October 31, 2019

Nocturnus - The Key (1990) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1990-1991 Combat
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
When Nocturnus was formed in the late '80s, the Tampa residents did something that was most unusual for a death metal/thrash outfit at the time -- they employed a keyboardist (Louis Panzer). It wasn't unusual for mainstream metal and hard rock bands to use keyboards, but it was hardly typical in the underground world of death metal, thrash, and grindcore. Nocturnus, of course, didn't want to be typical, which is why The Key is among the more interesting death metal releases of 1990. The Key has all of death metal's trademarks: insanely fast tempos, demonic vocals (which are provided by Mike Browning), occult-minded lyrics, and a love of brute force and sledgehammer aggression. But the tempos do vary, and Panzer's keyboard harmonies set this CD apart from most of the death metal that was recorded in the late '80s and early '90s. This isn't to say that The Key isn't blistering; even though Nocturnus was more musical than many of its death metal contemporaries, no prisoners are taken on this bone-crushing classic.

tags: nocturnus, the key, 1990, flac,

Nocturnus - Thresholds (1992)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
Style: Technical Death Metal
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© 1992 Earache
Review by "Sargon the Terrible" for Metal Crypt.com
I'll warn you, I'm one of those weirdos who thinks this is Nocturnus' best album. I thought The Key was interesting, but the songwriting was stilted and pretty dull, so despite the unusual and creepy atmosphere, I didn't think it was that great. Thresholds is a lot better. Hard to believe this was released in '92, right as the Dark Age was descending, though I guess it explains why such a promising band died so quickly.
Nocturnus was the band drummer Mike Browning formed after leaving Morbid Angel, and he had a distinct style of songwriting that you can hear on some of MA's old songs like "Chapel Of Ghouls", and it was all over The Key. He's a drummer, so he wrote songs where the vocals fit in between the drumbeats so he could do vocals too, it gives his songs a staccato effect which I think really strangles their momentum. Fortunately on this album he didn't stick rigidly to his same old formula, that he was no longer handling the vocal spot might have helped too. Thresholds has some stellar songs on it: The killer opener, the infectiously catchy "Arctic Crypt" with its cool lyrics, the similarly memorable "Alter Reality", and the album's high point, the epic "Aquatica". There are also some not as good tunes: "Tribal Voudun", "Subterranean Infiltrator" – just filler to take up space. But the good stuff is very, very good. Here Nocturnus seem to have integrated the keys with the guitars more effectively, using them for melody and atmosphere rather than just spooky sound effects – but we have to remember that back then using keys of any kind was heresy to many fans.
The recording is a bit muddy for such a technical band, and I do wish it had more clarity, because there is a lot going on in this music. The cool sci-fi themes are well in evidence, without any stupid Satan bullshit to drag things down to more cliché levels. Overall this is a very strong album that did not, and still does not, get the respect it deserves. Nocturnus were breaking new ground with this one, pity they didn't break much more.

tags: nocturnus, thresholds, 1992, flac,

Nocturnus - Ethereal Tomb (2000)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
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© 2000 Necropolis Records
AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson
When Nocturnus broke up in 1993, it seemed like the Florida death metal/thrash band was gone for good. But by the end of the 1990s, Nocturnus had reunited with a lineup that included Emo Mowery on vocals and bass, Sean McKenney and Mike Davis on guitar, and newcomer Rick Bizzaro on drums. Recorded in 1999, the reunion album Ethereal Tomb picks up where the band's late-'80s and early-'90s work left off. In fact, you could say that blistering items like "Apostle of Evil," "Paranormal States," and "The Science of Horror" are state-of-the-art Nocturnus; the Floridians are still brutal, and they are still more musical than most death metal bands. Although no one would mistake Ethereal Tomb for the mainstream metal of Ronnie James Dio, Iron Maiden, or Judas Priest, Nocturnus was never the typical, run-of-the-mill, one-dimensional grindcore band. Ethereal Tomb isn't quite in a class with 1990's The Key, but it's a solid effort that die-hard Nocturnus fans will welcome.

