The White Stripes - Elephant (2003) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Garage Rock

Label Number: 63881-27148-2

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☠: Selected by Lass

© 2003 Sheridan Square Records
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares

White Blood Cells may have been a reaction to the amount of fame the White Stripes had received up to the point of its release, but, paradoxically, it made full-fledged rock stars out of Jack and Meg White and sold over half a million copies in the process. Despite the White Stripes' ambivalence, fame nevertheless seems to suit them: They just become more accomplished as the attention paid to them increases. Elephant captures this contradiction within the Stripes and their music; it's the first album they've recorded for a major label, and it sounds even more pissed-off, paranoid, and stunning than its predecessor. Darker and more difficult than White Blood Cells, the album offers nothing as immediately crowd-pleasing or sweet as "Fell in Love With a Girl" or "We're Going to Be Friends," but it's more consistent, exploring disillusionment and rejection with razor-sharp focus. Chip-on-the-shoulder anthems like the breathtaking opener, "Seven Nation Army," which is driven by Meg White's explosively minimal drumming, and "The Hardest Button to Button," in which Jack White snarls "Now we're a family!" -- one of the best oblique threats since Black Francis sneered "It's educational!" all those years ago -- deliver some of the fiercest blues-punk of the White Stripes' career. "There's No Home for You Here" sets a girl's walking papers to a melody reminiscent of "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (though the result is more sequel than rehash), driving the point home with a wall of layered, Queen-ly harmonies and piercing guitars, while the inspired version of "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" goes from plaintive to angry in just over a minute, though the charging guitars at the end sound perversely triumphant. At its bruised heart, Elephant portrays love as a power struggle, with chivalry and innocence usually losing out to the power of seduction. "I Want to Be the Boy" tries, unsuccessfully, to charm a girl's mother; "You've Got Her in Your Pocket," a deceptively gentle ballad, reveals the darker side of the Stripes' vulnerability, blurring the line between caring for someone and owning them with some fittingly fluid songwriting.
The battle for control reaches a fever pitch on the "Fell in Love With a Girl"-esque "Hypnotize," which suggests some slightly underhanded ways of winning a girl over before settling for just holding her hand, and on the show-stopping "Ball and Biscuit," seven flat-out seductive minutes of preening, boasting, and amazing guitar prowess that ranks as one the band's most traditionally bluesy (not to mention sexy) songs. Interestingly, Meg's star turn, "In the Cold, Cold Night," is the closest Elephant comes to a truce in this struggle, her kitten-ish voice balancing the song's slinky words and music. While the album is often dark, it's never despairing; moments of wry humor pop up throughout, particularly toward the end. "Little Acorns" begins with a sound clip of Detroit newscaster Mort Crim's Second Thoughts radio show, adding an authentic, if unusual, Motor City feel. It also suggests that Jack White is one of the few vocalists who could make a lyric like "Be like the squirrel" sound cool and even inspiring. Likewise, the showy "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" -- on which White resembles a garage rock snake-oil salesman -- is probably the only song featuring the word "acetaminophen" in its chorus. "It's True That We Love One Another," which features vocals from Holly Golightly as well as Meg White, continues the Stripes' tradition of closing their albums on a lighthearted note. Almost as much fun to analyze as it is to listen to, Elephant overflows with quality -- it's full of tight songwriting, sharp, witty lyrics, and judiciously used basses and tumbling keyboard melodies that enhance the band's powerful simplicity (and the excellent "The Air Near My Fingers" features all of these). Crucially, the White Stripes know the difference between fame and success; while they may not be entirely comfortable with their fame, they've succeeded at mixing blues, punk, and garage rock in an electrifying and unique way ever since they were strictly a Detroit phenomenon. On these terms, Elephant is a phenomenal success.

tags: the white stripes, elephant, 2003,

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The White Stripes - Icky Thump (2007)

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

Label Number: 162940-2

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© 2007 Warner Bros. Records
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares

A lot changed in the White Stripes' world between Get Behind Me Satan and Icky Thump: Meg White moved to L.A., while Jack White left Detroit for Nashville, married and had a daughter, and formed the Raconteurs, a side project that won so much praise that some fans worried that it meant the end of the Stripes. Those fears were as unfounded as the speculation that White's new hometown meant that the band was going to "go country" (after all, Jack and Meg are wearing the costumes of London's Pearly Kings and Queens, not Nudie suits, on Icky Thump's cover). Though it was recorded at Nashville's state-of-the-art Blackbird Studio and covers everything from bagpipes to metal, Icky Thump is unmistakably a White Stripes album. The eclectic feel of Get Behind Me Satan remains, but is less obvious; interestingly, out of all the band's previous work, Icky Thump's brash and confessional songs most closely resemble De Stijl. "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues"' acoustic blues and carefully crafted wordplay hark back to "Sister, Do You Know My Name." Meanwhile, "Rag & Bone" is a cute, ragamuffin cousin of "Let's Build a Home" that casts Jack and Meg as enterprising garbage-pickers; the sly grin in Jack's voice as he says "we'll give it a...home" is palpable. And, while Get Behind Me Satan was heavy on pianos, Icky Thump is just plain heavy, dominated by primal, stomping rock that feels like it's been caged for a very long time and is just now being released. Jack White's guitars are back in a big way; "Catch Hell Blues" is a particularly fine showcase for his playing. Once again, though, the Stripes defy expectations, and their "return to rock" isn't necessarily a return to the kind of rock they mastered on Elephant.
Aside from the searing "Bone Broke," which would fit on almost any White Stripes album (and in fact was partially written in 1998), on Icky Thump Jack and Meg push the boundaries of their louder side. Darker and slower than most Stripes singles, "Icky Thump" is their very own "Immigrant Song," with guitars that chug menacingly and lyrics that run the gamut from fever dream meditations on redhead senoritas to pointed political statements ("Why don't you kick yourself out/You're an immigrant too"). "Little Cream Soda" is also outstanding, pairing ranting, spoken-word verses with grinding surf-metal guitars that make it one of the Stripes' heaviest songs. However, the boldest excursion might be "Conquest," which turns Patti Page's '50s-era battle of the sexes into a garage rock bullfight, complete with dramatic mariachi brass, flamenco rhythms, backing vocals that would do Ennio Morricone proud, and dueling guitar and trumpet solos that capture the band's love of drama. As fantastic as Icky Thump's rockers are, its breathers are just as important. Though the Celtic detour that makes up Thump's heart feels out of place initially, "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" is indeed a sweet and genuine sounding homage to Scottish folk, bagpipes and all (and could also be a nod to the Rolling Stones' flirtation with British folk in the mid-'60s). And while its psychedelic counterpart "St. Andrews (This Battle Is in the Air)" doesn't work quite as well, it feels like the kind of quirky tangent that pops up on plenty of vintage albums as a palate cleanser. The Stripes' poppy and vulnerable sides get slightly short shrift on Icky Thump. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is so hooky it could just as easily be a Raconteurs song, though it boasts a guitar solo that stings like lemon juice in a paper cut. "I'm a Martyr for My Love for You" is the album's lone ballad, and while its melody is beautiful, it may be the album's weakest track. And though Icky Thump's track listing might be slightly front-loaded, the Stripes uphold their tradition of ending their albums on a playful note with the wonderful "Effect and Cause," which feels equally indebted to hillbilly wisdom and Mungo Jerry's sly jug-band shuffle. With its fuller sound and relaxed flights of fancy, Icky Thump is a mature, but far from stodgy, album -- and, as is usually the case, it's just great fun to hear the band play.

tags: the white stripes, icky thump, 2007,

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The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (2005) ☠

