November 23, 2025

Uriah Heep - Conquest (1980)

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*UK first pressing.
Contains 8 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: CLACD 208
 
© 1980-1990 Castle Communications
Uriah Heep's first new album in almost two years, and their first, too, since the departure of vocalist John Lawton, was all but overlooked at the time of its release, and that despite Heep being very much in the forefront of the bands lionized by the then-prevalent New Wave or British Heavy Metal. Certainly, new vocalist John Sloman was cut in that mold, and if bandmates Mick Box, Chris Slade, Trevor Bolder, and Ken Hensley do sometimes seem a little uncertain about the newcomer's talents, it should also be noted that this is the freshest-sounding Heep album since the mid-'70s. No longer attempting to trade off former glories, the band is hard and sharp throughout, with the eight tracks averaging out around the five-minute mark, and all being designed according to what they could bring to the live show -- which, at this time, was seething. The one-two punch of the opening "No Return" and "Imagination" certainly take no prisoners and, while Conquest would ultimately prove a false dawn (a very different lineup recorded Heep's next album, Abominog), at the time, fans could scarcely have asked for anything more. 
 
 tags: uriah heep, conquest, 1980, flac,
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Uriah Heep - Abominog (1982)

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*UK first pressing.
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: CLACD 110
 
© 1982-1986 Castle Communications
By the dawn of the 1980s, Uriah Heep was considered a relic in the heavy metal world and no one was surprised when they disbanded shortly after 1980s half-hearted Conquest album. However, everyone listening received an unexpected surprise when the band returned with a new lineup and a sleek, revamped sound on 1982's Abominog. If one can get past the Spinal Tap-like title and the gruesome cover art, this outing quickly reveals itself to be one of the most consistent and engaging albums in the group's lengthy catalog. The new Uriah Heep that debuted on this outing was a different animal from the gothic metal ensemble that barnstormed its way through albums like Look at Yourself and Return to Fantasy: echoes of the group's old style could be heard in the drama and instrumental firepower of the new songs, but the overall sound owed a greater debt to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and harder-rocking AOR groups of the time. The tone is set by opening track "Too Scared to Run," a dynamic rocker that contrasts its furious guitar-laden verses with a harmony-drenched chorus worthy of Queen. Other sharp rockers in this vein include "Running All Night (With the Lion)," a punchy rocker that pairs an ascending guitar riff with a singalong chorus, and "Hot Persuasion," a lusty metal opus that sounds like Foreigner gone metal crazy. Elsewhere, the band balances the hard rock with mid-tempo tunes that marry their energy to sweet AOR melodies: "Chasing Shadows" allows John Sinclair's keyboards to take the lead on a tune that marries power chords to synth pop hooks, while "That's the Way That It Is" became a hit single thanks to its combination of slick harmonies and an insidiously catchy melody. It's a diverse bill of fare but it manages to cohere nicely thanks to a tight, unified attack from the band that is built on the synthesis between Mick Box's thick guitar riffs and John Sinclair's symphonically layered keyboards. Special note should also be taken of the group's new vocalist, Peter Goalby: His emphatic vocal style suggests a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Lou Gramm. It fits the music's powerful-yet-slick style like a glove and provides the emotional intensity necessary to put the songs over the top. In the end, "Abominog" rocks hard enough to please heavy metal addicts but is slick enough to win over AOR fanatics and this combination makes it one Uriah Heep's most enduring achievements in the album format. 
 
 tags: uriah heep, abominog, 1982, flac,
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Uriah Heep - Head First (1983)

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*UK first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: CLACD 209
 
© 1983-1990 Castle Communications
After rising from the ashes with 1982's impressive Abominog, Uriah Heep continued to pursue a similar combination of heavy metal firepower and AOR sleekness on Head First. This album lacks the consistently strong tunes and unified feel of its predecessor, but it still offers enough highlights to make it worth a listen. Head First does best when it concentrates on songs that evenly balance power chords and pop hooks: "The Other Side of Midnight" cleverly balances a boisterous pop-tinged melody built on a pulsating bassline with plenty of powerful guitar riffing while "Weekend Warriors" layers its shout-along chorus over a slick rock backing that fuses programmed synthesizer lines with high-flying guitar work and relentless double-time drumming from the ever-reliable Lee Kerslake. However, Head First occasionally loses the plot when it strays from this balancing act: "Love Is Blind" works too hard to ape AOR conventions and comes off sounding faceless as a result, while "Roll-Overture" is an ornate prog instrumental that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album due to its lack of hooks and guitar riffs. The album also runs into problems in the lyrical department due to its overt AOR-styled reliance on the travails of love as its main subject matter (see "Sweet Talk" and "Love Is Blind"). Despite these occasional shortcomings, Head First manages to work, thanks to its consistent high level of energy. Even at its poppiest, the album throbs with guitar-fuelled energy: for a good example look no further than the band's cover of Bryan Adams' "Lonely Nights," where the poppish quality of the melody is boosted into the hard rock stratosphere by a lengthy succession of guitar riffs and a relentless backbeat. In the end, Head First's adherence to AOR stylings may turn off some hard rock fans but there is enough energetic, well-crafted music here to please anyone who liked Abominog.
 