tags: nocturnus, ethereal tomb, 2000, flac,

October 30, 2019

At The Gates - Slaughter of The Soul (1995) ☠

Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Style: Melodic Death Metal
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1995 Earache
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
When it was first released, At the Gates' Earache debut Slaughter of the Soul was regarded as a generally excellent example of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal, and certainly the band's best and most focused album to date. But the commonly held view was that it wasn't anything all that special, either. After all, it lacked the intricate twin-guitar leads of In Flames, the complex song structures of Dark Tranquillity, the progressive artistry of Edge of Sanity, or even the rock & roll underpinnings of latter-day EntombedSlaughter of the Soul was more obviously rooted in American thrash (especially Slayer) than its peers, and didn't seem to be consciously trying to break new ground. It was simply a stripped-down, no-frills melodic death album that hit all the basic points of the style. In hindsight, though, that's precisely what made the album resonate so strongly. It gets those basics gloriously right: rhythmically kinetic riffs, tight song construction, and enough tempo and dynamic contrasts to keep the listener engaged. More than on any of the band's previous albums (and in contrast to the more sweeping visions of their Gothenburg cohorts), the songs on Slaughter of the Soul are concise, sharply honed assaults; only one makes it all the way to the four-minute mark. The tempo shifts are executed with stop-on-a-dime precision and never feel randomly placed; the band always seems fully in control of its furious outbursts. So even if Slaughter of the Soul wasn't revolutionary, it turned out to be the leanest, meanest, and most focused example of the melo-death style. Key to its influence was the way its straightforward aggression and back-to-basics approach kept the music simple enough to be duplicated: a whole generation of metalheads across the Atlantic used this record as a textbook for learning to play this style. It's also important to note that in place of the usual guttural death grunts, vocalist Tomas Lindberg here adopts a strangled shriek that actually keeps the lyrics somewhat intelligible. Not only does it put a more human face on the music, it also bears a significant resemblance to the kinds of vocals that were coming into vogue among screamo bands in the American punk underground. This point of connection helped set the stage for At the Gates' massive influence on the metalcore movement, which became the predominant style in American metal during the first decade of the 2000s. This legion of imitators was what finally stamped Slaughter of the Soul as not merely excellent, but as an all-time classic and one of the most influential metal albums of the ‘90s.


tags: at the gates, slaughter of the soul, 1995, flac,

Massacre - From Beyond (1991) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1991 Relativity/Earache
Review by Death Metal.org
Production: Florida-trademarik production by both Colin Richardson and Scott Burns stamp this forever with the mold of the atmospheric, almost humid, and rock-tone distinctive production of Morrisound Studios.
Both thunderous in its sagging, palm-muted throb and fast in its Slayer-inspired running-phrase riffing is Massacre from Florida, a band placed so solidly in the genre of death metal as to be definitive. Riffs avoid musical motion in the conventional sense and instead favor recursive, chromatic, nihilistic themes and rhythmic communication of urgency and violence. Where this dominates, as does most extreme death metal, is in the shaping of melody and rhythm however brief to convey motion without harmonic dependence. In these simply structured songs are recombined several platforms of custom adaptation for guitar solos and other depositions of logical encoding.
The band of allstars: Rick Rozz, the whammy-bar screamer from Death's Leprosy, composes the power chord symphonies of each song; Bill Andrews, also of Death fame, plays drums in a Lombardo-inspired power groove of intense adaptivity and expression; Kam Lee throats subsonic guttural decompositions with depth and incoherence; Terry Butler (see Death notes, above) handles bass, a man born to follow the root note to its death, doubling the muted strumming Massacre synchronize to their drumbeats for hammering effective percussion.
tags: massacre, from beyond, 1991, flac,

Massacre - Promise (1996)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
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© 1996 Earache
Review by Death Metal.org
Gone is the simplistic tearing speed riff old-style rhythm murder chant death metal with ludicrous whammy-bars-of-fire solos. 1996 Massacre is a rock n roll creature with slowed and simplistic rock/metal chord progressions to accompany its predictable dirge of maudlin neo-"gothic" deluge. Where previously abstraction reigned in structures of collision and violence, now only the emotivism of the bereft and fatalistic accompanies these rock clichés.

