July 19, 2025

The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1990 Reissue)

*Reissued in 1990 by Verve Records for the Japanese market. 
This pressing contains 11 tracks total. 
Mastered by Bob Ludwig. 
Edited & Remixed under the supervision of 
Tom Wilson by Gene Radice & David Greene
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Art Rock, Experimental Rock
Label Number: POCP-1841
 
© 1967-1990 Verve Records
One would be hard-pressed to name a rock album whose influence has been as broad and pervasive as The Velvet Underground & Nico. While it reportedly took over a decade for the album's sales to crack six figures, glam, punk, new wave, goth, noise, and nearly every other left-of-center rock movement owes an audible debt to this set. While The Velvet Underground had as distinctive a sound as any band, what's most surprising about this album is its diversity. Here, the Velvets dipped their toes into dreamy pop ("Sunday Morning"), tough garage rock ("Waiting for the Man"), stripped-down R&B ("There She Goes Again"), and understated love songs ("I'll Be Your Mirror") when they weren't busy creating sounds without pop precedent. Lou Reed's lyrical exploration of drugs and kinky sex (then risky stuff in film and literature, let alone "teen music") always received the most press attention, but the music Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker played was as radical as the words they accompanied. The bracing discord of "European Son," the troubling beauty of "All Tomorrow's Parties," and the expressive dynamics of "Heroin" all remain as compelling as the day they were recorded. While the significance of Nico's contributions have been debated over the years, she meshes with the band's outlook in that she hardly sounds like a typical rock vocalist, and if Andy Warhol's presence as producer was primarily a matter of signing the checks, his notoriety allowed The Velvet Underground to record their material without compromise, which would have been impossible under most other circumstances. Few rock albums are as important as The Velvet Underground & Nico, and fewer still have lost so little of their power to surprise and intrigue more 50 years after first hitting the racks. 

 tags: the velvet underground, nico, the velvet underground and nico album , 1967, flac,

Tashan - On The Horizon (1989)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: 465521 2
 
© 1989 CBS/OBR
A sleeper from a deep-voiced crooner, he wants to rewrite What's Going On. On "Black Man," "Save the Family," and a few others he actually succeeds. 
 
 tags: tashan, on the horizon, 1989, flac,

July 17, 2025

Gehenna - Seen Through The Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) (1995) ☠

*First pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Norway
Language: English, Norwegian (Nynorsk)
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: NIHIL 9CD
 
☠: Selected by Buccanner
© 1995 Cacophonous Records
Initially released in 1995, GEHENNA delivered an evil yet atmospheric record, Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell), taking lyrical influences from Lucifer, mythology, and magic. It’s been 21 years since the album was released, and now it arrives once more in the form of a reissue. Does it still have the same impact today as it did when initially released?

The album kicks off with Lord of Flies, presenting a pestilent distortion from the get-go, opening with ominous chanting before the main riff kicks in. Somewhat heavy IMMORTAL-esque influences can be heard throughout, which is never a bad thing. The vocals compliment the track well, offering a mix of higher and deeper-pitched growls to refrain from falling into the stereotypical black metal vocal trap. A beautifully orchestrated atmospheric section adds to the immersion of the track, and boosts the overall quality before kicking into a fast-paced riff and the black metal goodness we so cravingly demand.

As Lord of Flies eases off, Shairak Krinnummh enters. Shairak Krinnummh is another strong track on this record, as it really brings in the atmospheric elements the band offers, and pulls it off excellently. The atmosphere created in this track feels almost magical, in that you feel transported into another realm whilst listening to it. The brief exclusions of vocals from time to time allow that immersion to progress, however the vocals do nothing but compliment the track whenever they’re present.

 Vinterriket, interestingly the only track on this record with Norwegian lyrics, has a much darker feel to it than the other tracks on the album. While keeping the alluring atmospheric elements, this track still manages to throw damning black metal riffs in your face, in the best way imaginable. Guest vocals from Garm (ULVER) are well received on the track, and are a nice touch.