 tags: uriah heep, head first, 1983, flac,
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Uriah Heep - Equator (1985)

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*Reissued on CD for the first time 
in 1991 by Columbia Records. 
This pressing contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 493339 2
 
© 1985-1999 Columbia
Uriah Heep were perhaps a little traumatized back in 1985. They had endured the commercial disappointment of Head First and the subsequent loss of their recording contract. Fortunately, CBS imprint Portrait Records offered the free agents another chance that was sadly squandered with the release of Equator. The Def Leppard knockoff "Rockarama" is a desperate opener that sets a contrived tone for what's to follow on this pop-metal mistake. Some formulaic lyrics ("Bad Blood") and inane power balladry ("Lost One Love") follow, essentially choking the life out of Equator before the fourth track even begins. Listeners brave enough to venture more deeply into this set are not rewarded for their effort, as numbers like "Skool's Burnin'" and "Party Time" do nothing to lower this record's high-schmaltz rating. Another lackluster '80s outing from Uriah Heep, Equator tightly circles the commercial rock format of its day: a treacherous territory that the band had no chance to successfully navigate. 
 
 tags: uriah heep, equator, 1985, flac,
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November 16, 2025

Shy - Excess All Areas (1987)

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*Japanese first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Metal
Label Number: R32P-1109
 
© 1987 RCA
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: shy, excess all areas, 1987, flac,
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T. Rex - Bolan Boogie (1972)

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*U.K. first pressing. 
Contains 14 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: CLACD145
 
© 1972-1988 Castle Communications
The first (but certainly not the last) of the compilations issued in the wake of T. Rex's U.K. chart breakthrough, Bolan Boogie was also many of the band's new fans' first chance to acquaint themselves with all that Marc Bolan had done in the past -- a point which the compilers certainly kept in mind. The catalog at their disposal was vast, reaching back to the acoustic birth of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Sensibly, however, Bolan Boogie concentrates on the material that lived up its title -- aside from one cut drawn from 1969's Unicorn, the entire album dated from the arrival of Mickey Finn, and the attendant headlong dive into electricity launched by the Beard of Stars album, and culminating with the epochal Electric Warrior album. Some incontrovertible classics emerge. "Beltane Walk," "The King of the Mountain Cometh," and "Fist Heart Mighty Drawn Dart" prove that Bolan's early flair for myth-weaving had effortlessly survived the move to amplification, while "Jewel" allies that assurance with some of the most gratuitously dirty guitar of the age. "Raw Ramp," a five-minute rock opera buried on the back of "Get It On," too, bristles with dynamism -- it opens gently, lavish strings and sad ballad sweet, pauses for a moment, then returns as a shuffling blues putdown ("you think you're champ, but girl, you ain't nothing but a raw ramp" -- whatever that may be), then concludes with a heads-down electric boogie. Perhaps the crowning glory, however, comes with T. Rex's take on "Summertime Blues," simultaneously the most unexpected track of them all, and the most appropriate one as well -- the ultimate anthem of youth disaffection, from the ultimate symbol of teenaged rebellion. The first new pop idol of the new decade, the first since the Beatles disbanded, Bolan hadn't simply shattered all predictions and preoccupations for the new decade. He had, single-handedly, dragged rock & roll out of a premature grave, then gift-wrapped it back to the kids who needed it most. They'd never have to work late again. 
 
tags: t rex, bolan boogie, 1972, flac,
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The Four Horsemen - Nobody Said It Was Easy (1991)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 9 26561-2
 