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

Label Number: 63881-27256-2

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☠: Selected by Lass

© 2005 V2 Music Ltd.
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares

According to Jack White, Get Behind Me Satan deals with "characters and the ideal of truth," but in truth, the album is just as much about what people expect from the White Stripes and what they themselves want to deliver. Advance publicity for the album stated that it was written on piano, marimba, and acoustic guitar, suggesting that it was going to be a quiet retreat to the band's little room after the big sound, and bigger success, of Elephant. Then "Blue Orchid," Get Behind Me Satan's lead single, arrived. A devilish slice of disco-metal with heavily processed, nearly robotic riffs, the song was thrilling, but also oddly perfunctory; it felt almost like a caricature of their stripped-down but hard-hitting rock. As the opening track for Get Behind Me Satan, "Blue Orchid" is more than a little perverse, as though the White Stripes are giving their audience the required rock single before getting back to that little room, locking the door behind them, and doing whatever the hell they want. Even Jack White's work on the Cold Mountain soundtrack and Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose isn't adequate preparation for how far-flung this album is: Get Behind Me Satan is a weird, compelling collection that touches on several albums' worth of sounds, and its first four songs are so different from most of the White Stripes' previous music -- as well as from each other -- that, at first, they're downright disorienting. As if the red herring that is "Blue Orchid" isn't enough warning that Get Behind Me Satan is designed to defy expectations, "The Nurse"'s ironically perky marimbas and off-kilter stabs of drums and guitar -- not to mention lyrics like "the nurse should not be the one who puts salt in your wounds" -- make its domestic skulduggery one of the most perplexing and eerie songs the White Stripes have ever recorded (although Meg's brief cameo, "Passive Manipulation," which boasts the refrain "you need to know the difference between a father and a lover," rivals it). "My Doorbell," on the other hand, is almost ridiculously immediate and catchy, and with its skipping beat and brightly bashed pianos, surprisingly funky. Meanwhile, "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)" turns cleverly structured wordplay and those fluttering marimbas into a summery, affecting ballad.
But despite Get Behind Me Satan's hairpin turns, its inspired imagery and complicated feelings about love hold it together. Though "the ideal of truth" sounds cut-and-dried, the album is filled with ambiguities; even its title, which shortens the biblical phrase "get thee behind me Satan," has a murky meaning -- is it support, or deliverance, from Lucifer that the Stripes are asking for? There are pleading rockers, like the alternately begging and accusatory "Red Rain," and defiant ballads, like "I'm Lonely (But I'm Not That Lonely Yet)," which has a stubborn undercurrent despite its archetypal, tear-in-my-beer country melody. Even Get Behind Me Satan's happiest-sounding song, the joyfully backwoods "Little Ghost," is haunted by loving someone who might not have been there in the first place. The ghostly presence of Rita Hayworth also plays a significant part on the album, on "White Moon" and the excellent "Take, Take, Take," a sharply drawn vignette about greed and celebrity: over the course of the song, the main character goes from just being happy to hanging out with his friends in a seedy bar to demanding a lock of hair from the screen siren. As eclectic as Get Behind Me Satan is, it isn't perfect: the energy dips a little in the middle, and it's notable that "Instinct Blues," one of the more traditionally Stripes-sounding songs, is also one of the least engaging. Though Jack and Meg still find fresh, arty reinterpretations of their classic inspirations, this time the results are exciting in a different way than their usual fare; and while the album was made in just two weeks, it takes awhile to unravel and appreciate. Get Behind Me Satan may confuse and even push away some White Stripes fans, but the more the band pushes itself, the better.

tags: the white stripes, get behind me satan, 2005,

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The White Stripes - De Stijl (2000)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Garage Rock

Label Number: SFTRI 609

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© 2000 Sympathy For The Record Industry
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares

Despite their reputation as garage rock revivalists, the White Stripes display an impressive range of styles on their second album, De Stijl, which is Dutch for "the style." Perhaps the album's diversity -- which incorporates elements of bubblegum, cabaret, blues, and classic rock -- shouldn't come as a surprise from a band that dedicates its album to bluesman Blind Willie McTell and Dutch artist Gerrit Rietveld. Nevertheless, it's refreshing to hear the band go from the Tommy James-style pop of "You're Pretty Good Looking" to the garagey stomp of "Hello Operator" in a one-two punch. It's even more impressive that the theatrical, piano-driven ballad "Apple Blossom" and a cover of Son House's "Death Letter" go so well together on the same album. Jack White's understated production work and versatile guitar playing and vocals also stand out on the languid, fuzzy "Sister, Do You Know My Name?" as well as insistent rockers like "Little Bird" and "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" As distinctive as it is diverse, De Stijl blends the Stripes' arty leanings with enough rock muscle to back up the band's ambitions.

