Believe

Little late getting this post up, but there's nothing new there. Going with something a little out of my norm here and posting some pop rock. This is not your average guitarist either. In fact you can probably add her to the list of amazing female guitarist. I of course am talking about Orianthi. Odd name, cute girl who can shred like no ones business. If the name sounds familiar, good. She's gotten a lot of attention of late. Most notably for being Michael Jackson's guitarist for his final concert movie. Since then she's played with the like of Carrie Underwood and more recently Alice Cooper and Dave Stewart. Not a bad resume for a young guitarist. When not touring with bands or solo, Orianthi has released two albums and an iTunes EP. I've uploaded the second album 'Believe' which features her most well known cuts 'According To You' and 'Highly Strung' which features guitar master Steve Vai. The album is a mix of pop and rock. It's a nice mix and the album is a good one overall. Make no mistake the girl knows her way around a guitar. Definitely worth a listen.

I found Orianthi via the song 'According To You' it was a staple on just about every radio station from rock to Top 40. The pop side of things isn't normally my thing, but with the influx of great young female guitarists and bassists cropping up I decided to give the rest of the catalog a listen. Her playing is superb, there's really no other way to describe it. And come on she's in Alice Coopers band currently. Great musician who's worked with a lot of big names and defiantly has a bright future ahead of her.

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Still Life

Mid week and it's time for some Progressive Death Metal to get you through the rest of the week. And what better way than to feature Opeth. Giants in the field of progressive death metal if you will, Opeth has been around since the mid 90's and has redefined the genre in a sense. The early albums are pretty much straight forward progressive death, save for maybe 'My Arms, Your Hearse' which according to frontman Mikael Akerfeldt, was their "black metal hippie" period. The band since there has released a steady stream of albums that vary from some of the best in the genre, see 'Blackwater Park', to more mellow albums like 'Deliverance' to their latest effort, a very prog heavy record in 'Heritage'. The consistent thing is usually a good mix of the death and mellow elements. And while the obvious choice is to feature the well received 'Blackwater Park' album, I've actually chosen the previous album in 'Still Life'. This album for me was an important record as it paved the way for the epic 'Blackwater Park' album. For those of new to Opeth, this is a good starting point, cause it was my introduction to the band. A great mix of heavy and mellow throughout the album. It's 7 tracks clock in at just over an hour. So if you're not a fan of the ten plus minute opus songs, maybe this isn't for you. This is an epic album to swallow, it's also a headphone album for me, so grab the bog ol headphones and crank this one.

'Still Life' was my introduction to Opeth and really into the death metal genre. More specifically it was the track 'Godhead's Lament' that introduced to me to the band. It's still my favorite Opeth track hands down. Great song, great breakdown in the middle, and a wonderful heavy finish. I saw Opeth some years back on their Chronology Tour. They played a song from every album they had released up to that point, which 'Ghost Reveries' had been out for a bit. I was sad I didn't get to hear my favorite track, but I will be damned if 'White Cluster' didn't kill live. Again there is a love/hate with this band with most folks. Mainly it's the live end of things with Mikael taking time between songs and telling amusing stories or jokes. Personally I think it's great and for my money he's one of the best frontman in Metal today. Gotta break up the set sometimes. The band has released solid album throughout their career and I for one have enjoyed each one of different levels. Great band with hopefully a few more albums left.

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Battle Cry

This week is another varied genre week. While mainly focusing on Metal, I'm going to dive into the sub genres a bit. Let out the collective groan now. Today we're going with some Traditional Metal. Could even go as far as calling this early American Power Metal. Sub genres semantics aside, today's band is a very underrated one on my books. Omen were another band that appeared on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre V album. Somewhat forgotten after the late 80's split. The band recorded some very solid records before splitting up in the late 80's. Omen were another band from LA who were similar to label mates Armored Saint. The band formed after guitarist Kenny Powell split from his band Savage Grace. Fronted by vocalist J.D. Kimball, the band released 3 albums and an EP with J.D. on vocals. He was replaced by Coburn Pharr, who would later wind up fronting Annihilator for several years. The band split and reformed in the late 90's and are still releasing albums every so often. The band's debut remains a quality slice of Metal though. 'Battle Cry' was a great traditional metal record. Every song on this album is a headbanger and sounded great live. I've gone ahead and uploaded the remastered expanded edition of 'Battle Cry' from the 20th Anniversary Box set released back in 03. There are two additional tracks, 'Torture Me', which was their contribution to Metal Massacre V and a Live version of 'Battle Cry' taken from a 86 show in San Antonio TX. A forgotten gem of an album that needs some new life breathed into it.