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Massacre - Back From Beyond (2014)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Death Metal
Label Number: 8931-2
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© 2014 Century Media
Review by Justin Croteau Metal Injection.net
Death metal, as a genre, hasn’t made too many leaps since its birth into the field. But like the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and Massacre’s new piece takes that motto to heart with their new album Back From Beyond.
The first full length album from the band since 1996, Massacre has been bringing huge riffs and devastating blows since 1984. The group hails from the early ages of death metal, and it shows with this album acting as a throwback to the golden age of death metal.
Back from Beyond isn’t anything to shake a stick at in terms of something genre-defining, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad release by any means. The album brings a wide mix of sounds from shattering blast beats ("Ascension of the Deceased"), gritty grooves ("False Revelation"), and the ever elusive guitar solos that seem to be so dwindling in music these days ("Shield of the Son", "The Evil Within").
Lyrically though, it’s pretty typical of the genre including death, carnage, death, torture, death, hatred, and oh yeah… death. The songs do tend to run together over the 14 track piece, but it’s that depth of material that helps to bring the super dark, heavy, creepy atmosphere the band tries for on the album to life.
This album is for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, and Six Feet Under. A warning though, death metal isn’t for everyone. It’s loud, in your face, and often times can be really offensive. I’m guessing though if you’re reading this you like the genre anyway, but hey can’t say I didn’t warn you.

tags: massacre, back from beyond, 2014, flac,

October 29, 2019

Various Artists - The Crow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1994)

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Industrial, Gothic Rock, Grunge, Post Hardcore
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© 1994 Atlantic/Interscope Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
eaturing songs from the Cure, Henry Rollins, Stone Temple Pilots, and a number of other alternative rock stars, The Crow is a strong sampling of industrial, gothic, and alternative hard rock.

tags: various artists, the crow, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1994, flac,

Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go (1996) ☠

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: EK 67709
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☠: Selected by Lass
© 1996 Epic Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Months after the release of the harrowing The Holy Bible, Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey James disappeared, leaving no trace of his whereabouts or his well-being. Ultimately, the remaining trio decided to carry on, releasing their fourth album, Everything Must Go, in 1996. Considering the tragic circumstances that surrounded it, Everything Must Go is the strongest, most focused, and certainly the most optimistic album the Manics ever released. Five of the songs feature lyrics Richey left behind before his disappearance, and while offering no motivation for his actions, they do hint at the depths of his despair. Nicky Wire wrote the remaining lyrics, and his songs give the record its weight and balance, confronting the issue of Richey's disappearance in a roundabout way, never explicitly mentioning the topic but offering a gritty dose of realistic optimism offering the hope that things will get better; after the nihilism of The Holy Bible, the outlook is all the more inspiring. Furthermore, the Manics' musical attack has become leaner; their music still rages, but it's channeled into concise, anthemic rock songs that soar on their own belief. Above all, Everything Must Go is a cathartic experience -- it is genuinely moving to hear the Manics offering hope without sinking to mawkish sentimentality or collapsing under the weight of their situation.

tags: manic street preachers, everything must go, 1996, flac,

October 28, 2019

Smash Mouth - Summer Girl (2006) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: BBR0000002
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2006 Beautiful Bomb Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
After four albums and six years with Interscope, Smash Mouth returned to independent status in 2006 for their fifth album, Summer Girl. The labels may have changed but the sound hasn't: the group is still a quintessential summertime rock & roll band, trafficking in surf guitars, Farfisa organs, and sunny hooks, all designed for the beach. The band knows this and they're unapologetic -- and why shouldn't they be when they're as good at it as they are? They've always had their sound down, even on such forgettable albums as 2003's Get the Picture?, which made them good background music even when the songs didn't stick. Fortunately, the songs on Summer Girl do stick -- in fact, the band has their best set of songs since their 1997 debut, Fush Yu Mang. Not that Smash Mouth is doing anything different -- this is still good-time party music through and through; even when things slow down for the acoustic "Right Side, Wrong Band," it sounds like a fireside singalong -- but the hooks are so big, they're instantly memorable, and they're delivered with the enthusiasm of a band on their first record, not their fifth. By this point, such a difference may only be heard by the faithful, but for those who have stuck by Smash Mouth for all these years, they'll be delighted that the band has produced a record as catchy and confident as this.