While several of the tracks on this album aren’t too hard-hitting or overly memorable (but still good), A Myth… is the highlight of the album, and one of the best tracks GEHENNA have created. The 8-minute epic beautifully shows off GEHENNA’s pure talent and musical ability, creating a magical and captivatingly evil atmosphere that draws you in from the start. A Myth… brings forth a sense of wonder while keeping its darker black metal elements clear to see for all, and really pushes forward our current idea of what atmospheric black metal is and should be. The spoken word sections add another layer to the track, without reducing its quality, before throwing you back into the ferocity of GEHENNA’s more evil side. Be it directly or indirectly, you can hear elements and influences from this track in alter atmospheric metal bands (think of a faster-paced AGALLOCH in the opening note pattern). Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) is a killer album for this track alone.

The album closes with Dark Poems Author, a very satisfying end to GEHENNA’s offering. As with other tracks on the record, it consists of a strong mix of black metal and softer atmospheric elements, however more tilted towards the evil side with the inclusion of a piano adding an incredibly malevolent tone to the track.

Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) has its positives and negatives as an album. Its biggest strength is the atmosphere GEHENNA create in each track, mixed perfectly with enough brutality to make it an album worth buying. This is amplified thanks to its reissue, with all tracks on the album produced excellently to make every little detail as clear as possible. While it does drag in some places and some songs don’t have as much of an impact as others, it can’t be denied that GEHENNA have created a wonderful black metal album, that could be used easily as an introduction to the genre or a gateway from straight black metal to its atmospheric sibling. What must really be complimented on the re-issue of Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) is how well balanced the atmospheric and black metal elements are, which is no easy task to pull off.

Rating: 8/10
 
 tags: gehenna, seen through the veils of darkness, the second spell, 1995, flac,

Various Artists - NME In Association With War Child Presents 1 Love (2002)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Indie Rock
Label Number: 0927 49371 2
 
© 2002 New Musical Express/War Child/B-Unique Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: various artists, nme in association with war child presents 1 love, 2002, flac,

July 16, 2025

Tashan - For The Sake of Love (1993)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: OK 52469
 
© 1993 Columbia/Chaos
Tashan reminds you of Luther Vandross but without Vandross' range, theatrics, or material; Tashan's the bargain basement variety. Listening to 13 straight tracks by the nouveau crooner gets boring, and a major part of the problem is the unimaginative, computerized/electronic backing. This mixture of mid-tempo romps and ballads tends to run together; the most interesting song is an off-the-script remake of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You"; other notables include the jubilant "Been a Long Time," "Still in Love," the best ballad, and "All I Ever Do." 
 
tags: tashan, for the sake of love, 1993, flac,

Damage - Forever (1997)

*U.K. pressing. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: R&B
Label Number: BLRCD31
 
© 1997 Big Life
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
 tags: damage forever, 1997, flac,

Ol' Skool - Ol' Skool (1997)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: UD-53104
 
© 1997 Uptown/Universal Records
Masterminded by producer Keith Sweat, Ol' Skool's eponymous debut is a fitfully successful collection of urban R&B. Produced by Sweat, Organized Noize and Kevin "KJ" Johnson, the album has an appealing sound, but too often the tracks blend together. The best moments -- such as "Set You Free" and the cover of Atlantic Starr's "Am I Dreaming," which features Xscape and Sweat on vocals -- suggest that the group has potential, but those moments simply don't arrive often enough on their debut. 
 
tags: ol skool, ol skool album, old school, 1997, flac,

July 15, 2025

Various Artists - What's Up Matador (1997) ☠

*This is a 2 disc set. 
Contains 44 tracks total.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: OLE 163-2

☠: Selected by Lass
© 1997 Matador
Once Sub Pop's roster broke through to the mainstream in the early '90s, its reign as America's premier independent label drew to a close, leaving Matador Records as the definitive indie label of the decade. Matador's period of greatest impact was between 1991 and 1997, which is the time that the double-disc set What's Up Matador chronicles. The budget-priced compilation is designed as both an introduction and as a collector's dream, containing one disc called Favorite Tracks and one disc of unreleased songs. Matador didn't have a signature sound, preferring to cultivate a loose aesthetic that permitted its artists to do whatever the hell they wanted. So, there's the nervous punk of Superchunk, the jangling pop of Bettie Serveert, the fractured pop of Pavement, pure weirdness from the Frogs, mathematical rock from Chavez, disco from the Pizzicato Five, the avant rock of Silkworm, hardcore punk from Unsane, psycho-blues from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Railroad Jerk, and lo-fi from Guided By Voices and Spoon, along with singer/songwriters like Liz Phair, Helium's Mary Timony, Cat Power, and Barbra Manning/SF Seals. It's an eclectic roster, but it's a rich one, containing many of the best and most important bands of the decade. The first disc runs through the hits quite effectively; for anyone curious about Matador specifically and American indie rock in general, it's an excellent primer. The second disc is for collectors and fanatics, and it does not disappoint. Many of the bands on disc one contribute unreleased songs that never sound like throwaways, and some of the label's newer bands that didn't make the first disc -- Run On, The For Carnation, and Bardo Pond -- are included. With its abundance of strong music and its complete Matador discography, What's Up Matador is an essential purchase for anyone curious about '90s indie rock. 
 