© 1991 Def American Recordings
For a brief moment at the start of the '90s, everyone seemed to be doing the retro-rock thing, and while most bands were digging back to the late '60s for inspiration, the Four Horsemen's ambitions went no further than the late '70s -- more specifically AC/DC. There's not a single original riff on all of their first full album, Nobody Said It Was Easy, mind you, but the band's raunchy guitars and gritty delivery make up for this in spades. And had he not been arrested seemingly every six months for one misdemeanor or another, outlaw frontman Frank Starr may have even challenged Axl Rose for his "king of the bad boys" crown. Starr's whiskey and broken glass vocal style literally ignites the album's best moments, including the title track, "Can't Stop Rockin'," and the incredible "Rockin' Is Ma' Business." And while "Hot Head lifts its main riff directly from AC/DC's "Rock'n'Roll Damnation," the slightly more original "Tired Wings" actually received some MTV rotation thanks to its mellower Southern rock vibe and slide guitars. Rounded out by the easy strut of "Moonshine," the all-out fury of "Lookin' for Trouble," and the lazy jamming of "I Need a Thrill/Somethin' Good," this album scores low on originality, but high on honesty and charisma. A sure winner for lovers of no-image, no-class rock & roll. For a brief moment at the start of the '90s, everyone seemed to be doing the retro-rock thing, and while most bands were digging back to the late '60s for inspiration, the Four Horsemen's ambitions went no further than the late '70s -- more specifically AC/DC. There's not a single original riff on all of their first full album, Nobody Said It Was Easy, mind you, but the band's raunchy guitars and gritty delivery make up for this in spades. And had he not been arrested seemingly every six months for one misdemeanor or another, outlaw frontman Frank Starr may have even challenged Axl Rose for his "king of the bad boys" crown. Starr's whiskey and broken glass vocal style literally ignites the album's best moments, including the title track, "Can't Stop Rockin'," and the incredible "Rockin' Is Ma' Business." And while "Hot Head lifts its main riff directly from AC/DC's "Rock'n'Roll Damnation," the slightly more original "Tired Wings" actually received some MTV rotation thanks to its mellower Southern rock vibe and slide guitars. Rounded out by the easy strut of "Moonshine," the all-out fury of "Lookin' for Trouble," and the lazy jamming of "I Need a Thrill/Somethin' Good," this album scores low on originality, but high on honesty and charisma. A sure winner for lovers of no-image, no-class rock & roll. 
 
tags: the four horsemen, nobody said it was easy, 1991, flac,
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November 15, 2025

Alcatrazz - Disturbing The Peace (1995 Reissue)

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*Reissued in 1995 by Capitol Records. 
This pressing contains 11 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: TOCP-3026
 
© 1985-1995 Capitol Records
Confirming vocalist and leader Graham Bonnet's lack of personality, Alcatrazz's second album has more in common with guitarist Steve Vai's next project (David Lee Roth's first solo album) than with the band's previous work. Released in 1985, Disturbing the Peace is a lifeless and uninspired affair that also displayed Vai's own limitations as a principal songwriter. From the cliche-ridden pop-rock of "God Blessed Video" to the failed attempt at drama on "Desert Diamond," there is little saving this record from rightful rock & roll oblivion. Disturbing the Peace will interest only musical masochists and Steve Vai completists. 
 
 tags: alacatrazz, disturbing the peace, 1985, 1995, reissue, flac,
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Fear Not - Fear Not (1993)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 7012522267
 
© 1993 Word/Pakaderm Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: fear not, fear not album, fear not band, 1993, flac,
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Broken Silence - Discerning The Times (1995)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: ALCB-3062
 
© 1995 Brunette Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

tags: broken silence, discerning the times, 1995, flac,
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November 12, 2025

Dødheimsgard - 666 International (1999)

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Country: Norway
Language: English, Norwegian (Norsk) 
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: FOG 020
 
