Not Quite A Nightmare, But Not Their Best
585418
Arsis have been the darlings of the brutal death metal underground since their dazzling 2004 debut, A Celebration of Guilt, which proved that Americans can incorporate beautiful melodies into a raging tornado of tremolo guitar riffs and blast beats even better than European contemporaries.

After the disappointment of the last album, United in Regret, founding member Jim Malone decided to start writing catchy melodies again -- Nightmare is definitely a heavy album, but when it's not busy reaching in and tearing the listener's spine out of his or her nose, the tear-dropping sense of melody from Celebration returns.

Sure, the new drummer's start-stop style is choppy, and the production lacks fortitude; any more random sweep picking and I'd want the guitarists' fingers amputated. But, overall, the album works. Want proof? Listen to "Sightless Wisdom," "Failing Winds of Hopeless Greed" and "Servants to the Night."
24590
This record's release came as a pleasant surprise, as I heard no preliminary press about it coming out.  That being said, it is  a disappointment, much of which must be laid at the feet of the production, and what clearly appears to be an attempt to fit this band into a particular format for commercial radio programmers.  The sound, particularly on the first 3 songs, has been smoothed out, as has the singing.  In addition, the lyrics miss the specificity of their other albums, and much of the album seems "controlled", instead of the passion they brought to bear on their other works.  The songs , and the passion, improve after the first three, rather generic,  numbers, but the sound stays polite.  I can only hope that they will be left alone on their next set, or, they return to an indie label.
1935393
Joker released their debut album in 1990 at the tail end of the "hair metal" explosion. These guys didn't really bring much new to the genre and it's not really hard to envision why they didn't make it any bigger than they did. However, if you want a decent listen to some late 80s inspired metal then this album isn't too bad.

Joker essentially took the tried-and-true hair metal formula and apply it directly to their debut album. The album is actually quite listenable throughout, but it really lacks the cohesion and song writing of bands like Poison or Bon Jovi. The production value isn't too bad for a relatively obscure release, and the musicianship is pretty tight, but again, these guys just don't have that "it" factor to make you pull them out of a line up. Songs like "Party for your Life," "She Wants Vengeance" and "Pledge an Allegiance" are favorite tracks, but they're definitely not what I'd call essential.

If you still love 80s metal than you should check this album out. Just be warned that the high price is not always indicative of great quality.
3950706
The Darkness are kinda hard to rate -- see if you base them solely on their efforts of not being a very serious band.  Then one could say it's all in good fun; though I wouldn't necessarily call this album funny by any means.  Sure "Growing On Me" gets brownie points from me for being a song actually based on a sexually-transmitted disease.  And "Black Shuck" is just one example of why these guys are not to be taken serious.
 Are they the modern day Spinal Tap ?  I dunno, but one thing is for certain, they swept the Brit Awards.  Admittedly their comments about Radiohead were rather shrewd if not kinda immature and Muse should've nabbed a little more.  And thing have certainly landed in the states.  "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is just one example of how their 'Stadium Rock' appeal has warrant a following. But hey, if it could lure mainstream music listeners from even worse garbage like Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan and all that bling-hoe-ice rap crap then hey, lets give a little bit of credit.
 But on a pure musical level, Justin Hawkins cannot sing and the band seems to caught up in sounding like the old days that they literally sound like Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and all the other 'Hair Bands' that inspired them.  I suggest downloading before buying -- if for anything one or two songs.  Which is enough to give away their sound.
432685
Formed by ex-TKO vocalist Brad Sinsel, War Babies were another johnny-come-lately to the melodic rock party. War Babies are essentially a hard rock band that incorporated a blues-rock feel to their sound. Overall, the album sounds similar to Tangier, Badlands and Cinderella(circa Heartbreak Station).

Even though their chance at success was minimal, War Babies still managed to release a semi-enjoyable hard rock record. I'm not bashing these guys in for what they were at all, but they just didn't bring the same energy as the other bands I compared them to. While the album has it's weak points, it also brings along some foot stompers as well. Songs like "Hang Me Up" and "Cry Yourself To Sleep" are highlights, but after that it gets mighty thin.

