Recent Downloads and Purchases

I have been away from my beloved Mac for some time and will be in the foreseeable future. There is a very good reason and the remedy is, unfortunately, beyond my reach. Suffice to say that I am stuck with what I have on my iPod - which is not too shabby at all - and the age-old tradition of listening to CDs. I am a product of the 90s, what can you say?

Anyhoo, I decided to break the silence in this blog by another lazy list - you have to start somewhere. Here's a list of my recent purchases and/or downloads. And a few words about them:

Ashes Against the Grain by Agalloch: This 2006 album by Portland's finest makes all other American metal resleases - at least in the extreme end of the spectrum - look pale  by comparison. I think the only legitimate rival band to Opeth to come out of the US is Agalloch. The sublime "Not Unlike the Waves" is a testament to that. Check out the video - a shortened version - here.

Elegy by Amorphis: This is not strictly a new purchase, but a replacement. I used to own a pirated cassette tape of this a while back, but it got lost along the five hundred moves I have made over the years. This transition album by the Finnish metal stars is, in my opinion, their best. Even though not on the album, "My Kantele"'s acoustic version - which was released as EP the following year - is a great introduction to the band. And perhaps their best song. 

Everyday Demons by The Answer: The second album from Northern Ireland's brightest new band is a worthy follow-up to their amazing debut. More polished and sounding more "American", this album should see them receive more attention. And deservedly so. Here's "Keep Believin'" from their debut EP of the same name.

Scream by Chris Cornell: I have shed my thoughts on this album elsewhere. I have to say my thougts haven't changed much.

Diagonal by Diagonal: Prog-rock-is-back is now old news. The good news, though, is that it's not just some nostalgic trip like the current new breed of thrash bands coming out every day. There are bands, like Diagonal here, who push the boundaries and yet hark back to olden times. This is an outstanding album that is eerily similar to early King Crimson without being straight copies. Watch this band.

Heart on by Eagles of Death Metal: Back with a vengeance, the band is on blistering form on this album. How they manage to stay away from being mere parodies of themselves is due to their brilliant musical ability and the chops to write a decent tune or two. Double entendres galore, this is the ultimate party album. The lead-off single "WannaBe L.A." is a sample of what you could expect.

Harcdore Superstar by Hardcore Superstar: This Swedish quartet claim to be a thrash-glam band. And that is just as awesome as the name suggests. This is the album that Axl should have made instead of the shit he just put out. One blistering riff after another, the album just plainly rocks your socks off. Heed.

Crack the Skye by Mastodon: Arguably the most anticipated metal release of 2009 did not disappoint. Although Mastodon are getting "slower" by every album, musically they are growing more mature. It's not as immediately appealing as the brilliant Blood Mountain, but Crack the Skye will remain a pivotal release in this band's career. Check out the first single, "Divinations"

Believe in Nothing by Paradise Lost: I'm kickng myself for not appreciating this band earlier. On the other hand, it's great to have a band with a sizable back catalogue to discover. This is supposed to be one of their most commercial releases. It's not as heavy or dark as some of their other stuff and overall it's a disappointing album. But there are some real gems here, like "Fader". 

Amor Vincit Omnia by Pure Reason Revolution: I have to admit I was pretty scared for this band - their debut, The Dark Third, was mind-blowingly good and there was no way they could have topped it. My fears were confirmed, but I was pleasantly surprised how good this album turned out to be. They take a more electronic route - and you know how I feel about that. I'm already dreading the new Muse album. But, the results are actually very good. This album ended up having more cojones than its predecessor. Now I wonder what new direction they will take.

Crooked Timber by Therapy?: As always, no hook or melody is wasted. Therapy?'s latest is another collection of great punk-rock with a unique touch. This time they add a little Joy Division and Cure in the mix and the result is fantastic. They just keep on releasing good stuff. How? I've no clue. Here's a blast from the past.

So these are the latest stuff that I've beem mulling over. I'm sure there'll be new stuff soon.

Peace.

SOTD: "White Room" by Cream

It's been a while since the last Song of the Day. I have a little spare time in my hands, so let's get cracking. Today's song is a classic by the godfather of all power trios, Cream - the majestic and trippy "White Room".

This song has some of the best guitar playing by the Slow Hand and Ginger Baker's drumming is top notch too. It is a  perfect mixture of psychedelia and a little dose of punk flavor too. Quite possibly my favorite Cream song.

The List Is Here

My top 10 albums of the year list is here .