© 1999 Moonfog Productions
At the close of the 1990s, a number of the older Norwegian black metal bands had started experimenting with programmed beats and other electronic sounds, among them Ulver, Arcturus, Mayhem, and (perhaps most aggressively) Dodheimsgard. The latter group's use of electronics, on this album at least, runs in a more industrial direction -- but "industrial" in the sense of such slick, modern metal acts as Marilyn Manson or even Rammstein. It is surprising to hear this turn, given Dodheimsgard's history as more of a raw black metal band. It's also surprising because of how the album starts, with a brief piano intro (reprised from the end of the group's Satanic Art EP) and then a bludgeoning, fuzzed-out blast beat; in this context, hearing a drum machine dance beat is downright weird. But whatever slick surfaces Dodheimsgard is dealing with here only magnify the inherent strangeness of the songs. Jarring transitions and unexpected tempo changes abound, with spiraling black metal guitar riffs often popping out of nowhere, then giving way to sedate solo piano sections or glossy techno-metal breakdowns. And throughout it all, vocalist Aldrahn presides over the ceremonies like a mad carnival barker, ranting, bellowing, hissing, and growling his way through puzzling, disconnected lyrics such as these from "Shiva-Interfere": "Directly from an ocean of flowers/Visual contact, planet B8 -- 18/Sonar disturbance/Asmodeus comes with terror/In spontaneous air corridors." Written over a period of four years, this is an elaborate, ambitious, and creative album that is bound to frustrate purists, but if the tag of "surrealist industrial black metal" is at all appealing, then this 666 International is recommended. 
 
 tags: dodheimsgard, 666, international, 1999, flac,
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Triumphator - Wings of Antichrist (1999)

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Country: Sweden
Language: English 
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: NR 048
 
© 1999 Necropolis Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: triumphator, wings of antichrist, 1998, flac,
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Various Artists - Dude, Where's My Car? (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2000)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Punk Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Hip-Hop
Label Number: 31156-2
 
© 2000 London Records
Dude Where's My Car was a crummy film, and the soundtrack is surprisingly better. Instead of the same songs that executives think put teen butts in theaters (i.e., Third Eye Blind's catalogue), the CD Dude Where's My Car features lesser-known post-grunge, punk-pop bands. Highlights include Ween's 1994 song "Voodoo Lady," from Chocolate and Cheese, Superdrag's "Lighting the Way," and Dangerman's "Listen to the Music." That is not to say that there aren't some insufferable clunkers here, too. Does anyone think Young MC's "Bust a Move," which has been on no less than 30 albums, is an undiscovered gem? The moment of Zen on this album is also an example of the smooth-running corporate machine; LiveonRelease's "I'm Afraid of Britney Spears" includes a hilarious rant against the teen marketing machine, which is hard to take seriously while looking at Anton Kutcher's mug. The music supervisors did a great job getting bang for their buck by securing some inconsequential but pleasant songs. It is hard not to be cynical about a record from a film that tanked for good reason. Dude Where's My Car is like cotton candy: your teeth might hurt after eating it, but it won't fill you up. Buy this used or you might be asking yourself "dude where's my money?" 
 
tags: various artists, dude wheres my car, motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2000, flac,
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Various Artists - The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: 60080-7
 
© 2003 Walt Disney Records
The film based on ABC's hugely popular tween/young adult TV show Lizzie McGuire, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, features an appropriately playful and romantic mix of teen pop -- including several songs by Hilary Duff (Lizzie herself) -- dance-pop, and ballads that reflects the movie's vacation-in-Rome plot. Not coincidentally, Duff's songs are among the best on the album. "Why Not," its remix, and "What Dreams Are Made Of" don't feature especially memorable songwriting or arrangements. In fact, they sound a little dated. However, Duff herself shows promise as a singer, and more importantly, as a vocal personality; she's a charming actress who has the potential to become a charismatic singer if she's given more interesting material to work with.

Overall, the soundtrack's perky, upbeat songs fare better than the somewhat drippy ballads -- Atomic Kitten's "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)," the Cooler Kids' "All Around the World" (which was co-produced by Luscious Jackson's Jill Cunniff), and Jump5's "Shining Star" have the weightless sweetness of the best teen pop, along with a slightly hip edge. Vitamin C's cover of the Italian pop classic "Volare" works better in theory than it does in practice; while she has the pipes to make the song work, the pounding rhythm on this version robs the melody of almost all of its swing. Similarly, Taylor Dayne's cover of "Supermodel" pales in comparison to RuPaul's original; it's unclear whether or not his/her version didn't appear because of licensing costs or because Disney didn't want to include a song by a drag queen on the soundtrack to a family film. The slower tracks, like Paolo & Isabella's "What Dreams Are Made Of (Ballad Version)" and LMNT's "Open Your Eyes (To Love)" just don't have any of the funky sense of fun or sensitivity that makes Lizzie McGuire so popular; they're sappy instead of moving. Overall, The Lizzie McGuire Movie is a fun but not especially memorable soundtrack; the soundtrack to the TV show captures the sweet giddiness of its heroine better, but most Lizzie fans won't be too disappointed by this album. 