tags: smash mouth, summer girl, 2006, flac,

Smash Mouth - Magic (2012)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: FTN 17906

© 2012 429 Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Smash Mouth's fondness of -- and talent for -- novelties tends to obscure their other sunkissed gifts, how they have a knack for creating a soundtrack for an endless summer. Magic, the group's first album since 2006 -- they split after the release of Summer Girl but it sounds like they never went away -- is hampered ever so slightly by those novelties, as the group takes an easy swipe at "Justin Bieber" (it's never a good idea for a group pegged by some as a one-hit wonder to take a potshots at another) and does a by-the-numbers cover of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," a couple of cuts that play into all the negative stereotypes of the bands. And that's what makes the rest of Magic a bit of a surprise: it's as effortlessly effervescent as anything else Smash Mouth has ever released, filled with grooving, organ-fueled beach party anthems. Smash Mouth may stumble slightly when they strive for a power ballad -- "Out of Love," arriving halfway through the record, has a solid, sweeping chorus that the band doesn't quite pull off -- but their traditional blend of '60s garage rock and '80s new wave still provides a breezy good time on "Perfect Planet," "Live to Love Another Day," "Magic," and "Future X Wife." Perhaps it won't change the mind of the haters, but those fans who have stayed true to the SoCal popsters will undoubtedly be pleased.

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At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours (1992)

Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Style: Melodic Death Metal
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© 1992 Grind Core International
AllMusic Review by Eduardo Rivadavia
Here's what Sweden's At the Gates told us with their first album, The Red in the Sky is Ours: they were from, er, Sweden; they were very upset about something -- probably their parents; they played extremely fast and furious; and they pretty much sounded like a "baby" Entombed, offering little in the way of innovation to the booming Gothenburg death metal scene. And that's pretty much it. Later on, their contributions would rank among the best death metal around, but, for now, only the title track and latter-day concert favorite "Kingdom Gone" show any inspiration. Everything else will barely interest even hardcore fans.

tags: at the gates, the red in the sky is ours, 1992, flac,

At The Gates - With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness (1993)

Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Style: Melodic Death Metal
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© 1993 Deaf Records
AllMusic Review by Eduardo Rivadavia
Coming off their competent, but hardly groundbreaking, debut, The Red in the Sky Is Ours, few would have picked At the Gates as death metal superstars in the making. Yet, with their sophomore effort, the grandly named With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness, the boys from Gothenburg, Sweden, made significant strides to proving most everyone wrong. Possibly their most experimental outing, the album contained a number of highlights in "Burning Darkness" and "Raped by the Light of Christ" (oooo-kay), whose unbridled fury and insidious melodies would serve as rough blueprints for future triumphs. On the other hand, technically ambitious, more involved experiments like "Ever-Opening Flower" and the seven-minute "Primal Breath" come off too contrived and ultimately can't compare in terms of intensity to their more concise counterparts. Still, it was obvious that the once samey Swedes had serious potential, if only they could find a way to harness their power and aggression into shorter bursts -- something they would achieve with their next effort, the much improved Terminal Spirit Disease.

tags: at the gates, with fear i kiss the burning darkness, 1993, flac,

At The Gates - Terminal Spirit Disease (1994) ☠

Country: Sweden
Language: English
Genre: Death Metal
Style: Melodic Death Metal
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1994 Futurist
AllMusic Review by Eduardo Rivadavia
With their third album, 1994's highly accomplished Terminal Spirit Disease, Sweden's At the Gates raised their creative stakes beyond most everyone's original expectations, and proved that what had once been a pretty standard and uninventive death metal combo was slowly becoming a true contender in the scene. Right from the get-go, highlights like "The Swarm," "Forever Blind," and the title track venture into melodic territory like never before. Yet they never waver from the band's predetermined path of virulent aggression, and, best of all, keep it all short and sweet for maximum effect. And with extreme (or nonextreme, as it were) experiments like the all-acoustic and cello-laced "And the World Returned," At the Gates showed a willingness to diversify that would soon prove their mettle. What ultimately knocks a few points off Terminal Spirit Disease's total score is its short running time. At a paltry six new songs and three live recordings of older material, it feels more like an EP than a real album at times. But for anyone who was really paying attention, it obvious that At the Gates were on the cusp of something great, maybe even important in the realm of death/thrash metal. And sure enough, this threat soon became reality thanks to their timeless follow-up, Slaughter of the Soul.