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2wo - Voyeurs (1998)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Industrial Rock

Label Number: INTD-90155

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© 1998 Nothing Records
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato
Judas Priest fans expecting former lead singer Rob Halford to unleash a new extreme-metal band (like his post-Priest project Fight) will be disappointed with his new outfit, Two. Although Two does inherit some of Priest's metal riffs and overall power, this is an almost completely electronic affair. Halford's vocals are still unmistakable, but there's less high-pitched shrieking (i.e., the Priest album Painkiller) and more of the singing/talking/screaming style that the techno genre demands. Two also tackle Tool's demented alternative, evidenced in the near progressive track "Stutter Kiss" (with elements of latter-day David Bowie added as well). The overtly melodic "Water's Leaking" is musical territory that Judas Priest would never have permitted Halford to explore, yet "Leave Me Alone" sounds an awful lot like electro-Priest. Although many techno fans will automatically see the album's opening "I Am a Pig" and think of Nine Inch Nails' Downward Spiral (which included the titles "Piggy" and "March of the Pigs"), Two's debut Voyeurs is a much more straightforward album.

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Mercyful Fate - Dead Again (1998)

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: 3984-14159-2

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© 1998 Metal Blade Records
AllMusic Review by Jason Anderson
Recorded during a frenzy of activity during the late '90s, Dead Again was presumably thrown together rather quickly, as Mercyful Fate and King Diamond's solo outfit were both releasing new discs at a furious rate. This schedule had to be most taxing on vocalist Diamond, whose ultra-high-pitch bellowing and novel-length lyrical additions to both of his bands made for a laborious schedule. Joining Diamond on this 1998 Metal Blade release are guitarists Hank Shermann and Mike Wead, drummer Bjarne T. Holm, and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo. With the exception of Diamond, each member of Mercyful Fate turns in solid performances in both the creation and execution of fine riffs and arrangements. Diamond, on the other hand, sounds a little uninspired, but manages to squeal just enough to keep the old-school Mercyful Fate vibe alive. Standouts include the almost campy "The Lady Who Cries" and "Sucking on Your Blood," but the material is a little tired. Not one of the group's best releases, Dead Again conjures just enough magic to make it a worthy purchase for devoted fans of the band only.

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Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1997 Remastered Edition)

*Reissued and remastered in 1997 by Roadrunner Records.
Contains 7 tracks total.

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: RR 8770-2

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© 1983-1997 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Mercyful Fate's debut album, Melissa, took Black Sabbath's dark occult obsessions to an extreme, fusing them with the speed and tightened, twin-guitar riffing attack of British metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. But the band had a distinctive sound of its own, thanks to the neo-classical flourishes of guitarists Hank Shermann and Michael Denner and the unpredictable vocal leaps of King Diamond, who could jump from a deathly growl to an unearthly falsetto wail in the next line. The band was still finding itself, and some of the songs on Melissa have a tendency to move into long, meandering instrumental sections, but the basic components of Mercyful Fate's influential European gothic black metal sound were already in place.

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Mercyful Fate - 9 (1998)

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: 3984-14242-2

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© 1999 Metal Blade Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
It's somewhat odd that the reunited Mercyful Fate has now recorded more prolifically than the original group did in their classic early-'80s period, especially since there seems to be a personnel shift with nearly every '90s album. Their fifth full-length since the reunion, 9 does feature the same lineup as its predecessor, Dead Again; the downside is that there are now only two original members remaining -- King Diamond and Hank Shermann. While Mike Wead is a fine guitarist, the telepathic interplay Shermann had with Michael Denner provided a goodly portion of the band's spark, and that energy was the main reason Mercyful Fate could get away with sticking to their tried-and-true style upon making their comeback in 1993. Now they've started to sound flat, essentially repeating the same ideas they've covered for years (King Diamond's lyrics, in particular, are approaching the realm of self-parody). In spite of 9's efforts to strip down the band's sound and recover some of the power that was sacrificed for more elaborate arrangements, the melodies and riffs in general just aren't up to their usual standard, feeling more journeyman-like than one might hope. As with any Mercyful Fate record, there are a few good moments, but overall, it's beginning to feel like they've stuck around too long.

