Metallica: S & M
AWESOME!!! Metallica, accompanied by a full orchestra conducted by the amazing Michael Kamen. 2 hours and 15 minutes of just amazing music. It's bittersweet at the moment because I just realized I won't be able to see them live in December like I had planned. The CD has some of their best songs, but includes a few I would have left out, and in a "whythefuckyoudothat?" moment, they inexplicably left off my all time favorite song, Fade To Black! UGH!!! Still, it's a really great CD.
System Of A Down: (self titled)
INCREDIBLE!!! These guys are fucking insane! The singer seems to have recently escaped from an institution, and damn it, that's just perfect! The high point of th CD (well, I only have the cassette because I want to listen to it in the car, and I have, over, and over, and over...)is a song called Sugar. AMAZING!!! I've never heard such a mix of angst, humor, aggression and passion! Not for the squeamish, but man, what a ride!
Guano Apes: Proud Like A God
Give No Doubt more balls, and you get Guano Apes. Well, maybe that's not the most accurate description, these guys, and girl, lead singer Sandra, can rock you pretty hard...especially on the awesome Open Your Eyes! This band really fucking rocks!
Dream Theater: Scenes From A Memory
Meticulate. Dream Theater is probably the best bunch of musicians recording Rock/Hard Rock/Metal today. They are true technicians of the genre. Scenes is a concept CD, and it reprises some of the running themes of Dream Theater's greatest album to date, Images & Words. It is a must have for those of you who can appreciate intelligent music with wild creativity!
Korn: Issues
Korn is just too cool. They look like thugs, but are these really cool, almost shy guys...that is until they plug in and start kicking your ass with their aggressive, funk-laced rock. This CD seems a little more straight ahead rock than their previous CD, the superstar making Follow The Leader, but it's just as good. Oh, and if you haven't already seen it, you HAVE to see this year's Halloween episode of South Park. Korn appear as themselves, but they will remind you of a buch of "meddling kids" from your youth. Awesome!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
Trans-Siberian Orchestra has two Christams CDs out, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, & The Christmas Attic. These CDs will change your view of Christmas music! I have always liked Christmas music, but not necessarily the "happy' ones. I always preferred the more somber, melancholy ones. Well, these CDs, Christmes Eve in particular, take some well known Christmas Carols, and infuse them with a light metallic crunch! It's just great, especially on Christmas Eve/Sarajevo12/24. This song is just AMAZING! To be honest, the second CD, Christmas Attic, is a lot less rocking than the first, which had a lot more influence from a band called Savatage (one of my favorites!). Still both CDs are really great, and highly recommended. I just can't wait for their newest CD, a tribute of sorts to Beethoven!
Well, that's it. If you decide to try any of these, I hope you are as musically satisfied as I was!