tags: various artists, the lizzie mcguire movie, 2003, flac,
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November 07, 2025

Svartahrid - Forthcoming Storm (1999)

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Country: Norway
Language: English, Norwegian (Norsk) 
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: NPR071
 
© 1999 Naplam Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: svartahrid, forthcoming strom, 1999, flac,
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Svartahrid - As The Sunrise Flickers (2000)

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Country: Norway
Language: English 
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: NPR087
 
© 2000 Napalm Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
 tags: svartahrid, as the sunrise flickers, 2000, flac,
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Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem (2006)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Math Rock
Label Number: RR6693-2
 
© 2006 Relapse Records
Known for their deft, forceful, and mechanically inclined hard rock, Pittsburgh's Don Caballero was the flagship band for progressive, instrumental rock music in the United States during the 1990s. Having been estranged from the group's last configuration--which included Battles' Ian Williams--since 2000's AMERICAN DON, drummer and founding member Damon Che has assembled the 11th lineup of the group out of the guitarists and bassist from the band Creta Bourzia. The result is WORLD CLASS LISTENING PROBLEM, which re-imagines the group via an expressive, power-melodic, and slightly emotive approach to composition, best likened to the directions taken on 1994's landmark DON CABALLERO 2.
 
tags: don caballero, world class listening problem, 2006, flac,
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Don Caballero - Punkgasm (2008)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Math Rock
Label Number: RR 6124-2
 
© 2008 Relapse Records
As the second album by the new incarnation of Don Caballero, led by the last remaining original member, drum virtuoso Damon Che, Punkgasm finds the band desperately searching for a new direction. Some of the old sensibilities remain, but here they rifle through various styles outside the realm of syncopated interplay, even (gasp!) incorporating songs with vocals. While it's interesting to see them try to break the holding pattern of intricately carved polyrhythms, the trio's try-anything behavior results in a random assortment of songs, some of which will leave old-time fans scratching their heads and wondering, who is this? "Why Is the Couch Always Wet" swims in My Morning Jacket reverb and harmonies, "Celestial Dusty Groove" mimics the choppy indie rock of Jawbox and Shiner, and the titular song that ends the album is a '70s punk throwback to the Fall and P.I.L., complete with snidely squeaked vocals. The good news is that these songs are actually executed quite well, and the group seems to have a chameleon-like ability to impersonate. It's doubtful, however, that fans of their trigonomic beginnings will want to accept this new, less inventive version of Don Cab. After straying this far from their initial role as forefathers of the math rock movement, and losing most of their members, it's hardly even Don Cab anymore. While the instrumentals that highlight pinprick guitar picking and syncopated beats have moments of technical brilliance and make for almost half of the album, they stick out in stark contrast from the other genre attempts, making for a scatterbrained affair that seems unfocused and unusually forced. Reinvention is one thing, but this is the sound of a great band completely losing its way. 
 
 tags: don caballero, punkgasm, 2008, flac,
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November 05, 2025

Jann Arden - Living Under June (1994)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: Canada
Language: English 
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 31454 0336-2
 
© 1994 A&M Records
This western Canadian singer/songwriter is brutally introspective, yet outgoing. After all, she's hosted the Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys). She writes and sings beguilingly on this strong debut about temptation, salvation, jealousy, and loneliness. Former John Mellencamp drummer Kenny Aronoff helps to ground the album's seamless sound, and Jackson Browne drops in for "Unloved." 
 
 tags: jann arden, living under june, 1994, flac,
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EK Squad - Th Ultimate (2000)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
 
© 2000 Original Nation Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
 
 
tags: ek squad, th ultimate, the, 2000, flac,
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November 01, 2025

Creep - What's Wrong With Myself (1997)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Punk Rock
Label Number: L7-002;CD 84142-2
 
© 1997 Lucky Seven/EFA Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: creep, what's wrong with myself, 1997, flac,
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Jill Parr - Jill Parr (1998)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 57131-2
 
© 1998 Absolute Records
Jill Parr's self-titled debut is a more groove-fueled take on CCM than the usual. While it adapts to current pop music trends, its emotional feel works well with the lyrical content of the album. The songs take the listener on a journey through the personal ups and downs of this singer/songwriter. Childbirth, faith, and marriage are all very important to her, but so is crafting a listenable, emotional album. 
 
 tags: jill parr, jill par album, 1998, flac,
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