*First pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: United KingdomGenre: Hard Rock
Label Number: ZM CD 1006
© 1993 Giant Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: demon, heart of our time, 1985, flac,
June 30, 2023
The Cult - Love (1985) ☠
*First pressing.
Contains 13 tracks total.
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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Post Punk
Label Number: VDP-1285
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1985-1987 Victor/Beggars Banquet
1985's Love displayed a marked improvement over the Cult's early material, and though it remains underappreciated in America (worldwide it was a smash), this exceptional record has actually aged better than the band's more notorious (and equally important) releases: Electric and Sonic Temple. Equal parts psychedelic hard rock and new wave goth, the songs on Love emanate a bright guitar sheen, tight arrangements, crisp drumming, and a command performance from vocalist Ian Astbury, who as usual says a lot more with less than most singers. Overall, the album benefits from a wonderful sense of space, thanks in large part to guitarist Billy Duffy (who is much more subdued here than on future releases), whose restraint is especially notable on "Revolution" and the remarkably uncluttered title track. Duffy also provides compelling melodies ("Hollow Man," "Revolution"), driving riffs ("Nirvana," "The Phoenix"), and even a U2-like intro to "Big Neon Glitter." Also on offer is the near-perfect "She Sells Sanctuary" and the smash hit "Rain," quite possibly the band's most appealing single ever. Considering the musical schizophrenia that would plague each subsequent Cult release, Love just may be the band's purest moment.
tags: the cult, love, 1985, flac,
Pat Benatar - Seven The Hard Way (1985)
*U.S. first pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: VK 41507
© 1985 Chrysalis
Seven the Hard Way continues the slick pop approach of Tropico and is benefitted by a wealth of songs written by professional songwriters. At this point, Pat Benatar and her band weren't coming up with material as catchy or memorable as "Invincible" and "Sex as a Weapon," so the presence of the pro songwriters was a blessing, not a curse.
tags: pat benatar, seven the hard way, 1985, flac,
Anal Cunt - Picnic of Love (1998)
Genre: Anti Folk
Style: Comedy
Label Number: OTR 002
© 1998 Off The Records
For the ten releases that AC has managed to release every week since their debut, they should also include their unintended motto of "taking the joke way too far." AC stopped being funny after their hilarious 1994 contribution to the Son of Bbbbbllllaaaarrrgggghhhh! compilation -- which soon followed the rumor that they signed a seven-album deal with Earache Records. A thousand songs later, AC continue to break that unwritten rule: If a band is intentionally going to put out a bad record, it should at least be funny. The same goes for Picnic of Love, which is a collection of ballads that never ceases to have a tragic and violent ending by the end of each song.
tags: anal cunt, picnic of love, 1998, flac,
Anal Cunt - It Just Gets Worse (1999)
Genre: Grindcore
Label Number: MOSH 195 CD
© 1999 Earache
After Ozzy Osbourne, GWAR, and Alice Cooper -- not to mention G.G. Allin, Cannibal Corpse, and W.A.S.P's Blackie Lawless -- it's hard to imagine any rocker being more over-the-top. Anal Cunt gives it a shot on It Just Gets Worse, a grindcore/hardcore punk CD consisting of 39 tracks (all of them short bursts of amelodic noise) that go out of their way to be as offensive, crude, profane, and vulgar as possible. When you see titles like "You're Pregnant, So I Kicked You in the Stomach," "I Lit Your Baby on Fire," and "Sweatshops Are Cool," you know that this album is about shock value for the sake of shock value. As gross and repulsive as AC's lyrics are, however, they come across as very tongue-in-cheek and shouldn't be taken seriously. Possibly, this CD could be viewed as a revolt against political correctness -- that is, assuming that it bears any serious socio-political analysis. By 1998 standards, It Just Gets Worse is hardly cutting-edge and doesn't pack nearly the punch that Alice Cooper's "I Love the Dead" did in 1974 or the Weasels' "Beat Her With a Rake" did in 1978. In fact, rockers who grew up listening to Cooper, Blackie Lawless, Slayer, or G.G. Allin -- and who probably admired Ice-T, the Geto Boys, N.W.A, and 2Pac Shakur as well -- are likely to hear It Just Gets Worse and think, "If your goal was to shock or offend me, I'm afraid you're about ten or 20 years too late." Regardless, the band sounds like it had a lot of fun trying.
