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Friday, September 5, 2008
For The Third Time... Here It Is!
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Hey, hey! I know this album is like a year old, but I never had the chance to give my opinion about it a.k.a. “review it”. All I can say It’s good, it’s great, it’s awesome. One of Radiohead’s best masterpieces. I think that after “OK Computer” and “Hail to the Thief”, this is their best album. It mixes the old Radiohead (the one that was grunge/alternative/pop rock) and the later on Radiohead (the one that was more electronic and experimental). This album hits right in the middle. Both fans of old and new I’m sure will like (or in my case, already liked—since this review is kind of tardy). I love the first two songs and (I think) track 4. Forgive me, I’m lousy with songs’ names and I don’t have this CD on me right now… let me check their website for the songs’ names. Give me a minute… … … Still searching … … … Okay! I love “15 Step”, “Bodysnatchers”, and “Weird Fishes”. All in all, the album is great. If you’re a fan of Radiohead or even if you’re not, you should give it a listen. I’ll assure you’ll enjoy it.
Rating: 
Hey, hey! I know this album is like a year old, but I never had the chance to give my opinion about it a.k.a. “review it”. All I can say It’s good, it’s great, it’s awesome. One of Radiohead’s best masterpieces. I think that after “OK Computer” and “Hail to the Thief”, this is their best album. It mixes the old Radiohead (the one that was grunge/alternative/pop rock) and the later on Radiohead (the one that was more electronic and experimental). This album hits right in the middle. Both fans of old and new I’m sure will like (or in my case, already liked—since this review is kind of tardy). I love the first two songs and (I think) track 4. Forgive me, I’m lousy with songs’ names and I don’t have this CD on me right now… let me check their website for the songs’ names. Give me a minute… … … Still searching … … … Okay! I love “15 Step”, “Bodysnatchers”, and “Weird Fishes”. All in all, the album is great. If you’re a fan of Radiohead or even if you’re not, you should give it a listen. I’ll assure you’ll enjoy it.
Rating:
NIN – The Slip
It is not as bad as “Year Zero” and “Y34R23R0R3M1X3D”, but not as good as “[with teeth]”. Still I listened to it, I enjoyed a few songs. The one I like the most was “1,000,000”; I found the music and the lyrics more or less interesting. Other than, I’m not so sure of the album. I guess it doesn’t totally sucks.
It is not as bad as “Year Zero” and “Y34R23R0R3M1X3D”, but not as good as “[with teeth]”. Still I listened to it, I enjoyed a few songs. The one I like the most was “1,000,000”; I found the music and the lyrics more or less interesting. Other than, I’m not so sure of the album. I guess it doesn’t totally sucks.
Rating:
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends
I used to think that Coldplay rocked, but then while time passed, and so years, I realized one day that I began to hate Coldplay… They were so damn mainstream. God! I hated them with all my heart! But then a few weeks ago, I listened to this album, which I bought like a month or so. Then I didn't know why I bought this it. In my mind I was “like damn, now this is stupid… buying such crappy albums”. But now that I’ve listened to it, I can proudly say I bought this album and I like it. It’s good. It’s different. It sounds a little like Radiohead; which I love so much (see “review” above). Still Coldplay have their own style, although it’s obvious Radiohead influenced them a lot. To resume it all; the album sounds good and the lyrics are great!
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends
I used to think that Coldplay rocked, but then while time passed, and so years, I realized one day that I began to hate Coldplay… They were so damn mainstream. God! I hated them with all my heart! But then a few weeks ago, I listened to this album, which I bought like a month or so. Then I didn't know why I bought this it. In my mind I was “like damn, now this is stupid… buying such crappy albums”. But now that I’ve listened to it, I can proudly say I bought this album and I like it. It’s good. It’s different. It sounds a little like Radiohead; which I love so much (see “review” above). Still Coldplay have their own style, although it’s obvious Radiohead influenced them a lot. To resume it all; the album sounds good and the lyrics are great!