tags: various artists, whats up matador, compilation, 1997, flac,

Various Artists - (Music From The Definitive Documentary) Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2006)

Country: Canada
Language: English 
Genre: Heavy Metal, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal, Hard Rock
Label Number: 0249837182
 
© 2006 Universal Music Canada
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: various artists, metal a headbangers journey, head banger, music from the definitive documentary, ost, soundtrack, 2006, flac,

June 28, 2025

Various Artists - Saw III (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2006)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Metalcore, Industrial, Thrash Metal, Groove Metal, Alternative Metal, Hardcore
Label Number: TRI 300 CD
 
© 2006 Artists' Addiction/Warcon
With a cover adorned by a trio of bicuspids and molars, roots attached and hastily transformed into necklaces, it becomes awfully apparent what awaits the listener within the jigsaw-shaped disc called Saw 3. Composer Charles Clouser has returned, providing the film with a whole lot of tripped-out, electronic and orchestral tension and the soundtrack with one measly passage called the "Sh*! hole Theme," but its' alternative/industrial/death metal that provides the third installment of the popular horror series with the kick in the gut it needs. As usual, the songs are of the "inspired by" type, meaning that most of them have little or nothing to do with the film itself, but the incorporation of hard-hitting classic acts like Slayer ("Eyes of the Insane"), Helmet ("Monochrome"), and Ministry ("Fear Is a Big Business"), as well standout contemporary acts like Mastodon and Meshuggah into the mix helps keep some of the lesser locker room meat (think Drowning Pool and Disturbed) from stinking up the whole house. 
 
 tags: various artists, saw iii, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2006, flac,

Various Artists - Saw IV (Music From & Inspired By Saw IV)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Electronic, Industrial, Alternative Metal, Metalcore
Label Number: ADM-90080-2
 
© 2007 Artists' Addiction Records
It's no secret that among the young, and perhaps the morbid, the splatter horror film franchise known as Saw is wildly successful. 2007 sees the fourth incarnation of this gory, epic, and second only to Hostel -- who has some catching up to do -- these films generate interest, controversy, and plenty of cash. It's no wonder that the soundtracks chosen for these flicks are issued by the Adrenaline imprint. This one, like previous incarnations, is fueled with pedal to the metal industrial, punk, emo, thrash, and industrial metal itself. A list of the participants tells you plenty: Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nitzer Ebb, Oxygen, Avenged Sevenfold, Fueled by Fire, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, etc., etc., etc. Saosin is singled out here -- despite the fact that many mainstream critics express a widespread disdain for their music and marketplace success -- because they have both the compositional element in song, lyrical content, and sheer musicianship to communicate something that fits the place of a cinematic concern, though it is wasted on this film. (Hopefully they got paid handsomely.) They transcend the soundtrack. Submersed is another example that while not as out of place here, has more to offer than speed, aggression, and misanthropy. Some of those seeking the aural equivalent of the movie experience will want the souvenir; those who collect music by any of these bands may grudgingly purchase it for the sake of completism. As for the rest of us, why bother? You know what it sounds like already. 
 
tags: various artists, saw iv, music from and inspired by saw iv, soundtrack, ost, 2007, flac,

Various Artists - Saw V (Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture) (2008)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Film Score, Electronic, Alternative Metal, Industrial
Label Number: SPV 306202 CD
 
© 2008 Synthetic Symphony
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

tags: various artists, saw v, music from and inspired by the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 2008, flac,

Various Artists - Saw VI (Music From & Inspired By Saw VI) (2009)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Metalcore, Gothic Metal, Deathcore, Hardcore, Groove Metal
Label Number: TK0128
 