Omen for me kinda gets tossed into that whatever happened to that one band that was on that comp album pile. And they really don't belong there. The albums with J.D on vocals did really well and the band was always on the road supporting bigger bands. But for whatever reason they never broke completely through. Perhaps it was the vocalist change, maybe it was something else. In any case the band did reform with Kenny's son on vocals and guitars, releasing an album in 97, almost ten years since the last. It would be another six years before another new record would see the light of day. 'Eternal Black Dawn' featured current Phantom-X vocalist Kevin Goocher on vocals. The album was a return to form and the band started to gain some buzz. But plagued by lineup changes once again the band has mustered enough to release a live album of an old show and a comp of demos and new tracks since 03. Sadly J.D passed in 03 from cancer, leaving a comeback option dead in the water. New/Old vocalist Matt Storey is fronting the band and new material is on its way in the coming year. Hopefully people will pick up on what a great band this is.

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OFF!

New week and once again new letter. Short run of some O bands this week. And what better way to kick of a Monday then with some Punk. Some newer yet some how old school punk. OFF! is a newer band made up of veteran punkers. Led by ex Black Flag, Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris, the band has that old school early 80's Punk vibe to it. Rounded out by member of Redd Kross, Burning Brides, and Rocket From The Crypt, this supergroup of you will pulls no punches. Short, sweet and to the point this album clocks in at just over 15 minutes. That's right there's no song over a minute and a half here. 'First Four EPs' is just that the band originally released 4 EPs which comprise this album. From the opener 'Black Thoughts' it's just straight forward Punk. Enjoy this prime slice of 15 minutes. It's time to go OFF!

OFF! has gained attention since they formed. Originally Keith wanted to make another Circle Jerks record, but not everybody could get on the same page. So in protest OFF! was formed. Having one of the most iconic punk frontmen doesn't hurt. This album does have the old Black Flag vibe to it, just with an updated sound. This album is great if you need a quick wake up. Songs like 'Black Thoughts', 'I Don't Belong' and 'Darkness' just make you wanna slam dance. Also there's Keith's eulogy to the late The Gun Club frontman Jeffery Lee Pierce on here, which proves old Punkers still have heart. Solid record through and through, even for those hardened old Punk fans.

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The Novella Reservoir

Closing out the week with some Doom/Death Metal. Novembers Doom are one of the longer running USA Doom/Death outfits. Formed in 89, the band has released eight records, each seeming to outdo the last one. Fronted by Paul Kuhr, whose vocal styling reflect both the growling and the clean, takes the listener on a journey through the lyrics. Paul who also has done artwork for bands in the past, also fronts a band called These Are They. Novembers Doom are somewhat of your traditional Doom/Death band, with the exception that the music isn't always so damned slow as it is with some bands. There's some headbanging to be done here and lots of it. The last few records have been superb, especially with 'Aphotic', but I'm going with 2007's 'The Novella Reservoir'. For me this is a heavy and emotional record. And I mean damn heavy. Give a listen to the albums opener "Rain" and you'll see what I mean. There is an accompanying book to the album as well called 'The Wayfaring Chronicles', which details the bands past albums in depth and provides lyrics and insights to the band. An updated version has been released since via iTunes. This is a very underrated band in my book and worth checking out.

I found this band a few years back when I was doing some street team work for their label, The End Records. The End used to have an amazing roster, before going off into god only knows why land. Anyways, the label sent me a copy of their album 'The Pale Haunt Departure'. Solid album, but wasn't really a fan. I've never really embraced Doom Metal. For me it's to slow at times and makes me wanna sleep. Now not saying there aren't some great bands out there in that genre. But I decided to dust of 'Pale Haunt' after sometime and I actually found myself enjoying it more and more. By then 'The Novella Reservoir' had come out and I really enjoyed what I had heard. Like I said lyrically this band is great, I think it drives the music. Last few albums have been nothing short of stellar and hoping to see lots more.

