Blink-182 - Enema of The State (1999) ☠

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Punk Rock

Style: Pop Punk

Label Number: MCD 11950

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

☠: Selected by Lass

© 1999 MCA Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
If the title Enema of the State didn't give it away, it should be clear from songs like "Dumpweed," "What's My Age Again?," and "Dysentery Gary" that moving to a major label isn't a sign of maturity for blink-182. "Dammit (Growing Up)," the first single from their third album, Dude Ranch, brought them a wider audience and the attention of major labels, which was just too tempting to resist. They signed with MCA, but the only sign that Enema of the State is a major-label effort is the somewhat cleaner production and the fact that they could afford porn superstar Janine -- all decked out as (surprise!) an enema nurse -- for the album cover. Of course, the lovely Janine is as much an indication as "Going Away to College," a catchy little number that pretty much repeats the narrative of "Dammit": blink-182 is not growing up, no way, no how, nowhere. And that's fine, because few of their peers are quite as blissfully stupid and effortlessly catchy as them. Sure, they might not show the emotional depth of Green Day, but they have good tunes and deliver them in a speedy, punchy fashion. Enema of the State isn't going to change anyone's life -- unless it's the first time a 13-year-old boy has seen Janine -- and it will likely irritate old codgers, but it's a fun record that's better than the average neo-punk release.

tags: blink 182, blink-182, enema of the state, 1999, flac,

More Info

TLC - FanMail (1999) ☠

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

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B

Label Number: 73008 26055 2

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

☠: Selected by Lass

© 1999 LaFace Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Crazysexycool was one of those records that defined an era. Few records before it combined hip-hop and classic soul songwriting quite as intoxicatingly or gracefully -- the performances and productions were utterly seamless. It would have been difficult to top anyway, but TLC had it doubly bad, since a number of behind-the-scenes problems delayed a sequel for nearly five years. As with any eagerly anticipated record, that follow-up, FanMail, arrived with too many expectations. And initially, it may be disappointing to realize TLC doesn't forge new ground with FanMail, but after a few spins, it settles in that nobody else makes urban soul quite as engaging as this. Not that it was easy to make this record, as the head-spinning list of collaborators indicates. Almost ten producers worked on the record, all trying to replicate the easy, appealing sound of Crazysexycool. And "replicate" is the right word, since there are no new innovations on FanMail, apart from a few lifts from the Timbaland book of tricks. Nevertheless, that may be for the best, since TLC and their army of producers have spent time crafting the songs and productions, turning FanMail into a record that almost reaches the peaks of its predecessor. By the end of the record, it appears that they can do it all -- funky, hip-hop-fueled dance-pop, seductive ballads, and mid-tempo jams -- and they can do it all well. Other groups try to reach these heights, but they don't have the skills or the material to pull it off quite so well. True, the five-year wait felt interminable, and they're now standard-bearers instead of pioneers, but if takes TLC as long to make a sequel to FanMail, so be it -- they have one of the best track records in '90s urban soul.

tags: tlc, fan mail, fanmail, 1999, flac,

More Info

TLC - CrazySexyCool (1994) ☠

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

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B

Label Number: 73008-26009-2

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

☠: Selected by Lass

© 1994 LaFace Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
On their second album, TLC downplay their overt rap connections, recording a smooth, seductive collection of contemporary soul reminiscent of both Philly soul and Prince, powered by new jack and hip-hop beats. Lisa Lopes contributes the occasional rap, but the majority of CrazySexyCool belongs to Tionne Watkins and Rozonda Thomas. While they aren't the most accomplished vocalists -- they have a tendency to be just slightly off-key -- the material they sing is consistently strong. As the cover of Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" indicates, TLC favor erotic, mid-tempo funk. Yet the group removes any of the psychosexual complexities of Prince's songs, leaving a batch of sexy material that just sounds good, especially the hit singles. Both "Creep" and "Red Light Special" have a deep groove that accentuates the slinky hooks, but it's "Waterfalls," with its gently insistent horns and guitar lines and instantly memorable chorus, that ranks as one of the classic R&B songs of the '90s.

tags: tlc, crazysexycool, crazy sexy cool, 1994, flac,

More Info

The Police - Ghost In The Machine (1981)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave

Label Number: CD-3730

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1981-1985 A&M Records
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato
For their fourth album, 1981's Ghost in the Machine, the Police had streamlined their sound to focus more on their pop side and less on their trademark reggae-rock. Their jazz influence had become more prominent, as evidenced by the appearance of saxophones on several tracks. The production has more of a contemporary '80s sound to it (courtesy of Hugh Padgham, who took over for Nigel Gray), and Sting proved once and for all to be a master of the pop songwriting format. The album spawned several hits, such as the energetic "Spirits in the Material World" (notice how the central rhythms are played by synthesizer instead of guitar to mask the reggae connection) and a tribute to those living amid the turmoil and violence in Northern Ireland circa the early '80s, "Invisible Sun." But the best and most renowned of the bunch is undoubtedly the blissful "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," which topped the U.K. singles chart and nearly did the same in the U.S. (number three). Unlike the other Police releases, not all of the tracks are stellar ("Hungry for You," "Omegaman"), but the vicious jazz-rocker "Demolition Man," the barely containable "Rehumanize Yourself," and a pair of album-closing ballads ("Secret Journey," "Darkness") proved otherwise. While it was not a pop masterpiece, Ghost in the Machine did serve as an important stepping stone between their more direct early work and their more ambitious latter direction, resulting in the trio's exceptional blockbuster final album, 1983's Synchronicity.

tags: the police, ghost in the machine, 1981, flac,

More Info

The Police - Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave

Label Number: CD-4753

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1978-1983 A&M Records
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato

While their subsequent chart-topping albums would contain far more ambitious songwriting and musicianship, the Police's 1978 debut, Outlandos d'Amour (translation: Outlaws of Love) is by far their most direct and straightforward release. Although Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland were all superb instrumentalists with jazz backgrounds, it was much easier to get a record contract in late-'70s England if you were a punk/new wave artist, so the band decided to mask their instrumental prowess with a set of strong, adrenaline-charged rock, albeit with a reggae tinge. Some of it may have been simplistic ("Be My Girl-Sally," "Born in the '50s"), but Sting was already an ace songwriter, as evidenced by all-time classics like the good-girl-gone-bad tale of "Roxanne," and a pair of brokenhearted reggae-rock ditties, "Can't Stand Losing You" and "So Lonely." But like all other Police albums, the lesser-known album cuts are often highlights themselves -- the frenzied rockers "Next to You," "Peanuts," and "Truth Hits Everybody," as well as more exotic fare like the groovy album closer "Masoko Tanga" and the lonesome "Hole in My Life." Outlandos d'Amour is unquestionably one of the finest debuts to come out of the '70s punk/new wave movement.

tags: the police, outlandos d amour, 1978, flac,

More Info

The Police - Reggatta De Blanc (1984)

*Reissued by A&M records on an unknown date. 

This is a repress of the original 1979 LP release. 

Contains 11 tracks total.

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave, Reggae Pop

Label Number: CD 3312

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1979-1984 A&M Records
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato

By 1979's Reggatta de Blanc (translation: White Reggae), nonstop touring had sharpened the Police's original blend of reggae-rock to perfection, resulting in breakthrough success. Containing a pair of massive hit singles -- the inspirational anthem "Message in a Bottle" and the spacious "Walking on the Moon" -- the album also signaled a change in the band's sound. Whereas their debut got its point across with raw, energetic performances, Reggatta de Blanc was much more polished production-wise and fully developed from a songwriting standpoint. While vigorous rockers did crop up from time to time ("It's Alright for You," "Deathwish," "No Time This Time," and the Grammy-winning instrumental title track), the material was overall much more sedate than the debut -- "Bring on the Night," "The Bed's Too Big Without You," and "Does Everyone Stare." Also included was one of Stewart Copeland's two lead vocal appearances on a Police album, the witty "On Any Other Day," as well as one of the band's most eerie tracks, "Contact." With Reggatta de Blanc, many picked Sting and company to be the superstar band of the '80s, and the Police would prove them correct on the band's next release.

tags: the police, reggatta de blanc, 1984, flac,

More Info

The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave

Label Number: CDA64831

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1980-1985 A&M Records
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato

The stage was set for the Police to become one of the biggest acts of the '80s, and the band delivered with the 1980 classic Zenyatta Mondatta. The album proved to be the trio's second straight number one album in the U.K., while peaking at number three in the U.S. Arguably the best Police album, Zenyatta contains perhaps the quintessential new wave anthem, the haunting "Don't Stand So Close to Me," the story of an older teacher lusting after one of his students. While other tracks follow in the same spooky path (their second Grammy-winning instrumental "Behind My Camel" and "Shadows in the Rain"), most of the material is upbeat, such as the carefree U.S./U.K. Top Ten "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da," "Canary in a Coalmine," and "Man in a Suitcase." Sting includes his first set of politically charged lyrics in "Driven to Tears," "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around," and "Bombs Away," which all observe the declining state of the world. While Sting would later criticize the album as not all it could have been (the band was rushed to complete the album in order to begin another tour), Zenyatta Mondatta remains one of the finest rock albums of all time.

tags: the police, zenyatta mondatta, 1980, flac,

More Info

Sugar Ray - Music For Cougars (2009)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Pop Rock

Label Number: PUL0163

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2009 Pulse Recordings
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Never let it be said that Sugar Ray doesn't know its audience. They make no bones about making Music for Cougars, those cougars being the very girls that shook their hips to "Fly" back in 1997 and are looking for a little bit of the same breezy vibe 12 years later, a little bit of sexy nostalgia to get them through their summer, a soundtrack to a few girls' nights out. Sugar Ray is not only comfortable with this vibe, they embrace it with open arms, dropping references to Sex & the City on their discofied "She's Got The (Woo-Hoo)," taking time to remember "When We Were Young," but they also have a keen eye on the present, and are not above trying to seem modern, rewriting Katy Perry's "Hot & Cold" for the chorus of "Closer." This kind of cheerful opportunism has always served Sugar Ray well -- remember, they abandoned their sub-Chili Peppers shuck-and-jive as soon as Lemonade and Brownies didn't work out -- and it does so here, probably because their half-decade rest has given them time to recharge the batteries, letting them pile up some typically infectious sunny pop hooks, the kind that worm into the subconscious no matter how hard you resist. Not that everything on Music for Cougars works -- like the titular aging sex kittens, Sugar Ray can sometimes try too hard to seem younger than their years, pushing the dance beats a little bit too hard, and Mark McGrath relies on some unseemly Auto-Tune, but even with this too-evident aural botox, the group remains a guilty pleasure that's a bit hard to resist.

tags: sugar ray, music for cougars, 2009, flac,

More Info

Sugar Ray - In The Pursuit of Leisure (2003)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Pop Rock

Label Number: CD 83616

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2003 Atlantic Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Do you want proof that Sugar Ray are smarter, or at least savvier, than they seem? They not only abandoned funk-metal the second they had a hit with the breezy "Fly," they ran with their newfound success, turning into the sunny, good-time summertime band that American pop radio desperately needed in the bleak, self-absorbed aftermath of grunge. Thing was, they were much better as a pop band than a rock band; although they could occasionally hit a rocker out of the park, as they did on the punky power pop of "Answer the Phone," they felt more comfortable when they laid back and let the hooks speak for themselves, something they felt increasingly comfortable doing with each successive album, culminating in their first-rate 2001 eponymous record. That was a clean, straightforward pop album, working within the mainstream tradition and sounding surprisingly timeless in many ways. Its 2003 successor continues in the pop vein, but it tries to be a more contemporary version of that album, overloaded with modern drum beats and loops and processed guitars. Often, this is merely window-dressing on a good pop song, but sometimes it overwhelms the track if there are no hooks there -- as it does, ironically, on the album's first single, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)." So, it's not as consistent as Sugar Ray, stumbling on occasion, but it does deliver some great guilty pleasures -- the opening "Chasin' You Around"; the sweet "Heaven"; the rocker "In Through the Doggie Door," which redeems its title; the excellent cover of "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," where vocalist Mark McGrath precisely mimics the tone, timbre, and phrasing of Joe Jackson; and, finally, "Blues From a Gun," where they appropriate a Jesus & Mary Chain title and come up with a song that's pretty much the polar opposite of the Mary Chain. It all adds up to another winning record by a band who has proven to be far more resilient than anybody could have guessed when "Fly" flew to the top of the charts in 1997.

tags: sugar ray, in the pursuit of leisure, 2003, flac,

More Info

Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part Two (1995)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Heavy Metal, Symphonic Metal

Label Number: TT0019-2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1995 T&T Records
AllMusic Review by Bryan Reesman
About as perfect as a metal album can get. There are so many incredible tracks: the ten-minute romantic elegy "Emalaith" (the ultimate power metal ballad), the lush "Unholy Water," and the ferocious "Rising Unchained." David Defeis practically perfects the concept of the noble savage in metal, macho yet sensitive, belligerent yet thoughtful. These qualities perfectly represent the dichotomies inherent in the metal world, particularly for those who like their metal smart and sophisticated while staying savage.

