Disturbed - Indestructible (2008)⚓

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Alternative Metal
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© 2008 Reprise Records
AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger
Disturbed's fourth full-length offering announces its arrival with an air-raid siren. It's an appropriate gesture for the popular Chicago-based metal collective, whose rapid ascension from buzzed-about Ozzfest highlight to commercial hard rock juggernaut has been as divisive as it has been impressive. While Indestructible doesn't meddle with the melodic hard-hitting Pantera-inspired formula that fueled its predecessors, the dreaded nu-metal tag that followed the band out of the turn of the century seems wholly eradicated. If anything, Disturbed owe more to early-'90s Metallica and Brian Johnson-era AC/DC than they do Tool or Korn, as each staccato, tech-heavy riff is balanced out by some truly artful soloing and frontman David Draiman's mean and melodious pipes. Standout cuts like "Inside the Fire," "Deceiver, " "The Curse," and the skull-cracking title track, even though they could have appeared on any of the group's first three records, still manage to fire on every cylinder. Like its closest contemporary, Godsmack, this is a band that favors reliability over experimentation, and each piece of Indestructible, whether it's the pseudo-horror/fantasy artwork, the drop-D riffing, or the obligatory "shout-outs" in the liner notes to the purveyors of each member's gear endorsement deals, fits together like the world's most obvious puzzle. That said, there's a reason each of the group's previous albums bested the million mark, and with metal growing increasingly self-aware and divided between hardcore and hard rock, a new Disturbed record seems like a solid foundation on which to duke it out.

tags: disturbed, indestructible, 2008, flac,

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Various Artists - Flashdance: Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture (1983)

*First pressing on CD. A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Synth Pop, Disco
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© 1983 Casablanca/PolyGram Records
AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
Giorgio Moroder's score for this dance fantasy album turned into a blockbuster (over 20 million copies sold worldwide) due to the title track sung by Irene Cara, Michael Sembello's "Maniac," and a bunch of other modern dance tracks.

tags: various artists, flashdance soundtrack, original soundtrack from the motion picture, 1983, flac, ost,

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Various Artists - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Collateral (2004)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Film Score, Alternative Rock, Techno, Pop, Hip-Hop
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© 2004 Hip-O Records
AllMusic Review by Johnny Loftus
Director Michael Mann is known for modifying moods through music, particularly in urban settings. There were all those rain-slicked tracking shots in Miami Vice, for example, accompanied by Phil Collins and Dire Straits. For 1995's Heat it was Moby, Lisa Gerrard, and Kronos Quartet, all contributing pieces that heightened the film's dense, psychological air. And for Mann's return to the crime caper genre in 2004's Collateral, it's a stellar mixed bag of gripping, tense instrumentals and evocative, sonically varied artist contributions. Producer Tom Rothrock gets things rolling in a Mann-ish direction with "Briefcase" -- the track throbs like a power cable buried under a city street. Score excerpts from James Newton Howard and City of God composer Antonio Pinto are equally powerful, offering a mix of knives glinting in shadows (Pinto's "Car Crash") and serviceable chase scene dynamics (the Howard piece "Vincent Hops Train"). Latin-flavored selections by Calexico and Green Car Motel hint at the film's traverse through L.A.'s ethnic patchwork, there's a lovely excerpt from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew classic "Spanish Key," and the Roots with Cody ChesnuTT offer some streetwise, vibey soul with "The Seed (2.0)." The only misstep here is a noneventful remix of Oakenfold's "Ready Steady Go." Its substance-less big beat thump feels like 21st century soundtrack filler; in fact, it fits better with Oakenfold's work on Swordfish. Sequence out "Ready Steady," and Collateral is comparable to Mann's greatest meetings of music and film.

tags: various artists, original motion picture soundtrack collateral, collateral soundtrack, ost, 2004, flac,