Rating:
Staind – Illusion of Progress
Funny it’s called “Illusion of Progress”, ‘cause that’s exactly what it is; an illusion. They didn’t progress much since “Chapter V”, and this album shows it. It is good (somehow…). Still is more of the same, though, some other different tunes in a few songs, but nothing really special. Sad… I used to like this band so much. They don’t suck, they just became somehow boring. Sorry guys. Check ‘em out still, some of you might like it.
Staind – Illusion of Progress
Funny it’s called “Illusion of Progress”, ‘cause that’s exactly what it is; an illusion. They didn’t progress much since “Chapter V”, and this album shows it. It is good (somehow…). Still is more of the same, though, some other different tunes in a few songs, but nothing really special. Sad… I used to like this band so much. They don’t suck, they just became somehow boring. Sorry guys. Check ‘em out still, some of you might like it.
Rating:
Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone
Good album. Different. Different-good, not different-sucky. The singles are great and the other songs are great as well. One notice though, the guitar playing sounds kind of like Zakk Wylde's. I’m addicted to “Psychosocial”(been listening to it over and over again); one of the best metal songs of all time – in my opinion. I like “Vol.3: Subliminal Verses” better, but this one is not bad, not bad at all. In fact it’s better than that crappy album “Iowa”. The hell with that album, I hope it burns and rots in hell. PS: I think Corey Taylor is sick of all the screaming and he’s sticking with the singing from now on. Good for you Corey.
Rating: Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone
Good album. Different. Different-good, not different-sucky. The singles are great and the other songs are great as well. One notice though, the guitar playing sounds kind of like Zakk Wylde's. I’m addicted to “Psychosocial”(been listening to it over and over again); one of the best metal songs of all time – in my opinion. I like “Vol.3: Subliminal Verses” better, but this one is not bad, not bad at all. In fact it’s better than that crappy album “Iowa”. The hell with that album, I hope it burns and rots in hell. PS: I think Corey Taylor is sick of all the screaming and he’s sticking with the singing from now on. Good for you Corey.
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Death Magnetic – just 3 words to describe it; AWSOME AWSOME ALBUM! It’s great and I really love it. At first I thought it was gonna suck, since the last album (St. Anger) was so badly criticize, I thought they were really gonna mess up it this time because of the stupid comments that St. Anger was given. In my opinion St. Anger was good; different but good nonetheless, maybe it had a little-too-Nu-Metal/Coal-Chamber-flavor for some of Metallica fan’s taste. So Death Magnetic; it’s completely different from SA, still it’s not the absolute old Metallica sound; it sounds kind of different but in a much, much better way. When I first started listening to the singles my first impression was “Oh God! Metallica went back doing 80’s metal… yuck!!!” But then after a while, and a few plays (while doing other stuff, I was listening to Metallica music in the background) something in me clicked and I thought “Wow, this is good music, really good music…" I just forgot this is Metallica, forgot about being prejudice of their music. It was then that I understood that the reason I didn’t like the album (when I first started listening) was me; I was waiting for the album to suck. Sadly enough for some; the album just doesn’t suck, it is not a disappointment; it’s a great work of musical art. Great job James! Great job guys! Songs I recommend listening to: “The Day That Never Comes”, “All Nightmare Long”-Great, great music this song has BTW, “The Unforgiven III”-Doesn’t sound anything like the first two… although it has some of their previous’ flavor, “My Apocalypse”-just great drive-riffing music. One last thing; if you still think Metallica’s new album “Death Magnetic” sucks, well, then, you suck… for not having any good taste in music, and that’s that!