I'm sure most people think i'm trashing this band. Well, i'm not. I don't regret purchasing this record, and if you give it a listen, you may find me completely mad. Just don't expect "Hysteria", "Open Up And Say...Ah!!" or "Slippery When Wet, you won't find it here.
2609138
Great, but the debut was more consistent and more memorable. I enjoy this album, and band, this just isn't their best release.
2088407
Silversun Pickups are yet another band that I was introduced to on the Tonight Show. I didn't hear their debut EP, but I still decided to check out their full-length album, Carnavas.

Let me just say right away that this band is definitely not for everyone, as lead singer Brian Aubert's voice has a VERY acquired taste (and I really don't understand the Billy Corgan comparisons). Not only that, but he also has a habit of doing hard-rock-induced screaming at odd times during songs that aren't even loud, which ruins otherwise good tracks like "Future Foe Scenarios" and especially "Lazy Eye". But there are still good songs like "Three Seed", "Checkered Floor" and "Rusted Wheel".

The rest of the songs are okay, but there are also small slip-ups in the production department with the first and last track ("Melatonin" and "Common Reactor", respectively). The former has some bizarre instrumentation, and the latter ends with one full minute of what sounds like the kind of feedback you hear when your dial is stuck between two AM radio stations. While I don't think that Silversun Pickups are worth ALL the hype, Carnavas is still worth picking up.

Anthony Rupert
4844719
THESE days, it might be a bit confusing due to the several live albums that've been released by Maiden. But, 'A Real Live One' is the band's first live release since 'Live After Death' and not as good, I'm afraid. Decent, just not great. The semi-killer tracks here include "From Here To Eternity", the Bruce Dickinson gem "Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter", "Tailgunner", "Can I Play With Madness?" and "The Clairvoyant". One thing I really do like about this title is that it appears to be a REAL LIVE recording with NO overdubbing whatsoever. If you're a Maiden fan, you should get something from this disc. If you're a Maiden nut (and I know they're out there), then you'll most likely love this record. A decent find. Nice Maiden cover, as always.
895831
I admit I was predisposed to dislike the album before I even listened.  That may seem unfair, but my predisposition was based on the fact that, with the exception of a few standout tracks, the past four Queensryche albums have been abyssmal.  As far as this album is concerned, Overall, I am a bit surprised.  Frequency Unknown is not as bad as I thought it would be, and there are more moments that I like than I would have thought.  But the ideas are not fleshed out well at times, the vocal melodies are frequently half-baked, and the vocal delivery is just outright painful and bad most of the time.  But most of all, this sounds like a Geoff Tate solo effort and not like something that should have the Queensryche name attached.  The three biggest problems I have with the album can be summarized as follows:

1.  Everything sounds rushed and underdeveloped.  There are some good ideas and some good melodies.  But nothing about the album feels like any amount of care or thought was put into making it sound and feel like a finished product.  Most of us know the facts behind how this album was put out.  We know that it was a rush job.  The problem is, it SOUNDS like a rush job, whether we are talking about the poor mix, the disjointed "cut-and-paste" sound of of the songs, or what have you.

2.  The singing is atrocious.  Geoff Tate was a key influence of mine, both in terms of getting into singing in the first place, and also in terms of pushing the envelope in my singing.  However, his singing has so badly deteriorated that it is painful to listen to.  Tate sounds strained, nasal, and off-key more often than not, and is far and away the weakest link on this album.  This is not a matter of personal taste.  He is objectively singing incorrectly and in a way that detracts from any positives these songs might have.  And that is a shame bacause, as mentioned above, some of these songs truly show promise and could have been decent.

3.  The album does not have the "Queensryche sound."  I do not mean to try to "put the band in a box."  One of the things I have always appreciated about Queensryche is that they have always changed and grown their sound.  Even in their earliest history, each album sounded very different from anything else in the catalog.  And yet, there was always a trademark complexity and depth to their sound.  I felt that Slater finally managed to capture that a bit on American Soldier.  However, with a few exceptions, it has largely been missing for several albums, and this latest Geoff Tate solo effort mislabeled as "Queensryche," that trend continues.