tags: anal cunt, it just gets worse, 1999, flac,
June 29, 2023
Alaska - The Pack (1985) ☠
*First pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: INT 845.089
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1985 Intercord/Music For Nations
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: alaska, the pack, 1985, flac,
Anttex & The Clik - Suburban Etiquette (1991)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: TUF CD 0572
© 1991 Tuff City
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: anttex and the click, suburban etiquette, 1991, flac,
June 28, 2023
Urgehal - Aeons In Sodom (2016)
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: SUA 063D
© 2016 Season of Mist Underground Activists
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: urgehal, aeons in sodom, 2016, flac,
Tesla - Mechanical Resonance (1986) ⚓
*U.S. first processing.
Contains 12 tracks total.
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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: 9 24120-2
© 1986 Geffen Records
Sacramento's oddly named Tesla (a moniker inspired by renegade inventor and pioneering electrical engineer Nikola Tesla) took the side door to '80s hard rock success, sneaking up on the charts and into the bedrooms of none-the-wiser glam metal consumers with their rock-solid debut, Mechanical Resonance -- itself titled after one of Nikola's better-known experiments, and a fascinating case study in musical compromise if ever there were one. Essentially, the album was partitioned into two quite different halves, with side one predominantly tailored to seduce the aforementioned music fans via radio-friendly templates and therefore packed with mostly throwaway, cliché-ridden arena anthems like "EZ Come, EZ Go," "Cumin' Atcha Live," and the gloriously dumb "Rock Me to the Top," boasting few surprises but plenty of testosterone. Yes, a few hints of Tesla's substantial songwriting intelligence can be glimpsed within the gritty strut of "Gettin' Better" and the bluesy balladry of "We're No Good Together," but most of the band's more mature and accomplished songs are saved for Mechanical Resonance's revelatory side two. Here, lead guitarist Frank Hannon really takes charge and establishes himself as the band's de facto difference maker, beginning with an epic of Led Zeppelin-like class and complexity in "Modern Day Cowboy," which was built upon a lopsided riff so irresistible that not even its finger-twisting complexity could keep it from becoming one of their most popular standards. This was followed by another pair of eventual fan favorites doubling as good examples of Tesla's creative range, since the wintry drama of the piano-laced "Changes" stood in stark contrast to the upbeat summer vibe of "Little Suzi." And finally, as though the aforementioned detours didn't proffer enough food for thought, Tesla even flirted with art rock on the odd rhythms and clever economy of "Cover Queen," before concluding with the desolate sobriety of closer "Before My Eyes." Given all these qualities and contrasts, it's no wonder that Mechanical Resonance stood out as one of the 1980s' most eclectic hard rock albums, and provided a formidable introduction to one of the era's most underrated American bands.
tags: tesla, mechanical resonance, 1986, flac,
Dirty Blonde - Passion (1989)
Genre: Glam Metal
Label Number: OECD-9000
© 1989 Outpost Entertainment Company
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: dirty blonde, passion, 1989, flac,
June 26, 2023
Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974) ☠
*U.S. first pressing.
Contains 5 tracks total.