Death Magnetic – just 3 words to describe it; AWSOME AWSOME ALBUM! It’s great and I really love it. At first I thought it was gonna suck, since the last album (St. Anger) was so badly criticize, I thought they were really gonna mess up it this time because of the stupid comments that St. Anger was given. In my opinion St. Anger was good; different but good nonetheless, maybe it had a little-too-Nu-Metal/Coal-Chamber-flavor for some of Metallica fan’s taste. So Death Magnetic; it’s completely different from SA, still it’s not the absolute old Metallica sound; it sounds kind of different but in a much, much better way. When I first started listening to the singles my first impression was “Oh God! Metallica went back doing 80’s metal… yuck!!!” But then after a while, and a few plays (while doing other stuff, I was listening to Metallica music in the background) something in me clicked and I thought “Wow, this is good music, really good music…" I just forgot this is Metallica, forgot about being prejudice of their music. It was then that I understood that the reason I didn’t like the album (when I first started listening) was me; I was waiting for the album to suck. Sadly enough for some; the album just doesn’t suck, it is not a disappointment; it’s a great work of musical art. Great job James! Great job guys! Songs I recommend listening to: “The Day That Never Comes”, “All Nightmare Long”-Great, great music this song has BTW, “The Unforgiven III”-Doesn’t sound anything like the first two… although it has some of their previous’ flavor, “My Apocalypse”-just great drive-riffing music. One last thing; if you still think Metallica’s new album “Death Magnetic” sucks, well, then, you suck… for not having any good taste in music, and that’s that!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
After A Few Months Of Nothing Good...
Avenged Sevenfold - Self Titled
“What? Is this Avenged Sevenfold? You must be kidding me?” Those were my first thoughts when I first heard Avenged Sevenfold Self Titled album. I doubted I bought the right album, thought they ripped me off. But then when I realize this was the real deal, well I kinda change of thought. In A7XST, the band kinda changed their sound and their style a little, mixing some epic/medieval sounds to it, and I must admit, I LOVE THAT CHANGE! Somehow it feels like real metal (Ex. Pantera, Metallica). I enjoyed this album from the beginning to end. It sounds somehow weird as unique… hard to explain. And unlike the last album “City Of Evil” (which I also enjoyed), all of the songs don’t sound all that similar; each one has their own standout. My favorite track on this album is “A Little Piece of Heaven”; it’s spectacular!!! “Critical Acclaim” is good too. Although the album has only 10 songs, I didn’t mind. It’s best to have 10 great songs, than to have 15 awful songs, like some bands I’ve heard (Ex. NIN). All in all, the A7X Self Titled album is different, and it’s a good different and that’s AWSUM!(<-That’s my new word). Give the album a try and if it sucks for you, well, then sorry, sue me!
“What? Is this Avenged Sevenfold? You must be kidding me?” Those were my first thoughts when I first heard Avenged Sevenfold Self Titled album. I doubted I bought the right album, thought they ripped me off. But then when I realize this was the real deal, well I kinda change of thought. In A7XST, the band kinda changed their sound and their style a little, mixing some epic/medieval sounds to it, and I must admit, I LOVE THAT CHANGE! Somehow it feels like real metal (Ex. Pantera, Metallica). I enjoyed this album from the beginning to end. It sounds somehow weird as unique… hard to explain. And unlike the last album “City Of Evil” (which I also enjoyed), all of the songs don’t sound all that similar; each one has their own standout. My favorite track on this album is “A Little Piece of Heaven”; it’s spectacular!!! “Critical Acclaim” is good too. Although the album has only 10 songs, I didn’t mind. It’s best to have 10 great songs, than to have 15 awful songs, like some bands I’ve heard (Ex. NIN). All in all, the A7X Self Titled album is different, and it’s a good different and that’s AWSUM!(<-That’s my new word). Give the album a try and if it sucks for you, well, then sorry, sue me!