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The Blues Brothers - Original Soundtrack Recording (1995 Remastered Edition)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Blues, Rock, Rock & Roll
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© 1980-1995 Atlantic Records
AllMusic Review by Bret Adams
Comic actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd received a lot of flak for their Blues Brothers shtick -- mostly for the albums, not 1980's beloved classic film. But they should be given credit for exposing many people -- including this reviewer -- to the music of blues and R&B veterans. The Blues Brothers soundtrack was released on Atlantic Records. On the surface this doesn't seem unusual, since the Blues Brothers' Atlantic debut, Briefcase Full of Blues, was a number one album; but the movie was released by Universal, and its parent company, MCA, passed on the soundtrack. The rollicking remake of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" was a hit, featuring an arrangement notable for the horn section that replaces Steve Winwood's rumbling organ work. Ray Charles has a good time with "Shake a Tail Feather," and he's helped out by Jake and Elwood Blues (Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively). The cover of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a lot of fun, thanks to the great overall rhythm and Elwood's lightning-fast stage rap, while James Brown and the Reverend James Cleveland Choir provide a blast of gospel music on "Old Landmark." Aretha Franklin's "Think" is explosive, and Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" is slyly irresistible. Charles, Brown, Franklin, and Calloway all have small roles in the film, yet so does John Lee Hooker, but he's not represented here.

tags: the blues brothers, original soundtrack recording, 1980, 1995, flac, remaster, ost,

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Shakira - Laundry Service (2001)

Country: Columbia
Language: English
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
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© 2001 Epic Records
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
The Latin pop and rock en español fields are full of talented artists who would probably be huge in the English-language market if they didn't sing in Spanish exclusively. Some non-Spanish-speaking listeners don't mind listening to lyrics they don't understand -- the beat and the melody are enough for them -- but many others insist on understanding every word that is coming out of an artist's mouth. Thus, Latin stars usually don't cross over to English-speaking audiences until they start singing in English, which is what Shakira does on 2001's Laundry Service. "Whenever, Wherever," this album's infectious lead single, is to Shakira what "Livin' la Vida Loca" was to Ricky Martin: the major hit that brought her to English-speaking audiences in a big way. For Shakira, singing and writing in mostly English was no doubt a challenge -- Spanish, after all, is the Colombian star's primary language. But it's a challenge that she handles impressively well. Shakira, it turns out, sings quite convincingly in English -- and her creativity is at a high level on melodic, hooky pop/rock like "Rules" and "Ready for the Good Times." Like Shakira's Spanish-language albums, this self-produced CD is enjoyably eclectic; she successfully combines pop/rock with everything from tango on "Objection" and Andean music on "Whenever, Wherever" to Middle Eastern music on "Eyes Like Yours" (which contains lyrics by Gloria Estefan and is an English translation of Shakira's late-'90s smash, "Ojos Así"). While nine of Laundry Service's 13 tracks are in English, four are in Spanish (including Spanish translations of "Whenever, Wherever" and "Objection"). And by including these four tracks, Shakira seems to be assuring her Spanish-speaking fans that she hasn't abandoned them. Dónde Están los Ladrones? remains Shakira's most essential album, but Laundry Service is an excellent English-language debut for the South American vocalist.

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Anvil - Hard 'N' Heavy (2009 Reissue)

Country: Canada
Genre: Heavy Metal
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© 1981-2009 Uni Disc Music Inc.
AllMusic Review by Eduardo Rivadavia
Anvil's first album, 1981's Hard 'n' Heavy, may also be their most unique, since it actually predated the band's adhesion (and key contributions) to the up-and-coming speed metal movement, beginning with their seminal sophomore outing, 1982's Metal on Metal. Instead, Hard 'n' Heavy is a transitional record compiling the best fruits of nearly a decade's worth of club shows and basement woodshedding over long cold Canadian winters by inseparable pals Steve "Lips" Kudlow (vocals/guitar) and Robb Reiner (drums), plus, more recently, bandmates Dave Allison (guitar) and Ian Dickson (bass). In fact, prior to its release through Attic Records, Hard 'n' Heavy had already been put out independently under the group's discarded moniker of Lips (where, curiously, their focus had been on S&M-inspired shock rock), so in some respects, it was the work of another band, not Anvil. This S&M connection certainly explains the exceedingly naughty sexual double-entendres gracing the album's numerous frill-free hard rockers -- namely "AC/DC" and "Oooh Baby" (both of which recall the first song's namesake), "Hot Child" (which owes much to UFO), and the self-explanatory "Bondage" (which ironically features searing guitar histrionics right out of Ted Nugent's arsenal). Others still, like Dave Allison's ménage à trois bubblegum boogie "I Want You Both (With Me)," his second lead vocal, "Oh, Jane," and the inordinately laid-back "At the Apartment" barely even qualify as metal, having a lot more in common with the sort of commercial hard rock that Billy Squier and April Wine were topping charts with at the time. But Reiner's impeccable drumming on all of the above is always busier and more aggressive than these non-metal artists would ever mess with (even on Anvil's cover of the Stones' "Paint It Black"), and once he and his bandmates really lets rip on Hard 'n' Heavy's minority of adrenalin-fueled headbangers like "School Love" and "Bedroom Game," Anvil finally latch on to their impending speed and thrash metal destiny. That destiny, as was said earlier, would take immediate shape on the following year's Metal on Metal, and the radical evolution between these first two albums clearly illustrates Anvil's internal transformation, from fans in thrall to '70s metal and hard rock to professional musicians united behind a newly discovered vision of their own.