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Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1997 Remastered Edition)

*Reissued & remastered in 1997 by Roadrunner Records. 
Contains 1 bonus track & 10 tracks total.

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal
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© 1984-1997 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
All of Mercyful Fate's potential was fulfilled on Don't Break the Oath, a doomy, gothic collection of post-Priest/Maiden black metal preoccupied with Satan and the occult. Hank Shermann and Michael Denner keep their progressive rock tendencies reigned in while still delivering plenty of the neo-classical feel that gives the music its atmosphere, and King Diamond uses his vocal range to great theatrical effect. Fate's sound and attitude were highly influential on later gothic/black metal bands, especially in Europe, and Don't Break the Oath consistently encapsulates their appeal.

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Mercyful Fate - In The Shadows (1993)

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: 9 45318-2

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© 1993 Metal Blade Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
After an almost decade-long hiatus, Mercyful Fate's reunion did not disappoint; it was as if they picked up right where they had left off. There are more of King Diamond's gothic tales of horror and the supernatural, and the music sounds better than ever. It doesn't have the historical significance of their early-'80s material, but that doesn't really matter; this is high-quality material from a tight veteran band. The CD features a re-recorded version of the underground classic "Return of the Vampire" with Lars Ulrich on drums.

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Mercyful Fate - Time (1994)

Country: Denmark
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal

Label Number: P2 53942

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© 1994 Metal Blade/Priority Records
AllMusic Review by Jason Anderson

Like its predecessor (the comeback disc In the Shadows), Time has a mostly original Mercyful Fate lineup delivering strong material that might not exactly stand up to the group's best early-'80s work, but still packs a nasty horror-metal punch. As always, the distinctive frontman King Diamond leads the way on Time with his epic (if a little silly) lyrics and bizarre vocal range that defined the group's sound. Often overshadowed by Diamond's theatrics, the other bandmembers (guitarist Hank Sherman, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and relative newcomer Snowy Shaw on drums) do their usual fine job cranking out retro and near thrash metal riffs with biting precision. The sprawling "Lady in Black" is a clear standout, with its superior guitar grooves and relatively melodic and intelligible vocals. Other choice cuts include the crushing opener, "Nightmare Be Thy Name," and the title track, "Time. If there was any concern that In the Shadows was going to be a one-off treat exclusively designed for nostalgic old-timers, Time proved that Mercyful Fate was back and ready to build upon its massive '80s underground metal reputation.

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Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony (2009)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge

Label Number: D000239802

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© 2009 Hollywood Records
AllMusic Review by James Christopher Monger
Breaking Benjamin's fourth foray into the crowded waters of early 21st century alternative metal/post-grunge feels a lot like their first three. That's good news for longtime fans of the brooding Pennsylvania quartet, who pound each of the 11 tracks on Dear Agony into submission like seasoned strongmen at a country carnival. Front-loaded with the singles "Fade Away" and "I Will Not Bow" (the latter was featured in the murky Bruce Willis sci-fi film Surrogates), Dear Agony feels like a well-oiled machine, and producer David Bendeth, whose immaculate touch helped 2006's Phobia sell 131,000 copies in its first week, conjures much of the same magic here, but there's little in the way of growth.

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Breaking Benjamin - Saturate (2002)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre: Post Grunge

Label Number: 2061-62356-2

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© 2002 Hollywood Records
AllMusic Review by Jason D. Taylor
As an alternative/hard rock band, the defining point of one's career is signing to a major label. With that said, it makes it all the more surprising that just as Lifer had begun to create a buzz on mainstream radio, guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski quit in order to join Breaking Benjamin. Whether they saw something special in this independent band or were just sick of their former band's career decisions is unknown, but Breaking Benjamin went on to sign to Hollywood Records, and Saturate has serious potential to become one of 2002's most successful debuts, as although it is repetitive and generic, it is undeniably addictive. Molding hard rock in the vein of Nickelback with the more aggressive side of Korn, Saturate is accessible and slightly heavier than much music suitable for excessive radio play, yet allows the listener to identify with the themes present on the disc. Breaking Benjamin still follows the formulaic pattern of most every hard rock group since the mid-'90s -- the music is hard to resist. The only noticeable dilemma apparent here is that the album drags once it hits "Next to Nothing" and never quite picks back up. Those who enjoyed Lifer certainly should like the rock offered here, and this album should fit in well with other modern rock releases of the here today/gone tomorrow variety.