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Pretty Hate Machine

Been slacking this week with the updates, so here's the final two postings before we move forward.  First up is some industrial, if you wanna call it that. Nine Inch Nails have been around for near two decades now. Starting out as somewhat of an industrial metal act, along the lines of Ministry and KMFDM, they helped pioneer the industrial movement. The band has moved away from that sound almost developing a dark ambient sound of late. Fronted by Trent Reznor, who remains the only original member left and is basically the band, only recruited musicians for live shows. The obvious upload choice for most here would be 'The Downward Spiral', but while that's a solid record, I'm gonna go with the debut in 'Pretty Hate Machine'. For me this stands up a a stronger album that hasn't been overplayed into oblivion. The first three tracks set the tone for the album. 'Head Like A Hole' is still a classic song in my books. Yet somehow I feel this album doesn't get enough respect. So here it is, the NIN debut, time to dig out the goth clothes.

NIN were my intro to industrial. I later got into KMFDM and Ministry, but 'Pretty Hate Machine' was the starting point for me. I got into this album while I was still in middle school I think. I remember rocking a NIN shirt on my first day of High School. I'm sure there's an awkward pic of that somewhere, but I digress. I was starting to find the whole 90's music scene. Bands like Nirvana, STP, GnR, Alice In Chains, and many more began to creep into my ears. Whether you wanna admit it or not, that was the soundtrack for a lot of us there. For me though NIN was overexposed with 'The Downward Spiral'. The over saturation of 'Closer' to this day makes me ill. 'Hurt' only got the recognition after Johnny Cash covered it. Good album, just overplayed and perhaps that's where the change in the sound began. The newer stuff is great as background music when you're screwing around. Reznor has stated that NIN wouldn't be anymore, but has since changed his mind about that. I'm hoping for one more album with the old sound. Oh one can hope.

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Over The Hills

Haven't has any female fronted Metal in a while, and with this band currently on the road, I figured what the hell. Nightwish is probably one of the more well known bands in the 'beauty and the beast' or 'operatic metal' genres. Nightwish started in the mid 90's and sort of kick started the whole operatic metal thing. Combining power metal elements with operatic vocals makes for an interesting mix. Nevertheless it's been rather successful over the years. The band soldiers on albeit with a different female singer after a very public split with the previous vocalist. The band has since toned down the vocals a bit and have focused more on writing their own movie. Yes that's right. In any case I've decided to post another EP. 'Over The Hills And Far Away' is a short EP combining studio tracks with live tracks. Although this is the expanded edition, the original didn't feature the live tracks. The title track is a cover of the Gary Moore classic. Also included is a remake of the bands old track 'Astral Romance'. All in all this is a good point for anyone new to the genre.

Nightwish was a band I really didn't care for at first listen. I think the vocals kinda turned me off. At that point I was just getting into female fronted metal. I gave them another listen a few years later and after a few spins I got into it. Granted the band really hasn't been the same after Tarja left, but the new record is pretty solid, ridiculous movie idea aside of course. There have been countless other operatic metal bands out there, but Nightwish still remains one of the most popular. This is a band that takes a little time to get into it, but in the ends it's a unique mix of styles and the output is pretty good.

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Sweet Vengeance

Second posting tonight in a return to the Gothenburg Sound in some ways. Nightrage was formed in 2001 by Marios Iliopoulos after the demise of his band Exhumation. Relocating from Greece to Sweden, Marios soon put together somewhat of a supergroup. Adding guitarist Gus G from Firewind and ex At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg, the group put together a few demos, the band got the attention of Century Media, who released their debut 'Sweet Vengeance'. The debut which also features clean vocals from Evergrey frontman Tom Englund, this debut has that Gothenburg sound feel to it. Loud, brash and oh so in your face, Lindberg's vocals and the dual guitar work make this one of the better debut's on the early 2000's.  The band suffered from lineup changes, Gus G of course left to focus on Firewind and somehow wound up playing fro Ozzy, while Lindberg left after album two to focus on his many projects. The band stumbled through a few more albums, before finding what appears to be a steady lineup. However for me nothing touches the debut.