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Eclipse - Bleed & Scream (2012)

Country: Sweden
Genre: Hard Rock
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© 2012 Frontiers Records
Review by Eldad "Blacknasa" Stainbook for Metal-Temple.com
 First to be honest, I will put it out in the open and say that I dislike Hard Rock. You can thank AEROSMITH, BON JOVI and bands similar to them for creating this animosity in me. Therefore when Lucifer came and told me to review a Hard Rock album I was thinking of declining his request. However, after all, Lucifer doesn’t request… he Commands! Nevertheless if you look at the roots of Hard Rock they were divine. Bands like DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN are considered Hard Rock and they are great, amazing and creative. Along the way something happened and we were stuck with bands like AEROSMITH where you can barely hear the distortion in their guitars and they dare to call themselves Hard Rock. Thank god for Glenn Hughes for keeping the flame burning throughout the years. Let’s also not forget the rather new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, a true Hard Rock Masterpiece that came to life in 2010 and brought a beacon of light to this dying genre. With all said, I’m happy to announce the return of true, good and hard kicking Hard Rock in the form of the Band ECLIPSE and their new album “Bleed and Scream”. Founded in Sweden in 2008, this is their second album and does deliver! Just for the sake of science I got to say that this is not a pure Hard Rock album, it’s more Hard Rock meets American Glam Metal, and that’s just Fine by me. The album kick started (my heart) with “Wake Me Up” and what a surprise, I was awake and not just for this song. It’s like being kicked in the face first thing in the morning. From start to finish ECLIPSE fired up all the guns with very catchy riffs and amazing rhythms, something that is an overall characteristicof the entire album apparently. “Bleed and Scream”, the title song, will probably make you bleed and scream to one of the catchiest choruses I have ever heard. Fuck, I started to sing along with Erik Mårtensson, the lead singer till I got a boot in the face from a co-worker,  as  I said you will bleed and scream, like I did. Again there were great riffs and rhythm in addition to the great keyboard sound that adds an atmospheric sound to the great guitar and drums mix. The best song in the album for me was “Ain't Dead Yet”, with MOTLEY CRUE type of riffs and banging drums. It's a keeper, yet again great job by Mårtensson that shows a broad vocal range with soaring screams and a deep voice when needed. Like in any Heavy Metal and\\or Hard Rock albums you have Hard Rock / Metal ballads, some say that it’s the best thing of these genres and I say crap! If we can put a man on the moon why can't we put all people that think Metal ballads are the best thing in Metal, on the moon too, so we can stay here just the reasonable people that like Metal in its purest form. So without further ado, ECLIPSE does have ballads in their album according to the rules of the  genre, on “Bleed and Scream”  there are two of the kind, “Bitter Taste”, a straightup ballad, no shit, with distortion sequence and riffs like they should be and mellow ending like all Hard Rock ballades ends, ECLIPSE definitely kept the rules in this one! The second ballad “About To Break” has more of a southern flavor kind of CINDERELLA style (I said American Glam Metal influences didn’t I ?). In overall the ballads are ok, but they are not the story here. It’s the rest of the songs on the album that provide its magnitude. -- Full review here