Rating:
Foo Fighters’ “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” is Really Really REALLY GOOD! Their first single off this album; “The Pretender” blew my mind away with their heaviest sound ever. For a moment there I thought I was listening to a heavier version of Nirvana. Good job Foo Fighters, you pulled it off. The albums is variable; with 1 heavy songs (“The Pretender) one semi-heavy song (“Let It Die”), three slow songs, one rock-country beautiful song (“Summer’s End” - I hate country music but I’ve been listening to this song over and over again and I can’t stop liking it), and the rest of the songs just good rock-n-roll. I enjoyed Foo Fighters’ last few albums, for the past 6 years I’ve liked their style and sound. Their first 3 albums I just felt were annoying, but eventually they took their carrier more seriously, hence- me liking them now. To conclude this review I must say Foo Fighters are moving on the right way, and if they keep doing such good albums, there’ll be Foo Fighters for long years to come. Amen to that!
Rating:
Serj Tankian - Elect The Dead
Just one simple word; PRECIOUS! Now go buy it! Who needs SOAD? Serj definitely doesn’t. He is a genius and so is his music. The best album of 2007! A classic! Wonderful! 10 Stars out of 5, give it 5 more stars and that won’t even be enough for how great this album is.
Rating:
Seether - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces
Seether’s “Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces” is one strange album; the lyrics are really well written but the music kinda sucks bad. It’s like they’re completely bored and they want for someone to shoot them down already. It’s a pity. Seether in my opinion was one of the best alternative/hard rock bands. Now they’re just boring. Shaun in this album writes incredible well-written and meaningful lyrics but plays the guitar incredible dull. What happened to you man? Did Amy do this to you? Please stop being a sell-out! This is not you! Man, I think I’m about to cry… you just broke my heart.
Rating:
Puscifer - V Is For Vagina
Hehehe, that title is funny. Other than that- the album is great. Take that Trent Reznor! Maynard can make industrial music 10 times better than you! It’s quite a decent album for such a different sound. Still APC and Tool is better, but this album turned out to be better than I expected. Not disappointed… enjoying it once a while, minute by minute. Give it a listen.
Rating:
Puddle Of Mudd - Famous
This album is crap. Go read the review of “Alter Bridge’s Blackbird”.
Rating: No Skulls Whatsover (It's CRAP!)
Alter Bridge - Blackbird
Alter Bridge’s “Blackbird” is a good album. Better than the first album, much-much BETTER! “Rise Today”; their first single is really enjoyable with its hard rock riffs and well-sung lyrics. The album is kinda heavy; it’s a mix of hard rock and metal with some few alternative rock sounds. Sounds like every other hard rock album, but it’s not all that bad. We all can live with it. All in all, the album’s good (like I said a thousand times before). Give it a chance.Rating:
Hurt - Volume I & Volume II
Is this Tool? Is this APC? Is this Maynard with some other project? No, it’s not. It’s actually a band called Hurt, and they have nothing to be envious about. This band’s style is hard to explain, but their sound is a mix of hard rock with alternative/soft rock, experimental, industrial and so and so but it sounds unique and organized. And I’m in love with this band and their songs. What I love most of this band is J. Loren’s (lead singer) voice, which is beautiful as it is sometimes loud and angry. What Maynard couldn’t do, this band did; open up for fans to understand what their music really feels like. There are no boundaries in what the songs’ themes are about. Most of them are about Loren’s personal relationship with God and the Christian people surrounding him. So it is, no promotion is needed here; this is one of the best bands out there. And if you think they suck, then you’re the one that sucks and go screw yourself! Go listen to Hurt’s “Vol. I”. And then listen to their follow up album “Vol. II”. That’s that!
Rating:
Rating: No Skulls Whatsover (It's CRAP!)