There was a definite buzz about this band when they released 'Sweet Vengeance' and with good reason. Talented guitarists and legendary vocalist, how could it fail? The debut didn't disappoint either, taking many a listener back to the old At The Gates days. This is one of those albums you crank after a bad day and just wanna let loose and headbang. It's simple and to the point. Not to mention it had a great album cover.

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In Memory

New week and it's time for a Metal week and also time for a new letter. Moving onto a week on N's. Starting things off with some Nevermore. A band that grew out of a somewhat successful Seattle band called Sanctuary. Vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard formed Nevermore after the demise of Sanctuary. The sound has always been a little tricky to nail down. Starting out as sort of a Power/Thrash metal act, later work can be described as a progressive thrash sound. Formed in 92 the band has remained a staple on the Century Media label. Currently on a hiatus since half the band has left. The later material has been praised. Case in point either 'Dreaming Neon Black' or 'Dead Heart In A Dead World' can be considered albums of the year. But for today's post I'm going with something short and sweet. The 'In Memory' EP was released in 96. Simple 5 song EP with 4 original tracks and a curious cover of Bauhaus' 'Double Dare/Silent Hedges'. This was a simple attack on you ears, solid thrash metal and a starting point of what's to come. This EP has been out of print for sometime, but was reissued, here is the original for your pleasure.

Nevermore has gained some success over the years, but with half the band leaving and the reformation of Sanctuary, the band is on somewhat of a hiatus. The other curse of the band is the revolving lineup of second guitarists. Not to say there wasn't talent there, I mean the band at times featured the likes of, Chris Broderick (Megadeth/ex Jag Panzer), Steve Smyth (The Esseness Project, ex Testament), Pat O'Brien (Cannibal Corpse) and Tim Calvert (ex Forbidden).  Speaking of big names, Nevermore actually has some ties to Megadeth. Ex-Guitarist Jeff Loomis tried out for Megadeth after Chris Poland was fired, but was turned down by Dave Mustaine. And speaking of Mustaine, he actually produced one of the Sanctuary albums. I always felt like Nevermore should've been a bigger band than what they were. There were some great records and their live shows were always great. Damn shame things fell apart the way they did. Thankfully the music still rocks.

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Muddy Waters

Closing out the week with some legendary blues. Muddy Waters has been referred to as the Godfather of Chicago Blues. Starting out in the 40's, Muddy spent the better part of his life playing the blues that would later become a major influence of the British Blues Explosion. Thanks to the help of Bassist/songwriter Willie Dixon, Muddy released some of his bigger hits including 'Hoochie Coochie Man' and 'I Just Wanna Make Love To You'. The former covered by many a great musician and the later made into a 70's rock hit by Foghat. You see right there the influence that Muddy had. Along with Howlin' Wolf, the pair began cementing the Chicago Blues Sound. Muddy played up until his death, his last show, a gig with Eric Clapton. Muddy would pass away the next year. Years after his passing, Muddy is still recognized as one of the biggest influences. Other blues legends say there will never be another bluesman such as Muddy. 'His Best' showcases his early years on the Chess label. Solid collection of his hits.

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Overkill

Time for some dirty ol rock n roll from God himself. Yes it's time for some Motörhead. Formed in 75 by Lemmy, Motörhead remains today as one of the forefathers of metal. Lemmy of course widely recognized as God in the metal community, played in the space rock outfit Hawkwind before forming Motörhead. And while the lineup has changed a few times, the music never does, always in your faced rock n roll. A three piece back never sounded so loud, with axeman Phil Campbell and former King Diamond drummer Mikkey Dee rounded out the group, the band continues to tour the world and release new material. But for my money we're going back to the landmark 79 record 'Overkill'. This is simply put my favorite Motörhead album. This is the album that drew me in and hooked me. The monstrous drumming from the opening title track just sets the mood for the rest of the album. The classic lineup just killed it for many records. Went ahead and uploaded the deluxe version with a half dozen bonus tracks including 'Louie Louie' and 'Too Late Too Late'. Enjoy this slice of rock history.