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Black Sabbath: The Dio Years (2007)

Country: United Kingdom/U.S.A.
Genre: Heavy Metal, Doom Metal
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© 2007 Rhino Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The original lineup of Black Sabbath possesses such a mythic quality that it's easy to overlook how far they slid by the time Ozzy Osbourne up and left the band...or how far they rebounded after they hired Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio as his replacement. Countless compilations over the years have preserved the initial part of the story line -- celebrating the innovations of the first four albums with a near fetishistic quality -- but there has never been a good retrospective concerning the Dio years until Rhino released the aptly titled The Dio Years in early 2007. True, the Dio years didn't last all that long -- the singer joined in 1980 for Heaven & Hell, then lasted through one more studio album, the following year's Mob Rules, before departing under a shroud of controversy after 1982's botched live album Live Evil -- but Dio had a powerful impact upon the band and its legacy; these were the last years that Sabbath exerted pull as an active band, and after his departure they stumbled through various singers over the next decade before intermittently reuniting with Ozzy in the '90s. The Dio Years proves that during his brief time with the band, Dio did help Sabbath make music that could hold its own with some of the classic lineup's finest moments. With Dio as a frontman, the band was harder, nastier, and a little faster than the slow sludge of the early Sabbath records, but it fit in nicely with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal at the beginning of the '80s and it's aged very well. Some of it can sound silly -- Dio's lyrical obsessions always do -- but this is harder, heavier, better music than either Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die! Anybody who's refused to give this latter-day incarnation of the band the time of day might find this compilation revelatory.

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StormWarrior - Thunder & Steele (2014)

Country: Germany
Genre: Power Metal
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© 2014 Massacre Records
Review by Michael "MettleAngel" Francisco for Metal-Temple.com
My iron prayers are answered! The Metallions of the Northe - STORMWARRIOR – redound and rebound, ready to do battle as true defenders of Metal. All hail the return of these Heathen warriors – the glorious heirs to the rights of passage – the true servants of metal and enforcers of steel vengeance. Feel the “Thunder & Steele”. The fifth elemental release from Óðinn's Warriors is quite an achievement. The first five songs are fast and furious powerhouses of scorching speed and fyre, and I swear they leave their indelible mark like a rune inscribed for the iron gods of Valhalla. Each searing cut is emblazoned with an overwhelming intensity of riffs and more abundant soloing. These prolific, plethoric, and terrific guitar dynamics shred with magnificence and might. One will find torrential original recipes of frenetic energy, seldom exhibited by the highly hopeful and anticipated “next best thing” constantly being shoved down our throats, causing us to choke on the bile. It is like what DRAGONFORCE once accomplished, minus all the OTT fretboard fecundity of overzealous insanity. Each exuberant lead is focused, harmonized, and ultimately uplifting. Straight out of the gate, storming the shores of sin, the axe wielders welcome their new drummer Jörg Uken – an iron borne Metal avenger. The title track and those which follow all verify that these servants of mettle are back to their roots. As much as I enjoy listening to “Heathen Warrior”, the songs of their previous effort were more epic and melodic; however, here Lars and Alex strive to recapture the northern rage and reclaim that Heavy Metal fyre which burned in their hearts when they stormed the foreign shores of Japan. The thriving spirit of the debut, the upturned cross-purposes of “Northen Rage”, and the integrity of “Heading Northe” are all ever-present and punishing. With the clash of swords and dueling of axes, in union we stand for what STORMWARRIOR hold true when they defend the sacred oath. Ironclad in leather and spikes, fists held high, thrusting with force, enraged, the scythe seekers have sworn their fealty and vouchsafed allegiance in praise of the Metal age; ever ready to divide and conquer and make the poseurs die! They are the last of a dying breed, indeed! HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, IRON SAVIOR, IRON FIRE, WIZARD, PARAGON, and REBELLION all once maintained this alacrity, verve, and passion; but all have also put out material which often fails to excite or enlighten. As I enjoin in the throes of aggression and adrenaline, I enthrall myself in the iron wrath of these Metal invaders. Such steely slices as “Sacred Blade” bite, and make you bleed. You can almost feel the chill of a winter storm when you embrace the nobility of “Ironborn”. The magnanimous might of “Metal Avenger” warrants multiple rotations. With pride I accept the Pagan festive frivolity of “Die By The Hammer”. Jamming these songs into my anxious skull allows me to feel as if I am ensconced vicariously in the glories of battle; a passion often evoked when I watch “Vikings” on The History Channel”, “Game Of Thrones” on HBO, or even “Spartacus” on Starz.“One Will Survive” recalls the terrible certainty KREATOR caused with the caustic “One Of Us”. The catchy pace of the pounding metal anvil that is “Steelcrusader” reminds me of PEGAZUS meets early SACRED STEEL. The final cut “Servants Of Metal” sums it up and says it all! As fast as every track is, the album loses its momentum with “Fyre In The Nighte” - one of the few tracks to re-use the superfluous “e” and “y” to deliberately misspell a word for that kitsch, trademark and identifiable effect. - Read the full review here