tags: at the gates, terminal spirit disease, 1994, flac,

October 27, 2019

Smash Mouth - Fush Yu Mang (1997)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Punk Rock, Pop Rock
Style: Pop Punk
Label Number: INTD-90142

© 1997 Interscope Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The groovy, '60s soul-funk of "Walking on the Sun" disguises the fact that Smash Mouth isn't much more than a run-of-the-mill ska-punk band and that their debut, Fush Yu Mang, isn't much more than an average modern rock album. With its organ riff and breezy melody, "Walking on the Sun" is a great one-shot single, yet Smash Mouth never comes close to replicating its easy charm anywhere on Fush Yu Mang. They sound clumsy when they rock, and their up-tempo numbers never quite catch fire. There are some moments that'll satisfy third wave ska revival fans, but anyone hooked in by the single will find the album disappointing.

tags: smash mouth, fush yu mang, 1997, flac,

Smash Mouth - Astro Lounge (1999)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Punk Rock
Style: Pop Punk
Label Number: INTD-90316

© 1999 Interscope Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Based on their infectious summer single "Walking on the Sun," it was easy to dismiss Smash Mouth as a one-hit wonder, since it was hard to believe that they'd be able to top that sun-kissed delight that was easily the highlight of their debut, Fush Yu Mang. Perhaps that's why their second record, Astro Lounge, feels like such a surprise, since it carries through on the promise of "Walking on the Sun." Like Sugar Ray -- a fellow veteran of the ska-punk underworld who delivered a follow-up that owed more to melodic pop and new wave than its hit predecessor -- Smash Mouth have created an album that is unabashedly fun, catchy, and lightweight, the ideal music for a car radio or a day at the beach. It's true that nothing on Astro Lounge is as immediately grabbing as "Walking on the Sun," but every song shares the same party-ready mentality and irresistible, trashy AM-radio vibe. No, nothing on Astro Lounge is particularly deep, but it's all good fun and it never disappoints -- which is quite a remarkable feat, since one-hit wonders rarely deliver a second album that betters their first.

tags: smash mouth, astro lounge, 1999, flac,

Smash Mouth - Smash Mouth (2001) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: 0694930472
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2001 Interscope Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Smash Mouth is easy to like and easy to hate, depending on your point of view. It's easy to see why some listeners could get irritated at their incandescent, irrepressibly sunny sound, especially if it's pounded out on the radio endlessly; so it seems like every station has adopted "All Star" as their personal signature. But it's easy to love them for the reason they got to that status: their effortless way of updating classic frat rock to sound breezy, hip, and fun, thanks to their healthy love of surf and new wave. They do this best on their singles, of course -- unless they're covering a straight-up oldies like the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," which is simply too predictable; they're much better when they're tackling Let's Active ("Every Word Means No") or the Four Seasons via Fun Boy Three ("Can't Get Enough of You, Babe") -- but they can be just as endearing on their album cuts, as their strong, eponymous third effort shows. There are no new tricks here by any stretch (except the sub-Blur electronic piss-take "Keep It Down"), but it's all done sharply, melodically, and happily. If you've grooved on Smash Mouth's singles and want more of the same, this delivers reliably, which may be an unadorned pleasure for some and a guilty one for others.