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Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone (2004)

*First pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge

Label Number: 2061-62428-2

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© 2004 Hollywood Records
AllMusic Review by Johnny Loftus
On We Are Not Alone, Breaking Benjamin's sophomore effort for Hollywood, the Philadelphia quartet still enjoys coursing the downcast dynamics and dour cerebrals of early Tool through post-grunge's more accessible melodics. Vocalist/guitarist Ben Burnley channels Maynard James Keenan throughout "So Cold" and "Simple Design," and fills their shadows with scary roars. But the choruses are as uplifting and hopeful as anything from 3 Doors Down, and the latter even features a quiet acoustic interlude. It's this baiting of the darker mental animal while realizing the power of a cool hard rock riff that drives We Are Not Alone. "Why am I so pathetic?" asks Burnley in "Sooner or Later." "Help me break my conscience in," goes "Break My Fall," "To free us from our innocence." Both cuts stick to the familiar formula of introducing huge chords before dwelling on the personal struggle in the verses, only to surge toward hopeful choruses. In this, Breaking Benjamin is quite capable. They understand that it can't be all gloom and doom all the time -- that the people need some light at the end of the tunnel. Alone's choruses offer that urgency throughout, but "Forget It" takes it to heart. With its whispering synthesizers, layered guitar effects (Billy Corgan guests), and filtered harmonies, the cut is a warm departure from the album's bruised push forward. We Are Not Alone has its moments of genre-aping filler, and Burnley's delivery does at times seem forced -- he just sounds so much like his peers. But We Are Not Alone is still a solid second effort, with plenty of appeal for fans of groups like Crossfade, Default, and Smile Empty Soul.

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Breaking Benjamin - Phobia (2006)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Grunge

Label Number: 2061-62607-2

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© 2006 Hollywood Records
AllMusic Review by Corey Apar
Breaking Benjamin are nothing if not consistent. Phobia finds them picking up exactly where they left off with 2004's We Are Not Alone, mixing heavy hard rock dynamics with a moody demeanor that never slips into full-on dejection, thanks in part to their proficient grasp of the accessible melody and ever-rousing chorus. Darkness permeates Phobia's tracks (bookended by a useless intro and outro), but the quartet always remembers the silver lining hanging in its oft-cloudy skies. Songs like "Until the End" exhibit this resilient attitude, affirming that while life can be tough, "Why give up? Why give in?…So I will go on until the end." Breaking Benjamin mix urgent up-front vocals with dense underside riffing ("The Diary of Jane," "Topless"), while still being able to effortlessly pull off songs with vulnerable edges ("Here We Are," "Breath"). This is heard even more in the gentle acoustic version of "The Diary of Jane" not listed on the back cover; it sounds natural and not just like a strained bonus novelty -- featuring Dropping Daylight's Sebastian Davin, the version may even be better than the original. As is often the case, certain tracks work out much better than others, as in the tough angst of "Dance with the Devil" versus the forced warbling of "Unknown Soldier." The main problem with the guys has always been that while everything is pulled off capably, there isn't always much to distinguish them from the rest of the post-grunge/alt-metal pack or really, each of their songs from one another. But what Breaking Benjamin lack in distinctiveness, they make up in a certain charm that makes them 100 times more appealing than most of their testosterone-clogged peers. Phobia will not win over any skeptics still holding out on the band, but for those already happily settled in the Benjamin camp, it makes for another satisfying listen.

