalist Doc, who also handles programming chores and production, the basic feel of their debut is rooted in cool, electronic pop with some eclectic twist thrown in for good measure. As a singer, Esthero has a breathy, smooth delivery residing somewhere between the cool of Sade and the quirkiness of Björk. The music is heavy on programming, but also makes good use of horns on several tracks. There's a breezy air to the whole affair on tracks like the jazzy, lounge pop of "Heaven Sent" and the subtle, percussive feel of the Latin-tinged "Half a World Away." The best offerings are "That Girl," which wouldn't sound out of place on a Swing Out Sister record, and "Country Livin' (The World I Know)," with its lovely vocal melody and gentle keyboard washes. Breath from Another is too scrumptious sounding to be ignored, even if nothing truly sticks with you after the fact.

 tags: esthero, breath from another, 1998, flac, 
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Sandra - The Long Play (1985) ☠

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*European first pressing. 
Contains 8 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 610 627-225
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1985 Virgin Records
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Sandra - Mirrors (1986)

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*U.K. first pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 257 915-222

© 1986 Virgin Records
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Sandra - Into a Secret Land (1988)

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*European first pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 259 371-222

© 1988 Virgin Records
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Sandra - Ten On One (The Singles) (1987)

By No comments
*European first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 258 530-222

© 1987 Virgin Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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Various Artists - Year One (1999)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz.
Contains 18 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None

© 1999 Son Records
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 tags: various artists, year one, 1999, son year one, flac,
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Mountain Brothers - Triple Crown (2003)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: BBG-CD-2

© 2003 Babygrande
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 tags: mountain brothers, triple crown, 2003, flac,
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April 29, 2024

Kreator - Renewal (1992)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal, Industrial Metal
Label Number: FD-1017

© 1992 Futurist/ Noise International
Renewal was the album that saw German thrash metal kings Kreator attempt to broaden their sound, relinquishing much of their legendary velocity in order to enter previously undreamed of industrial realms. Long-time Kreator fans will know that change is in the air simply by hearing Ventor's drums as they introduce opener "Winter Martyrium" with a very dry, somewhat hollow, and wholly unfamiliar snare sound. The guitars, when they kick in, also come across slightly muted, lacking the distinctive thrash metal bite characteristic of previous albums, while Mille Petrozza's vocals are pushed higher in the mix than usual, having magically reverse-mutated from his trademark shriek to a clearer, though arguably less effective shouted style. If they can get over these unexpected developments, which are all the more shocking coming from a band that had hardly progressed an iota since its inception (to the undisguised delight of many hardcore fans), listeners will find a decent set of songs in the likes of "Brainseed," "Karmic Wheel" and "Europe After the Rain." Many of these, especially the title track, explore slower tempos in a way you'd never expect from Kreator, and sure enough, most fans were not impressed, turning their backs on the band as they persisted in their sonic experimentation over the next decade.

tags: kreator, renewal, 1992, flac,
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Kreator - Cause For Conflict (1995)

By No comments
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: N 0260-2 UX

© 1995 Noise Records
Cause for Conflict may just qualify as the most confused and perplexing album of Kreator's long career -- it's certainly one of the least popular. The band's previous effort, 1992's industrial-tinged Renewal, had not been well-received by the majority of fans and critics, and its mixed fortunes also led to serious dissent within the group's ranks, culminating in the departure of bassist Rob Fioretti and drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil -- both of whom had been with the band almost since its inception. Reeling from this development, as well as heavy metal's general unpopularity at the time, three years would pass before Kreator main man Mille Petrozza found it in himself to make another go of it. Therefore, not only did 1995's troubled Cause for Conflict require the breaking in of a new lineup, it also found Petrozza at a creative crossroads, attempting to reconcile recent experiments with the very popular, yet more limited speed metal glories of old. But for all of their instant familiarity, jagged, old-school thrashers like "Hate Inside Your Head" and the furious burst of "Bomb Threat" seem forced and unconvincing, as if the band recorded them under duress to appease the fans, but didn't really "feel" it for themselves. On the other hand, slower, more ambitious compositions like "Lost" and the nine-minute "Isolation," with their greater use of melody and riffing dynamics, have aged quite well. Despite possessing little in common with Kreator's past legacy, these songs would nevertheless establish the sonic aesthetic, which the group would pursue with greater confidence and conviction for the rest of the '90s, albeit still with controversial results.

tags: kreator, cause for conflict, 1995, flac,
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Missin' Linx - M.I.A./Lock'd D (Single) (1998)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz.
Originally released in 1998 and LP only.
This pressing contains 4 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
.FLAC via Florenfile

© 1998-2019 Linx Ink Recordings
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tags: missin linx, mia, lockd, single, web, 1998, 2019, flac,
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April 25, 2024

Kreator - Terrible Certainty (1987) ☠

By , 2 comments
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 8 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: 88561-8214-2
☠: Selected by Buccanner
© 1987 Noise International
Kreator dialed in their modern thrash on Terrible Certainty, the group's third full-length offering. One of the most highly anticipated European metal records of the decade, this 1987 release proves that the previous year's hit, Pleasure to Kill, wasn't a fluke, and that Kreator was capable of delivering under pressure. The German outfit cranks up the technical difficulty on Terrible Certainty, executing the tightest performances of their career while maneuvering around some extremely difficult, yet memorable riffs. The guitar flurries of the title track and "Behind the Mirror" hold their own against the best work from Metallica or any other American thrash behemoths. Some might argue that the stateside metal heads even took some cues from Terrible Certainty. It is certain that Kreator's influence isn't limited to stateside artists, as modern European metal has never been the same since the group unleashed a slew of powerful late-'80s discs, Terrible Certainty arguably being the best of the lot.

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Kreator - Extreme Aggression (1989) ☠

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: EK 45254
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1989 Epic Records
On Extreme Aggression, a successful Kreator close the '80s by delivering their final thrash triumph. With the most hallowed Kreator lineup (Mille Petrozza on vocals and guitar, Jörg "Tritze" Trzebiatowski on guitar, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil on drums, and bassist Rob Fioretti) joining forces once again to follow up the spectacular Terrible Certainty, Kreator sound determined to continue their thrash mastery on Extreme Aggression. The results are fierce and noisy on this 1989 Epic release -- the first major-label effort for the band. Petrozza and Fioretti's guitar work is as punchy as ever, and Reil's massive drums are unrelenting and continually improving. While the anonymous production has a slightly negative effect on Extreme Aggression, when compared to more commercially successful major-label thrash artists like Metallica, Kreator use their underground experience to fight through and present a unique package stuffed with hearty riffs and performances.

 tags: kreator, extreme aggression, 1989, flac
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IV Xample - For Example (1995)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: MCAD-11220

© 1995 MCA Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: iv xample, for example, 1995, flac,
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Laurneá - Betta Listen (1997)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: EK 67508

© 1997 Epic
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: laurnea, betta listen, 1997, flac,
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