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Country: Germany
Genre: Electronic
Label Number: 9 25326-2
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1974-1992 Elektra Records
Although Kraftwerk's first three albums were groundbreaking in their own right, Autobahn is where the group's hypnotic electronic pulse genuinely came into its own. The main difference between Autobahn and its predecessors is how it develops an insistent, propulsive pulse that makes the repeated rhythms and riffs of the shimmering electronic keyboards and trance-like guitars all the more hypnotizing. The 22-minute title track, in a severely edited form, became an international hit single and remains the peak of the band's achievements -- it encapsulates the band and why they are important within one track -- but the rest of the album provides soundscapes equally as intriguing. Within Autobahn, the roots of electro-funk, ambient, and synth pop are all evident -- it's a pioneering album, even if its electronic trances might not capture the attention of all listeners.
tags: kraftwerk, autobahn, 1974, flac,
Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity (1975)
*U.S. first pressing.
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: GermanyGenre: Electronic
Label Number: CDP 7 46474 2
© 1975-1987 Capitol Records
A concept album exploring themes of broadcast communications, Radio-Activity marked Kraftwerk's return to more obtuse territory, extensively utilizing static, oscillators, and even Cage-like moments of silence to approximate the sense of radio transmission; a pivotal record in the group's continuing development, the title track -- the first they ever recorded in English -- is their most fully realized electro-pop effort to date, while "The Voice of Energy" precipitates the robot voice so crucial to their subsequent work.
tags: kraftwerk, radio activity, 1975, flac,
June 25, 2023
Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune (1976) ☠
*This is a repress of the original 1976 LP pressing on CD.
Contains 10 tracks total.
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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label Number: CCK 34164
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1976 Columbia Records
If ever there were a manifesto for 1970s rock, one that prefigured both the decadence of the decade's burgeoning heavy metal and prog rock excesses and the rage of punk rock, "This Ain't the Summer of Love," the opening track from Agents of Fortune, Blue Öyster Cult's fourth album, was it. The irony was that while the cut itself came down firmly on the hard rock side of the fence, most of the rest of the album didn't. Agents of Fortune was co-produced by longtime Cult record boss Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and newcomer David Lucas, and in addition, the band's lyric writing was being done internally with help from poet-cum-rocker Patti Smith (who also sings on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"). Pearlman, a major contributor to the band's songwriting output, received a solitary credit while critic Richard Meltzer, whose words were prevalent on the Cult's previous outings, was absent. The album yielded the band's biggest single with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a multi-textured, deeply melodic soft rock song with psychedelic overtones, written by guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. The rest of the album is ambitious in that it all but tosses aside the Cult's proto-metal stance and instead recontextualizes their entire stance. It's still dark, mysterious, and creepy, and perhaps even more so, it's still rooted in rock posturing and excess, but gone is the nihilistic biker boogie in favor of a more tempered -- indeed, nearly pop arena rock -- sound that gave Allen Lanier's keyboards parity with Dharma's guitar roar, as evidenced by "E.T.I.," "Debbie Denise," and "True Confessions." This is not to say that the Cult abandoned their adrenaline rock sound entirely. Cuts like "Tattoo Vampire" and "Sinful Love" have plenty of feral wail in them. Ultimately, Agents of Fortune is a solid record, albeit a startling one for fans of the band's earlier sound. It also sounds like one of restless inspiration, which is, in fact, what it turned out to be given the recordings that came after. It turned out to be the Cult's last consistent effort until they released Fire of Unknown Origin in 1981.
tags: blue oyster cult, agents of fortune, 1976, flac,
Blue Öyster Cult - Mirrors (1979)
*U.S. first pressing.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: CK 36009
© 1979-1987 Columbia Records
Blue Öyster Cult tried a new producer on Mirrors, replacing longtime mentor Sandy Pearlman with Tom Werman, a CBS staffer who had worked with Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent. The result is an album that tries to straddle pop and hard rock just as those acts did, emphasizing choral vocals (plus female backup) and a sharp, trebly sound. But this approach appeared to displease longtime metal-oriented fans without attracting new ones: "In Thee" became a minor singles-chart entry, but the album broke BÖC's string of five gold or platinum albums in a row. The real reason simply may have been that the songs weren't distinctive enough. Much of this is generic hard rock that could have been made by any one of a dozen '70s arena bands.