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Mötley Crüe - Crucial Crüe (1989)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Glam Metal
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© 1989 Elektra Records
*No professional reviews available for this release.

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Scorpions - Savage Amusement (1988)

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Hard Rock
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© 1988 Mercury Records
AllMusic Review by Barry Weber
The Scorpions' two previous releases, Blackout and Love at First Sting, were mostly successful due to the band's ability to adjust with the times; with Blackout, they used the classic power rock introduced by bands like Van Halen, and for Sting they used similar melodies, but with a harder, tighter sound akin to the work of such bands as Dokken and REO Speedwagon. With Savage Amusement, the group's first studio recording in almost four years, the Scorpions experimented with more polished pop melodies that Def Leppard and the like had made popular. The end result is polished and often predictable music that, while good, on the whole fails to be as infectious as the music on their previous albums. Die-hard fans will certainly find their share of worthwhile songs, such as "Don't Stop at the Top" and "Believe in Love," but they still may find Savage Amusement to be incomparable to its predecessors.

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Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Limited Edition) (2013)

*Contains a bonus disc with 4 bonus tracks.

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal
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© 2013 Vertigo, Republic, Universal Records
AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek
In the two-and-half years since Volbeat's wildly successful Beyond Hell/Above Heaven, they've traveled some miles, both literally and figuratively. They toured not only Europe but the U.S. and Canada in support for nearly a year, and parted ways with lead guitarist Thomas Bredahl. A permanent replacement was found in Robert Caggiano, formerly of Anthrax, who was enlisted to produce Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and play on select tracks. His addition has proved integral to the band's ever evolving sound. While the meld of various kinds of heavy metal, country, and rockabilly is still present here -- it is now undoubtedly the sound of Volbeat itself -- the lines between those styles are less pronounced. The sometimes jarring shift from rockabilly to thrash, from death metal to the Johnny Cash-country on previous albums, still happens, but here these sounds often coexist within the same song. While it is accurate to say that this set is more accessible than anything Volbeat has attempted previously, it is also the most ambitious set of tracks they've committed to tape. The songwriting is tight, focused; there are lots of hooks, most of them heavy -- thanks, no doubt, to Caggiano's presence. His playing style is full of insanely catchy riffs, vamps, and intricate melodies. Michael Tomas Poulsen's vocals still blend Elvis, James Hetfield, and Keith Caputo, but they growl less; they're expressive and natural sounding. Hard rock and vintage HM are the prevalent sounds here -- as heard on cuts like "Pearl Heart," the riff-arific "The Nameless One," and the aggressive attack in "The Hangman's Body Count." The slow, doomy chug of "Room 24" melds early Black Sabbath to death metal with King Diamond guesting on vocals. Another surprise is in the cover of Young the Giant's "My Body." Thanks to Poulsen's awesome singing and the blasting guitars, it could pass as a Volbeat anthem. An excellent example of all the band's styles converging at once is in "Black Bart," with death metal, Gun Club-style punk-country, and even Thin Lizzy's twin lead guitars. Former Dubstar and Client vocalist Sarah Blackwood sings with Poulsen on "Lonesome Rider," where slap bass rockabilly and hooky '80s metal commingle. Thin Lizzy also get channeled on the killer "The Sinner Is You," while Civil War-era banjo introduces the theatrical country meets death metal choogler "Doc Holliday." A high lonesome desert harmonica à la Ennio Morricone introduces closer "Our Loved Ones," which is as fine a melodic headbanger as anything the band's ever cut. While it is accurate to say that Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies is more accessible than anything Volbeat has attempted previously, it is also the most ambitious -- and arguably enjoyable -- set they've committed to tape..