Alter Bridge - Blackbird
Alter Bridge’s “Blackbird” is a good album. Better than the first album, much-much BETTER! “Rise Today”; their first single is really enjoyable with its hard rock riffs and well-sung lyrics. The album is kinda heavy; it’s a mix of hard rock and metal with some few alternative rock sounds. Sounds like every other hard rock album, but it’s not all that bad. We all can live with it. All in all, the album’s good (like I said a thousand times before). Give it a chance.Rating:
Hurt - Volume I & Volume II
Is this Tool? Is this APC? Is this Maynard with some other project? No, it’s not. It’s actually a band called Hurt, and they have nothing to be envious about. This band’s style is hard to explain, but their sound is a mix of hard rock with alternative/soft rock, experimental, industrial and so and so but it sounds unique and organized. And I’m in love with this band and their songs. What I love most of this band is J. Loren’s (lead singer) voice, which is beautiful as it is sometimes loud and angry. What Maynard couldn’t do, this band did; open up for fans to understand what their music really feels like. There are no boundaries in what the songs’ themes are about. Most of them are about Loren’s personal relationship with God and the Christian people surrounding him. So it is, no promotion is needed here; this is one of the best bands out there. And if you think they suck, then you’re the one that sucks and go screw yourself! Go listen to Hurt’s “Vol. I”. And then listen to their follow up album “Vol. II”. That’s that!
Rating:
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
First Things First - My Comments On Rock Albums
Project 86 – Rival Factions
First of all this album simply sucks, the music sucks and the lyrics suck. This is their worst material ever. What’s the point of this album? I didn’t get it. Was it not sounding the same, was it limiting their talent, was it being more mainstream, was it being more fun? Well if that last two options were the case, it failed to be that as well. I expected so much more from Project 86, since all of their previous albums are really great. I mean their sound and lyrics represent a lot, a lot of emotion, a lot of what is going on today, on personal problems with spirituality, the society, the government, etc. But this last album failed to do any of that. I keep listening to it over and over again in order to “get it” but I just don’t. It is the least entertaining in any way or form, even artistically, that is except for 2 songs, the only 2 songs worth listening to; “Evil (A Chorus Of Resistance)”, that being the one they’ve promoted and sounding quite cool while having good lyrics and “Caveman Jam”, that at least have some sort of decent lyrics and sound, although not “mind blowing”. But these 2 songs doesn’t really save the album, the album is a real waste of time and a waste of our money. Don’t even try to download it or anything cause it simply sucks. Go buy any of the other albums, even the first one, it wasn’t that good, but it’s definitely better than Rival Factions. Just one last thing; a question for Andrew Schwab, lyricist and vocalist of Project 86; “Dude what the f**k is wrong with you? I mean, really.”
Rating:
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
All I have to say is “what the hell is this piece of s**t?” I should throw it in the garbage where the rest of all their albums belong. The only decent album they’ve ever made was [with teeth], other than that, all of their efforts are a waste of time and talent. Trent Reznor doesn’t really suck, nor his band, it’s just that… I don’t know, both together, doing this “industrial” garbage just doesn’t work for me. Not that industrial music is garbage, cause I’ve heard other bands and enjoyed them, ex; Rammstein, but Nine Inch Nails doesn’t really do it for me, and like I said before [with teeth] is their best work ever. I can listen to [with teeth] over and over again and still enjoy it. The inspiration that album gives it’s endless, but Year Zero just failed to do that. They went backwards with this album, ten years into the past, when they didn’t know the meaning of really meaningful music and songs. Year Zero is boring musically and lyrically and the only semi-good song is Survivalism, but that doesn’t even make the album any better. Anyway, I hope for Nine Inch Nails the best, maybe in the future they’ll make another album just as good as [with teeth], with meaningful songs and really good music.
Rating:
Velvet Revolver - Libertad
"Libertad"? Why is this album called "Libertad"? Well, not much can be said about this album, but at the same time it can. The music is good, but kinda boring and the voice of Scott Weiland sounds like sober Backstreet Boy member. I mean, it’s not that bad, he could’ve sound worse. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that Libertad is an album to be enjoyed in a quiet comfort of your home, maybe while resting in your bed as you read a book, or sitting on a chair while you playing cards with your friends from the church. I don’t know. I expected a lot more from Velvet Revolver. Don’t get me wrong, this album doesn’t suck, it just that it could’ve been done a lot better, it could’ve been a more rock-your-ass-to-hell-kinda album. It doesn’t pumps you, it kinda puts you down with the fact Scott doesn’t yell, doesn’t sing with his weird but unique voice, and most of his lyrics makes sense. One of the things that I thought make Weiland an original singer/song writer was the way he wrote the lyrics and the way he sang them, only he could be so imaginative. But as I was saying there are no loud, fast driven riffing songs in this album. But just simple, soft, may-you-be-in-peace-with-God-kinda songs. This album is not intolerable, it just that is not that entertaining. Other than that, it’s cool.