tags: blue oyster cult, mirrors, 1979, flac,
The Who - Face Dances (1981)
*This is a repress of the original 1993
European first pressing on CD.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: United KingdomGenre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 517 948-2
© 1981 Polydor
Without Keith Moon, the Who may have lacked the restless firepower that distinguished their earlier albums, but Face Dances had some of Pete Townshend's best, most incisive compositions since Quadrophenia. "Don't Let Go the Coat" was one of his better odes to Meher Baba, "You Better You Bet" was a driving rocker, as was the rueful "Cache Cache," while "How Can You Do It Alone" was a solid ballad. While Townshend's songs were graceful and introspective, Roger Daltrey delivered them without any subtlety, rendering their power impotent.
tags: the who, face of dances, 1981, flac,
Militant Mind State - Bottom Line/Cute Loot (12" Single) (1995)
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*Photos of the record are included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: KNWMD95
© 1995 Illadelph Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: militant mind state, bottom line, cute loot, single, 1995, flac,
Opus Akoben - Art of War (1997)
*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 74321470892
© 1997 BMG France/RCA Victor
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.
tags: opus akoben, art of war, 1997, flac,
Urgehal - Arma Christi (1997)
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: NC 011
© 1997 No Colours Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
tags: urgehal, arma christi, 1997, flac,
Urgehal - Goatcraft Torment (2006)
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: SUNN53
© 2006 Southern Lord
Apparently the Norwegian black metal scene has been fragmented and contaminated enough that when a veteran band like Urgehal releases a new album they have to advertise the brand. On the jewel box spine it states "Satanic Black Metal." And, as if that weren't enough, on the back of the booklet it claims "Norsk Satanisk Black Metal." Finally, the ever corpse-painted vocalist Trondr Nefas yowls at the beginning of the opening title track, "This is Satanic black metal!" before the cut starts. (Perhaps he thought fans couldn't read?) In any case, if you are a fan of blastbeats, big showy riffs, messed-up rhythmic changes and cookie monster vocals, you'll dig this. Released by Southern Lord in the United States (it was issued in Europe in 2005) Goat Craft Torment is well recorded, (which is a far cry form this band's early records, and even further from Mayhem and Burzum, or even Emperor for that matter) and full of memorable riffs and songwriting concerned with the usual themes. That's tough to say, actually; it seems there should be new ways to rail against Christianity, and all things evil. That caveat emptor aside, the music here is actually very imaginative, and Urgehal have foregone the changes that many of their peers have succumbed to: don't look for progressive elements, long gloomy keyboard lines, or flutes on this set. This is pure blast and burn from beginning to end. It kicks ass, actually. The winding power riffs and the drumming are especially hard to believe. For those in favor of the original brand-name black metal, this is for you.
tags: urgehal, goatcraft torment, 2006, flac,
June 23, 2023
T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971) ☠
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*This is a repress of the original 1986 US CD pressing.
Contains 11 tracks total and non remastered audio.
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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: 6466-2
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1971 Reprise Records
The album that essentially kick-started the U.K. glam rock craze, Electric Warrior completes T. Rex's transformation from hippie folk-rockers into flamboyant avatars of trashy rock & roll. There are a few vestiges of those early days remaining in the acoustic-driven ballads, but Electric Warrior spends most of its time in a swinging, hip-shaking groove powered by Marc Bolan's warm electric guitar. The music recalls not just the catchy simplicity of early rock & roll, but also the implicit sexuality -- except that here, Bolan gleefully hauls it to the surface, singing out loud what was once only communicated through the shimmying beat. He takes obvious delight in turning teenage bubblegum rock into campy sleaze, not to mention filling it with pseudo-psychedelic hippie poetry. In fact, Bolan sounds just as obsessed with the heavens as he does with sex, whether he's singing about spiritual mysticism or begging a flying saucer to take him away. It's all done with the same theatrical flair, but Tony Visconti's spacious, echoing production makes it surprisingly convincing. Still, the real reason Electric Warrior stands the test of time so well -- despite its intended disposability -- is that it revels so freely in its own absurdity and willful lack of substance. Not taking himself at all seriously, Bolan is free to pursue whatever silly wordplay, cosmic fantasies, or non sequitur imagery he feels like; his abandonment of any pretense to art becomes, ironically, a statement in itself. Bolan's lack of pomposity, back-to-basics songwriting, and elaborate theatrics went on to influence everything from hard rock to punk to new wave. But in the end, it's that sense of playfulness, combined with a raft of irresistible hooks, that keeps Electric Warrior such an infectious, invigorating listen today.