tags: volbeat, outlaw gentlemen and shady ladies, limited edition, 2013, flac,

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Hilltop Hoods - A Matter of Time (1999)

Country: Australia
Genre: Hip-Hop
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© 1999 Not On Label (Self-Released)
*No professional reviews available for this release.

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Disturbed - The Lost Children (2011)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
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© 2011 Reprise Records
AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger
The Lost Children, Disturbed's first collection of rarities and B-sides, arrived almost two years after Asylum, with which the veteran metal outfit decided to embark on an “indefinite hiatus.” Boasting a pair of previously unreleased cuts (“Mine” and “3”), solid enough covers of Judas Priest's “Living After Midnight” and Faith No More's “Midlife Crisis,” bonus cuts from extended releases, and a smattering of other high-octane goodies, The Lost Children comes off as surprisingly cohesive for such a grab bag of castoffs, with highlights coming from the searing electro-thrash opener “Hell,” the dark and melodic “Sickened,” the punishing “A Welcome Burden,” and the arena-ready “Old Friend,” any of which could have held their own amidst the roar of their brothers and sisters on the studio albums.

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Various Artists - Lyricist Lounge: Vol. II (2000)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Hip-Hop
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© 2000 Rawkus Records
AllMusic Review by Matt Conaway

The second installment of the Lyricist Lounge compilation takes on a decidedly different direction then its predecessor. While the first segment catered towards breaking new, less-familiar talent, names like Prime, Mike Zoot, and Sarah Jones have been phased out and replaced by Erick Sermon and (gasp) JT Money. Yet, the transition is a fairly smooth one, and considering that the Lyricist Lounge has expanded from its open-mike night roots into a successful MTV comedy show, this revision is not entirely surprising. Though not without filler material, LL 2 achieves what most compilations promise but never deliver -- a satisfactory LP that will appease both the chest-beating backpacker and the bling-bling tunnel faction. The quest in trying to meet this goal is really half the fun, as some interesting collaborations unfold; fellow Detroit natives Royce 5'9" and Jay Dee hook up on the autobiographical "Let's Grow," and Talib Kweli and Dead Prez revitalize the pro-black ideology over Hi-Tek's spaghetti western guitar riffs on the eye-opening "Sharp Shooters." However, the closest example of what LL 2 aspires to be is captured on Redman and Saukrates' "WKYA" (Will Kick Your Ass), as the easily accessible but fiery rhymes of Red and Sauk are truly universal in their flavor. Though LL 2 may not portray the idealism or spirit that the Lyricist Lounge was initially founded on, it does successfully represent the differing tastes of all hip-hop fans. That in itself is this compilation's biggest accomplishment.

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Scorpions - Animal Magnetism (1980) ☠

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Hard Rock
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 ☠: Selected by Buccaneer

© 1980-1989 Mercury Records
AllMusic Review by Barry Weber
Although Animal Magnetism contains such classic songs as "The Zoo" and "Make It Real," the album is somewhat disappointing when compared to its predecessor, Lovedrive. The well-written songs on this album end up saving it from total disaster, and it's obvious the band wasn't sure what to exactly put on this record -- many of the songs sound like the work of some other rock group and simply don't blend together as they should. Singer Klaus Meine, known for his excellent vocal performances, sounds bored and just plain overshadowed. Although far from bad, Animal Magnetism isn't a highlight of the Scorpions' career.