Motörhead is the band that if they moved next to you the lawn would die, there's never been any questions about that. I got into them via Metallica doing the whole Motorheadache thing. Covering 'Overkill', 'Damage Case' and 'Too Late, Too Late' made me wanna hear the original versions. To this day you have to be one hell of a drummer to play 'Overkill' and the only one I've seen come close is Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame. Musically this is just in your face dirty rock n roll, there's really no way else to explain it. And where to I begin with Lemmy? The man is God. Countless bands have covered Motörehead, the man has written a book, has his own documentary. Oh and he once was a roadie for Hendrix. The man lives on a steady diet of Jack n Cokes, smokes like a chimney and was you hear his voice you know you're in for a treat. Oh and the man has his own Rockabilly band too. Top that. Oh wait and the band has the most iconic mascot next to Eddie from Maiden. The warpig is on every record in one way or another. Simply put everyone should have a least five Motörhead albums in their collection. This is a great starting point, throw in 'Bomber', 'Ace Of Spades', 'Live At Hammersmith' and 'Bastards' and we'll talk. Nothing like putting this album on 11 and drinking some cheapo beer.

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Wolfheart

Taking a break from all the Jazz postings and going back to some Metal. First end of a double post features some Portuguese Metal. Moonspell formed in the late 80's before release a handful of EPs in the mid 90's. The 'Under The Moonspell' EP caught the ears of Century Media who quickly signed the band. In 1995 the band released their first LP 'Wolfheart'. Regarded as the bands finest record to date. 'Wolfheart' captured goth metal and a somewhat Latin charm and blended it together into a work of art. A mere 8 tracks longs it leaves the listener wanting more after the closing track 'Alma Mater'. The band has progressed over the years, bordering on the lines of industrial at points with releases. The later records have been somewhat of a return to old form with stories weaved into the tracks. Still this remains a great starting point for this band.

I got into this band via a few tracks on this album, 'Love Crimes', 'An Erotic Alchemy', and 'Alma Mater' were my intro to the band. From there I dug the band. The follow up 'Irreligious' is on par with the debut, but at times just feels lacking a bit. After that that band kinda detoured and lost me with the whole electronica/industrial sound. Seemed like the band was going in reverse. In any case the band got back to the older sound and the last few records have been solid. The music always gets me more than the lyrics with this band. Something bout it sometimes makes ya feel a bit dirty. Oddly one of the few metal bands that could pull it off.

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Wes Montgomery

Keeping with the Jazz side of things, we move from an acclaimed Jazz pianist to and acclaimed Jazz guitarist. Wes Montgomery was one of the fore fathers of early Jazz guitarists. Along with the likes of Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, Wes was crafting what modern Jazz guitar would sound like in the coming decades. Wes also later influenced numerous players from Hendrix and SRV to Pat Metheny and Lee Ritenour. Early in his career his work was more focused on the Jazz side of playing. During the mid 60's his style became more of a pop jazz sound. In 67 he released his critically acclaimed 'Day In The Life Of' record which I have featured on the blog before. For today I'm gonna show off more the the Jazz side he created during his time on Riverside Records. 'The Artistry Of' takes some of his more well known tracks like 'Round Midnight' and 'Four On Six' and shows the listener just what a talented musician Wes was.

Much like the previous post with Monk, this comp is a good place to explore Jazz guitar. While I still think 'Day In The Life' is a great record, that record shows off more of the Pop Jazz sound Wes later adapted. With this we see the early workings of a legend, we see where the movement started and the influence it later had on many guitarists. It's a shame Wes died so young, it seems to always leave the listen with a sense of what if. I often wonder about that about artists who pass away in their prime, I wonder what would have happened, how would have music changed or been shaped. Thankfully the records live on for the future generations to discover.

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Blue Note

Final week of the M's here and it's going to be a little varied this week. Not so much metal as much blues and jazz this week. Starting off the week with some Thelonious Monk. Monk was the giants of American Jazz with his very unique improvisational styling. He is the second most recorded Jazz composer only behind Duke Ellington. That's a large gap considering Ellington penned over a 1,000 songs while Monk wrote about 70. Another side fact is he is only one of five Jazz musicians to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Monk got his start in 44 with the Coleman Hawkins Quartet and by 47 he was making his debut as a leader for the famed Blue Note label. Over the next few years he would work with the Jazz legends including Coltrane, Davis, and Rollins. Releasing several critical acclaimed and complex records up until the 60's. Sadly by the mid 70's Monk spent the last decade of his life as a recluse, rarely making appearances or even speaking to anyone. While some in the Jazz community pan his greatness, others praise it. 'The Best of The Blue Note Years' focuses on Monk's early career with Blue Note. Good place to start for someone not familiar with Monk.