Rating:
Queen Of The Stone Age: Era Vulgaris
Great album. Excellent job guys! Keep the good work. It blew my mind away. Can’t say anything bad about this album. Just that I have been waiting for an album like this. Really artistic, while being really real with today’s situations, and not limiting to do things differently but carefully done. Great, great, great material. Saw the video a few days ago and it’s good as well. "Songs For The Deaf" is their second best album, "Era Vulgaris" their first. Like I said before, excellent job guys!
Rating:
Tori Amos: American Doll Posse
Yeah, yeah, I know this album is a few months old and I shouldn’t comment on it as if it was new. But hell, a few months ago I didn’t have the idea to make a blog where I commented about how good or s***y albums are. So yeah, American Doll Posse is a good album with great lyrics. Not much innovation here but Tori doesn’t needs it, cause she’s just great. The song Big Wheel is really funky, kinda cowboyish, a real fun song with really great and meaningful lyrics. The rest of the album follows that path, being completely entertaining while being well written. Very, very, very artistic! The songs that outstand the others are "Code Red" and "Dark Side Of The Sun" (that have been months in my mp3 player). These two songs are simply beautiful and inspiring! Great job Tori, I didn’t expect less from you. You are the queen of meaningful and beautiful songs and of art itself. I guess I’ll wait for the next album to be just as beautiful and artistic as this one.
Rating:
KoRn - "Untitled"
I’m not sure if the album is really called "Untitled" or not, but that’s how stores everywhere has it labeled. I guess it’s the fact that KoRn never put an actual title for the album that forced the music stores to think “I guess the album should be named Untitled since they never gave us any information about the actual title of the album and we can’t simply named it KoRn, since there’s already a KoRn album with the same name (the first one).” Other than that stupid joke-comment I just made up, the "Untitled" album is good, it’s not all that great, but for how KoRn’s See You On The Other Side album turned out to be, Untitled is better. You can call it “the refined version of SYOTOS”, that’s how I perceive it when I listen to it. The mistakes they made SYOTOS while experimenting with sounds, they didn’t make it here. Cause in my opinion SYOTOS had many s***y composed songs, songs that musically didn’t make much sense, and the ones they “got away” with weren’t all that incredible. But on Untitled they refined that “new” sound A LOT! It’s true that they “copied” some techniques and styles from bands like Marilyn Manson, Orgy, Kidney Thieves and a bit of Evanescence (yuck!). But all in all, the album is good, has good “vibe” to it, and definitely it’s not a waste of talent and efforts. These “new” tune ups that they experimented with here turned out pretty well. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t ever be the classic KoRn that we used to know, but I guess that sometimes can be good, not always though, but KoRn, you see, already was “burning out”. So they needed to change their sound a little in order to stay in the mainstream business as well as the music business. The songs that stand out from the rest are; “Starting Over”, “Ever Be”, “Hushabye” and “I Will Protect You". This is their fourth best album (in my opinion) and this is the order where I have them catalogued; 1) KoRn (Duh! Cause it’s a classic), 2) Follow The Leader (This is when the Nü Metal “boom” began to rise), 3) Untouchables (Cause it’s a very, very, VERY well done album) and 4) Untitled (Cause here they refine their “new” sound, making it sound a lot more professional). So to end my opinion on KoRn’s new album Untitled, I’ll say this; Give it a try, give these guys a chance, they are really trying, and this time around they didn’t mess up as much.
Rating:
