Motorhead: Icon

We are Motorhead, and we play Rock n F*ckin Roll! This "icon" album is a cheap way to get yourself 12 of the best in your face rock n roll, all in the form of the worlds most badass band, Motorhead. I think it's pretty straight forward what this album is and what is on the album so I won't go in too deep.

The album starts off with 3 fast tracks "Iron Fist", "We Are The Roadcrew" and of course "Ace of Spades." The fourth track "Louie Louie" is my favorite cover version of this song, and it is followed with the classic "Bomber", "Rock n Roll" and "Damage Case." my only complaint about the last track "overkill" was that it wasn't the remastered version, and that's only because I prefer the bass to be louder and shaking my bones.

HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORING

This album is everything you'd expect it to be. Pure rock n roll from the masters "Motorhead". I wish it had a few other songs on it in exchange for what's there but that's me being picky .

8.8/10

Mastodon: Blood Mountain

Alrighty i'm in a huge Mastodon mood so lets crack into their discography. It's sometimes hard to choose a favorite album from a band like Mastodon because their albums are all incredible, and it's even harder to choose a least favorite. But i'm going to have to say this IS indeed my least favorite, which doesn't mean it's a bad album at all. I have reasons i'll explain later to why I feel like I feel about it.

So this is Mastodon's 'concept' album that deals with the 'Earth' Element, and does a damn good job. I find it to be one of their most complex albums when it comes to the drums. I mean my god Brann Dailor goes absolutely nuts on the drumset, the first 10 seconds of "Crystal Skull" will have you attempting a damn Rain Dance because you'll feel like you're 300 miles into Indian Territory. The first track off this album pounds into your ears like a wild animal, rightly named "The Wolf Is Loose." "Sleeping Giant", the third track which follows after "Crystal Skull" is a heavy, powerful, very lyrically oriented song, which is followed by one of the albums finest songs, "Capillarian Crest". Everything about this song is awesome. Drums, Guitar, Bass is all spot on, and very complex and in your face. There is a lot of chicken picking guitar playing throughout, not really any heavy riffs, just fast, precise playing and it sounds really great. The next highlight in my opinion is "BladeCatcher", a freaky instrument featuring guitars imitating sounds of beasts/noises in the forests, and the first time I had it cranked through my speakers I almost shit myself because I thought it was real. The last track that really does much for my is "Colony of Birchmen", a heavy song with a very forestlike message coming through the vocals. I wish I could say more about the last 5 tracks, it's not like their bad at all, they're actually a really good listen, it just seems to mesh at times. Overall this album nails it's element on the head, sometimes you really get the feeling you're trapped on a mountain or being chased through the woods and discover some weird sh*t.

HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORING

Alright sonically this album is a masterpiece. The instrumental work and vocals are awesome, and give a great vibe to the album's "Earth" concept, it's just that not all the tracks really did enough for me to be recognized a great bunch, but it is still an awesome album to listen to and enjoy. Now if you'd excuse me i'm going to live in the deep forests and high mountains of Mastodonland

8.5/10

Volbeat: Beyond Hell/Above Heaven

This band is hot right now, and I mean HOT. No homo or anything but they are tearing up the radio plays as well as their live shows. I have seen them twice now and both times they absolutely killed it. This is their latest album, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven", which carries on the story of Mr. Cadillac from the album "Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood." "A Warriors Call" from this album was #1 on the radio for I don't know how many weeks and now "Still Counting" from their previous album is #1 on the radio. These guys are doing it right.

Ok music wise, if you like Metal, Rock and Roll, Johnny Cash, and Elvis, than these guys are perfect for you. The lead singer Michael Poulson has a very unique voice and uses it well to suite the songs they play. Take "The Mirror and the Ripper" for instance. Try singing the first minute of the song and you will make yourself look foolish, I know I do. But in all seriousness there are 13 songs on this cd, and I consider 10-11 of them to be top notch songs as of right now, and the other to being ok rock songs but still listenable. "Fallen" is a great slower tune whereas "Evelyn" brings in Napalm Death singer "Barney", and it is a killer ass track. Same goes for the song "7 Shots", which features Kreator's Mille Petrozza, and is also a very awesome heavier song yet still keeping the Johnny Cash spirit alive. OH, and guess who's playing with them on lead guitar for their summer touring and has been with them for a year or so? HANK SHERMAN of Mercyful Fate, seriously, if these guys come to town, check em out. Well how does this album shape up to their previous? Well they have kept the same rhythm throughout, if that makes any sense, just pure rock and roll metal and obvious influence from Elvis and Cash, trust me, it's a good thing, and hopefully you'll become as hooked as I am.

Highlights and Scoring

Overall this is a great album, plenty of good tracks and Volbeat keeps doing what they do great, and the addition of the songs "Evelyn" and "7 Shots" should please hardcore metalheads, and other tracks such as "Fallen", "Warriors Call", and "The Mirror and the Ripper" will keep regular rock and rollas happy. Oh yes and check out "16 Dollars" for a great fast tune, and hell they even made a thank you track to the fans titled "Thanks." I've going to put some links here to songs, I may keep doing this on every review and I may not, just one or two highlight tracks.

Warriors Call: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu4emT6btH4

Evelyn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrzE1LwajQ8

9.3/10

The Sword: Warp Riders

So I received this album as a gift last month, and I had never really heard anything by this band until this album, so I can't really compare this to previous releases, although I have read that this is their first concept album, which is a science fiction narrative, and you can really hear it in the music.

Alright now to the music. While this is surely a 'Metal' album, it has some very heavy classic rock influences and also a hard rock direction. The album is started by 3 very strong tracks, "Acheron/Unearthing the Orb", "Tres Brujas"(personal favorite) and "Arrows in the Dark." If you don't like vocals that are growly and deep sounding, then this is the album for you! All the vocals are clean and sound pretty sharp, this goes for the guitar work on the album as well. Sure there are heavy riffs sometimes and fast rhythms, but the solos are very clean and precise, all while holding to the album's 'science fiction' direction. The next highlight of this album comes on track 5 with "Lawless Lands", to me this song really solidifies the albums science fiction concept and also a very good classical rock track. Oh yeah and I would think Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin fans would be a huge fan of this album, because of the influences it holds from those bands. That being said, the rest of the tracks of the album are pretty good, no major standouts but no filler tracks either. Listening to this album in whole will make you feel like you are truly on a different planet, a strange new world, and I applaud The Sword for going in this direction.

Highlights and Scoring

Overall this is a very good Metal/Rock concept album, with the standout tracks being "Tres Brujas", "The Chronomancer 1 + 2", "Lawless Lands" and "Night City". As previously said Classic Metal fans "Sabbath" and Classic Rock fans "Led Zeppelin" should be pleased with this album, and people who appreciate sharp solos and clean vocals should also very much like it.

8.2/10

Rob Zombie: "HellBilly Deluxe 2"

Alright so it's my first post and I decided to take on Rob Zombie's 2010 follow up album to his hit filled "HellBilly Deluxe", rightly named, "HellBilly Deluxe 2." Now Rob has some high expectations to live up to after releasing songs such as "Dragula", "Living Dead Girl", "Superbeast" and the others, and he does a somewhat good job of doing so.

From song to song you can expect the Zombie like intro, whether it be a quote or noises to give you a shiver, followed by a catchy beat and the voice we expect coming through the speakers. Now let it be known that I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Zombie live on the Megadeth/Zombie Tour last May, so I had heard some of the songs live before the studio version, and I believe it gives me a bias towards some because of the awesome energy I feel when hearing them again. These include the song "Mars Needs Women", which I believe is one of the coolest tracks Zombie has released, incredibly catchy, as well as "Sick Bubblegum." The lyrics are so wacky and weird, but it works. John 5 (guitarist) did some great work on this album and his rhythms and solos are pretty awesome. Then comes my gripe with the album. Aside from the song "The Man Who Laughs", a 9 minute song featuring a 5-6 minute drum solo, the rest of the song listing is fairly forgettable, but still are nice to listen to when they come on. So expect maybe 5 of the tracks to catch your attention.

Highlights and Scoring

Zombie doesn't quite live up to "HellyBilly Deluxe" expectations but tracks such as "Mars Needs Women" and "Sick Bubblegum" make this album special, and have become my priority Zombie songs to listen to. Gripe: Not enough songs with life to them after the first few playthroughs.

7.5/10