tags: t rex, electric warrior, 1971, flac,
T. Rex - The Slider (1972) ☠
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*U.K. first pressing with an alternate cover.
Contains 13 tracks total.
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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: MARCD 503
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1972-1989 Marc On Wax
Buoyed by two U.K. number one singles in "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru," The Slider became T. Rex's most popular record on both sides of the Atlantic, despite the fact that it produced no hits in the U.S. The Slider essentially replicates all the virtues of Electric Warrior, crammed with effortless hooks and trashy fun. All of Bolan's signatures are here -- mystical folk-tinged ballads, overt sexual come-ons crooned over sleazy, bopping boogies, loopy nonsense poetry, and a mastery of the three-minute pop song form. The main difference is that the trippy mix of Electric Warrior is replaced by a fuller, more immediate-sounding production. Bolan's guitar has a harder bite, the backing choruses are more up-front, and the arrangements are thicker-sounding, even introducing a string section on some cuts (both ballads and rockers). Even with the beefier production, T. Rex still doesn't sound nearly as heavy as many of the bands it influenced (and even a few of its glam contemporaries), but that's partly intentional -- Bolan's love of a good groove takes precedence over fast tempos or high-volume crunch. Lyrically, Bolan's flair for the sublimely ridiculous is fully intact, but he has way too much style for The Slider to sound truly stupid, especially given the playful, knowing wink in his delivery. It's nearly impossible not to get caught up in the irresistible rush of melodies and cheery good times. Even if it treads largely the same ground as Electric Warrior, The Slider is flawlessly executed, and every bit the classic that its predecessor is.
tags: t rex, the slider, 1972, flac,
T. Rex - Tanx (1973) ☠
*U.S. first pressing.
Contains 13 tracks total.
%20Buccaneer.png){kind=small}
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Glam Rock
Label Number: 88561-8254-2
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1973-1987 Relativity Records
By 1973's Tanx, the T. Rex hit-making machine was beginning to show some wear and tear, but Marc Bolan still had more than a few winners up his sleeve. It was also admirable that Bolan was attempting to broaden the T. Rex sound -- soulful backup singers and horns are heard throughout, a full two years before David Bowie used the same formula for his mega-seller Young Americans. However, Tanx did not contain any instantly recognizable hits, as their past couple of releases had, and the performances were not quite as vibrant, due to non-stop touring and drug use. Despite an era of transition looming on the horizon for the band, tracks such as "Rapids," "Highway Knees," "The Street & Babe Shadow," and "Born to Boogie" contain the expected classic T. Rex sound. The leadoff track, "Tenement Lady," is an interesting Beatlesque epic, while "Shock Rock" criticizes the early-'70s glam scene, which T. Rex played a prominent role in creating. Other highlights include one of Bolan's most gorgeous and heartfelt ballads, "Broken Hearted Blues," as well as the brief, explosive rocker "Country Honey." Tanx marked the close of what many consider T. Rex's golden era; unfortunately, the bandmembers would drift off one by one soon after, until Bolan was the only one remaining by the mid-'70s.
tags: t rex, tanx, 1973, flac,