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Slipknot - Iowa (2001) ☠

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Groove Metal

Label Number: RR 8470-2

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☠: Selected by Buccaneer

© 2001 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Jason Birchmeier
After a couple years of relentless touring in support of their self-titled breakthrough album, Slipknot regrouped to record Iowa, an ode to their home state that consolidates and punctuates everything that had garnered the band its cultish following. The monstrous guitar crunch, the concrete-dense rhythmic foundation, the frenzied singing, and the overall madcap fashion of it all -- Slipknot's trademark sound is very much at the forefront of this dark, dark album and is presented in epic form on the extended, album-closing title track, which brings to mind Children of the Corn-type terrors. Though not quite as commercially viable as the more straightforward Slipknot album, Iowa is a more interesting listen, one that envelopes you in its American Gothic shadow and leaves you feeling unsettled afterward. It's really all you could ask for in a Slipknot album, and then some -- perhaps some more than you'd like, in fact, if you're not part of the cult.

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Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone (Special Edition) (2008)

*Contains 3 bonus tracks.

 15 tracks total. 

Bonus DVD not included.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Groove Metal

Label Number: 1686-179385 

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© 2008 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

There comes a time in every band's life where they take off the masks and grow up -- then again, maybe not, as Slipknot have managed to dig deeper without ever shedding their grotesque veils. They're still wearing disguises but they have shed producer Rick Rubin, the metal legend who produced 2004's Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, giving the nonet just the slightest hint of broader horizons beyond their relentless aggression -- not enough for the band to crossover, but perhaps enough to earn grudging respect from listeners outside of metalheads. Of course, such respect is hardly granted to bands that wear monster maggot masks, so Slipknot's retreat to ugliness on their fourth album -- a move telegraphed heavily by the cheery title All Hope Is Gone -- isn't entirely surprising, nor is it unwelcome as this isn't a regression, it's more or less a consolidation of strengths. Certainly, the album gets off to a throttling start with "Gematria," a cluster of cacophony and for the longest time on All Hope it seems as if Slipknot will never let up on this pressure, as this is an onslaught of densely dark intricate riffs. So effective is this onslaught that when things do get a little softer a little later on, the album threatens to collapse like a soufflé, but that's only because the slower moments emphasize the group's odd tendency to sound like anonymous active rock when they untwist their rhythms and lay off on the double bass drums. Nowhere is this latent tendency for macho schmaltz more evident than on "Snuff," a stab at a power ballad that sounds disarmingly close to Nickelback, a bewildering incongruity that feels even stranger given the album's otherwise merciless attack. One more power ballad like this would be enough to derail the album, turning it into the crossover Vol. 3 never was despite Rubin's flourishes, but All Hope Is Gone as a whole winds up being as bleak and unforgiving as its title.

tags: slipknot, all hope is gone, special edition, 2008, flac,

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Slipknot - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Groove Metal, Alternative Metal

Label Number: 168 618 388-2

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© 2004 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Johnny Loftus
Slipknot set out to construct the ultimate metal music flamethrower, ever since their genesis in a Des Moines, IA, basement. But they also deployed an agitprop campaign of masks, smocks, and bar codes that helped scare parents (like good metal should) and transform Slipknot fans into faithful "maggots." The Midwestern origin of all this craziness is genius, as the band's marrow-draining metal and twisted, fibrous mythology is antithetical to the region's milquetoast rep. Still, after the gothic nausea of 2001's Iowa, Slipknot's vitality dissipated in clouds of gaseous hype and individual indulgence. Had they grown fat on their thrones? Probably. But the layoff only makes Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses scream louder. Working with famously bearded helmer Rick Rubin -- aka He Who Smites Bullsh*t -- Slipknot pour the shrill accessibility of their self-titled debut down Iowa's dark sieve, and the result is flinty, angry, and rewardingly restless. Vol. 3 shares its lyrical themes of anger, disaffection, and psychosis with most of Slipknot's nu-metal peers. Lines like "I've screamed until my veins collapsed" and "Push my fingers into my eyes/It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache" (from the otherwise strong "Duality") aren't unique to this cult. But unlike so many, the band's sound rarely disassembles into genre building blocks: riff + glowering vocal + throaty chorus = Ozfest acceptance. What makes Vol. 3 tick is the dedication to making it a Slipknot album, and not just another flashy alt-metal billboard. The seething anger and preoccupation with pain is valid because it's componential to the group's uniquely branded havoc. "Blister Exists," "Three Nil," and "Opium of the People" are all standouts, strafing soft underbellies with rhythmic (occasionally melodic) vocals, stuttering, quadruple-helix percussion, and muted grindcore guitar. Rubin is integral to the album's power -- his cataclysmic vocal filters and arrays of unidentifiable squiggle and squelch unite Vol. 3's various portions in wildly different ways. Just when the meditative "Circles" threatens to keel over from melodrama, in sputters strings of damaged electronics and percussion to lead it into "Welcome," which sounds like Helmet covering Relapse Records' entire catalog at once. Later, another counterpoint is offered, when the swift boot kicks of "Pulse of the Maggots" and "Before I Forget" separate "Vermilion"'s gothic and acoustic parts. Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses doesn't feel like Slipknot's final statement. It's a satisfying, carefully crafted representation of their career to date. But there's a sense that whatever Slipknot do next might be their ultimate broadcast to the faithful.