© 2009 Trustkill Records
Like Saw 2, Saw 3, and Saw 4 (the soundtracks for Saw and Saw V were largely orchestral), Saw VI mines the increasingly dense modern rock/alternative/death metal scenes for its bloody goods. It's a fitting marriage, as hard rock and heavy metal are the sonic suitors to horror and torture porn films and video games. Hatebreed ("In Ashes They Shall Reap"), Converge ("Dark Horse"), My My Misfire ("The Sinatra"), and Kittie ("Cut Throat") provide the most ferocious moments this time around, while generic angst jams like Memphis May Fire's "Ghost in the Mirror" and by-the-numbers goth cuts like Lacuna Coil's "The Last Goodbye" would be better served trapped in one of Jigsaw's murderous contraptions. 
 
tags: various artists, saw vi, music from and inspired by saw vi, soundtrack, ost, 2009, flac,

June 18, 2025

Various Artists - Double Dragon (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1994)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, House, Film Score
Label Number: 7313835700-2
 
© 1994 Milan
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: various artists, double dragon, music from the motion picture soundtrack, 1994, ost, flac,

Grieves - Irreversible (2007)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
 
© 2007 [Not On Label]
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 
 
 
tags: grieves, irreversible, 2007, flac,

June 17, 2025

The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)

*Japanese first pressing. 
Contains 6 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Experimental Rock
Label Number: P33P-25041
 
© 1968-1987 Verve Records
The world of pop music was hardly ready for The Velvet Underground's first album when it appeared in the spring of 1967, but while The Velvet Underground and Nico sounded like an open challenge to conventional notions of what rock music could sound like (or what it could discuss), 1968's White Light/White Heat was a no-holds-barred frontal assault on cultural and aesthetic propriety. Recorded without the input of either Nico or Andy Warhol, White Light/White Heat was the purest and rawest document of the key Velvets lineup of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker, capturing the group at their toughest and most abrasive. The album opens with an open and enthusiastic endorsement of amphetamines (startling even from this group of noted drug enthusiasts), and side one continues with an amusing shaggy-dog story set to a slab of lurching mutant R&B ("The Gift"), a perverse variation on an old folktale ("Lady Godiva's Operation"), and the album's sole "pretty" song, the mildly disquieting "Here She Comes Now." While side one was a good bit darker in tone than the Velvets' first album, side two was where they truly threw down the gauntlet with the manic, free-jazz implosion of "I Heard Her Call My Name" (featuring Reed's guitar work at its most gloriously fractured), and the epic noise jam "Sister Ray," 17 minutes of sex, drugs, violence, and other non-wholesome fun with the loudest rock group in the history of Western Civilization as the house band. White Light/White Heat is easily the least accessible of The Velvet Underground's studio albums, but anyone wanting to hear their guitar-mauling tribal frenzy straight with no chaser will love it, and those benighted souls who think of the Velvets as some sort of folk-rock band are advised to crank their stereo up to ten and give side two a spin. 
 
 tags: the velvet underground, white light white heat, 1968, flac,

The Velvet Underground - Loaded (1970)

*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 9-27613-2
 
© 1970-1987 Warner Special Products/Cotillion
After The Velvet Underground cut three albums for the jazz-oriented Verve label that earned them lots of notoriety but negligible sales, the group signed with industry powerhouse Atlantic Records in 1970; label head Ahmet Ertegun supposedly asked Lou Reed to avoid sex and drugs in his songs, and instead focus on making an album "loaded with hits." Loaded was the result, and with appropriate irony it turned out to be the first VU album that made any noticeable impact on commercial radio -- and also their swan song, with Reed leaving the group shortly before its release. With John Cale long gone from the band, Doug Yule highly prominent (he sings lead on four of the ten tracks), and Maureen Tucker absent on maternity leave, this is hardly a purist's Velvet Underground album. But while Lou Reed always wrote great rock & roll songs with killer hooks, on Loaded his tunes were at last given a polished but intelligent production that made them sound like the hits they should have been, and there's no arguing that "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" are as joyously anthemic as anything he's ever recorded. And if this release generally maintains a tight focus on the sunny side of the VU's personality (or would that be Reed's personality?), "New Age" and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" prove he had hardly abandoned his contemplative side, and "Train Around the Bend" is a subtle but revealing metaphor for his weariness with the music business. Sterling Morrison once said of Loaded, "It showed that we could have, all along, made truly commercial sounding records," but just as importantly, it proved they could do so without entirely abandoning their musical personality in the process. It's a pity that notion hadn't occurred to anyone a few years earlier. 