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Scorpions - Blackout (1982)⚓

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Hard Rock
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© 1982-1984 Mercury Records
AllMusic Review by Barry Weber
Blackout was the Scorpions' first majorly successful album, due to its clever balance of pop/rock (the title track), power ballads ("When the Smoke Is Going Down"), and catchy heavy metal ("Dynamite," "No One Like You"). Vocalist Klaus Meine had a throat operation prior to the record's release, and surprisingly, his voice sounds more melodic and lively than ever. The rest of the band sounds great as well, and the album is highlighted by the fast-paced performances of guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs. Blackout has been called the Scorpions' best record ever, and that statement is not unjust. No One Like You" gave the band its first chart hit.

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Neon Pearl - 1967 Recordings (2001) (Mono Version)

Country: United Kindom
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
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© 1967-2001 Acme Records
AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger

This collection of obscure British psychedelia has a pleasantly foggy, ethereal feel. There are steadily jangling guitars, accomplished subdued distortion and effects, pulsating riffs, dreamy lyrics ("Dream Scream" is one title), and attractive vocal harmonies, with occasional harmonium tossing in an unusual spice. It fits the cliché of being suitable background music for launching into a meditative doze, or for an altered state of consciousness using specific substances. There's also a serious-mindedness to the mood that, while sincere, would probably never be adapted by a post-20th century band unless it was done with a certain amount of irony totally missing here. What's to complain about? Not much, but the songs themselves are on the monotonous and undeveloped side, sounding more like grooves to work off of than fully realized compositions. The tracks could be viewed as vague forerunners of a more modern form of Terrastock-era psychedelic-influenced ambient and trance rock. But the absence of better songs confines this to the realm of specialists, and excludes it from the upper reaches of the better obscure late-'60s British psychedelic music that might be considered for exploration by collectors.

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Scorpions - Taken By Force (1977)

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Hard Rock
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© 1977-1987 RCA Records
AllMusic Review by Gary Hill
Less brutal than the two previous albums, this one is nonetheless an underappreciated treat. Sure, there are some weak cuts, but there are plenty of strong ones to make up for it. Among the highlights of the disc are the energetic anthem "Steamrock Fever" and the growling song of androgyny "He's a Woman, She's a Man." The highlight of the disc, though, is "We'll Burn the Sky." This one is lyrically quite similar to the Blue Oyster Cult classic "Don't Fear the Reaper," but the music is a wonderfully building anthemic ballad. It is arguably one of the finest songs the Scorpions have ever done.

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Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Hip-Hop
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© 1995 Elektra/WMG Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
As a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard's bizarre, free-form rants added both comic relief and a dangerous unpredictability to the group's chemistry. ODB's RZA-produced solo debut Return to the 36 Chambers stretches his schtick over a full album, which if anything makes him sound even more unbalanced. Long before the album ends, it's clear that ODB has emptied his bag of tricks -- loose, off-the-beat raps that sometimes don't even rhyme, unbelievably graphic vulgarity, gonzo off-key warbling (which sounds a little like Biz Markie as a mental patient), and general goofing off. Yet within that role as hardcore rap's clown prince of psychosis, ODB is pretty damned entertaining. His leaps in association are often as disturbing as they are funny, whether they're couched in scatological detail or not; they certainly don't make his widely publicized erratic behavior seem at all surprising. And, despite the unstructured feel dominating most of the album, there are a fair share of hooks, and two absolutely killer singles in "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and "Brooklyn Zoo." Certainly, there's no reason for the album to be as long as it is, considering the dull filler toward the end. But, even though Return to the 36 Chambers might not be the most earth-shattering piece of the Wu-Tang puzzle, it's an infectious party record which proves that, despite his limitations, Ol' Dirty Bastard has the charisma to carry an album on his own.

tags: ol diry bastard, return to the 36 chambers, the dirty chambers, 1995, flac,

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Mötley Crüe - Too Fast For Love (1981)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Glam Metal
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© 1981 Elektra Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
On their debut album, Mötley Crüe essentially comes across as a bash-'em-out bar band, making up in enthusiasm what they lack in technical skill. Yet that's part of the appeal of Too Fast for Love, a chance to hear the band without the glossy production of their later, most popular work, showcasing their down-and-dirty roots. The fact that pop-metal songwriting was not really a consideration helps the album come off as more genuinely trashy and sleazy, celebrating its own grime with exuberant zest. This is Motley Crue playing it lean and mean, effortlessly capturing the tough swagger that often came off a bit more calculated in later years, and it's one of their most invigorating records. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Too Fast for Love on their own Motley/Beyond label with four bonus tracks: three interesting previously unreleased songs and a version of the title track with a different intro.]