If Tate and his team had taken the time to refine some of the ideas on this album, and if he had taken the time to work hard and sing correctly, this could have been a good album.  It still would not be a Queensryche album, but it could have been something worthwhile.  As it is, I have given it a fair listen, and see no reason I will ever be compelled to listen again.
2184504
The compilation album "Edge of Twilight" described this as "...an unusually strong debut album within the genre of Progressive Rock." Alas, not quite. Certainly, there are obvious flashes of what  was to come, but like most other bands in the genre (except King Crimson)  Gentle Giant were yet to find their distinctive "sound."  "Why Not" sounds too bluesy for Prog-Rock standards and  "Nothing At All" seems to be a haphazard combination of pop song  and probing improvisations. The production of the album is also  substandard. Still, this is a promising debut.
3451196
This Washington band pretty much wears their influences openly, kind of a dark wave Cure sound, with a lot of similar melodies and passages in the music, which is okay.  The production is on the garage side of things, and even their full length CD, "Violent Hearstrings" had to be self released.  Which is probably because lead singer Helton . . . uh, can't.  Sing, that is.  He doesn't have a bad voice, kind of gruff, but he can't hold a note without wavering all over the scale, which makes something good like "Walk on Water" impossible to listen to without cringing.  Maybe he just needs some coaching, the basic sound isn't that bad.  Maybe the bass player can sing in the meantime?  Sorry.
3261001
This band has the lead vocalist from Firehouse (C.J. from Tampa). Although I do like the album, it's pretty decent overall, I am not blown away by it. Maybe my expectations are too high from what Firehouse had done in the past, but it's showing good promise for the band. I think with some good effort they can really step it up on the next album. I do recommend it - worth buying.
4830954
At their best, Counting Crows made radio-friendly songs like "Round Here," "Mr. Jones," and "A Long December" that really pack a punch; at their worst, they made generic pop rock, and this collection showcases both sides. This is a good enough starting point (and perhaps ending point) for those interested in the band, but it's about five or six songs too long, and the first half is noticeably stronger than the second half. The decision of cover Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil" was probably misguided; on the other hand, I'd rather listen to lesser versions of those songs than stuff like "Anna Begins" or "She Don't Want Nobody Near."

Adam Duritz is neither a particularly strong lyricist or a particularly interesting frontman, and as good as some of these songs are, I imagine a Counting Crows concert being a waiting game for the hits and an endurance test after they're done. Also, I have no idea why "A Long December" is towards the beginning of the album. No idea at all. This collection is not chronological, and the fact that this song (probably their strongest) is placed near the beginning is baffling to me.
3854192
I did like this album, considering my 4 star rating, but it's the first album of theirs I would risk calling "disappointing", ONLY compared to all of the six albums they put out beforehand.
  It felt like I'd already heard most of these songs, and that they were below par, but only below Led Zeppelin's par... that's still quite a long climb to get to that height.  What I can say most definitely about Presence is that, and I say this somewhat stunned, is that I can't remember how most of the songs go, except for the first song, Achilles Last Stand.  I can see why some have praised Nobody's Fault But Mine, but I felt it didn't stand up with the best of their music.
  Still, quite a good album, despite the pressures the four of them were placed under during the making of this album.  It was recorded under much haste, Robert Plant was recovering from physical injuries, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I also think his son passed away not much earlier.  It was hard for me to see any significance of this album because of the gigantic effort they displayed those few and brief years before, but if I compared it to anything else modern, it's significance would grow.
4847785
I think this and Music For Pleasure were the two black dots on an otherwise awsome carrer for The Damned.  While this is the better of the two it still isn't as good as the others.  Not really a bad album just not a very great one. It does have its moments "Is It A Dream", the Beatle-eske"Grimly Feindish(the best song)", and "Trojans" do have a gothic charm.  It feels like they lost the fun element of their earlier efforts and tried to replace it with gloom and sadness.  Just imagine the Damned without punk and you'd get this one.  Felt like "13th Floor Vendetta", "The Dog", and "Life Goes On" over and over and over again, not really my cup of tea but the more gothic fans will love it.
3302551
Not a bad CD, but not as good as their earlier work. Still worthwhile!
3009640
I saw these guys live, and I must say that their live show is GREAT, which makes this EP something of a letdown.  This EP doesn't seem to capture the frenetic energy and rich sound of their live show.  The songs here are enjoyable but ultimately forgettable, and there's nothing being done here that a dozen other New York indie bands aren't doing better.  Also, it's always a bad sign when the strongest material on your record is a cover of someone else's song (Glamorous Life).
That being said, I still HIGHLY recommend their live show if they're ever in your town, and I still think these guys can break out of the pack of indie dance-rock sound alikes and find big success if they can find a way to harness the sound and energy of their live show and put it on a CD.