As far as Jazz has always been concerned it's never been about being orthodox in any sense of the word. Much like any other sub genre of music, Jazz has it's own unique genres. While there's a sense of confusion abound when you tell people that you enjoy Jazz, for me it's because they associate Jazz with addicts and really far out people. And that much like being a metal head is a stereotype. For me there are good starting points to get into Jazz, the standard masters like Davis, Coltrane, Ellington and Armstrong are all fine places to start. Each of those artists has a landmark album, which is usually the a real good point to start. Once you develop a taste for it or at least an understanding, then it's time to branch out into the other genres or other albums. For me though this best of collection for Monk is a good starting point for the Jazz novice. If anything it's a great album just to chill out to.

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Misfits

Second end of this evenings posting is some horror punk. The Misfits along with perhaps Iron Maiden and Motörhead have the most iconic logo/mascot in rock/punk/metal history. The Misfits skull has been widely displayed on shirts since the late 70's. Led by Danzig, the band released a handful of EP's, over a dozen singles and seven albums to date. The final album to feature Danzig was recorded in 78 but wasn't fully released til 97, nearly fifteen years after Danzig had left the band. The band split and reformed with a new singer in the 90's. The band wasn't the same after that though and most fans will agree. I could have posted a few singles for download or what not, but I've decided to go with the first 'Collection' album, which focuses on the bands early part of the career. Most of the well known hits are here 'Green Hell', 'London Dungeon' and 'Die, Die My Darling' are all featured here. My gripe about this collection is the sound. It's real low and could've used a boost. Aside from that this stands as a great collection of cuts from an influential punk band.

The Misfits were one of the first punk/metal bands I got into in High School. Of course the iconic logo drew me in. It also helped that Metallica had covered 'Last Caress/Green Hell' and of course later on 'Die, Die, My Darling'. The music was simple punk with a tinge of horror behind it. Of course I had and proudly wore the shit out of my two Misfits shirts through High School and College. Oddly enough my college ID is me sporting my 'Die, Die My Darling' shirt, which was designed by Pushead, the same guy who has done all the iconic Metallica shirts and what not. While I'm a fan of the old material, I think the new lineup comprised of punk legends is a bit of a stretch, but it's nice to see Danzig playing a few shows with Jerry. It leaves the door open for a much needed reunion.

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Double Nickels On The Dime

It's easy to get sidetracked when you got beer in the belly, so double shot of punk today kiddies. First up is some Minutemen. Not that whack job border patrol group, but the influential punk trio from so cal. The trio consisted of D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley. The band released eight EP's and four albums before disbanded in 85 due to the untimely death of D. Boon. While the band was labeled as a punk act, the band played a mixture of alternative, punk, folk, and jazz and blended together to make the Minutemen sound. Up for download is the classic 84 album 'Double Nickles On The Dime', which the title refers to driving 55 on the 10 Freeway. Originally released as a double album, the record does feature 45 songs. The album is widely recognized as a landmark album in the rock/punk genre. Most people are familiar with the band and may not recognize it. This of course if due to the MTV show Jackass using the instrumental part of 'Corona' as the shows opening. Amazing record from an amazing band that sometimes gets forgotten. Do yourself a favor and grab this album.

I had forgotten about this band until I got back into the whole 80's punk scene. I always loved 'Corona', it's a great little riff. I found the great documentary about the band called 'We Jam Econo' which basically told the story of the band and the philosophy behind the band as well, i.e. recorded after midnight, recording on used tape, etc. It was a really great documentary, probably one of the better rock docs out there. It's on Netflix, go watch it now.  Really great band, that time somehow forgets about at times. But epic records never go out of style.