tags: virgin steele, steel, the marrigae of heaven and hell part 2, 1995, flac,

More Info

Sugar Ray - Sugar Ray (2001)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock

Label Number: 83414-2

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2001 Atlantic Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
By their fourth album, Sugar Ray had developed a real ease to their music. Starting with "Fly," they no longer tried so hard to rock -- they no longer tried to ape the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- and began relaxing into a sun-kissed, laid-back groove, the kind of music where even the fast numbers powered by distorted guitars don't necessarily sound heavy. This came to the forefront on 14:59, but it blossoms on that album's follow-up, Sugar Ray. Where 14:59 was a little self-conscious and jokey (culminating in a cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra"), Sugar Ray feels easy and natural, so it's easy to smile at the reference to Run-D.M.C.instead of cringing. And that'sthe key to the record -- it's relaxed, utterly without pretension, and often charmingly melodic. Sure, there are some cuts that fall flat, but this record is more consistent than any of their previous albums, thanks not only to a stronger set of material, but the fact that the band is gelling as a band, which makes even the missteps easier to listen to. Best of all, the band never runs from their past, adding another great summer single to their arsenal with "When It's Over" (easily the equal of "Fly" and "Every Morning"), while even sampling "Every Morning" on "Ours." All this doesn't make Sugar Ray seem new, but there's charm to their performances, which make the album seen fresh, all the same. For a supposed one-hit wonder, it's remarkable that they've released their best album four records into their career.

tags: sugar ray, sugar ray album, 2001, flac,

More Info

Sugar Ray - Floored (1997)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Nü-Metal, Reggae Fusion

Label Number: 83006-2

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1997 Lava, Atlantic Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Sugar Ray's second album, Floored, is a noticeable improvement from Lemonade and Brownies. The group's fusion of metal, funk, reggae, and rap is seamless and confident, partially because Sugar Ray now emphasize the groove, not the guitars. The group still has difficulty writing a consistent batch of songs, but its hooks are stronger than ever, as evidenced by the single "Fly," which features a cameo from Super Cat. Nothing on the album is quite as memorable as "Fly," but the other songs have similarly infectious beats and hooks, which is especially impressive considering that Lemonade and Brownies was devoid of both.

tags: sugar ray, floored, 1997, flac,

More Info

Sugar Ray - 14:59 (1999) ☠

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock

Label Number: 83151-2

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

☠: Selected by Lass

© 1999 Atlantic Records
AllMusic Review by Paul Pearson

Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath had proven himself on national television as a walking rock encyclopedia, in a 1998 episode of VH1's Rock and Roll Jeopardy. It was an impressive feat that could explain the divergent styles of Sugar Ray's 1999 album 14:59. Their third album showed an alarming overhaul in their approach, practically moving Sugar Ray into a new genre. 14:59 steered them from their metal shellac toward a calmer, melodious pastiche of songs. The band on 14:59 has versatility nailed down better than your grade-A wedding band: "Every Morning" bounces with the acoustic pop gentility of their 1997 hit "Fly," while "Falls Apart" and "Personal Space Invader" reflect influences from Synchronicity and Men Without Hats. 14:59 also favors the leaner, faster punk of Green Day in "Aim for Me." There's even a frighteningly faithful cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra." If there's one criticism of 14:59, it's that if you listen hard enough you'll be playing "sounds like..." for many songs. In that sense it's almost a parody; the inclusion of two comic songs entitled "New Direction" (one death metal, one circus tent) help that assessment. Finally, though, 14:59 has such catchiness and charm that it's a guilty pleasure of high order, and a bigger step than one might have expected from Sugar Ray

tags: sugar ray, 1459, 14:59, 1999, flac,

More Info

U.D.O. - Man & Machine (2002)

Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: SPV CD 085-57472

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2002 SPV/Breaker Records
AllMusic Review by Gary Hill
U.D.O. is the first name of the lead singer of this outfit. Udo Dirkschneider is best known for his work with the metal band Accept and presents here a solo album featuring a band composed of himself, Igor Gianola, Stefan Kaufman, Fitty Weinhold, and Lorenzo Milani. The album certainly rocks out with the best of them and showcases Dirkschneider's unique vocal style. That vocal style is part of the problem with the album, though, as it really can take some getting used to. The other shortcoming here is that the band seems not to do such a good job on mellower material. They should stick to the harder-edged songs. Interestingly enough, when the group chooses to rock out, which is most of the time, the style is often far more in the vein of '80s Judas Priest than Accept. On that mellower side, there is one true ballad, a duet between Dirkschneider and Doro Pesch (of Warlock). That cut, "Dancing With an Angel," has its moments, but definitely gets a bit overblown.

tags: udo, u.d.o., man and machine, 2002, flac,

More Info

Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains (1995)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Grunge 

Label Number: CK 67248
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1995 Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Dispelling rumors of their demise due to Layne Staley's heroin addiction, Alice in Chains is a sonically detailed effort that ranks as their best-produced record, and its best moments are easily some of their most mature music. Alice in Chains relies less on metallic riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements than the group's previous full-length albums, finally integrating some of the more delicate acoustic moods of their EPs. The lyrics deal with familiar AIC subject matter -- despair, misery, loneliness, and disappointment -- but in a more understated fashion, and the lyrics take on more uplifting qualities of toughness and endurance, which were missing from much of their previous work. The consistent visceral impact Alice in Chains lacks in comparison to that previous work is partially made up for by the skilled production and songs like "Grind," "Brush Away," "Over Now," and the hit ballad "Heaven Beside You," which are among the band's best work. Still, in spite of its many virtues, it's hard not to feel a little frustrated with the record, as though, given those qualities, it should have turned out better than it did -- there are some slow spots where the songs are undercrafted and not especially memorable, and those moments can make the band sound uncommitted and distracted. That, in turn, can make the defiance of songs like "Grind" ("you'd be well advised/not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies") sound more like denial; just when Alice in Chains' music was finally beginning to emerge from the dark side, the intra-band problems became too much to bear and made Alice in Chains the last collection of new material the Staley-fronted AIC would release.

tags: alice in chains, alice in chains album, 1995, flac,

More Info

Los Ángeles Negros - 12 Super Éxitos (1996) ☠

Country: Chile
Language: Spanish
Genre: Romántica

Label Number: H2 554875
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1996 EMI Odeon Chilena, S.A.
*No professional reviews available for this release.

tags: los angeles negros, 12 super exitos, musica romantica,

More Info

Alice In Chains - Dirt (1992) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Grunge 

Label Number: 472330 2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

☠: Selected by Lass

© 1992 Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Dirt is Alice in Chains' major artistic statement and the closest they ever came to recording a flat-out masterpiece. It's a primal, sickening howl from the depths of Layne Staley's heroin addiction, and one of the most harrowing concept albums ever recorded. Not every song on Dirt is explicitly about heroin, but Jerry Cantrell's solo-written contributions (nearly half the album) effectively maintain the thematic coherence -- nearly every song is imbued with the morbidity, self-disgust, and/or resignation of a self-aware yet powerless addict. Cantrell's technically limited but inventive guitar work is by turns explosive, textured, and queasily disorienting, keeping the listener off balance with atonal riffs and off-kilter time signatures. Staley's stark confessional lyrics are similarly effective, and consistently miserable. Sometimes he's just numb and apathetic, totally desensitized to the outside world; sometimes his self-justifications betray a shockingly casual amorality; his moments of self-recognition are permeated by despair and suicidal self-loathing. Even given its subject matter, Dirt is monstrously bleak, closely resembling the cracked, haunted landscape of its cover art. The album holds out little hope for its protagonists (aside from the much-needed survival story of "Rooster," a tribute to Cantrell's Vietnam-vet father), but in the end, it's redeemed by the honesty of its self-revelation and the sharp focus of its music. [Some versions of Dirt feature "Down in a Hole" as the next-to-last track rather than the fourth.]

tags: alice in chains, dirt, dirst album, 1992, flac,

More Info

Alice In Chains - Facelift (1990)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Grunge

Label Number: CK 46075
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1990 Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey

When Alice in Chains' debut album, Facelift, was released in 1990, about a year before Nirvana's Nevermind, the thriving Seattle scene barely registered on the national musical radar outside of underground circles (although Soundgarden's major-label debut, Louder Than Love, was also released that year and brought them a Grammy nomination). That started to change when MTV jumped all over the video for "Man in the Box," giving the group a crucial boost and helping to pave the way for grunge's popular explosion toward the end of 1991. Although their dominant influences -- Black Sabbath, the Stooges -- were hardly unique on the Seattle scene, Alice in Chains were arguably the most metallic of grunge bands, which gave them a definite appeal outside the underground; all the same, the group's sinister, brooding, suffocating sound resembled little else gaining wide exposure on the 1990 hard rock scene. Neither hedonistic nor especially technically accomplished, Alice in Chains' songs were mostly slow, oppressive dirges with a sense of melody that was undeniable, yet which crept along over the murky sludge of the band's instrumental attack in a way that hardly fit accepted notions of what made hard rock catchy and accessible. Although some parts of Facelift sink into turgid, ponderous bombast (particularly over the erratic second half), and the lyrics are sometimes immature, the overall effect is fresh, exciting, and powerful. While Alice in Chains would go on to do better and more consistent work, Facelift was one of the most important records in establishing an audience for grunge and alternative rock among hard rock and heavy metal listeners, and with its platinum sales certification, it also made Alice in Chains the first Seattle band to break through to a wider, less exclusively underground audience.

 tags: alice in chains, facelift, 1990, flac,

More Info

Sabbath Assembly - Ye Are Gods (2012)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Psychedelic, Folk Rock
Style: Religious, Process Church of the Final Judgment
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2012 Svart Records
Review by "Amy" for CVLNation.com

How refreshing! It’s amazing to finally come across a group of musicians who so freely are able to express and conjoin esoteric ideas of occult philosophy, cosmological christ-hood, dichotomies of sin and sainthood, god and lucifer, light and dark; not enacting as enemies, but as parts of a whole that feed off of one another in order to fulfill unity.  Filled with processean liturgy and praise, Sabbath Assembly‘s Ye Are Gods stays true to 60’s-70’s psychedelic cult hymnals and takes you to a place of mysterious inner worship — this time in a very Crowley-esque manner. In contrast to ‘Restored to One’, ‘Ye Are Gods’ evokes a much more authentic, yet more open and inner home for the idea of universality; of everything and nothing as holy, as sacred, as cosmological, and as pure. Musically, I am reminded a bit of Crowley’s “The Great Beast Speaks”, and I can’t help but see a few parallels with some selections from The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud‘s A New Soldier Follows The Path of a New King, which subtly also explores sanctity and salvation in an esoteric manner. Filled with processean liturgy and praise, Sabbath Assembly‘s Ye Are Gods stays true to 60’s-70’s psychedelic cult hymnals and takes you to a place of mysterious inner worship — this time in a very Crowley-esque manner. In contrast to ‘Restored to One’, ‘Ye Are Gods’ evokes a much more authentic, yet more open and inner home for the idea of universality; of everything and nothing as holy, as sacred, as cosmological, and as pure. Musically, I am reminded a bit of Crowley’s “The Great Beast Speaks”. Also, I can’t help but see a few parallels with some selections from The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud‘s A New Soldier Follows The Path of a New King which subtly also explores sanctity and salvation in an esoteric manner.

If you’re one who enjoys seemingly historical and ritualistic liturgy, ‘Ye Are Gods’ is for you; processean or not – ultimately, it is all in personal interpretation and individual theology. With lyrics such as, “What is the Law of the Universe?” “Where is Heaven? Where is Hell?”, perhaps that is the ultimate goal.

Most importantly, though, I adore how this compilation nudges us to take a second look at “religion”; What is salvation? What is sanctity? What is sacred? What is god? What is love in its purest form? What roles do archetypal religious figures actually play? Oh, let the mysteries reign!!

More Info

Snail - Snail (1993)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Label Number: AT 1-2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1993 Big Deal Records
*No professional reviews available for this release.

More Info

Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part One (1994)

Country: U.S.A
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: TT0012-2
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 1994 T&T Records
AllMusic Review by Bryan Reesman
A return to form for the dynamic quartet. David Defeis and company focus on more epic songs. The symphonic keyboard returns launch the band into a series of epic tunes which are some of their more progressive and sophisticated to date. Highlights include two majestic instrumentals, the melodic rocker "Blood and Gasoline," and the epic "Trail of Tears," which boasts a song within a song.

More Info

The River - Drawing Down The Sun (2006)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Doom Metal

Label Number: RET 028
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2006 Retribute Records
*No professional reviews available for this release.

tags: the river, drawing down the sun, 2006,

More Info