tags: smash mouth, smash mouth album, 2001, flac,

Smash Mouth - Get The Picture? (2003) ☠

*European pressing. 
Contains 2 bonus tracks and 13 tracks total.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: 0602498606681
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2003 Interscope Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
By the time Smash Mouth released their fourth album, Get the Picture?, in the summer of 2003, they were nearly an American summer institution. Every two years or so, they would have an effervescent, cheerfully lightweight single that dominated the airwaves all summer and well into the fall, with an equally fizzy, catchy album to back it up. On their third album, they stumbled somewhat, at least in terms of sales, which may be due to a lack of songs as undeniable as "All Star," "Walking on the Sun," or "Till the Morning Comes," or it could be because it came out in November, and winter just isn't the time for this quintessentially Californian band. Get the Picture? also lacks an undeniable single, or even a standout track for that matter -- Neil Diamond was even drafted in for "You Are My Number One," to no avail -- but it doesn't really matter, because the mood is bright, the tone is bright, and the music sounds sunny. If nothing really catches hold as a song, there's still a lot of tuneful, appealing material here, and it functions well as a party album for those hot days of summer. Whether it will be remembered beyond that is another matter entirely, but once again Smash Mouth delivers a soundtrack for the summer. They're reliable, and that's a point in their favor.

tags: smash mouth, get the picture, 2003, flac,

Carl Thomas - Let's Talk About It (2004)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: B0001188-02

© 2004 Bad Boy Records
AllMusic Review by David Jeffries
Fans have been waiting four long years to replace this smooth tenor's ballad-filled, pillow-talk debut from their bedroom nightstands. Not so fast; Let's Talk About It is a very different record from 2000's Emotional. It's more upbeat, slicker, and riskier. There are really two albums going on here: a moderate one that overcomes some workmanlike production with naughty and clever lyrics, and a meandering one that's warm, personal, and visionary. "Rebound" is aching and cliché-free, "Make It Alright" is inspired and infectious, and the smart and sexy "The Baby Maker" ("I just want to thank you girl for allowing me to be myself in this bedroom tonight") are tracks that give the singer more personality than Emotional ever did. The four "interludes" are unfinished songs that give the album some deepness. Malik Yusef's cerebral love poem that ends with a Fantastic Four reference makes "Know It's Alright" the best interlude, but the other three also have bits of Thomas' wandering spirit shining through. When he's loose, this is a great album. Too bad there are a couple of commonplace numbers that break up the album's excitement, the worst being "A Promise." Producer Stevie J. miscasts Thomas as Luther at his happiest on the track, but he gives him lifeless background singers and a faceless beat. P. Diddy is at the controls for "She Is," an average track that's more about LL Cool J than Thomas. Diddy also disrupts the intimate album with some Bad Boy Records announcements and the usual "sounds good/I like it." Thomas' strong voice and sexy slither make these run-of-the-mill moments worth listening to, although the album would have been better off if the singer had total control. But with 16 tracks and only a couple fluff ones, it's easy to whittle this album down to a tight, totally Thomas listen.

tags: carl thomas, lets talk about it, let's, 2004, flac,

October 26, 2019

Angelfish - Angelfish (1994) ☠

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Gothic Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: RARD 10917
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1994 Radioactive
AllMusic Review by Tom Demalon
Future Garbage-woman Shirley Manson fronted this Scottish quartet, and Angelfish is their self-titled debut produced by Talking Heads rhythm section Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. Imagine a garage version of Garbage's studio-honed perfection. Manson sounds a bit like Siouxsie Sioux on "Dogs in a Cage" and "Suffocate Me." On "Heartbreak to Hate," she (and the entire band) does a passable imitation of late '70s/early '80s AOR goddess Pat Benatar. Much of the album is marked by grinding guitars, moody keyboards and pounding drums, which leaves many of the songs indistinguishable. There are a few scattered gems: "King of the World" is an uptempo, singalong delight replete with new wave guitars, and on "The End," Manson shows her affection for Chrissie Hynde. Lastly, the band offers a cover of Holly Vincent's "You Can Love Her" with a sultry, longing vocal by Manson. Not a memorable record, but, at times, an interesting one for those with more than a passing yen for Manson.

tags: angelfish, angelfish album, 1994, flac,

Various Artists - Airheads: Original Soundtrack Album (1994) ☠

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Grunge, Punk Rock
Label Number: 07822-11014-2
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1994 Fox Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Like the movie it supports, the Airheads soundtrack is woefully short on originality. Featuring a selection of mediocre grunge, metal, and heavy alternative rock, the album certainly captures the feeling of 1994, but it contains no standout material and fades from memory quickly.

tags: various artists, airheads, original soundtrack album, ost, soundtrack, 1994, flac,