tags: slipknot, vol 3 the subliminal verses, 2004, flac,

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Slipknot - Slipknot (1999) ☠

*U.S. first pressing. 

Track 14 contains the hidden song "Eeyore"

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Groove Metal

Label Number: RR 8547-2

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☠: Selected by Buccaneer

 © 1999 Roadrunner Records
AllMusic Review by Rick Anderson
These nine Midwestern boys (all from Des Moines, IA) perform wearing orange industrial coveralls with UPC symbols on the front; each bandmember is identified by a number, which is painted on the sleeve of his coveralls. Each also wears a really nasty-looking mask. Judging from their appearance and from the sound of their debut album, it's easy to assume that they're upset about something. What it is exactly is kind of hard to tell, since the stuttering roar of Number 8's vocals is barely discernible through the jackhammer death metal drums, massed guitars, horror-show samples, and jittery turntable scratches that pummel the listener through almost every song. You thought Limp Bizkit was hard? They're the Osmonds. These guys are something else entirely. And it's pretty impressive. Although those lyrics that are discernible are not generally quotable on a family website, suffice it to say that the members of Slipknot are not impressed with their fathers, their hometown, or most anything else. "Surfacing" starts out by cursing pretty much everything generally, and then it starts getting aggressive, as shrieking guitar feedback alternates with DJ scratching. "Spit It Out" is speed rap-metal with an actual melody in the chorus; "Scissors" ends the program with a sound that quite simply couldn't get any more aggro without falling apart entirely, and by the end, the singer actually sounds like he's about to burst into tears. An auspicious debut. [Slipknot reissued their eponymous debut in 2009 to mark the record's 10th anniversary. The special edition CD/DVD featured the original album in its' entirety, as well as numerous bonus cuts, demos, remixes and a full length concert DVD from 2000 bolstered by a 50-minute documentary.]

tags: slipknot, slipknot album, 1999, flac

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Jagged Edge - J.E. Heartbreak (2000)

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

Label Number: 495182 2

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© 2000 So So Def, Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
So So Def wisely held back the release of Jagged Edge's second album, J.E. Heartbreak, originally scheduled for the fall of 1999, into early 2000, by which time advance single "He Can't Love U" had become a major hit, thus setting the album up to best the gold-selling success of their debut album, A Jagged Edge. That said, the group's slavish obeisance to current R&B conventions continued to be its aesthetic stumbling block. As producer/writer Jermaine Dupri's answer to Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge turned out another set full of slow jams indistinguishable from what was already all over urban radio. Their one attempt at something actually edgy came with "Girl Is Mine," but it was marred by one of those drop-out-laden clean edits of what was no doubt a vulgarity-laced rap by Ja Rule (Why even bother to bring in a rapper if you are only going to cut his rap to ribbons?). Mostly, the group was much more tasteful, with twin brothers Brian and Brandon Casey contributing lyrics of romantic devotion culminating with "Let's Get Married." It could only be hoped that, having made their commercial breakthrough, Jagged Edge would aim for an artistic breakthrough next time.

tags: jagged edge, je heartbreak, 2000, j.e. heartbreak, flac,

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