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Minor Threat

Mid week and the rest of this weeks posts are going to be in a punk rock vein. First up are Minor Threat. The band that can be credited with starting the Straight Edge Movement. For those unfamiliar with the movement, it basically states no drugs, no booze. The identifying mark is usually a black X on the hand. Existing for a mere three years, Minor Threat started up in 80 and by 83 were done. Led by Ian MacKaye, along with fellow DC Punkers the Bad Brains, Minor Threat helped shaped the East Coast Punk scene. The band cut 3 EPs and 1 full length album while together. Each release was issued on MacKaye's own Dischord Records. Thankfully a 'Complete Discography' was released. The album features the EPs and the LP together on one disc. Perfect album for those interested in the roots of American Punk Rock.

I realized the other day that this was actually missing from my collection for some reason or another. Minor Threat along with other punk bands like the Bad Brains and Black Flag laid the foundation of what American Punk was in the early 80's. Most of the bands toured in a van, got banned from venues and exploded by the time Hair Metal was in. Much like Henry Rollins, MacKaye is a smart man. Rollins often tells stories about the trouble they got into in the early days. It's always nice to see smart people in music. And while I'm not really behind the whole straight edge this, it was great to see a band with such a hardcore DIY attitude when it came to there art. Really sad when you can't say that about many of today's bands.

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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Switching up genres yet again. This time taking a few to shine a light on a great Jazz record. Charles Mingus was a larger than life Jazz musician. Known just as much for his temper as for his music, Mingus had released a critically acclaimed album in 'Mingus Ah Um' in 59 amongst a slew of other legendary Jazz albums. He follows it up with the disastrous effort in 'Epitaph', which was fully realized ten years after his passing. Mingus went back to the boards and created an album which is partially written as a ballet. 'The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady' is a four track album broken down into six movements. In addition to be critically acclaimed upon release, to make things even weirder, the liner notes were partially penned by Mingus' then psychologist. Let that sink in for a bit, how many musicians have the guts to do that? Weirdness aside, this remains as a Jazz masterpiece. This one should be in every Jazz fans collection.

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The Dethalbum

New week and rolling on with the M's. Time for some cartoon metal. Adult Swim has been riding the Metal bandwagon for the past few years with Metalocalypse, a fictional death metal act. Created by Brendan Small, you know the same cat that did Home Movies back in the day, Metalocalypse is a tongue n cheek look at the world of heavy metal. Comprised of a few bumbling musicians from all walks off life, the band is set out on dominating the world. Musically speaking however it's Small and Gene Hoglan making the music. This is one of those things the metal community either loves or hates. Personally I think it's great poking fun at the metalheads and the scene in general. So for your pleasure or demise, it's 'The Dethalbum'. This is the deluxe edition with seven bonus tracks.

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Dead Again

Wrapping up this week with something evil. Mercyful Fate were one of the early pioneers of what would evolve into Black Metal. Led by the corpse paint wearing King Diamond, Mercyful Fate formed in the early 80's and released two critically acclaimed records before breaking up. The band got back together in 93 after an almost ten year hiatus. 'In The Shadows' marked the return of the band, even featuring a guest drummer in Lars Ulrich from Metallica. Fast forward to 98, after a few solid releases and tours, it's announced that axeman Michael Denner would be leaving the band. 'Dead Again' marks the first album without the guitar duo of Shermann/Denner. Fans would question how the new record would sound. Replacing a legend isn't the easiest thing to do either. In comes Mike Wead, who briefly was in King Diamond, but was more known for his work in Memento Mori, Abstrakt Algebra and Hexenhaus. The end result of the lineup shift was the underrated 'Dead Again'. A really solid album rounded out with the epic 13 minute title track. It's a shame that the band only released one more record before taking another hiatus. The band by the way hasn't released an album since 99. But if you're looking for some good late 90's metal consider grabbing this one.

'Dead Again' remains one of my favorite Mercyful Fate albums to date. Lyrically speaking it's kinda funny in parts. Take 'Torture (1629)' a song about a supposed witch. The lyric here, "The Inquisitor had left her behind, Gone for a bite, food on his mind". Or even in the title track, "This is such a weird song". Very tongue in cheek from a amazing writer. Overall this album felt like a return to the older days. 'Dead Again' and 'Since Forever' are two of the more haunting songs here and are for me some of the better tracks. Given everything that's happened in the King Diamond camp over the years, I'm not holding my breath for a new Mercyful Fate album anytime soon, but it's been good to see the original lineup play again.

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