What's on my iTunes?

20 Greatest Thrash Metal Albums

It is the end of the year and I am in the mood for list-making. What follows is my list of 20 Greatest Thrash Albums ... That I Own Or At Some Point Listened To In My Life. Otherwise shortly known as "20 Greatest Albums of all Time". Without further ado, here be the list:

1- RUST IN PEACE / MEGADETH (1990)









2- REIGN IN BLOOD / SLAYER (1986)









3- RIDE THE LIGHTNING / METALLICA (1984)









4- BONDED BY BLOOD / EXODUS (1985)









5- THE LEGACY / TESTAMENT (1987)









6- BENEATH THE REMAINS / SEPULTURA (1989)









7- METAL CHURCH / METAL CHURCH (1984)









8- AMONG THE LIVING / ANTHRAX (1987)









9- COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION / MEGADETH (1992)









10- MASTER OF PUPPETS / METALLICA (1986)









11- ROOTS / SEPULTURA (1996)









12- DOOMSDAY FOR THE DECEIVER / FLOTSAM & JETSAM (1986)









13- PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH / TESTAMENT (1989)









14- TORTURED EXISTENCE / DEMOLITION HAMMER (1991)

15- SEASONS IN THE ABYSS / SLAYER (1990)









16- VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER / PANTERA (1992)









17- KILL 'EM ALL! / METALLICA (1984)









18- COWBOYS FROM HELL / PANTERA (1990)









19- TRAIL BLAZER / THE PENTAGRAM (1992)









20- CHAOS A.D. / SEPULTURA (1993)

Getting Ready to Wrap up

It is almost that time of the year...the annual top 10s. I have to admit this year will be a lot more difficult than the previous years on account of my insanely lame social life. This year Yours Truly confined himself to YouTube videos of Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin - and they were hilarious.

What follows is a list of my favourite albums from this year, in no particular order:

Twilight of the Tunder God by Amon Amarth
The Formation of Damnation by Testament
Black Ice by AC/DC
Death Magnetic by Metallica
Folklore & Superstition by Black Stone Cherry
ObZen by Meshuggah
Nostradamus by Judas Priest
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace by the Offspring
Watershed by Opeth
XV by King's X
Slania by Eluveitie
Inflikted by Cavalera Conspiracy
A Sense of Purpose by In Flames
Nil Reucurring by Porcupine Tree
The Bedlam in Goliath by the Mars Volta

From this list will emerge my Top 10. Watch this space.

Peace

Magnetically Drawn Towards "Death Magnetic"

The worst title for a blog aside, the hotly-anticipated new album by the 'Tallica boys is really, very good. After the debacle that was St. Anger (2003), the boys are back with a vengeance. Riffs and solos are back.

Even though Bob Rock did a decent job over the years, he will always be remembered to make the premier thrash metal band a household name with relatively more accessible and shorter songs. I have to admit that it's a relief not to see his name in the album credits. There are only a handful of people whose Midas touches inspired and shaped many artists over the years. One name that comes to my mind is Martin Birch, who oversaw Deep Purple and Iron Maiden albums over a career that spans more than three decades. Another name that comes to mind right away is none other than Mr. Rick Rubin. This is the guy who produced the best speed/thrash album ever (Slayer's 1986 extreme sonic assault, Reign in Blood) and orchestrated Johnny Cash's comeback, among others. He is a genius. And his production is the genius behind Death Magnetic.

"All Nightmare Long", "The Day That Never Comes", "My Apocalypse", and the amazing "Broken, Beat & Scarred" are some of the hightlights of the album and are destined to be instant classics among fans. Even the cringe-inducing title "The Unforgiven III" doesn't take anything away from the joy of hearing once again how good these guys were. I'm not going to say that this is a back to roots album and is comparable to Ride the Lightning (1984) or Master of Puppets (1986) in terms of style and content, but it is a return to form for them. It sounds and feels more like ...And Justice for All (1988).

When Megadeth came back to their roots after the abysmal Risk (1999), they released The World Needs a Hero (2001) - in my opinion a very underrated album. Two albums on - patchy The System Has Failed (2004) and brilliant United Abominations (2007) - they are back near the top totem pole and receive the utmost respect from the new generation of fans. Metallica's musical output have been even patchier than Megadeth's, but they were still riding on the wave of their huge commercial success. Had Death Magnetic been closer to St. Anger musically, it might have been over for the boys. But, thankfully, it is a more than fitting album for this great band. Welcome back.