tags: the velvet underground, loaded, 1970, flac,

Various Artists - Scream: Music From The Dimension Motion Picture (1996)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Pop, Electronic
Label Number: TVT 8080-2
 
© 1996 TVT Sountrax
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: various artists, scream, music from the dimension motion picture, 1996, flac,

June 12, 2025

Various Artists - City of Angels: Music From The Motion Picture (1998)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Rock, Film Score
Label Number: 9 46867-2
 
© 1998 Warner Sunset/Reprise Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: various artists, city of angels, music from the motion picture, ost, 1998, flac,

Various Artists - City of Industry Soundtrack (1997)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Trip Hop, Big Beat
Label Number: 314-524 308-2
 
© 1997 Quango Records
Think about Harvey Keitel. Think about what kinds of songs you'd pick to put in his movie. The result is, most assuredly, everything included on the City of Industry soundtrack. As a trip-hopped compilation, the album is without fault. As an indicator of just how far "underground" dance music had seeped into the mainstream by 1997, it's massive. And as a mirror of the darkness that percolated through the film, City of Industry is perfect. It's a rare success, concocting a blend of tracks that not only reflect the action onscreen, but also work together out of the cinema and long after the fact. This set does both with ease. The artists included read like a Who's Who of the late-'90s dance industry: Massive Attack, Bomb the Bass, and Tricky represent trip-hop's holy trinity with "Three," "Bug Powder Dust," and "Overcome," respectively. But that's just the beginning. What made this particular soundtrack so vital at the time of its release was that many of the tracks culled for the disc were new to ears in the U.S. Lush's "Last Night" could initially only be heard as a promo B-side; both "Walking on Water" (Palm Skin Productions) and "Rocco Sings for a Drink" (Death in Vegas) were import-only; and Mr. Jones' "Red" was a vinyl compilation track -- great if you were one of the few people who still owned a record player in 1997, but infuriating for the rest. Butter 08's "Degobrah," meanwhile, was remixed specially for the OST. This is a timeless collection; it grooves, it rocks, and it's creepy to boot. The songs get under your skin; the sounds are ethereal and sweet, raucous and menacing. And it's never once watered down for those not in the know. 
 
tags: various artists, city of industry soundtrack, ost, 1997, flac,

Various Artists - Moog (Original Film Soundtrack) (2004)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Electronic, Alternative Rock, Pop, Pop Rock, Leftfield
Label Number: 2061-62471-2
 
© 2004 Hollywood Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

tags: various artists, moog, original film soundtrack, ost, 2004, flac,

June 03, 2025

Various Artists - Napoleon Dynamite: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2004)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: LKS 33810
 
© 2004 Lakeshore Records
Napoleon Dynamite's soundtrack works on the same mix of awkward and sweet that typifies the film. It's sprinkled liberally with soundbites of Napoleon himself (Jon Heder) and those in his life, such as quotable comebacks like "Yeah right, who's the only one who knows the illegal ninja moves from the government?," or Kip's (Aaron Ruell) declaration of his plans to become a cagefighter. Napoleon Dynamite also takes a page from the Rushmore soundtrack by sequencing composer John Swihart's suitably quirky score amidst the handful of indie pop and 1980s faves that anchor the set. Rogue Wave fans will note a live version of the Out of the Shadow standout "Every Moment," and Figurine's "New Mate" is a gem from the trio's 1999 revivalist synth pop album Transportation + Communication = Love. Though the music here is united by a certain offbeat quality, relationships -- family, friends, love, self -- are the real focus. It gives listeners the range, from the swagger of Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" to the crackling soul-jazz and bootstraps message of Money Mark's "Sometimes You Gotta Make It Alone." There's also a touchingly heartfelt cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," and less often heard '80s standouts from Yaz ("Only You") and Alphaville ("Forever Young"). With its movie quotes, endearing score (including Swihart's version of "The A-Team Theme"), and well-chosen musical cues, Napoleon Dynamite is a comprehensive keepsake of a film likely destined for cult favorite status.
 
 tags: various artists, napolean dynamite, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2004, flac,