tags: motley crue, too fast for love, 1981, flac,

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Mötley Crüe - Theatre of Pain (1985)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Glam Metal
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© 1985 Elektra Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Backing away from the mild pseudo-Satanic posturing on parts of Shout at the Devil in favor of a more glammed-up image, Motley Crue really began to hit their commercial stride with Theatre of Pain, which broke them on MTV with the power ballad "Home Sweet Home" and a remake of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' in the Boys' Room"; the latter also landed them on the Top 40 singles chart for the first time. Overall, the guitar riffing sounds less heavy metal and more pop-metal; similarly, the sound of the record is slicker and more arranged, polished for mainstream acceptance and airplay. A higher percentage of dull filler has crept into the songwriting, but there are still enough high points to rescue the album's momentum. [In 1999, the Crüe remastered and reissued Theatre of Pain on their own Motley/Beyond label with five bonus tracks: demos of "Home Sweet Home," "Keep Your Eye on the Money," and "City Boy Blues," plus rough mixes of "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" and "Home Sweet Home" (the latter an instrumental).]

tags: motley crue, theatre of pain, 1985, flac,

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Onyx - Bacdafucup (1993)

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop
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© 1993 Def Jam Records
AllMusic Review by Stanton Swihart
At the time that Bacdafucup hit the record racks and airwaves, Onyx seemed to be inventing a genre all their own: heavy metal rap. Of course, on closer inspection, it is not at all surprising stylistically, given their link to Def Jam and Run DMC, the record company and crew that introduced heavy guitar riffs into hip-hop. Onyx, though, seemed far more threateningly hardcore than Run DMC ever were, and each song on their debut album seems like a quick-triggered, menacing chip set squarely on the shoulders of MCs Big DS, Suavé, Fredro, and Sticky Fingaz. That the entire album from beginning to end circumvents almost any backlash by being so brilliantly catchy as well, is a sterling tribute to how strong a quartet Onyx truly is on this first effort. The group gives the impression that they wanted to spotlight the sort of cartoonish, directionless anger that existed in a lot of hardcore rap, and then funnel that sort of energy into songs full of singalong choruses and joyous, chanted hooks that lend a certain feeling of camaraderie to the whole album. The release is mostly co-produced by Run DMC's Jam Master Jay and newcomer Chyskillz, and its music has a tense, wired edge that amplifies the vividness of the threatening lyrics. Sonically, it has a hardcore East Coast/New York City cast, full of throbbing bass and screeching siren-like effects. The grimy urban vibe is matched by Onyx's narrative thuggery, discharged straight from the streets like pumped-up news dispatches and predating the roughneck rap trend by several years. It's hard to imagine, given the gritty content of the album, that Onyx was aiming for airplay with Bacdafucup; nevertheless, almost in spite of itself, it was so good that it earned just that.

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Aaliyah - Aaliyah (2001)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
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© 2001 Blackground, Virgin Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Aaliyah waited nearly five years to deliver her third album, but considering that she was essentially growing up -- it was the equivalent of spending time in college -- when she came back with an eponymous record in the summer of 2001, she came back strong. Aaliyah isn't just a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward, it's one of the strongest urban soul records of its time. Where such peers as Macy Gray and Jill Scott work too hard to establish their ties with classic soul, Aaliyah revels in the present, turning out a pan-cultural array of sounds, styles, and emotions. This sound is entirely unfamiliar -- part of the pleasure is how contemporary it sounds -- but she sounds just as comfortable within the sonicscapes of Timbaland as Missy Misdemeanor Elliott and, possibly, less self-conscious. Aaliyah never oversings, never oversells the songs -- this comes on easy and sultry, and there's a lot of substance here, in terms of the songwriting and the songs themselves. Urban albums rarely come any better than this, and there haven't been many records better than this in 2001, period.

tags: aaliyah, aaliyah album, 2001, flac,

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